“That was a lot of fun.” “Absolutely!” Thus began the conversation between the two young men who had just installed themselves with a couple of pints of ale in the corner of the Horse and Guardsman public house in Whitehall not two minutes down the road from Trafalgar Square where the victory parade of the… Continue reading When the Lionesses Roared
Author: Colin Turfus
Colin Turfus is a quantitative risk manager with 16 years experience in investment banking. He has a PhD in applied mathematics from Cambridge University and has published research in fluid dynamics, astronomy and quantitative finance.
Universal Values in the Postmodern Era
The pursuit of universal values has a a long history as humans have sought a basis for a harmonious, shared life. But there is a danger that in striving to establish universal values, the perfect becomes the enemy of the good. Perhaps we need to resist this temptation and acknowledge instead the context-dependence of all valuing.
Partygate: Where Will It All End?
“Ziggy appears to be in surprisingly ebullient mood tonight,” thought Zara as he perused his friend’s countenance over the top of his pint glass. This was in sharp contrast to his own mood which had been consistently quite disconsolate since the recent deterioration in his financial situation, which meant he had to choose between paying… Continue reading Partygate: Where Will It All End?
Book Review, Michael Sandel, The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good?
While Michael Sandel’s arguments against the meritocratic ideal and the skill with which he deploys them in his latest book make an ostensibly compelling case, is there not perhaps more to the argument than the skilled practitioner on stage is revealing to us? Has the professor, like so many others, not become unduly beholden to the social justice movement?
Is “Positive Action” a Legitimate Means to an End?
It is often stated that so-called “positive action” aimed at righting historical injustices is permitted and indeed encouraged under UK law. But how true is this in reality? And is the use of such justifiable as a means of pursuing the end of diversity and inclusion targets?
The Quest for Social Justice?
The notion of “social justice” has been transformed and weaponised in recent years by proponents of applied postmodernism making use of a category mismatch between the political and moral realms. An understanding of their tactics and methods is needed to counteract the sleight-of-hand that is thus being deployed.
The Culture Wars and the “Right to Offend”
We live in the era of the Culture Wars and identity politics, fuelled by the absence of objective standards of truth and evaluation. What can be done to address the problem and rebuild the foundations on which civilised debate can be conducted?
Navigating the Maze of Intersectionality
It had been some good few days since the last time Ziggy had been out on a road trip with his friend Zara, postmodern-day prophet of renown. As it was, Zara had just that day taken delivery of a new set of keys for the Maserati in which they were now comfortably ensconced. Ziggy had… Continue reading Navigating the Maze of Intersectionality
Woke History of the UK
There is much controversy these days about what constitutes an authentic portrayal of the broad sweep of UK history. So it was that on one of their recent road-trips that Zara (aka Zarathustra, the postmodern-day prophet of all things woke) was quizzed by his friend Ziggy as to what his take was on the subject.… Continue reading Woke History of the UK
Is Any Self-Respecting Statue Safe These Days?
“So what’s your take on this Cancel Culture everyone is talking about?” As always the question put by Ziggy to his mentor Zara, aka Zarathustra postmodern-day prophet of renown, was posed in a manner which appeared innocuous enough. “Who’s this ‘everyone’ you’re talking about?” came back the retort. Did Ziggy detect a tinge of defensiveness… Continue reading Is Any Self-Respecting Statue Safe These Days?