First published on my legacy blog Principia Politica, based on an exam essay awarded full marks in the Cambridge Philosophy Pre-U (A Level equivalent) in 2018, ultimately contributing to highest mark in the world for the Philosophy & Theology Pre-U that year (losing only one mark in an essay on free will). Are there secure … Continue reading Word of the Week: Foundationalism
Tag: Reason
Heartbreak
Heartbreak That little death A black hole (artist representation, Nasa). It is a fear The fear of being Alone But it reveals its own fallacy For it is remembering a unity That was And therefore Could still be It is passion That fears Reason only Hopes In truth Passion deals In lies And yet A … Continue reading Heartbreak
Churchill, the Devil, and Hitler: An analogy for our own time
‘If Hitler invaded Hell, I would make at least a favourable reference of the Devil.’ — Winston Churchill, in a speech to the House of Commons. ‘Churchill allied with Stalin,’ notes the Churchill Project in a timely piece. I myself have been confronted with controversy in my call for renewing a strategic alliance with Russia … Continue reading Churchill, the Devil, and Hitler: An analogy for our own time
The evolution of music and the importance of balance
Music, as I’ve recently argued on this blog, swings from one extreme to another. On the one hand, there are the technicians, who think music can be learned through meticulous practice. The chief virtue of technicians is the demand for perfection. On the other hand, there are the artists, who think music comes from innate … Continue reading The evolution of music and the importance of balance
Edmund Wilson 