Hurtling to Oblivion

Captain’s log Stardate 76342.1; We are proceeding through the Orion nebula system, having just emerged from warp drive. The crew are in good spirits and looking forward to the festive season; The crew are putting up the seasonal lights and streamers in the bridge, much to Spock’s consternation…. Cap’n, ye have tae see this. A… Continue reading Hurtling to Oblivion

Book Review: Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay, “Cynical Theories: How Universities Made Everything about Race, Gender and Identity – and Why This Harms Everybody”

It tells us something when a potential reviewer of a book is warned that so doing could spell the end of their academic career, or when a scheduled lecture or guest speaker is cancelled  because students declare themselves unsafe while threatening violent disruption, or the plug is pulled on important research because one person feels… Continue reading Book Review: Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay, “Cynical Theories: How Universities Made Everything about Race, Gender and Identity – and Why This Harms Everybody”

Values and Identity

We hear much about “values” and “identity” in discussions in the media these days. Often the debate about values is specifically around so-called “British values”; and the discussion about identity is often in the context of what is referred to as “identity politics.” The discourse on both these topics in my experience tends to be… Continue reading Values and Identity