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Science vs. Politics
Historian Martin Jay (UC Berkeley) discusses some of the differences between science and politics.
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Outdated Dualisms
Political scientist Mark Bevir (UC Berkeley) describes how the modern political debate has moved beyond the old markets vs. state distinctions.
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Justice Denied
David Goldberg, Former Senior Rabbi Emeritus of London’s Liberal Jewish Synagogue, argues that Israeli policies towards the Palestinians are undermining
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Israel and the Holocaust
David Goldberg, Former Senior Rabbi Emeritus of London’s Liberal Jewish Synagogue, discusses criticisms of the political use of the Holocaust in Israel and beyond.
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Playing Charades
Legal scholar Emilie Hafner-Burton (UC San Diego), describes her disillusioning experiences working at the U.N. Office in Geneva.
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Overshadowed by Israel
David Goldberg, Former Senior Rabbi Emeritus of London’s Liberal Jewish Synagogue, explains how all too often his views on Jewish identity are overshadowed by his politic critiques of Israeli policy.
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Origins of Mass and Elite
Classicist and political theorist Josiah Ober (Stanford) relates how his personal exposure to aspects of class structure inadvertently prepared him for better understanding Demosthenes.
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Making Decisions
Political scientist Mark Bevir (UC Berkeley) describes how decisions in the social sciences necessarily involve interpreting intentionality.
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Lessons from the Past
Author and independent scholar Pankaj Mishra describes his motivations to inform people of past societies and individuals who have already addressed many of the issues we are grappling with.
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Waste of Time?
Political theorist John Dunn (Cambridge) voices his concerns on the detachment of many political scientists from the real world of actual human societies.
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Too Much Transparency?
Historian Martin Jay (UC Berkeley) discusses how sometimes too much transparency in politics isn't actually good for us.
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The Merits of Philosophy
Political scientist Mark Bevir (UC Berkeley) makes a plea for the reintroduction of philosophical thinking across a wide range of other disciplines.
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The Merits of Dissent
Stanford University classicist and political scientist Josiah Ober describes the vital role public dissent plays in a democracy, forcing us to continually reassess how well we are promoting our values, or even if those values are the...
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The Empire of Unreason
Author and independent scholar Matthew Stewart argues that much of contemporary America has turned its back on the essential educational agenda promoted by the Founding Fathers.
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The Deist Revolutionary Payoff
Author and independent scholar Matthew Stewart describes how rationalist notions from Epicurus down through Spinoza and Locke strongly influenced the American Revolution.
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The Decline of Political Rhetoric
Intellectual historian Quentin Skinner (QMUL) argues that both American and British political rhetoric have declined considerably in the modern era.
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The Central Political Insight
Political scientist John Dunn, University of Cambridge, gives his customarily candid take on the importance of politics to almost everyone, describing how everyone should be politically engaged for their own self-interest.
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The American Model
Author and independent scholar Matthew Stewart describes how the success of the American Revolution broadcasts a universal message.
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Substance Over Style
Historian Martin Jay (UC Berkeley) describes his conviction that politicians should be judged more on their likelihood of producing good political outcomes rather than their character.
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Silent Operations of Power
Intellectual historian Quentin Skinner (QMUL), describes how government agents reading our email is actually a diminishment of our civic liberty.
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Setting a Better Example
Historian and Chinese Studies specialist Karl Gerth (UCSD) urges Westerners to set a better example to help China grapple with its difficult environmental issues.
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Researching the Political
Historian Martin Jay (UC Berkeley) discusses how the research surrounding his book The Virtues of Mendacity led him to refine his understanding of what the political is.
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Pursuing Happiness
Author and independent scholar Matthew Stewart gives his perspective of what Thomas Jefferson really meant by the “Pursuit of Happiness.”
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Necessarily Nebulous
Historian Martin Jay (UC Berkeley) outlines his convictions that there is no single normative notion of politics.