Paul Sagar

Lecturer in Political Theory, King’s College, Cambridge

Paul Sagar is a lecturer in political theory in the department of political economy, King’s College London. He is the author of The Opinion of Mankind: Sociability and the Theory of the State from Hobbes to Smith (2018).

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Written by Paul Sagar

A painting of a bouquet of carnations in red, white and pink hues with a signature “A. Hitler 1910” in the bottom left corner.

essayEthics

Tainted by association

Would you carve a roast with a knife that had been used in a murder? Why not? And what does this tell us about ethics?

Paul Sagar

Medieval painting depicting a skeletal figure with a scythe standing on a pedestal of skulls, with people on the ground below.

essayMeaning and the good life

On going on and on and on

The fantasy of living forever is just a fig leaf for the fear of death – and comes at great personal cost

Paul Sagar

Close-up of a Bank of England £20 note showing the holographic portrait of a man in a wig and the word Twenty embossed on it.

essayPolitical philosophy

The real Adam Smith

He might be the poster boy for free-market economics, but that distorts what Adam Smith really thought

Paul Sagar

A climber in red gear scaling a steep snowy slope, surrounded by blue and white ice formations under a clear sky.

essaySports and games

Rules of ascent

For mountaineers, it’s not enough to get to the top – it must be done a certain way. But why is the harder way better?

Paul Sagar

Francis Fukuyama in a suit and red tie smiling gently, sitting on a sofa beside a blue cushion, looking away, against a blue striped background.

essayPolitical philosophy

The last hollow laugh

Since Francis Fukuyama proclaimed ‘The End of History’ 25 years ago, he has been much maligned. His work now seems prophetic

Paul Sagar