Union psychology
Sir: In his article in your issue of 8 September, Christopher Booker exposed possible psychological roots of the rejection by so many of our trade unionists of the lessons of economic reality and common sense. Reading this (I may say with a good deal of interest and sympathy) I could not help sensing a certain irony, in that Mr Booker's own rejection of scientific Darwinism might well have similar psychological roots.
The more sophisticated trade union leaders appeal to certain heretical economists to justify their attitudes, just as Mr Booker appeals to a few highly unrepresentative biologists in his own support. The revulsion against Darwin has many parallels with that against Adam Smith. Mr Booker suggests that their psychological roots will make the trade unionists' attitudes difficult to change; I fear that the same may be true in his own case.
R. A. Crowson, Department of Zoology, University of Glasgow
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