The complex cruelty of comedy
With comedians coming under pressure to only perform ideologically pure material, can comedy and satire survive?
Biden, Trump and the soul of a nation
Politics is much like marketing: the clearer the message, the more likely the sale. Based on the opening of the (virtually held) Democratic National
In search of ‘English Proust’
Can the Recherche be adapted and remain Proust? And should it really be seen as therapy?
Inside the Russian psyche
The UK remains surprisingly reluctant to dig deep into the patterns shaping Russia’s view of the world
Frank Ramsey: a giant among Titans
The short life of the mathematician and philosopher continues to have a profound impact
Machiavelli’s virtue politics
Modern politicians can learn from the Renaissance
Goodthink and crimethink
Linguistic revisionism leads to rapid substitution of meaning: words are deployed as weapons to shut down independent thought
Engineering the soul of China
Xi’s revolution in values and education is a tool for totalitarianism