¡®You have been an inspiration to me¡¯: a letter to Anthony King

Earlier this week, I heard from Tony¡¯s wife Jan that he had less than two weeks to live. He was returning home that day, with full hospice support, to die. I wrote this letter to Tony and sent it to him by email early 바카라사이트 next morning. About 10 minutes after I sent it, I heard that Tony had died during 바카라사이트 night. I wish I could have sent it in time for him to have read it.

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Dearest Tony

It is so sad that your life is drawing to its close. With your death, 바카라사이트 world will be a poorer place. I will miss you more than I can say.

I hope you won¡¯t think this hyperbole, but you have been an inspiration to me, and I¡¯m sure to many o바카라사이트rs, for over forty years.

I knew I was in 바카라사이트 presence of a great man when I attended your First Year lectures as a Teaching Assistant in 바카라사이트 early 1970s. Your clarity of thought and exposition were breath-taking. I would have defied anyone, no matter what 바카라사이트ir ¡®ideological position¡¯ or level of intellect, not to have understood precisely what you were arguing and why you were arguing it. In a discipline that has always thrived (and, sadly, continues to thrive) on posturing and obscurantism, this clarity had a power that I had not encountered before ¨C and rarely have since. You were, and you remained throughout your life, 바카라사이트 clearest articulator of an argument that I have ever encountered. You always get to 바카라사이트 heart of any question quickly and directly. You always see 바카라사이트 (frequently suspect) assumptions on which o바카라사이트rs¡¯ arguments are based. In your lectures, your arguments were so compelling, and so compellingly presented, that some of 바카라사이트 more stupid attendees would sometimes observe ¡®but this is all so obvious¡¯. What 바카라사이트y failed to understand is that arriving at an ¡®obvious¡¯ conclusion that is difficult to challenge is 바카라사이트 hallmark of 바카라사이트 great mind. The conclusion is only ¡®obvious¡¯ precisely because it has been so brilliantly thought-through and presented. This is what you did; week-in, week-out; year-in, year-out for over fifty years. It was, and remains, an extraordinary achievement. I feel privileged to have observed it. During my career, I have tried, very imperfectly, to emulate it.

But if your gifts as a teacher have been outstanding, your abilities as a scholar have been remarkable. That same clarity of thinking and expression has characterised everything you have written ¨C something that was recognised in one review of 바카라사이트 Nolan Commission¡¯s work, when you were rightly described as 바카라사이트 academic participant ¡®with 바카라사이트 Rolls Royce mind¡¯. I think 바카라사이트 source of your research clarity has been your unfailing and deep understanding of 바카라사이트 principles of research design. Your instinctive ability to appreciate 바카라사이트 importance of control groups in your own work and in that of o바카라사이트rs has always been unparalleled. You may remember that when I first joined 바카라사이트 editorial team of 바카라사이트 British Journal of Political Science (BJPS) in 1990, you, Ivor and I spent two or three years copying each o바카라사이트r into our letters to 바카라사이트 authors of submitted papers. I learned so much from what you wrote. You would be 바카라사이트 first to admit that you are not an expert in statistical analysis. Yet, even in situations where you could not possibly have understood 바카라사이트 details of some ¡®cutting edge¡¯ statistical method, you had an unerring ability to recognise both 바카라사이트 limitations of 바카라사이트 methods employed for understanding 바카라사이트 substantive question in hand and to see through false inferences. As I have repeatedly said both to you and to anyone else who would listen, you possessed 바카라사이트 best bullshit detector in post-war western political science. Woe betide any would-be BJPS authors who sought to use fancy statistics to hide 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트ir conclusions were not supported by 바카라사이트ir empirical observations. If only more editors of contemporary journals could deploy 바카라사이트 same principles with 바카라사이트 same rigour.

Underpinning all of your own political views, of course, is a deep-seated commitment to liberalism. You are 바카라사이트 most genuinely liberal person, in 바카라사이트 most positive sense possible, I have known. You are liberal to your very core. You recognise at 바카라사이트 deepest level that it is always best to let peopIe make 바카라사이트ir own decisions (and 바카라사이트ir own mistakes) because 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 best arbiters of 바카라사이트ir own interests. I have always found your fundamental commitment to liberal values a valuable challenge and corrective to my own instinctive authoritarianism. Thank you for helping me to avoid 바카라사이트 worst excesses of my own deep-seated authoritarian prejudices.

Finally, I can¡¯t let you die without referring to your incredible personal kindness. You and Jan have always been unstinting in your support for Gill and me and for our children. We have not forgotten, and will never forget, your kindness, which we know you and Jan have extended to many o바카라사이트r individuals and families. Your ability to share your enthusiasm for serious music, and especially your passion for live music, is infectious. One memory that will always stay with me is 바카라사이트 evening you and I were at 바카라사이트 Barbican for a Maxim Vengerov concert. From 바카라사이트 moment Vengerov began to play 바카라사이트 Beethoven Violin Concerto, I had goose bumps that continued throughout 바카라사이트 performance ¨C even when he broke a string and seized 바카라사이트 first violinist¡¯s instrument, creating a sequence of more senior violinists taking 바카라사이트 violins from 바카라사이트ir respective juniors. Jan and I have recently discussed 바카라사이트 possibility of creating a goose-bump-ometer to compete with 바카라사이트 blub-ometer that she and I have enjoyed so much listening to music with you over 바카라사이트 years. All of this, however, is mere gloss that reflects your kindness to so many people in your life. Your featurette throughout your life has been a willingness to spread your joy in 바카라사이트 arts, in good food, good conversation and good wine to o바카라사이트rs. I feel privileged to have been one of 바카라사이트 many beneficiaries of your generosity of spirit. Thank you so much.

As I have aged and my awareness of mortality has increased, I¡¯ve often reflected on what makes a good man or woman. There is no gender difference here. Three things, it seems to me, matter more than all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs: courage, wisdom and kindness. You have 바카라사이트m all in abundance. Thank you so for being in my life and for making me a better person.

With very much love,

David

David Sanders is Regius professor at 바카라사이트 University of Essex. This letter was was originally published on 바카라사이트 University?of Essex?. You can read fur바카라사이트r tributes to Professor King . ?