A Letter From London, Where a Philosopher Ponders Self-Isolation, the Social Contract, and When the Pubs Will Reopen

The Current Crisis Is Forcing Londoners to Decide What Kind of City They Want to Live In

It has now been more than 20 weeks since the start of some form of lockdown for Londoners. As we slowly come to terms with the relaxing of restrictions and hesitantly discover which formerly “everyday” activities are no longer on hold (if not illegal), we are also starting to reflect on what has happened to us this year. As a teacher and writer of philosophy, I have been trying to make sense of the situation.

One of my favorite philosophers is Ludwig Wittgenstein, who is widely regarded as the foremost …

For China’s One-Party Rulers, Legitimacy Flows from Prosperity and Competence

The West Still Underestimates Beijing’s Ancient Social Contract with “Heaven”

It is widely assumed in the West that legitimacy of a government comes from universal suffrage and multiparty competitive elections. Yet this assumption raises two issues: First, historically it is …