In the 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters, Woody Allen’s character Mickey has a moment of existential angst in Central Park. “Look at these people jogging,” he says, “trying to stave off the inevitable decay of the body.” You might dismiss this as the morose musing of a depressive. But I think that when most people watch the film, they can see Mickey has a point…
ReadThe war between common sense and good sense is a phoney one, in philosophy, science and in life. No one believes that common sense is a sufficient guide to truth but likewise no one can even start the journey there without accepting some basic assumptions about logic, language and the world that are shared with passengers on the Clapham omnibus.
ReadTrue respect in a multicultural society first requires that everyone sees others as capable of hearing their criticisms and entering into robust debate about them. There is nothing respectful in thinking that people are either too tender or too murderously zealous to defend themselves civilly.
ReadWhat embarrasses us also tells us a great deal about how we want others to see us. This can be surprisingly revealing. It shows that no matter how much we strive to be our own people, it is hard not to crave the approval of others.
ReadIn the crude Manichean world view that has come to characterise political discourse today, you are either a skiver or a striver, someone who contributes to society or is parasitic on it. All parties claim to speak for “hard-working families”, the only people whose interests need defending.
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