Philosophy
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Global history
Geopolitics is for losers
The concept of geopolitics comes from German and Russian attempts to explain defeat and reverse loss of influence
Harold James
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Thinkers and theories
The generous philosopher
Bruno Latour showed us how to think with the things of the world, respecting their right to exist and act on their own terms
Stephen Muecke
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Beauty and aesthetics
What does art do?
Good art, laced with irony, ambiguity and suspense, is not obviously political. That’s what makes it politically interesting
Vid Simoniti
video
Human rights and justice
Beyond ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ – could a range of verdict options be more just?
9 minutes
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Thinkers and theories
Democracy or apocalypse
Eric Voegelin and Hans Kelsen fled the Nazis. In the US, they clashed over the nature of modernity and government
David Dyzenhaus
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Politics and government
What lies beneath government
Buka Town in Bougainville shows how bureaucratic states could be reimagined, not as concrete buildings but as living gardens
Gordon Peake & Miranda Forsyth
video
Politics and government
Is mass media still ‘manufacturing consent’ in the internet age?
5 minutes
essay
Ageing and death
Old not Other
Here’s a puzzle: why do we neglect and disdain the one vulnerable group we all eventually will join? Beauvoir had an answer
Kate Kirkpatrick & Sonia Kruks
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Political philosophy
Democracy entails conflict
Democracy is a system of politics that has disagreement at its heart. But how do we stop conflicts becoming destructive?
Rochelle DuFord
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History of ideas
Beyond dust and grime
Zhuangzi thought Confucians were like frogs trapped in a well, unable to perceive the limitlessness of the sea
Tao Jiang
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History
Cowboy progressives
You likely think of the American West as deeply conservative and rural. Yet history shows this politics is very new indeed
Daniel J Herman
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Thinkers and theories
Scepticism as a way of life
The desire for certainty is often foolish and sometimes dangerous. Scepticism undermines it, both in oneself and in others
Nicholas Tampio
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Ethics
Stoics as activists
You might think of it as a philosophy for turning away from the world, but ancient Stoics took a stand against tyranny
Massimo Pigliucci
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Thinkers and theories
When hope is a hindrance
For Hannah Arendt, hope is a dangerous barrier to courageous action. In dark times, the miracle that saves the world is to act
Samantha Rose Hill
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Political philosophy
What is ‘the West’?
While the West belonged to a European geography, its name meant something. Now it is a vague invocation, laden with fear
Faisal Devji
video
History of ideas
How did ‘personal responsibility’ evolve into its opposite, ‘everyone for themselves’?
52 minutes
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Political philosophy
Democracy is sentimental
Reason and facts cannot be the basis of political debates and civic life. Love and laughter are the heart of the matter
Elizabeth Cantalamessa
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Thinkers and theories
In praise of possibility
For the political economist Albert O Hirschman, democracy thrives not on strong opinions but on doubt and flexibility
Michele Alacevich
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Childhood and adolescence
We’re all teenagers now
Adolescence isn’t a time of life so much as a frame of mind. Liberating yet damaging, it’s transformed the US and the world
Paul Howe
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Political philosophy
How important is white fear?
It’s become a commonplace that demographic anxiety is driving white voters to the far Right. This is dangerously wrong
Mark R Reiff
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Political philosophy
Against public philosophy
For Leo Strauss, public life was muddied by opinion and persecution, so philosophers should shield their work from view
Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft
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Nations and empires
The patriot paradox
Globalism is out. Nationalism is in. Progressives who think they can jump aboard are dangerously naive
Jeremy Adelman
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Stories and literature
Milton versus the mob
He spoke truth to power and made heresy a virtue. Lessons on free speech and intellectual combat from John Milton
Nicholas McDowell
video
Thinkers and theories
‘What’s essential is, I must understand’: a rare candid interview with Hannah Arendt
72 minutes