Essays

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

As Japan moved away from isolation, it entered a period of rapid change and development.

Augustine's seminal book was written in the context of the Roman Empire, but it remains ever-relevant.

Different perspectives and eye-witness accounts reveal historical fallacies and myths about the war.

Swedish exceptionalism stems from the country's unique experience of 19th and 20th century economic change.

The scientific view of the universe as essentially mindless belies its purpose and direction.

The progress of evolution is not as random as it appears - it has a distinct direction and purpose.

'Multiculturalism' has become a buzzword for our times, but more lies beneath this ideal of harmonious coexistence.

The religious imagination has reinvented itself by finding a new home in cyberspace.

Manga has become something of a global phenomenon, but every iteration and comic-strip has its origins in a particularly Japanese visual culture.