Essays

Long-form writing from leading scholars and commentators on history, statecraft, warfare, philosophy and culture.

An 1838 lithograph of the sandstone Temple of Edfu
essays

In search of civilisation

The search for 'early civilisation' in ancient societies has obscured the diverse ways in which ancient societies survived and thrived.

David Wengrow July 6, 2021
Primary school students sing together to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Zaozhuang, Shandong Province, China, June 22, 2021. Credit: Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
essays

China’s ruling creed at 100: the Party never stops

The Chinese Communist Party is a state within a state. It is also a ninety-million-strong faith community on a hundred-year moral mission.

Kerry Brown July 1, 2021
Pine Trees by the painter Hasegawa Tohaku (1539–1610). Credit: Getty Images.
essays

Artists of the floating world

Japanese art aspires to the principles of balance and natural rebirth which underpin the ancient Japanese philosophy of life.

Elisabet Yanagisawa Avén June 30, 2021
The Russian Soyuz MS-15 Spacecraft launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: Bill Ingalis / NASA via Getty Images.
essays

Space and the new struggle for civilisational supremacy

The space race of the twenty-first century has more players, more money and ambitions for Mars. It's about more than just technological prowess. Space is becoming the new arena for..

John B. Sheldon June 25, 2021
Aisle of grocery store in Iowa.
essays

Where has ‘the good life’ gone?

In our globalised, postmodern age, an unprecedented level of choice and knowledge is transforming our understanding of morality.

Eva Hoffman June 21, 2021
Pope Francis gives a speech during a meeting with young people at Notre Dame College in Dhaka on December 2, 2017
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Humanism matters in the age of AI

Modern atheists cast humanism as an anti-religious movement. But its roots in theology must be recovered if we are to confront the ethical challenges of today.

Nick Spencer June 19, 2021
Chinese premier Xi Jingping addressing the United Nations in New York, 2015. Credit: Spencer Platt / Getty Images.
essays

China’s takeover of Western capitalism

From obscure stakes in biotech companies to intellectual property theft, the Chinese state is engaged in corporate subterfuge. But what can the West do about it?

Elisabeth Braw June 11, 2021
'Lesson in Ploughing', an illustration for 'Emile' by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Education was regarded by Rousseau as the source of moral corruption. Credit: Photo12 / Universal Images Group / Getty Images.
essays

Rousseau and the barbarity of education

Rousseau's concept of the 'noble savage' presented an enduring challenge to the Enlightenment moral order.

Jonathan Israel June 11, 2021
A statue of former Iraqi dictator Sadam Hussein as smoke billows from oil trenches in Baghdad. Credit: Karim Sahib / AFP via Getty Images.
essays

The twilight of the Arab state

The traditional Arab State is under increasing pressure from internal and external forces. Will those in power recognise the need for reform before it is too late?

John Raine June 5, 2021

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