A paper that came out in 2014 by two sociologists, Bradley Campbell and Jason Manning, made the argument that with the rise of a more diverse and egalitarian culture, particularly in the academic world, combined with the rise of powerful administrative sectors therein, a new form of social morality has emerged that they referred to… Continue reading Don’t be a victim! Beyond the culture of entitlement and anxiety
Tag: politics
Equity Explained, Part 1: The Promise and Problems of Equality
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” (George Orwell, Animal Farm) A new wind, balmy and soothing, is blowing through the halls of academe, the corporate world and civil society generally. Its name is equity, diversity and inclusion, frequently known by the acronym EDI. Its very suggestive reasonableness – even… Continue reading Equity Explained, Part 1: The Promise and Problems of Equality
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?
The Imperfect Paradise: Narratives of Ordinary Life and the Incursion of Evil
“The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.” (Hannah Arendt, The Life of the Mind, 1977) The problem of evil is one of the oldest problems in human thought. Every religion and many philosophical systems have contended with its nature and… Continue reading The Imperfect Paradise: Narratives of Ordinary Life and the Incursion of Evil
Boris cleans up for Christmas
Crickey, this omicron business is coming at a bad time of year, although a good time for me. Let’s me sweep that business about parties during last year’s Christmas lockdown under the carpet. Did you know that they deliberately passed over the Greek letter Xi, which should have been the next in line for naming… Continue reading Boris cleans up for Christmas
A Midwinter Day’s Nightmare or “Down the Pan”
By Billy Shakestick Dear listener, draw near. I have a tale of intrigue in the affairs of states, mendacity in high office and of the fulminations of the rabble. Not just any tale, but a wondrous gallimaufry. A man, a voter, in a distant land preparing to go to the polls, falls asleep after a… Continue reading A Midwinter Day’s Nightmare or “Down the Pan”
Book Review: Yoram Hazony, The Virtue of Nationalism
New York, Basic Books, 2018; 285 pages, paper, US$30 The Virtue of Nationalism, by the Israeli theologian and political philosopher Yoram Hazony, is being hailed by some as an important statement of the underpinning political ideology in the age of Brexit, Trump, Modi, Xi, Abe, Erdogan, Putin and of independence proclamations around the world, from… Continue reading Book Review: Yoram Hazony, The Virtue of Nationalism
The Political Logic of the Excluded Middle
For several years the received opinion is that the middle ground of politics has been abandoned here in the UK, in America and in much of Europe. There is, indeed, a superficial plausibility to this assertion, evidenced by the intemperate language of much of political debate. However, I believe that the underlying reality is quite… Continue reading The Political Logic of the Excluded Middle
National sovereignty considered as a rule-based game
The Cambridge dictionary defines sovereignty as “The power of a country to govern itself”. As opposed to what? the power of a country not to govern itself? Defined in this way, the idea of sovereignty is a tautology; power, nationhood and government are effectively a closed loop. This historical weight of sovereignty is the… Continue reading National sovereignty considered as a rule-based game
Adam Smith and the Rationality of Self-Interest
Since Adam Smith the prevailing view in economics has been that the free market operates through a principle of rational self-interest. Much as Darwin later identified the underlying mechanism for the variety and dynamism of nature operating at the individual level, so Smith atomised the creation of wealth to the individual’s self-interest: “It is… Continue reading Adam Smith and the Rationality of Self-Interest