A new optimism for the Middle East

The Abraham Accords signed last month between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain signal a new reality underpinned by moderate Islam

Some black lives matter more than others

Black Lives Matter misses the point—we should highlight the progress we have made, not split society and trap ourselves in victimhood

Too clever by half

The higher education contract no longer delivers what it promised. It must serve hearts and hands as well as the cognitive elite

Why Immanuel Kant matters


Martians, mushy peas, leprechauns (and gin)

An awful lot of advertising is graceless and uninviting. But very occasionally an advert has the cheek to be enjoyable and funny

The complex cruelty of comedy

With comedians coming under pressure to only perform ideologically pure material, can comedy and satire survive?

Inside the Russian psyche

The UK remains surprisingly reluctant to dig deep into the patterns shaping Russia’s view of the world

Frank Ramsey: a giant among Titans

The short life of the mathematician and philosopher continues to have a profound impact

Machiavelli’s virtue politics

Modern politicians can learn from the Renaissance

Goodthink and crimethink

Linguistic revisionism leads to rapid substitution of meaning: words are deployed as weapons to shut down independent thought

Underrated: Abroad

The ravenous longing for the infinite possibilities of “otherwhere”

The king of cakes
