By the end of the twentieth century, a new model of nationhood emerged which relied on markets. While not inherently malign, this new constitutional order has the potential to be a destabilising force in US politics.
Britain’s reverence for its National Health Service was developing long before the post-war promise of a New Jerusalem.
The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was a chance for Britons to reflect upon their national identity and consider how their nation has transformed over the past seventy years. It also marked the beginning of a new period of uncertainty.
The current refugee crisis is the latest chapter in a history of displacement in the region that embraces two world wars and their aftermath.
Britain’s pre-eminent political historian and constitutional analyst chronicles the pandemic and lists the ingredients for a ‘new Beveridge’; but there are international parallels, too.
Sweden’s radical economic policies during the Cold War decades inspired socialists worldwide. However, its wage earner funds found little support and instead generated a new vision of Sweden, a society centred on free market principles rather than collectives.
What sort of humanist thinking should we be pursuing in the age of smart machines? Is humanism compatible with AI? Or do humans need to think of smart digital tech as a species threat?
Since the Industrial Revolution, technology has greatly enhanced humanity’s capacity to shape the world through manufacturing and finance. However, these technological developments also have the potential to exacerbate crises and stoke division.
While many social media users shrug their shoulders at the thought of tech companies selling their data, the transmission is unlikely to stop there. With China’s new data protection laws, Beijing could have access to the sensitive information of billions of smartphone owners.
Thanks to cold war, hot war, and the revived quest of many nations for a degree of industrial self-sufficiency, free market globalisation has peaked for the foreseeable future.
His skill in defending British interests in the Middle East in the 1960s caught the eye of world leaders, even though his plans ultimately failed. Little matter though — his idealised view of late-stage British imperialism was pure poetry.
The notion of integrity evolves with each generation. When it comes to how the idea is applied to genetics, it is worth starting to consider the moral implications of future medical development now.
Over the past century, religion throughout Europe has been rapidly on the wane. The recent growth of Europe’s Muslim population, however, has slowed this trend.
Civilisation and development has improved the quality of human life in human societies, but not in a linear way.
Immigration, asylum and naturalisation policies have always been at the heart of great power competition. It is time for American policymakers to begin thinking about how a more enlightened approach to immigration can help the United States preserve its primacy.
Science’s demons began with Descartes and still thrive in our age of reason – but these thought-experiments can enhance our understanding of the universe.
This comprehensive – and somewhat bleak – survey of modern warfare questions our assumptions of what war is and details how we can develop the awareness and resilience needed to survive this new reality.
Despite the predictions of some of the best minds of the past five hundred years, religion remains. In fact, from the rise of Islamic extremism to American evangelism, the twenty-first century is seeing a religious renaissance.
Contributors and members of the editorial team select their personal picks of 2021.
Stresemann guided the Weimar Republic through its post-war crisis with agility and tenacity. The question of whether he might have been able to do the same following the Wall Street Crash and the ensuing chaos remains bitterly alluring.
Disasters result from vulnerabilities in our social fabric and a lack of preparedness for new threats. Those with the fewest options have the most to lose.
Engelsberg Ideas is brought to you by The Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation for Public Benefit
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