The Good Society

Speakers: Dr Evan Harris MP; Luke Johnson; Professor Susan Neiman; Brendan O'Neill
Chair: Claire Fox

Prime Minister Gordon Brown responded to the economic crisis by calling in March for a return to the values of the good society. A true son-of-the-manse, he invoked a time when hard work and effort was valued along with enterprise, honesty and integrity. Certainly, there is a consensus across British politics that our values are in crisis as well as our economy. The Joseph Rowntree Trusts Contemporary Social Evils report declares Britain is beset by problems like drink and drug abuse, family breakdown and rampant individualism. Similar concerns about Broken Britain led Tory shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley to suggest the recession might be good for us, because people tend to smoke less, drink less alcohol and spend time at home with their families. The predominant critiques suggest todays crisis is a symptom of our addiction to consumption, and a good society should focus on well-being and happiness instead.

The global crisis is regularly presented as payback time for human greed. The Labour-left group Compass notes approvingly that the recession is working as a corrective against individualistic and materialistic attitudes. Others argue for a new corporate ethics, with financial risk-taking and rampant capitalism indicted by events. But is the recession really a problem of ethics or morality? Is there a danger the new anti-capitalist ethic amounts to little more than risk-aversion and paralysing regulation? What about innovation and experimentation? If we demonise the aspiration to wealth as greed, how will society reward success and encourage ambition, and the competitive spirit that so often drives social progress?

We are told to reject me, me, me individualism, but must we choose between selfishness and altruistic sacrifice, or might we form bonds of solidarity around collective self-interest? And is a bit of individualism really so bad anyway? Debating what we mean by the Good Society allows us to imagine how society could be rather than accepting the status quo. But as we search for a new kind of politics, will we rekindle idealism or instead adopt post-recession virtues that - far from allowing us to move society forward - will reconcile us to less ambition, less freedom and less capacity to shape society?

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• battle
• 2009
• ideas
• institute
• politics
• debate
• good
• society
• virtues
• recession
• crisis
• economy
• consumption
• happiness
• greed
• innovation
• human
• experiment

[celebdiur]

I was surprised to see relative consensus from the panel over Brown’s rose-tinted comments of the good old days. Harris and O’Neill seemed to favour a more realistic attitude instead embracing both optimism and a critical eye.

O’Neill’s rejection of the implication that we are all responsible for the current economic situation alongside an acceptance of the ‘age of austerity’ soundbites and radical cuts was astute. Touching on some of the issues covered in the Chav Bashing debate.

[IKNOWALLABOUTALL]

She even mentioned that the MP came to previous talks before being sat on the panel!

I think you need to rephrase your comment. I would suggest something such as:

"Whilst this panel does consist of one elected politician I feel many others in power dont take much notice of these debates."

Also you seem to suggest that the only people who should talk about politics  and propose ideasshould be elected, in your words, by the masses. I dissagree, thinktanks wouldn't exist if this was the case.

[IKNOWALLABOUTALL]

Speakers: Dr Evan Harris MP

The clue is in the "MP"

This member of the panel IS a politician! haha

[mydailymotion1]

Another bunch of unelected ( by the masses ) middle class busybodies.

Politicians NEVER listen to our ideas unless they match their own.

A complete waste of time.