It’s January 2026 and cuddly feelings about an international rules-based world order are beginning to look like a fond memory. The ‘City Upon a Hill’, the beacon of hope and democracy that is The United States, is behaving like a nasty playground bully. The fig leaf has dropped revealing some truly ugly body parts. The […]
Patriot: A Memoir by Alexei Navalny Read More »
Tim Scanlon (Thomas M. Scanlon | Department of Philosophy) was the Alford Professor of Natural Religion, Moral Philosophy, and Civil Polity in Harvard University’s Department of Philosophy, where he has taught since 1984. In this book Scanlon advances a ‘contractualist’ theory of ethics. An act is wrong if its performance under the circumstances would be disallowed by any
What We Owe to Each Other by T. M. Scanlon Read More »
Set against the backdrop of the 1975 State of Emergency in India, A Fine Balance intricately weaves the lives of four main characters who share a cramped apartment in Mumbai. The author explores the harsh realities of the political climate, showcasing the effects of systemic oppression and caste violence. The spirited widow Dina Dalal, the tailors Ishvar and Omprakash, and
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry Read More »
Jay Frank Rosenberg (Jay Rosenberg – Wikipedia) was an American philosopher and historian of philosophy. He spent his teaching career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he joined the Department of Philosophy in 1966 and was appointed Taylor Grandy Professor of Philosophy in 1987. In this book Rosenberg sets out the central metaphysical
Thinking Clearly About Death by J. F. Rosenberg Read More »
David Bentley Hart (David Bentley Hart – Wikipedia) is an American theologian who was brought up as an Episcopalian but has converted to Eastern Orthodoxy. Universal salvation is very much a minority doctrine among religious believers, but this is the position argued for in this book. The author puts forward his position as follows: David
That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation by David Bentley Hart Read More »
As science develops, its working material can seem remote and difficult to the general reader. This certainly applies to cosmology. Some findings e.g. ‘quantum entanglement’ (What is Quantum Entanglement? NASA Science) are so counter-intuitive as to be incomprehensible. When it comes to cosmology we should thank our lucky stars that some scientists take the trouble
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson Read More »
There are two major things with which humanity has to contend: globalization and division. The world is more inter-connected than ever before by international trade, transport networks including aviation, and highly sophisticated global communication systems. At the same time, conflict is widespread. According to the 2025 Global Peace Index (Global Peace Index Map » The
The Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World by Michael Ignatieff Read More »
The recent Arab-Israeli conflict in Gaza, beginning on 7 October 2023, is yet another outbreak of ancient hatreds and antagonisms in The Middle East. Debate rages over whether the Israeli action can be correctly defined as genocide. Loud voices have been raised across the world in support of both Israelis and Palestinians. For a single
The Destruction of The European Jews by Raul Hilberg Read More »
A meticulously-observed drama of class warfare, E.M. Forster’s Howards End explores the conflict inherent within English society, unveiling the character of a nation as never before. A chance acquaintance brings together the preposterous bourgeois Wilcox family and the clever, cultured and idealistic Schlegel sisters. As clear-eyed Margaret develops a friendship with Mrs Wilcox, the impetuous Helen
Howards End by E. M. Forster Read More »
