The vanity of ideas

摘要

In the political satire "The Thick of It", a character writes a book called "It's The Everything, Stupid". The title captures some politicians' fondness for overarching theories-for ideologies that can coherently and flatteringly explain whatever they are doing, or intend to. Some senior Conservatives are apparently afflicted by this longing. Their theories are not altogether persuasive; but their bigger mistake is to think they need one.