It was the day before the Royal Wedding and Alice had been issued an urgent summons by the Queen of Hearts to attend her in her Royal Apartments. “As you have expressed interest in being part of the royal retinue on the great day, I am happy to say that I can offer you a… Continue reading Alice in Transition
Tag: Virtue signalling
The Decline of Virtue
It was observed by Haidt (2012) based on his moral foundations theory that the difference in perspective between liberals and conservatives is not so much in the values they espouse as in the weights they assign to them, with liberals in particular citing the embodiment of care (kindness) as the overriding moral imperative at the… Continue reading The Decline of Virtue
Maaate! Your virtue-signalling is tiresome.
Much breath has been expended criticising Sadiq Khan’s recent “Say maaaate to a mate” campaign. Opinions tend to be divided between those who criticise the campaign over its likely ineffectiveness and those who criticise it as inappropriate use of public funds. But are there not more fundamental issues at stake here which deserve greater scrutiny?
Disparage the Farage!
It was some weeks since Ziggy had been out for a drink with his friend Zara (aka Zarathustra, the postmodern-day prophet of renown) and he had been looking forward to indulging in some stimulating discussion about their favourite topic, namely the foibles and failings of celebrities (particularly of the political variety) who had been in… Continue reading Disparage the Farage!
Top Trumps
The next people to face the Dragon’s Breath are a young man from Swindon [pause for sneer], called Bobbie and a young woman from Middlesbrough called Al – he’s the one with the spiky red hair and the nose-ring and she’s the one with the forked beard and the wooden leg, just in case…. Together… Continue reading Top Trumps
The Return of Zarathustra
After several months and years in the solitude of his cave, waiting like a sower who hath scattered his seed, Zarathustra’s soul became impatient and full of longing for those whom he loved; his wisdom meanwhile increased, and caused him pain by its abundance. Then one morning, he awoke ere the rosy dawn, and in… Continue reading The Return of Zarathustra
Lexicon for the Moral Maze
Do you find yourself confused or bewildered by what passes for moral debate in the social milieu these days? Asking yourself why so many people seem to be so hot under the collar about things that would have passed as normal behaviour only a few years ago? Don’t worry. It’s a common problem people have… Continue reading Lexicon for the Moral Maze
The Morality of Markets?
Following the forced resignation of Travis Kalanick as CEO of Uber last month amidst allegations of rampant sexism, harassment, and misogyny in the workplace, the morality (or lack thereof) of the fat cats that sit atop the economic pyramid that is global capitalism is well and truly back in the spotlight. Perhaps it is a welcome change from… Continue reading The Morality of Markets?
The Neoiconoclasts Are Coming. Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid!!
Trigger warning: The following article from our sketch writer contains information about extremist views which some readers may find upsetting and offensive. Those of a sensitive disposition are advised to avoid reading further. As we increasingly hear talk about our entering into a post-truth world where the consensus about what is reasonable and acceptable behaviour is being… Continue reading The Neoiconoclasts Are Coming. Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid!!
Kant and Humbug
It is perhaps no surprise that the country which brought us Kant and the categorical imperative has also given rise to the word “Gutmensch” as a term of disparagement for what English speakers tend to refer to as do-gooders, although a more accurate translation of the German would be “good thinkers.” Kant sought in his philosophy… Continue reading Kant and Humbug