The philosopher changing free speech in Britain
Arif Ahmed is forcing universities to behave better

A good way to understand Arif Ahmed, a philosopher, is to have visited him in his old rooms at Cambridge University. In some ways the study was standard philosopher fare: wood floors, air of faded grandeur. Peer from its paned windows and you could see King’s College, where Ludwig Wittgenstein argued with Karl Popper with a poker. Wander down the street, and you’d be at Trinity, where Bertrand Russell argued with almost everyone.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Locke, Stock and both barrels”
Britain
April 12th 2025- Britain is unusually well shielded from a tariff shock
- How the British government sounds like a tabloid
- British telephone boxes are getting a facelift, of sorts
- The most conservative place in Britain
- The British are learning to love cheap overseas health care
- The philosopher changing free speech in Britain
- Zombie politics: how Dead Man dominates British politics

From the April 12th 2025 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the edition
Nigel Farage leads a movement that is hungrier and better organised
Could Reform UK take over Britain’s right?

Britain’s 20-20-20-20 vision
What happens if politics becomes a four-way fight
In praise of flag-shagging
To govern Britain, it helps to like it
How Britain decides which drugs to buy
The NHS can’t afford all the latest miracle drugs. A quango decides who misses out
Are hits like “Adolescence” good or bad for Britain?
Commissions by streaming services are a mixed blessing for British production companies