First published on my legacy blog, Principia Politica, adapted from an essay submitted while studying as a first-year undergraduate student at University of Cambridge, 2018-19. The essay was awarded the mark of first. W.E.B. Du Bois, like Steve Biko and Frantz Fanon, looks at three dimensions of racial inequality: 1) structural, 2) psychological, and 3) moral. Meet … Continue reading Word of the Day: Du Bois
Tag: Morality
The foundational contradictions of liberalism
First published in May 2020. Liberalism is an ideology—a system of thought. It has a centrepiece: the individual, defined by liberalism as a free-floating unit, separate from other units. It has two basic contradictions: The politico-moral contradiction; and The public-private contradiction. Meet Immanuel Kant: A founding liberal. These contradictions arise from two factors. Liberalism: Accepts … Continue reading The foundational contradictions of liberalism
‘I Didn’t Do Enough’: A defining moment in Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List
First published on 9 September 2022. Schindler’s List is one of the most compelling moments in movie history. Steven Spielberg took on the daunting task of depicting not only the most evil of crimes in human history, the Holocaust, but also the attempt by Oskar Schindler to save anyone he could from the cataclysm. Schindler’s … Continue reading ‘I Didn’t Do Enough’: A defining moment in Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List
On history and morality: The two theories
An undergraduate essay, which I recently revisited at the conclusion of my first postgraduate degree. If we are to formulate a theory of everything, the theory may come in (at least) two parts. The first theory addresses what is, and the second considers what ought to be. The first is the theory of history, and … Continue reading On history and morality: The two theories
Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen, and the War to End Slavery
The televisual series Game of Thrones is striking for none other than its main character’s quest east of Westeros to end the ancient slave system and enlist the free slaves in a war to reconquer Westeros and return power to the people. Game of Thrones and the war to end slavery. The idea is striking … Continue reading Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen, and the War to End Slavery
#FreeBritney — Britney’s truth: Abuse will lose, and humanity will win
Britney Spears’ latest audio revelations of her years-long abuse at the hands of her father, assisted by her mother and sister, are striking and terrifying. One night, the helicopters flew in, and Britney’s life began to end — or so it seemed. Compelled to continue releasing album after album, Britney’s musical maturation went hand-in-hand with … Continue reading #FreeBritney — Britney’s truth: Abuse will lose, and humanity will win
The diamond theory of everything (old version)
What matters? What matters historically? What matters morally? These questions plague any politically- or philosophically-minded person. In his magnum opus, On What Matters, philosopher Derek Parfit considered the last question: what matters morally? Parfit's answer relates to what I'm going to consider in this post, but it's not too central. For Parfit, moral statements are … Continue reading The diamond theory of everything (old version)
On the good: Truth, ontos, and telos
What is good? The answer I increasingly hear to this question is, 'it depends'--whether it be on cultural attitudes or on individual sentiment. But the answer mistakes the question for another one: what do people think is good? That's not the question. The question is: what is good? People sometimes go further, insisting that the … Continue reading On the good: Truth, ontos, and telos
Edmund Wilson 