Philosophy Research

‌It is well known that Charles Kennedy was a GU alumnus and former Rector but some will not be aware that he was an alumnus of the Philosophy Department.  Prof Robin Downie, who for many years held the Chair of Moral Philosophy, knew Charles well and writes:

The many tributes to Charles Kennedy have concentrated on his political life, and that of course has been his major contribution.  I should like to add a tribute from a different  perspective, or two different perspectives.   I was his tutor for two years in the Philosophy component of his Joint Honours Degree in Philosophy and Politics at Glasgow University, and I was the Vice-President of Glasgow University Union when he was the President.  When I attended my first Board meeting at G.U.U. I had the usual uncertainties of a new member, but Charles immediately explained procedures and put me at my ease.  He was a very successful President, turning round the financial loss he inherited to a considerable profit, with the help of his treasurer Eddie Prentice and his Hon Sec. Murdo Macdonald. - and all the time debating round the world and continuing his academic studies.  His debating successes culminated when he won the national ‘Observer’ debating Mace along with his debating partner, Clark McGinn (another of our Philosophy Honours graduates).

I said that all the while Charles was continuing with this academic studies.  It is not uncommon for  student politicians to drop out of academic life.  Indeed, I heard recently of a prominent Labour politician who spent seven years at tax-payers’ expense and never finished a degree.  As a student official Charles was entitled to a sabbatical year but he refused this on the grounds that it was a waste of tax-payers’ money.  He managed to fit in his academic studies with a challenging schedule of student Union work and international debating.  I cannot honestly say that all his essays were in on time, but if they weren’t handed in by Friday he would telephone  and have them in  by the following Wednesday.

His interests were naturally in moral and political philosophy and in the history of Scottish philosophy during the Enlightenment.  His speeches had the logical structure of someone who had studied philosophy, and their content reflected sympathy with John Stuart Mill’s great 19th century essay ‘On Liberty’.  Moreover, they were delivered with the persuasiveness  of someone who was familiar with the Scottish Enlightenment philosophers who wrote on rhetoric.  Indeed, after he graduated he had an award which took him to the USA to begin a PhD which would combine his interest in liberalism with his interest in political  rhetoric.  Philosophers writing on rhetoric from Aristotle to the Scottish Enlightenment have all been clear that while speeches must have substance and logic they will fail to persuade unless they are constructed and delivered in a manner which will convince.  Contemporary philosophers have not always recognised this, and indeed a previous incumbent of our Chair of Logic and Rhetoric had the term ‘Rhetoric’ removed from the title until it was restored by Professor Alexander Broadie.  Philosophers have missed an important (and money-earning)  trick  here because the teaching of rhetoric has been taken over by social scientists and doctors - and re-packaged as ‘communication skills’!  Communication skills are  now regarded as of the first importance in many careers.  Anyway, in the end, Charles was awarded a well-deserved 2:1 and graduated in 1982.  He submitted a philosophy dissertation on ‘Private and Political Morality’  for which the External Examiner awarded a First Class mark.  I wonder what Charles thought of the political morality of some of his recent political colleagues.  

Perhaps I may be allowed one anecdote from  many testifying to his humanity. It concerns a ‘surgery’ which MPs  have for their constituents . One petitioner was a lady whose grievance was that she had complained for four years to the Council about her dripping tap but no one had come to fix it.  Charles said ‘I will fix it!’ and got his tools and put on a new washer.  I wonder if the Etonians in the Cabinet could fix a dripping tap!

Although his main contribution was no doubt to Westminster politics he remained loyal to Glasgow University and its students - as witness his election to the post of Rector on two occasions. One student  said to me:  ‘The Lib-Dems would have a done a lot better with Charles Kennedy drunk than Nick Clegg sober - think of Churchill! ‘ Perhaps he was right.

Robin Downie
Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy, Glasgow University

First published: 5 June 2015