Essays

essays

Four steps to surviving the Russia crisis

The atrocities committed against Ukrainians and the fear of further invasions is leading many to call for drastic action to contain Russia. However, should the West put its foot on..

Patrick Porter March 4, 2022

essays

Outside in, inside out: Russia as an empire on the periphery

Although comparisons between the fall of the USSR and other empires may be useful to a degree, they will eventually fall flat.

Dominic Lieven February 28, 2022

essays

Order and chaos in ancient Indian thought

Ancient Vedic conceptions of order and disorder echo though Indo-European religions and have clear implications on the structure of society.

Julius J. Lipner February 22, 2022

essays

Playing with demons — how thought experiments guide scientific innovation

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.

Jimena Canales February 18, 2022

essays

The Revolt of the European Masses: the disintegration of accountability in supra-national politics

With forces such as identity politics and supra-national bodies gaining traction across Europe, the concept of the nation state has never been more important.

Janne Haaland Matláry February 14, 2022

essays

Russia in 2020: alternative scenarios of the near future

In 2008, four paths were available to Russia but in 2022, one prevails.

Andrei Melville & Ivan Timofeev February 8, 2022

essays

The Gospel of Thomas: casting a new light on Early Christianity

While there may have been striking similarities between the Gospel of Thomas and those of the four Evangelists, closer examination reveals a subtle yet crucially different perspect..

Elaine Pagels February 4, 2022

essays

Fire in the sky — a history of meteoritics

The study of meteorites challenged the boundaries of the known universe, obliging nineteenth-century thinkers to revise their view of the solar system, and twentieth-century scienc..

Maria Golia February 3, 2022

essays

Putin’s Game: How did so many in the West get Russia so wrong?

Despite high ideals, dealing with Putin requires some flexibility and an acknowledgement of the nineteenth-century origins of his twenty-first-century threats.

Gregory Feifer February 1, 2022