I was previously unacquainted with the field of ‘economic anthropology,’ and it was therefore with interest that I picked up David Graeber’s ‘Debt: the first 5000 years.’ Read my thoughts and critiques below.
Claudia Webbe, the Member of Parliament for Leicester East, recently restated her dislike for billioniares in a series of tweets. Her comments are underpinned by a number of fallacies.
The sprawling and complex novel explores mental illness, the ephemerality of our experiences, but also the metamorphosis of individual relationships. For me, it is Fitzgerald's best work.
When energy costs rise, people feel the hit directly. Not only do their own energy bills go up, but so too does the price of food, electronics, and almost all other goods. Hydraulic fracturing could be the answer.
There is no greater pleasure than returning home to a place you love. For me, that is Great Britain, the place of dreams and opportunity...
We are at risk of ‘levelling up’ becoming a proxy for one set of vested interests grabbing resources at the expense of everyone else.
Consumption is driven by a desire to illustrate power and status. This is the important takeaway of Veblen’s Theory of the Leisure Class which completely transforms how one views human decisions. Along with this summary of Veblen's work, I analyse how society has changed and in what ways these ideas apply.
The trouble with history is, of course, that we can’t study everything. What we choose to study or not to study matters immensely - it one of the foundations for our identities.
Forceful and raw, Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho certainly left its mark upon society. To call this work of literature violent would be an understatement. Yet to some extent, it's as if this was not a fictional story but a mirror held up to the societies in which we live.
Does a gazelle have a 'right' not to be eaten by a lion? No - because rights are things we have created, based on a social contract. Here, I explore the relationship between rights, freedom, and the welfare state.
The origins of wealth are often misunderstood. Many believe the only way to become wealthy is to exploit or take that wealth from somebody else. Yet this premise is deeply flawed.
To truly deliver on the ‘levelling-up’ agenda and create opportunities for all, the choice is clear: we must embrace trade, markets, and the freedom to choose.
Building a better, greener and cleaner world to enable us to live meaninfully and enjoy our lives will require co-operation and depend on technology. It can't be solved by coercion.
What is the American Dream? The embodiment of hope and opportunity, or a failed idea swallowed up by Corporate America?
México, mi amor. It’s a city full of life, of spirit, of joy. Se puede vivir, no sólo existir. Here, one feels the richness, the wholeness, of our existence, in all its splendour.
The clash between reality and the ideal is not a new one. It is present throughout history, and in all aspects of life and culture. In contemporary Britain, nowhere has this done more harm than in the current policy on the prohibition of marijuana...
It's official: Biden has won the US election and is set to become the 46th President of the USA. Although America remains divided, there are many reasons to be optimistic, and his Presidency could mark the start of a new era in US and international politics.
When a wave of populism swept through the world in the mid-2010s, some considered liberalism to be dead. Whilst not all the predictions made about liberalism’s fate came true, the Coronavirus is undoubtedly the greatest challenge it has faced since World War II.
Such a large part of social mobility and equality of opportunity lies in education, that we need to ask ourselves how best to improve the system to tap into the full potential of the thousands of children going through it each year.
With with thousands of city workers being ordered to work from home when the coronavirus pandemic hit, our use of land has changed drastically. In light of this, it is worth assessing why we live in cities in the first place, and what the future challenges will be.
If we are serious about improving our health outcomes after coronavirus, it is essential that we take action to combat nicotine-related deaths. Fortunately, we already have the answer: e-cigarettes.
It’s the largest preventable cause of death, amounts to millions of hours of lost productivity, and costs our health systems billions. Where did it start, why is it actually bad for you, and how can we end nicotine related deaths for good?
Inequality poses numerous problems: social unrest, the rise of extremist parties, and some would say, moral issues. How to deal with the problem of inequality in an increasingly meritocratic world? What does meritocracy even mean?
In November 2019, I toured Amazon's second largest Fulfilment Centre (FC). Upon arrival, it felt like I had teleported to the year 2100...
How can appyling the philosophy of minimalism to our digital lives improve our productivity and make us happer and better people? explore the ideas of 'Digital Minimalism' in this article.
Minimalism is not about owning a set number of items. It is about mindfulness, focussing on what truly matters, and not being constrained by material possessions....