The Retreat of Reason Political Correctness and the Corruption of Public Debate in Modern Britain

Civitas

Civitas is a community of researchers and supporters committed to discovering how best to strengthen democracy, uphold limited government, maintain personal freedom, achieve opportunity for all, and encourage free enterprise. We strive to achieve our ideals through independent research, reasoned argument, lucid explanation and open public debate. We stand apart from party politics and transitory intellectual fashions in pursuit of the enduring ideals that have made Britain a fortress of liberal civilisation. We make our work available in books, pamphlets, online, and in electronic formats and encourage authors to make their arguments accessible to non-specialists. Some publications are designed for use in schools and universities, including a series a factsheets about the European Union for sixth forms. Most recently, we have published a knowledge-rich primary school curriculum designed to enable children of all abilities to share in the intellectual heritage of Western civilisation. We also carry our arguments into schools and universities by organising talks and debates. Uniquely among think tanks, we play an active, practical part in rebuilding civil society, particularly by running schools on Saturdays and after-school hours so that children who are falling behind at school can achieve their full potential.