Perpetual peace – perpetual relevance

18th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant remains a central figure in modern philosophy, but his argument that ethics and governance should be rooted in reason rather than self-interest or superstition is threatened even in the Western world by the current resurgence of nationalism, authoritarianism and religious fundamentalism.

A rising of the lights

Steve Toltz’s new novel offers some ideas about the place of humans in a world redefined by AI and the precious solace of personal connection.

Opera wars

Is opera’s greatest fight really about avoiding a slide into cultural obsolescence? Or is it about how it might survive in an economic system obsessed with “the price of everything, and the value of nothing”?

Learning how to talk again

In a polarised and contentious age where civil disagreement seems increasingly impossible, we need more spaces for debate where difficult questions can be explored honestly, disagreement is not treated as failure, and curiosity is not mistaken for hostility.

The Chalamet effect

Hollywood actor Timothée Chalamet provoked a critical and popular backlash when he dismissed opera and ballet as irrelevant but those art forms now face the harder task of keeping those audiences coming back.

Slave to the algorithm

Most people stream rather than buy music today, but the recommendation algorithm used by services such as Spotify tend to promote more of the same to maximise engagement, making it difficult for new acts or non-mainstream music to break through.

Into the manosphere

Louis Theroux’s new Netflix documentary explores the world of ‘manosphere’ influencers and podcasters and their appeal to young men in a world which not only doesn’t seem to need them, but actively despises them.

Beware of zombies

Zombie fiction imagines a world that has been changed forever, but also offers hope that individuals can still resist and repel despair and assimilation, rather than one than succumb to it without a fight.

The cracked bowl is more beautiful

The Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi draws attention to the meaning and value of imperfection, impermanence and incompleteness in life.

Reading Camus

Author and philosopher Albert Camus died in a car crash in 1960, aged just 46 but the existential, moral and political issues Camus’ writings address still trouble us today.

Remembering Robert Duval

Success came late to the late American actor Robert Duvall but in a career spanning seven decades, he won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, four Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his characterful character performances.

The Times They Are a-Changin’

Protest singers like Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan drew popular attention to social issues and civil rights in the United States through their songs, so will a new generation of artists carry the torch against the appalling excesses of Donald Trump?