Many people have this impression that philosophy is all about pointless musings and abstractions, headachy nit-picking and really out-there topics. And it absolutely can be at times. But there is also a huge underestimation of philosophy’s benefits. Studying philosophy is by no means a waste of time, whether you’re doing it at an undergraduate, Masters…
View Post
Whatever your political persuasion, it’s important to recognise, point out and denounce the unscrupulous behaviour of others who share your worldview. If we genuinely believe that certain opinions and policies are harmful, then, of course, we will oppose those who promote them. But there is a danger of this outrage becoming ugly, when we turn…
View Post
Before tackling the question of whether we can afford to scrap tuition fees, let’s examine the reasons for wanting to scrap them in the first place. Like many others who voted for the Lib Dems back in the 2010 General Election, I was disappointed when Nick Clegg not only failed to deliver his pledge to…
View Post
A gift economy is a model of exchange where valuables or some commodity is given away without an agreement for an immediate or future reward. Every transaction involves either giving or receiving gifts and presents. In a gift economy, there is no money and there is no private property. At first sight, a gift economy seems…
View Post
Section 28 of the Local Government Act (1988), passed by the Tory government, stated that a local authority “shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality” or “promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.” A number of LGBT student support groups closed…
View Post