In response to James Purnell: A defence of theory

As I argue in the letters page of the forthcoming issue of Prospect (out next week), James Purnell is surely correct in asserting that the left currently needs more than modernised Marxism. But in denying the relevance of nineteenth century theories of equality to today’s political debate, he goes too far in rejecting the significance of theorists altogether.

In order to "understand justice better," Purnell claims, we must consult those who understand "real alternatives" rather than those theorists, such as John Rawls, who try "to build a castle to social justice in the air." He also suggests that "the left in Britain was never Marxist because it was a movement rather than a theory." This is a false distinction, and an impoverished analysis of the relationship between politics and ideas. History is replete with examples (many of them ‘Marx-related’) that fulfil both categories of ‘theory’ and ‘movement.’ The current cross-party fetish for ‘fairness’ alone is a hangover from the political classes’ collective dabbling in John Rawls as PPE undergraduates.

To claim (rightly) that ideas and ‘systems of justice’ cannot unfold to their logical conclusions in the messy world of politics is not to conclude that they are of no importance. Theorists such as Marx and Rawls do not just provide answers; they pose new questions. If the modern British left is devoid of real alternatives, perhaps it isn’t thinking hard enough.