Jason Arday Was the Author of His Own Downfall

Former Cambridge University professor Jason Arday – who was revealed over the past two weeks to have largely fabricated his life story while plagiarizing other scholars almost constantly throughout his career — is dead, apparently by his own hand. (Details are as yet unclear, but he is reported to have been found dead in his flat by London police under circumstances that are officially described as “unexpected, but not suspicious,” a delicate way of stating the obvious.) Before all else, I sincerely ask you to pray for the man’s soul. Suicide is indescribably sad, and his was a needless death. It is impossible not to feel melancholy about the outcome.

I hesitate, however, to call it a “tragedy,” as I see others have done. I reserve that term for the innocent victims of events on the order of force majeure. (As for school shootings and terrorist attacks, these are not tragedies; they are atrocities.) I have no doubt that Arday’s sense of despair was acute indeed; the act of self-abnegation speaks for itself.

About the Author

Jeffrey Blehar

Jeffrey Blehar is a National Review staff writer living in Chicago. He is also the co-host of National Review’s Political Beats podcast, which explores the great music of the modern era with guests from the political world happy to find something non-political to talk about.

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Former Cambridge University professor Jason Arday – who was revealed over the past two weeks to have largely fabricated his life story while plagiarizing other scholars almost constantly throughout his career — is dead, apparently by his own hand. (Details are as yet unclear, but he is reported to have been found dead in his flat by London police under circumstances that are officially described as “unexpected, but not suspicious,” a delicate way of stating the obvious.) Before all else, I sincerely ask you to pray for the man’s soul. Suicide is indescribably sad, and his was a needless death. It is impossible not to feel melancholy about the outcome.

I hesitate, however, to call it a “tragedy,” as I see others have done. I reserve that term for the innocent victims of events on the order of force majeure. (As for school shootings and terrorist attacks, these are not tragedies; they are atrocities.) I have no doubt that Arday’s sense of despair was acute indeed; the act of self-abnegation speaks for itself.

About the Author

Jeffrey Blehar

Jeffrey Blehar is a National Review staff writer living in Chicago. He is also the co-host of National Review’s Political Beats podcast, which explores the great music of the modern era with guests from the political world happy to find something non-political to talk about.