Welcome to Newsnight. I'm Yvonne Johnson
I'm Clare Walker
And I'm Joy Killian (if she attends)
Tonights program is Broadcast from the University of Wolverhampton from their exciting new campus. Our hosts are the philosophy department, one of the leading academic teaching universities for philosophy in the country.
Tonight's program is concerned with the virtue of Idleness, which is seen differently by the various sections of society. In today's climate of redundancies and job losses due to the economic climate, we have to ask ourselves whether as a modern industrial country we need to adopt a different idea of working practice, therefore accepting that more idleness should be allowed, or do we allow idleness to continue as it is within society today?
As usual you the viewers can have your say and the telephone lines will be open later in the program and the studio audience can have their say at a later point.
our program involves a number of interviews with members of the public who will share their views on Idleness. We also are extremely privileged to have an exclusive interview with the eminent philosopher Bertrand Russell who has left his home in Plas Penrhyn in Wales for this occasion and he will comment on his essay 'In Praise of Idleness,' and the interesting hypothesis that 'immense harm is caused by the belief that work is virtuous and that what needs to be preached in modern industrial countries is quite different from what always has been preached.' Our first interview is from the city of wolverhampton. where yet more redundancies have been announced with the impending closure of Woolworths. Over to the city centre.
Thank you for that report.We now have an interview with a shareholder of the largest pharmaceutical company in cheshire which has announced redundancies nationwide. Over to our reporter in Cheshire.
Thank you for that report. we now have the opinion of idleness from opposing ends of society and from the perspective of the philosopher Montaigne, who outlined that leisure always breeds an inconstant mind. He also made the point that when he tried to rest or allow his mind to be idle, his mind became even more active with his own thoughts. He conpared his mind to a runaway horse. With that in mind, perhaps we should put a wager on Lady Bagshots horse in the Grand National!. Moving on..We now have an interview recorded earlier today with a working mum from Walsall.
Thank you for that report. We now have another aspect of idleness from working parents.
the question whether society should remain with the traditional perceptions of idleness or whether as a modern society we need to adopt a differentworking practice to allow for more idleness is the point raised.
The lines are now open. Calls will cost 10p from landlines, calls from mobiles will cost more. Call 0800 000 001 if you think society should continue to allow traditional perceptions of idleness, or 0800 000 002 if you agree that society needs to adopt different working practices in our modern society to allow for more idleness.
While the lines are open and we count your votes, we will go over to our studio in London where our reporter Clare has an inclusive interview with Mr. Bertrand Russell. the 20th century philosopher. (I thought he was dead?)
Er.. yes thank you for that ,er, enlightning interview. The telephone lines are now closed. If you telephone now your vote wont be counted and you may be charged for the call.
While the votes are counted it is the turn of the studio audience to vote. As we have a technical hitch with the buzzers in front of you due to the wolf system here at the university being updated, I would ask those of you to raise your hand if you think society should continue to allow traditional perceptions of idleness....thank you.. now raise your hand if you think as a modern society we need to adopt different working practices to allow more idleness. .. thank you.. Those not voting?... thank you.
We now have the result of the phone in.. those in favour of society allowing the traditional perceptions of idleness,,,0 ..those in favour of the modern society adopting different working practices to allow more idleness....0
so there you have it.. Our listeners are probably too idle to vote.. Do we have any questions from the floor??
Thank you for watching.Next weeks program is from Oxford University and we shall be continuing the debate into the economic climate.
Our thanks once again to the philosophy department of wolverhampton university for their hospitality.
Good night.
if you want to alter any of it or comment feel free,, we can highlight ouy own passages to read when we know who is interviewing who and if Joy needs to come in as meena said she would'nt need to.. its up to Jjoy of course,, we now need to arrange interview day and gather props. Hope this finds your bodies idle.. at least our minds aren't idle as our minds do have fixed aims as montaigne outlines...Yvonne
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