Lord Adonis sets out a vision for Birmingham in this Lunar Society lecture. The former transport secretary suggests that the city is facing a crisis, and argues its potential might be unleashed through the election of a Mayor, high-speed rail, and academies.
Our idea of unnaturalness is a product of myth, not science. Reproductive technology is represented and imagined today as playing God has been in ages past. A review of Philip Ball's "Unnatural: the heretical idea of making people" invites the question of whether these representations have any mor
Humans are the only species who feel we have a responsibility to other species. T.C. Boyle's fiction explores the dilemmas raised when our obligations to other species and organisms conflict
openDemocracy and Our Kingdom are proud to serialise The Skinback Fusiliers, a fast, funny and deeply disturbing novel about life in the British army today seen through the eyes of three young men. The book is available on Kindle and through Amazon here.
In the end the prospects for democracy depend on whether the rebels can mobilise support politically throughout Libya. The problem with the military approach is that it entrenches division. Our preoccupation with classic military means is undermining our capacity to address growing insecurity.
Once upon a time we had a powerful left which shaped a large part of 20th century Scotland. What has happened to this politics, idealism and radicalism today, and what do we do without it?
In India, the existence of deep religious diversity has ensured a conceptual response not only to problems within but also between religions. Without taking it as a blue print, the west must examine the Indian conception and learn from it, regarding peace between communities, community-specific ri
At a Cambridge conference on the Higher Education reforms, leading researchers from universities across the UK were each asked to give a seven minute talk on why the Arts and Humanities matter. Now their talks are available on video.
‘Multiculturalism’ entails society offering a full range of prospects, membership, and respect to all its members – regardless of cultural and religious differences –while also creatively accommodating them in a fashion that is both morally persuasive and practically effective for the majority of
