# Theodore Dalrymple: In Praise Of Prejudice



## JM (Jul 14, 2009)

Darlrymple writes, what seems by the titles he uses, very interesting books. He is one of the interviewees on the Truth Project DVD's. 

At one time there was a connection between helping people and what they deserved. There was, in this country anyway (the UK), quit a strong Christian socialist movement for increasing the role of the State in provision of welfare and other services probably without anyone realizing what the consequences would be. 

With our modern ideology of not making any kind of judgment everybody is regarded as equally deserving, you can’t say in fact that somebody is not deserving and that means that assistance is given to people on the basis on their supposed need…and if people behave in a very antisocial or self-destructive way their need actually increases. You actually foster the very worse kind of behaviour…and it also of course means that life itself is deprived of meaning. 

Before this ideology came into being there was a feeling among those who did distribute charity, notably the churches that…some contribution, at least in the way of behaviour was necessary from the people receiving charity. And now the church, in this country, I think has also accepted that everyone is equally deserving and since the least deserving are the most needy, because they put themselves in that situation, they are the ones practice get the most help. 

There is no doubt that the church has become less and less important and the State has become more and more important…whether it’s a consequence for the churches or whether it would have happened anyway, I’m not quit sure, but the surrendering of the charitable role to the State has at least coincided with the decline of the church as a real force in this country and so there’s been a decline in the appreciation of the moral or ethical teaching of the church which have become, in this country anyway, extremely dilute. 

They have just really…followed the secular trends in rest of society.​
chapters.indigo.ca: In Praise Of Prejudice: The Necessity Of Preconceived Ideas: Theodore Dalrymple: Books

Anyone on PB recommend his books?


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## bookslover (Jul 14, 2009)

Theodore Dalrymple (real name: Dr. Anthony Daniels) is a British physician, now retired, who worked in the British prison system for many years, among other places. He and his wife now live mainly in the south of France.

A very insightful and thoughtful writer, he is one of my favorites. He has a regular column, titled "Oh, to be in England," in City Journal (City Journal). (Scroll way down, almost to the bottom of the homepage.) He has published several books, which are advertised at that site. I haven't read any of them yet, but I try to get to his columns as often as I can.


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## JennyG (Jul 15, 2009)

He sometimes writes in the Daily Telegraph. he doesn't seem to be a Christian of any sort but his columns are always uncompromisingly practical and to the point. You feel you're getting illuminating plain sense. 
I haven't read any of his books either but I would definitely assume they would be worth a go.


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## JM (Jul 15, 2009)

Thank you.


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## py3ak (Aug 31, 2009)

I recently read _Not With a Bang but a Whimper_. Dalrymple is a very intelligent and widely-read atheist, with a large number of interesting experiences in contact with those who are at the bottom of British society. He dislikes the new atheists, and prefers Bishop Joseph Hall, of happy memory, to someone like Daniel Dennett. He's a very good writer, and makes a lot of profitable observations. He has good explanations of things like why the Muslim population in Great Britain is consistently seen not to be doing as well in the area of economic progress as Hindus or Sikhs. I thought his negative portrayals of Britain were on a couple of occasions a little self-contradictory, but it was an excellent book and I am hoping to read more.


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