On Immigration and Refugees

by Michael Dummett

Michael Dummett, philosopher and social critic, was one of the sharpest and most prominent commentators and campaigners for the fair treatment of immigrants and refugees in Britain and Europe. This book insightfully draws together his thoughts on this major issue for the first time. Exploring the confused and often highly unjust thinking about immigration, Dummett then carefully questions the principles and justifications governing state policies, pointing out that they often conflict with the rights of refugees as laid down by the Geneva Convention. With compelling and often moving examples, On Immigration and Refugees points a new way forward for humane thinking and practice about a problem we cannot afford to ignore.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 21, 2001

About the author

A skilled analytic mind and an ardent voice against racism, Sir Michael A. E. Dummett is considered by many to be one of twentieth-century Britain’s most influential philosophers of language. Dummett is best known for his work in the history of analytic philosophy and in his contributions to the philosophy of language and mathematics. Much of his work has taken the form of commentary on the likes of Frege, Wittgenstein, and Quine. Dummett, who considered himself a Wittgensteinian, is widely held as the English authority on the work of German logician Gottlob Frege. Though Dummett diverges from Frege, who is a realist, most of Dummett’s achievements have been pursued in connection with his enthusiasm for Frege’s thought.

Dummett was born in London in 1925 and attended prestigious boys’ schools in Wiltshire and Hampshire. Though he rejected religious belief in his youth, Dummett converted to Catholicism while serving in the armed forces during the Second World War. After his military service he went to Oxford University where he studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Christ Church College. He graduated in 1950 with first class honors and was awarded a fellowship at All Souls College. Throughout his acclaimed career Dummett remained associated with Oxford, though he has held visiting posts at several universities around the world. In 1962 he was appointed reader in the philosophy of mathematics at Oxford; in 1979 he was elected Wykeham Professor of Logic, where he served as chair until his retirement in 1992. Dummett, along with his wife, has remained active in antiracist campaigns and political reforms, even placing his philosophical career on hold for several years during the sixties to pursue these causes. He received a knighthood in 1999.

Many of Britain’s leading analytic philosophers have been significantly influenced by Dummett, including Crispin Wright, Simon Blackburn, John McDowell, and Timothy Williamson — though none would be properly classed a disciple. Dummett’s most notable contributions have come in his analysis of theories of meaning accounting for communication, reason, and representation in language. His commitment to a kind of anti-realism in debates about reference and language, though often overstated, has been a point of particular interest for his admirers and detractors alike. Dummett was not satisfied with the pessimism of Wittgenstein and the holists who denied the possibility of finally understanding a language from within language. Dummett argues that an alternative can be found if one denies the principle of bivalence. Bivalence is the notion that every meaningful proposition is either true or false; and in Dummett’s view the denial of bivalence entails anti-realism about the reference of language.

Dummett’s most influential writings are the first and second editions of Frege: Philosophy of Language (1973–1981), The Interpretation of Frege's Philosophy (1981), and the 'William James Lectures' that he delivered at Harvard in 1976 published in 1991 as The Logical Basis of Metaphysics. He also delivered a series of lectures at Bologna in 1987, published in 1988 as Origins of Analytical Philosophy. In 1991 he published a collections of papers on Frege; and in 1993 a collection entitled The Seas of Language.

Reviews

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Likeable, blatantly good-hearted, but shallow in comparison to his other work. Shallower than moving from the average book on Frege to the average policy rant.

[Adam84 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Přesto, že jde o knihu již staršího data, vhodné podněty k úvahám o současném stavu přistehovalectví, jsem si v ní přeci jen našel.

Když jen vypíchnu, zajímavý je dle mého autorův princip otevřených hranic, který vychází z přijaté metodologie, jež neklade důkazní břemeno na přistěhovalce, který chce do země vstoupit, ale na stát, který ho chce odmítnout.

Z autorova textu, je patrný jeho celoživotní boj proti rasismu, který i po víc jak dvaceti letech od vydání knihy, neztrácí (v otázce přistěhovalectví) na potřebnosti.

[Ivan Loginov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autor naprosto přesně popsal situaci, identifikoval hlavní problémy a vytvořil teoretický rámec pro jejich řešení. Je hrozný vidět, že i po 20 letech to zní jako popis dnešní Evropy a že v otázkách vnímání přistěhovalců jsme se téměř neposunuli.

"Nepřátelství vůči lidem přicházejícím z jiných zemí, podněcované celá desetiletí propagandou politiků a médií, již nebylo v první řadě čistým projevem rasových předsudků: existovalo už jako samostatný předsudek."

[Casper Denck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cross-posted here: http://nicodemist.wordpress.com/2010/...


The Thinking in Action series has a number of significant philosophers among its author such as John Caputo, Zizek, Derrida and Mouffe. In On Immigration and Refugees Michael Dummett branches out into territory outside his academic specialism – Dummett is Emeritus Professor of Logic at Oxford University and usually works in the areas of logic, metaphysics and the philosophy of mathematics. Generally the feeling from the internet based reviews I have read of this book are positive. However, I am less impressed and the fact that Dummett is working outside his specialism is in my opinion apparent.

In line with the laudable ethos of the series Dummett begins by stating that notwithstanding his academic specialisms the he has “a general belief that it is the duty of intellectuals to engage in any matter to which they see they can contribute” (xii). While it is true that Dummett has not published in the field of political philosophy before he does have substantial experience over many years as an activist in supporting immigrants, often at the point of entry where they had been refused admittance.

To the extent that On Immigration and Refugees has a philosophical argument it is in part one of the book where Dummett offers as a brute fact that individuals should always have a right of emigration and immigration and, from the point of view of asylum seekers, the unfettered right to seek asylum. As such Dummett is in favour of a presumption toward open borders, it is the right of individuals to seek to fulfil ther ambitions for life whereever they choose live with only minimal legitimate reasons for non-admittence (such as criminality and preventing “cultural submergence”). I have no doubt cogent arguments can be made for open borders but Dummett simply does not make them philosophically.

On the practical level it is posited by Dummett that immigration controls are predicated on racism and the supression of those in poverty. However, Dummett makes no attempt to counter the claims of those such as those of the University of Oxford’s Centre on Migration Policy and Strategy (Compas) that immigration is harmful to the poor; consider the following conclusion concerning the emigration of Zimbabwe’s healthcare professionals (often encouraged by receiving countries):

"The migration of skilled health workers from the country needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency because it has reached critical levels. There has to be a political will to address the grievances of health workers without confrontations. Arresting the current brain drain from public health institutions should be one of the government’s major goals. It needs to be appreciated that a healthy health sector is a prerequisite for economic growth and sustainable development because it ensures the availability of a healthy workforce. Thus, the research shows that there is a call to adopt and implement an integrated policy that will retain skilled health professionals in the country for the benefit of the main users of public health systems, the poor."

It will not do, as Dummett does, to just ignore such complaints and the book is seriously weakened by its failure to engage such issues. On a more philosophical level I must admit I was astounded to see so little philosophical reflection on issues of nationalism, sovereignty and communitarianism that are so central to the debate. Hence a philosopher like Michael Walzer who has been active in the philosophy of multi-culturalism and, as a result, favours immigration controls is not so much as even mentioned. This is such a crucial subject that the failure to cover it is a critical failing.

This broad-brushstroke approach is present also in the second part of the book which, although devoid of all specifically philosophical comment is an improvement on the first. The critical failure of the UK immigration and asylum system is its subservience to the hateful politics of racism which Dummett claims still capture the majority of the British public and are encouraged by media misrepresentations and politician’s chasing after votes; in one breathtaking generalisation Dummett states all (or nearly all – Dummett is not-specific) immigration staff are racist and need to be replaced (which would indicate to me that Dummett is not suggesting this is the institutional racism that was diagnosed in the Police in the aftermath of the Lawrence inquiry where reform is possible or a discriminatory policy framework – Dummett differentiates the policy from staff actions but racism of a different and more personal sort.) (p. 70). I am afraid when a philosopher makes such ridiculous and overextended claims without any evidence I simply do not take the argument seriously; it is most certainly not the stuff of a philosophical enquiry.

This is a shame for hidden amongst the rant are some important and interesting issues such as feasibility of a multilateral asylum policy based on international cooperation but such ideas are very much diamonds in the rough of a dissapointing book.

[Chant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stick to his work on logic, language, and mathematics.

[victor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little one sided but a good exploration of what responsibilities nations have to immigrants and refugees under international law and how many countries are failing to meet these or, in some cases, actively working out ways in which to fail. I would love to hear some rebuttal of the points brought up within this book.

[Mark Cowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mixed analysis

This book deals with a really important issue. Much of the criticism of policies on immigration and of governments and the press, are incisive and well documented. Dummett is in the odd position of being a leading philosopher appealing to justice, but saying relatively little about contemporary theories in this area.