We were discussing the most influential figures in human history. I was plumping for Isaac Newton. My friend said Marx and Freud. I immediately said, “both fading.” I don’t think my friend was overjoyed with that reaction. But that is what I continue to think, on further reflection. Both have been extremely influential – I…

Mountains and molecules have an existence that does not depend on being experienced by a human or animal subject; they are ontologically objective. Pains, tickles, and itches exist only insofar as they are experienced by a subject. They are ontologically subjective. John Searle, After the End of Truth – part 1 The above quote is…

I realise I am wading into a contentious and in fact extremely momentous issue. Many of the points I will make are not provable, in the sense that their veracity can’t be strictly measured against unequivocal empirical evidence. They are more in the tradition of philosophical arguments, a framing of the issues under consideration, or…

I get an occasional letter from the English Faculty at Cambridge. I don’t normally bother to read it. I did English and scraped along on a minimal amount of academic work. But when, years later, I did a creative writing course, I realized that I was much more interested in the craft side of writing,…

That’s the message of “The Better Angels of our Nature. Why Violence has Declined”, by Steven Pinker, the Harvard-based psychologist. The trends in all kinds of violence – and Pinker’s book has enormous quantities of data to back it – including wars, genocide, murder, domestic violence, and violent crime generally – have all trended down…

  It began when I came across this picture online. I think it was taken by a Russian photographer after Berlin fell to the Russians (presumably sometime at the beginning of May 1945). Child soldiers had fought in panzer units in France and Hungary, and many children were recruited in a last-ditch attempt to defend…

End of term report from the UN Fifteen years ago, world leaders agreed to a set of development goals to be achieved by this year – on broad measures like education, poverty, healthcare etc. (The Millennium Development Goals). There’s been massive progress in many areas. One or two highlights: MDG 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and…

(2018) So first the case against helmets – from this video in the Guardian. OK there is obviously a widespread debate on the use of bike helmets – I’ve read around and there are as many, possibly more, campaigning websites arguing against helmet use as those arguing in favour. Something like the impact on overall…