John Haldane has the grand title of professor of philosophy and director of the centre for philosophy and public affairs at St Andrews university. But his real reason for addressing the Catholic primary heads was simple. David Alton recommended him.
Lord Alton of Liverpool, the former Liberal Democrat MP, is regularly wheeled out to preach the virtues of intellectual Catholicism and tipped off the heidies.
Haldane is a former columnist for The Times but is better known, of course, for being the first Catholic professor of philosophy in Scotland since 1560. It’s that Reformation again.
