Andy Burnham, the new British Prime Minister, has reignited discussions around neoliberalism, linking its failures to the decline of industrial communities. While Sebastián Edwards and Tim Lankester’s works critique past economic models, they reveal that neoliberalism’s legacy remains due to practical adaptations rather than ideological purity, complicating any calls for alternatives.
The essay explores how organisms bring forth meaning and significance through their evolutionary history and interactions with their environments. It examines the concept of Umwelt, highlighting that inherited capacities shape an organism’s engagement with the world. Evolution results in a continuous history of relations, with organisms altering their surroundings and passing on these changes to future generations.
The purpose of this essay is to read Victor Shklovsky and William James as thinkers of the recovery of experience. Their common problem is the condition in which reality is already named, classified, and absorbed into practical use before it has been properly encountered.
The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan, captures the essence of Homer’s epic through stunning IMAX cinematography and powerful performances, particularly by Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway. Nolan explores themes of memory, identity, and the dangers of civilisational collapse, while blending past and present in a compelling narrative that honours the source material’s complexity.
Rick Perlstein chronicles the evolution of the American conservative movement through four pivotal figures: Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. He explores how their defeats fostered an enduring political structure that manipulated grievances into a powerful organisation, reshaping the Republican Party and American politics amidst cultural and moral conflicts.
The essay reflects on Jim Morrison’s artistic vision, intertwining themes of existence, perception, and the dualities of life. It critiques societal structures that commodify experience while advocating for a more profound engagement with reality. Morrison’s call to “reinvent the gods” invites individuals to rethink identity and embrace transformative relationships in a complex world.
Karl Marx’s perspective on human nature presents a complex relationship between humanity and nature, positioning labour as a transformative process. However, his views create a hierarchy that privileges human consciousness over non-human life, raising concerns about alienation and the implications of communism. Ultimately, the analysis suggests a need to rethink the interconnectedness of nature and human evolution beyond Marxian frameworks.
The essay critiques the notion that beauty is solely subjective, arguing instead that true beauty arises from a disciplined perception that allows subjects to reveal their complexities. Drawing on the philosophies of Heidegger and Murdoch, it asserts that art must strive for a truthful representation of reality, embracing the intricacies and contradictions inherent within.
The modern Sophiological tradition, initiated by Russian theologians, explores divine Wisdom’s role in Creation’s intelligibility and beauty. It distinguishes between Divine Sophia and creaturely Sophia, underscoring their relationship without conflating them. The discourse discusses the interconnectedness of receptivity, agency, and the role of poets to illustrate these dynamics in spirituality and art.
A review of Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America by Sam Tanenhaus.
The Beginning of Terror 