Three quotes on that elusive state we call 'liberty'.
Most people have no more definite idea of liberty than that it consists in being compelled by law to do as they like.
Ambrose Bierce - The Fiend's Delight (1872)
In fact, the more I think upon it the more I am convinced that the most important thing in any social system is the protection of the individual—personal liberty: freedom of contract: right to enjoy in safety what his ability, his enterprise, and his dexterity may gain for him.'
Walter Besant - The Ivory Gate (1892)
Walter Besant - The Ivory Gate (1892)
And this is the Fata Morgana of Liberty, or Freedom. She may lead you very definitely away from to-day's prison. But she also very definitely leads you towards some other prison. Liberty is a changing of prisons, to people who seek only liberty.
D. H. Lawrence and M. L. Skinner - The Boy in the Bush (1924)
D. H. Lawrence and M. L. Skinner - The Boy in the Bush (1924)
13 comments:
Talking of prison, is this chap guilty of fraud or of embezzlement? Should he at least be investigated? (Tel: It also emerged on Tuesday that Prof Arday falsely claimed to have been a visiting professor at Ohio State University.) Would he plead not guilty on grounds of diplomatic immunity, being the heir to the throne of Liechtenstein?
Be that as it may, shouldn't the Cambridge Vice-Chancellor resign? Which failing, shouldn't the dons move a "grace" (bill) in the Regent House (uni parliament) to dismiss him/her/it?
As all economists know, ya gotta change the incentives.
dearieme - being the heir to the throne of Liechtenstein could be an issue, maybe he should add another throne such as Belgium just in case, or claim to be married to Meghan.
It's difficult to see how he can evade dismissal though, not without more damage to the reputation of Cambridge. Academic sociology should survive quite easily though.
The Uni is an educational charity: so is Jesus College. Shouldn't the Charity Commissioners investigate their spending money under false pretences?
A word for today - eleutheromania
The outcome depends on if Prof Jason Arday can be 'spun' as one bad apple or found to be merely the worst example. And neither will have any direct link to the 'truth' - whatever it turns out to be.
You can't handle the truth! - because however Prof Jason Arday is blamed or exonerated it is 'the neoliberal global' that is under the microscope. So close to achieving a neoliberal global empire too.
dearieme - that's interesting, the number of people who ought to be asking questions seems to grow and grow.
DAD - thanks, I didn't know that one. I imagine eleutherophobes are more common, possibly even the norm.
DJ - it's a difficult decision because what he seems to have done could so obviously be much more widespread than any institution cares to admit. There must be thousands of less blatant Jason Ardays.
There's no end to it. The grifter stood in an election hoping to become a Labour "Counsellor" - as he spells it. How did he forget to claim to be dyxlesic?
https://order-order.com/2026/08/05/exc-cambridge-professor-at-centre-of-plagiarism-row-once-stood-as-labour-candidate/
Strewth here's another one (from the Mail): the profile also describes him as an 'honorary professor at Durham University in the Department of Sociology'. Although Professor Arday previously held several roles at Durham, the Daily Mail has been told he no longer has any 'formal' position there, contradicting his online biography
dearieme - good grief, I wonder if his name really is Jason Arday? He seems to be an extreme example of something more widespread, the notion that all truth is relative and people are free to construct their own reality. I believe Harry Markle has said as much.
More from the Tel: "Prof Jason Arday repeatedly claimed that he was the author of a book called Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse.... In reality, it never made it to the shelves and was abandoned by the publisher several years ago."
And another one: "Prof Arday has incorrectly claimed to be a visiting professor at the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa."
Can Liechtenstein withstand the embarrassment?
Things are looking dark for Mr Arday. It'll be an Arday's night.
And another thing: he hasn't played the transexual card yet.
Story without end: https://substack.com/home/post/p-209791464
dearieme - "Who Hired the Ridiculous Jason Arday at Cambridge?"
I like that way of asking the question, it has all become ridiculous, the list is already too long but there is probably more to come. A book and a film may be next though - he could come out of it quite well.
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