The common sense myth

Who gets to decide what it is?

The U.K. government has just appointed a new minster, widely referred to as the minister for 'common sense'. But what common sense is, is widely disputed, not just among philosophers but in everyday life. Using the rhetoric of common sense is in fact often used to present controversial claims as obvious, and conceal ideological commitments, argues Peter West.

 

Amidst the comings and goings of his cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has created a new position in government: the ‘minister for common sense.’ The news reads like satire, something out of The Onion, or a Monty Python Sketch, and the newspaper that broke the story only made things sound more surreal, calling the appointee, Esther McVey, the “common sense tsar”. Her goal? To “lead the charge on the government’s anti-woke agenda.”

Continue reading

Enjoy unlimited access to the world's leading thinkers.

Start by exploring our subscription options or joining our mailing list today.

Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber? Log in

Latest Releases
Join the conversation

Elrick 20 November 2023

Tricky discussion! As an ex 82 year old farmer I have seen the necessity and excellence of Health and Safety being applied throughout industry. It was followed soon after by the litigation process which in turn led to large organisations, especially Councils etc., drawing lists of 'processes' for doing jobs and making decisions. This has in turn led to the dropping of use of 'common sense' which I believe to be the natural evolution of the human (and indeed animal) brain's power to calculate and see the sensible next step in any action/process. Rules/regulations - yes, but common sense in their application is essential.