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Reply to Scruton

Practical Philosophy June 1998 Volume 1.1 Pages

Lou Marinoff

The Times (London), August 1997

"To The Editor,

I am responding briefly but sharply to Roger Scruton's "The Return of the Sophist" (11 August 1997), in which he libellously misrepresents my professional philosophical practice and draws utterly false inferences about my political inclinations.

On the first point: Mr. Scruton knows and is known to none of us in the international community of philosophical practitioners, has attended none of our conferences, has read none of our publications, has learned none of our history, and has talked with none of our clients. Thus, by the postmodern debasement of objective standards he rightly but ironically deplores, one might suppose him ideally qualified to pass judgement on our movement. In fact, droves of individual and corporate clients alike are finding the expertise and services of philosophical practitioners well-worth the price. We have far more satisfied clients than rash critics, and far more rash critics than dissatisfied clients.

On the second point: there is no valid inference from the fact that someone markets legal, medical or psychological expertise to reliable knowledge of that person's political views. Lawyers, physicians and psychologists can be found who espouse every conceivable (and often inconceivable) political position. The same argument applies to us who market philosophical expertise. Some practitioners are social constructivists and deconstructionists; others--such as myself--their unrelenting ideological and political opponents. Were Mr. Scruton to read my third novel ("Fair New World"), which savagely satirizes political correctness and militant feminism, he would remove both feet from his mouth. "Fair New World" is so politically incorrect that no major publisher has yet shown the courage to re-issue it. I am Derrida's and Rorty's worst nightmares, not their political bed-fellows.

In sum, I stand squarely against those who stand against realism and reason. We are so few, and our foes so many, that we ought not rake one another with careless friendly fire. I do concur with Mr. Scruton's critique of sophistry. But I would counsel him to read some of my works, both philosophical and political, instead of attempting to divine my thoughts from tertiary sources. And I would counsel Her Majesty not to knight Sir Roger just yet, given his proclivity for tilting at windmills."

Sincerely, Lou Marinoff

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