Ideas Matter: ‘The elite: old and new - introduction’

Introduction to the series ‘The elite: old and new’, theme of the
boi charity’s event The Academy, held online in November 2021.


Politics has always been inseparable from the question: who has
power? In previous eras, the answer to that question was to
examine the issue of social class. Today, it is harder to offer
such easy answers. Many speak of multiple ‘elites’ including
business, educational, cultural and media. If traditional elites
are in retreat, or anxious to broadcast their support for a new
set of ‘progressive’ values around race, sex and gender, does
this mean that they no longer play such a central role in the
management of society? Or is this simply an age-old cycle of
elites seeking to mystify their social position?


Introduction by Jacob Reynolds, external affairs manager, boi;
author, Letters on Liberty: Beyond the Culture Wars


THE ACADEMY ONLINE IV: The elite: old and new To view the full
programme and some suggested background reading to the talks,
please visit  https://theboi.co.uk/academy-online-iv  


ASSOCIATED READING


For this lecture you may wish to read:-


Hannah Arendt, Truth and Politics, in Between Past and
Future, https://amzn.to/3rbtbV2

Peter Mair, Ruling the Void: The hollowing of Western
democracy, https://amzn.to/2Zs4SXr



THE ACADEMY In the context of today’s instrumental approaches to
knowledge, The Academy summer school is a modest attempt to
demonstrate the value of scholarship, and of the worth of the
university as a place of free enquiry dedicated to the pursuit of
truth.


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when society is restricted by measures to tackle coronavirus. If
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most important issues of our times and explores the ideas and
intellectual trends that have shaped where we are today.


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