Party Animals
New books assessing democracy suggest how to fix things—but it’s complicated.
Why Do Analysts Keep Talking Nonsense About Chinese Words?
Mistaken notions of how characters work produce bad takes.
Political Science Has Its Own Lab Leaks
When ideas get out from academia into the wild, they can be surprisingly dangerous.
The Power of Narrative
A new book explains why some nations rise and others don’t.
China Wants a ‘Rules-Based International Order,’ Too
The question is who gets to write the codes—and whether the United States will live up to its own.
All Politics Is Personalized
Around the world, political leaders have amassed power by weakening their parties, and democracy may never recover.
Fukuyama: Expect More Violence Before America Returns to Sanity
The famed political philosopher still believes in democracy’s ultimate triumph but says the “end of history” has been sidetracked by unforeseen forces.
Our Top Weekend Reads
An interview with Kosovo’s prime minister, how Myanmar can avoid a public health disaster in the conflict-torn state of Rakhine, and the case for reassessing Voltaire’s legacy.
Why Protests Threaten Dictatorships but Make Democracies Stronger
Democracies have greater legitimacy because citizens largely support the system and its institutions. Dictatorships rely on performance—and they fail when they don’t produce results.
When Everything Is a Crisis, Nothing Is
Invoking crisis is a favorite tactic of dictators—and widespread misuse of the word robs it of its power.
How to Rethink the Teaching of International Relations
As universities struggle to respond to the ongoing pandemic, here’s what they should focus on.
Make America Existentialist Again
French philosophy came to define the postwar era. As U.S. politics get ever more absurd, it’s time for a comeback.
We Are All Isaiah Berliners Now
Nationalism is back, but nobody seems to know what it means. A forgotten essay marking its 40th anniversary can help.
France’s Far-Right Claims a Left-Anarchist Martyr as Its Own
Why French conservatives' new favorite philosopher is Simone Weil.
Edgar on Strategy (III): A good strategy rests atop solid philosophical foundations
Political philosophy provides a foundation from which we can imagine and discuss strategy productively.
German Philosophy Has Finally Gone Viral. Will That Be Its Undoing?
A new generation of rockstar philosophers are taking the discipline to the masses. But their TED Talks, TV shows, and best-sellers might be ruining it forever.
As Environmental Catastrophe Looms, Is it Ethical to Have Children?
Two philosophers discuss the morality of family planning in the age of climate change.
Pessimism Is Europe’s Only Hope
On its 60th anniversary, a troubled EU should take inspiration from one of its greatest inheritances: gloomy German philosophy.
Remembering Michael Novak
Last Friday we lost one of our most luminescent, brilliant minds when Michael Novak died after 83 years.
There’s Such a Thing as Too Much Security, and 3 Other Tips for Tillerson
A few notes on the new secretary of state’s first speech to his new employees.
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