Sir, – William Reville (November 18th) implies that the social sciences incubate and protect left-wing authoritarianism.
This is “news” to me. I am a medical sociologist who has learned much from both conservative-leaning colleagues and scholars taking a left-wing anti-authoritarian stance.
Whilst one response to Reville’s straw-man depiction might be “fake news” another would be “strategic ignorance”.
There are wilful ways of not knowing that protect powerful interests in society – a world that is becoming increasingly authoritarian and which necessitates a critical (social scientifically informed) response.
There is plenty unfolding under our noses which (to adapt Reville) smells fishy, including misrepresentations in the mass media and authoritarian longings across the political spectrum.
French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, regarded by many as a superstar, described the discipline as a martial art to be used for defensive purposes.
Now is the time to deploy sociological self-defence against authoritatively expressed strategic ignorance and, I would add, mass deceptions that seek to render us all consumers of toxic “wisdom”, practices and products. – Your, etc,
Prof LEE F MONAGHAN,
Department of Sociology,
University of Limerick.