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Category Archives: Essays and Opinion
On David Foster Wallace
How to make boredom interesting? What did Auden mean when he said to become “the whole of boredom”? Those questions preoccupied David Foster Wallace… more»
Dawn of consciousness
Julian Jaynes, Princeton psychologist, took a dim view of his field – “bad poetry disguised as science.” He had his own theory of how mankind learned to think… more»
Larry Diamond on democracy
The argument that some parts of the world are not ready for democracy is durable, deep-rooted, and influential. It’s also completely wrong… more»
Kurzweil on how to create a mind
Ray Kurzweil is not a philosopher, psychologist, or neuroscientist, but he knows “the secret of human thought.” There is danger in such loose talk… more»
Why obsessed with authenticity?
Ours is an authenticity-obsessed age. Politicians, coffee shops, food, art are scrutinized for evidence of inauthenticity. But some things are too real to be true… more»
Farewell, Encyclopaedia Britannica!
When Julian Baggini was a child, the Encyclopaedia Britannica stood for the dream of a better life. So why has he set fire to all 32 volumes?… more»
Power of Les Mis, the book
Novel, parodies, movies, Broadway show, bombastic soundtrack: “Les Misérables is many things,” says Paul Berman, “but never has it been dead. It respires. It procreates”… more»
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Meditation on childhood sublime
Here’s where Thoreau drew the line: city life on one side, nature on the other. You can’t have it both ways. But does modern life really permit a choice?… more»
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What is porn?
When it comes to obscenity, we discourage it rather than denounce it. Hell, we can’t even define it. Why? Because keeping it vague suits everybody… more»
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