The ‘Art of Thinking’ about Extremism, Leicester Secular Hall, 27th Feb. 7.30pm

Philosopher Dr Greg Scorzo will do an entertaining and insightful talk followed by a discussion.

There is no political ideology more deplored in Western culture than extremist ideology. Government programmes (such as Prevent, in the UK) aim not simply to discourage extremism, but to use community resources to completely root it out of society. Yet in today’s polarised political landscape, there is no uniform agreement about what extremism is. For example, to many people, Brexit is an extreme idea motivated by xenophobia and racism. For many others, the identity politics embraced both by the left and contemporary culture is far more racist and sexist than any of the political forces associated with Brexit. On top of that, the economic policies of both Labour and Tory governments are routinely described as forms of extremism. Labour Party economics is often described as leading to an apocalyptic Venezuela like state, while Tory economic policy is often described as murderous.

So how do we differentiate those views that are extreme from those we simply find morally unacceptable? And is extremism even a useful concept for politics?

Admission min. £3.00. Pay what you can afford.
Talk starts at 7.30 prompt.