Tag: Evolution

Trade makes war: A social theory of violence

War and violence are words that denote extreme forms of social behaviour, even referred to as asocial or antisocial behaviour, in keeping with the immoral and dehumanising acts they accompany. But this was not always the case. War and violence were once seen as far more normal parts of the human conditions than they are … Continue reading Trade makes war: A social theory of violence →

Chaos: The energy, evolution, and end of capitalism

The economist Joseph Schumpeter termed the key to technological development under capitalism ‘the gales of creative destruction.’ For Schumpeter, the state plays a role in this market dynamism. This is because states compete with each other very much like corporations and classes do. All competition has the potential for conflict; and all conflict, for war … Continue reading Chaos: The energy, evolution, and end of capitalism →

The uniqueness of genius

I’ve been thinking about genius. It is often said that genius is unique. But what does this mean? On the origins of genius: Plato and Aristotle in Raphael’s School of Athens. The uniqueness of a genius lies precisely, I argue, in their ability to see past their own uniqueness. While everyone else looks at the … Continue reading The uniqueness of genius →

From fission to fusion: The technological germ of a future past

Sociology follows technology. This has always been clear, as much as the following truth: politics follows economics. In language derived from seventeenth-century political theorist James Harrington, the ‘superstructure’ follows the ‘foundation’ of society. According to Harrington’s principle of ‘ballance’, the structure of politics follows the structure of the material world underpinning it. And according to … Continue reading From fission to fusion: The technological germ of a future past →

‘Kitchen Song’ by Tessa Violet: A neat synthesis of musical skill and heartfelt lyrics

Tessa Violet’s musical evolution is remarkable. Beginning with love-drained acoustic ballad ‘Not Over You’, Violet has since gravitated to electropop statements of hunger for power on ‘Breakdown’ and ‘Yes Mom’. The return to the old Tessa Violet on ‘Kitchen Song’ is intriguing, as it poses the question of where in the dialectic of love and … Continue reading ‘Kitchen Song’ by Tessa Violet: A neat synthesis of musical skill and heartfelt lyrics →

Tenet, temporal geopolitics, and Elon Musk’s East-West gambit

Who is Elon Musk? Iron Man? No, too boring. The new Steve Jobs? No, too interesting. The new Christopher Nolan? More like it. Let me explain. East meets West: Elon Musk and Ye (The Artist Formerly Known As Kanye West). In Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, admired by engineers in Elon Musk’s line of work, a war … Continue reading Tenet, temporal geopolitics, and Elon Musk’s East-West gambit →

(G)I-LDE – ‘I love’ (EP): Music Review

Fourth Wave K-Pop is already confronting and surpassing its third-wave heritage. As Blackpink goes on tour with second LP Born Pink, the ‘self-made’ group (G)I-LDE takes steps towards new musical heights for the global genre. The EP ‘I love’ was co-written with three of the six members of the group, with Soyeon writing each song … Continue reading (G)I-LDE – ‘I love’ (EP): Music Review →