Rupert's Read

The latest Green House report is now out; it is on 'food security':  http://www.lulu.com/shop/thomas-lines/primary-commodity-prices-and-global-food-security/paperback/product-20694881.html

At 3.30 in Arts 01.01 at UEA today, Tom Greaves and I will be talking on this, to DEV. Do come!

Dr Rupert Read  (University of East Anglia)  Wittgenstein among the 'human sciences':  Some thoughts on the case of medicine  (including psychiatry)   Wittgenstein suggests that we ought to be wary of modelling of all human knowledge and inquiry on the pattern of science. I explore and expound the basis for this wariness, and then go on to apply this thinking to the very important case of medicine. In particular, is ‘Evidence-based medicine’ a benign for instance of science-in-action to improve people’s lives, or is it an imperialist power play designed to drive out art/judgement and values from medicine in the name of an alleged science-based alternative to these? Might there be a philosophy-informed alternative to EBM that improves upon it, through avoiding the scientism arguably present within it? In the case of psychiatry and care for mental-health in general, are there additional reasons to be found in Wittgenstein’s thinking for doubting t...

From the Norwich Evening News : Rail fares have risen [this year] by an average of 4pc across the Greater Anglia network. The rises could have been steeper but for an intervention by the Government to limit the regulated fare rise to inflation plus 1pc, rather than the planned inflation plus 3pc increase. But members of the Green Party gathering at Norwich station this morning said the rise was too steep and have demanded rail fares be reduced to an affordable level. They also called for public ownership of the railways and cuts to carbon emissions through more rail travel. Leaflets were being handed out asking passengers to take action by tweeting their complaints about fare rises to @transportgovuk using the hashtags #farefail #railfail. They are also are being asked to email their MP to complain by visiting www.farefail.org. Rupert Read, from the Green Party, said: “Back in October the coalition government capped the latest rail fare rise at 4.2 pe...

I'll be leading a demo at Norwich train station at rush-hour in the morning of Jan. 2nd, to protest at the state of our nation's trains and the fares we have to pay on them. Goto http://oneworldcolumn.org/  to read more!