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
Acts of remembrance
Commemorating those lost in the pandemic has not been possible. But we can mourn through music
Overrated: Intellect
"An intellectual is someone who looks at a pink party balloon and thinks of Jeff Koons"
Underrated: Instinct
If you are instinctive, you think for yourself, and find chance beautiful
Prophets and messiahs
Deep inequality, a mismanaged pandemic, widespread violence and a tanking economy. How did Brazil get into this mire?