Christopher Fear
@CRJFear
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Researcher and Lecturer @PoliticsatHull, @UniofHull 🎓 Political theory | Conservatism | European political history. Otherwise normal man.
Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire
Joined June 2014
‘In a revolutionary epoch, sometimes men taste every novelty, sicken of them all, and return to ancient principles so long disused that they seem refreshingly hearty when they are rediscovered.’.—Russell Kirk
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This "slavishness" is not exclusive to fascism. It is an attitude that a slavish ruling class could take to any "ideology", including communism, libertarianism, conservatism, progressivism, &c.
If this is right (and one could debate it) it tends all the more to endorse the view that neoliberalism is the same fascist project pursued by other means. Today, facing many crises, it is mutating back into a fascism, albeit in a new mode.
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"Vigour" here seems to mean something like autonomy of mind and will. A ruling class that merely follows popular feelings and slogans percolate the ethos of obeying feelings and conforming to slogans. It also becomes unable to deal with political problems properly.
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Collingwood could be attacked here as a mere mouthpiece of liberal elitism. But note his caveat "most likely", and the fact that for contextual reasons he wants to attack fascism on this point. The "inverse form" can of course also occur consciously and for good reason.
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Why might this correspondence break down? The rulers might choose a fashion that the ruled will not follow. Or the ruled might develop new terms for their continuing consent, which the rulers cannot or will not conform to.
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One aspect of Collingwood’s political philosophy that is especially relevant to our own time is what he has to say about the relationship between the ruling class and the ruled class. Here’s an extract from The New Leviathan:
He also convicts the ‘analytic philosophy’ denial that ethical philosophy is about right action or can change action, as a direct cause of the rise of fascism: ethics as psychological emotion us ‘just there’. But the sheerly psychic priced sheerly nasty. Huge insight here.
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Stop using takeaway coffee cups. At home and at work, make your own. Get more from your money. When you go to a coffeehouse, get a table. Get more from your time.
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RT @ThomasSowell: "One of the most important reasons for studying history is that virtually every stupid idea that is in vogue today has be….
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RT @ianpacemain: Stage 1: removal of ‘all requirements for pledges of allegiance to contested aspects of EDI and other ideologies from proc….
thecritic.co.uk
The final guidance was issued by the Office for Students on 19 June 2025 for implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023. This guidance is effective from 1 August 2025.
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It’s rare to find an academic article that takes a widespread but stupid practice and eviscerates it with both sound logic and great comic timing. This is essential reading for anyone involved in organizing graduation ceremonies. @BrandonWarmke.Link:
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RT @ThomasSowell: “The fact that so many successful politicians are such shameless liars is not only a reflection on them, it is also a ref….
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RT @CenConHull: 🚨 CALL FOR PAPERS 🚨.We're very pleased to be hosting this again @UniOfHull. 🎓.@PoliticsatHull @FBLP_research @CRJFear https….
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RT @LordNortonLouth: Being published in November. 'A pungent and dynamic set of essays helping to explain the phenomenon that is Thatcher….
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Let’s settle this. All external factors being equal (publisher’s style guide, etc.), which are better for primary quotation?.
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RT @KirkCenter: On 6.28 our final session at the Kirk Scruton conference will include Jeff Polet from @PresGeraldRFord, @JohnGGrove1, @Tory….
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