The reference to Jacob Rees-Mogg as “the honourable member for the 18th century” is a soubriquet that I find extremely distressing (Rees-Mogg’s roots tell a true Conservative tale – just not the one he wants us to hear, 22 January).
It should be noted that the 18th century was the age of enlightenment, with a long list of luminaries whose names have become bywords for the possibilities of the thinking and endeavour of which humans are capable. A quick “Kanter” through without racking one’s brain could produce Voltaire, Rousseau, Hume, Wollstonecraft, Hegel, Diderot, Paine et al.
