Preface: Gorgias (483-375BC) wrote his Encomium of Helen (‘in praise of Helen’) as a sort of exercise in the use of language, an example piece, if you will, to attract potential students of rhetoric. We might classify it, in Aristotelian terms, as an epideictic, a ‘praise and blame’ piece of writing. Jean Cocteau, whose treatment of poetry is… Continue reading Poetry on trial – reading Jean Cocteau’s Testament of Orpheus in the light of Gorgias’ Encomium of Helen
The study of memory is an ever-evolving field, having to constantly negate the reinforcement of antagonisms. Various modes of memory study have developed in recent history, most notably the “cosmopolitan mode” which emerged after the Second World War, which focused on individual victims and subsequently neglected the social and political causes of events, resulting in… Continue reading Comparing Memories and Legacies of the Troubles and the Algerian War
The Age of Humans, or the Age of Forgetting? The Anthropocene marks a proposed new chapter in Earth’s history, one where human activity has become the planet’s dominant geological force (Crutzen & Stoermer, 2000). The term comes from anthropocentrism, the belief that humans stand at the centre of existence, seen as “superior to nature and…animals,… Continue reading Rethinking the Anthropocene: What First Nations Knowledge Teaches Us About Climate Justice
Between the years of 1642 and 1651, the UK was in total turmoil as the Royalist and Parliamentarist forces competed to lead the way for the union’s future. One man, utterly disturbed by the skirmishes resulting in an uncertain future and a death toll of around 200.000, strived to find out how this outcome could… Continue reading HOBBES AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: THE META-LEVIATHAN
Growing Up in the Cost of Living Crisis Young people in Britain are working harder than ever yet falling further behind every year. Rising costs and stagnant wages have turned financial independence into a privilege rather than a milestone. For millions of individuals under thirty, the cost of living crisis has reshaped what it means… Continue reading The UK Cost of Living Crisis and the Lost Promise of Youth
You’re scrolling again. Stories, reels, posts, faces you’ve never met, lives you’ll never live. You’re surrounded by people, yet somehow… you feel completely alone. That’s the paradox of our time: we’ve never been more connected, yet true connection has never felt so rare. The Age of Digital Closeness When social media first appeared, it promised… Continue reading The Illusion of Connection: How Social Media Made Us Lonelier Than Ever
Oscar Wilde’s satirical wit and critique of late Victorian society are well-known, but what is often overlooked is his vision of a radically different, more just society—one that he not only believed was possible but also worth striving for. In his political essay The Soul of Man Under Socialism, Wilde laid out his political ideals,… Continue reading Oscar Wilde’s vision of a better world
Ulysses deriding Polyphemus’ is an 1829 work by Turner which depicts the tale from Book IX of Homer’s Odyssey of Ulysses (Odysseus’ name in latin) and his encounter with the cyclops Polyphemus which results in Ulysses blinding the one-eyed giant andsailing away, taunting the son of Poseidon, an action which comes back to bite him… Continue reading Turner’s Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus – a reading
Throughout Paradise Lost, the reader is made aware of Milton’s tendency to use depictions of nature as a form of commentary onthe human state, on the soul and morality of Man and also as a way to subtly shape their characters for the reader, using nature as a vehicle to explore mythical allusions and political… Continue reading Nature and nocuousness – An exploration of Milton’s presentation of prelapsarian Adam and Eve
The United States judicial system, with the Supreme Court at its apex, is a cornerstone of American democracy. Its decisions reverberate not only within the country’s borders but also across the globe, influencing legal standards and norms worldwide. This article delves into the structure of the federal judiciary, the pivotal role of the Supreme Court,… Continue reading The US Judicial System and the Supreme Court: Shaping Domestic Policy and Global Standards
