Essays Archive

Parisians gather around the Arc de Triomphe as Allied forces liberate the city. Credit: RBM Vintage Images / Alamy Stock Photo.

essays

The liberation of France made the modern world

Following the liberation of France in '44, Paris became a laboratory of ideas, a beehive of utopian projects and initiatives.

Agnès Poirier January 9, 2023

A Ukrainian flag is seen outside the window of a demolished room in an apartment building in Borodyanka, Ukraine, April 21, 2022. Credit: UPI / Alamy Stock Photo.

essays

Fighting for freedom against the odds

Throughout history, partisan forces fighting for liberty have garnered admiration and external support. What lessons can the West draw from the past to guide its support for Ukrain..

Rob Johnson January 5, 2023

The soul leaving the body, 1808. Credit: Chroma Collection / Alamy Stock Photo.

essays

Explaining out-of-body experiences

Once dismissed as a product of the imagination, out-of-body experiences can now be explained through cutting-edge neurological and psychological research. These findings pose momen..

Susan Blackmore January 3, 2023

Lloyd's coffee house in the City of London.

essays

In defence of shareholder democracy

The limited liability company remains the best vehicle for capitalistic endeavour.

Merryn Somerset Webb December 29, 2022

China established the Lop Nur Nuclear Test Base on 16 October 1959 with Soviet assistance in selection of the site, with its headquarters at Malan, about 125 km (78 mi) northwest of Qinggir. The first Chinese nuclear bomb test, codenamed '596', was tested at Lop Nur in 1964.

essays

How China learned to love the bomb

The Chinese Communist Party sees growing political value in its nuclear status: any prospect of nuclear reduction, let alone disarmament, has become bleaker than ever before.

Nicola Leveringhaus December 28, 2022

Satirical poster of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

essays

Russia’s tragedy is a warning to us all

Russia’s war is a tragedy for its people whose acceptance of it is mired in complexity — and sheer horror for Ukrainians living it in real time.

Sergey Radchenko December 27, 2022

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine addresses a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington

essays

The year the West woke up

Was 2022 really the age of the strong man? History might tell a different tale.

Lawrence Freedman December 26, 2022

essays

Christmas warmth illuminates dark times

The modern, secular season’s choreography of manufactured joy can be unedifying, but at its essence the winter solstice remains a beacon of warmth and light illuminating our natura..

Marie Daouda December 24, 2022

Lake view at Engelsberg by Olof Arborelius (1842-1919).

essays

A Year in Ideas

At Engelsberg Ideas, our contributors have engaged with the biggest stories and themes of 2022, including the character of war in flux, technological shifts, geopolitical tension, ..

Engelsberg Ideas December 21, 2022