James Petts
Advisor
James Petts is a barrister (the equivalent of a trial attorney) in London, England. He was called to the Bar in 2002 and has been practicing since 2005. In his professional life, he focuses on commercial and Chancery (property) cases, especially those involving an element of fraud or dishonesty. In his personal life, he enjoys baking, photography, computer programming and model railways. James has a passion for reason and reason-based ethics, and a strong dislike of abuses of power in any context.
What is liberalism to you?
The primacy of reason and rigorous reasoned inquiry in all aspects of life, particularly in ethic; the understanding that concentrated coercive power is inherently dangerous, that it is a fundamental mistake to think of politics as no more than a battle between left (traditionally socially liberal but economically illiberal) and right (traditionally socially illiberal but economically liberal), and that the safest sort of society and one living in which is most worthwhile is that which is both economically and socially liberal.
The recognition that, at present, abuses of power are widespread and extremely harmful even in ostensibly liberal jurisdictions (the harms often deliberately being obfuscated by those very abuses of power) that only fundamental constitutional change so as irreversibly to dissipate coercive power has any real hope of reversing this, and that, in turn, only widespread acceptance of this reality can lead to necessary change.
Who are you?
James Petts is a barrister (the equivalent of a trial attorney) in London, England. He was called to the Bar in 2002 and has been practicing since 2005. In his professional life, he focuses on Chancery (property) and commercial cases, especially those involving an element of fraud or dishonesty.
In his personal life, he enjoys baking, photography, computer programming and model railways.
What do you do?
James produces content for the Institute of Liberal Values focusing on spreading an understanding of the importance of liberalism and the dangers of illiberalism to a wide audience, especially relating to critical thinking, rigorous reason based ethics and the dangers of concentrated coercive power. He has written numerous long-form essays, produced a glossary of liberal concepts, is working on a video series explaining those concepts, a critical thinking course and an argument clinic – a video series aimed at rigorously deconstructing bad arguments on political and ethical topics seen in the wild.
Favorite things?
Favorite book: Watching the English by Kate Fox
Favorite animal: The cat
Favorite poem: The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
Favorite food: Yogurt
Favorite place to visit: Anywhere beautiful and rugged or historical and fascinating
ILV Selected Publications