Sir – On the fifth day after the election at the time of writing, we have just had a prime ministerial resignation — for the future — and another voting reform olive branch from the Tories. But no reforms on what matters most: fundamental changes in thinking.
Not only do we still have an old fashioned voting system. We still have an archaic thinking system.
It’s the “I’m Right You’re Wrong” system of box logic handed down from the Greek Gang of Three, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. This system was taken up eagerly both by Church scholars and the “heretics” in all the arguments within religion.
At one time it was thought scholarly to spend a lifetime arguing about how many angels could fit on the head of a pin.
Ecclesiastics needed the logic of argument to keep power, humanists needed the same thinking system of argument to prove their system right, and all the political parties now use exactly the same system of argument, even though they talk about the national interest coming first and the willingness to sacrifice a Cabinet position etc. The essential element of politics is arguing for rightness on the basis of superior ideas.
The second war brought together all parties and then there was genuine thinking together for a common cause, but now there is no sense of immediate danger, so there is no need for parties to join together and think co-operatively.
It’s quite funny if it was not so serious and affecting so many. While businesses across the world are benefiting from The Six Thinking Hats to hold constructive meetings, politics is still schoolboy politics.
As an accredited Edward de Bono trainer managing Thinking Training, I find all this politics rather sad. Sad because this antiquated thinking is paraded as clever.
And sad because the parties know there is better thinking available but refuse to use it.
Dennis Perrin, Witney
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