Writer and philosopher

Blog

Literature

The Rediscovery of Cledwyn Hughes

I am thrilled that the mercurial Anglo-Welsh writer Cledwyn Hughes is being rediscovered; particularly happy as I am his son-in-law. Partly thanks to the efforts …

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Politics

Guns Before Butter?

The left is keen to sever connections with the gangsterish new American administration, de Gaulle-style. Indeed – at a minimum, Europe must be able to …

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Politics

Peace and Betrayal

The outlines for peace in Ukraine have been clear for a couple of years now – unsatisfactory, but the only sustainable solution. It needed muscle …

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Politics, Trust

The Puritans and the Peasants

The opening of my forthcoming book with Edward Elgar, Blockchain Politics, setting the scene for its analysis of trust in the context of the zealotry …

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Politics

Lessons From Vance’s Watershed Speech

J.D. Vance’s Munich speech seems to have shocked everyone, but it shouldn’t have. His attack on Europe, presumably cleared with his boss (or at least …

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AI, Politics

5 AIMS Become Visible at Paris AI Summit

In recent weeks, Wendy Hall and I have begun to adapt our ideological/geopolitical view of Internet governance, which we expressed in our book Four Internets, …

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Politics, Trust

Blockchain Politics

I’m very excited to see my forthcoming new book, Blockchain Politics: Ideology and the Crisis of Social Trust, appearing on the website of the publishers, …

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AI, Politics

Artificial Intelligence and Productivity

It’s good news that Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government is going to push AI as a means for increasing productivity in Britain. Its rhetoric about …

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Computing/Internet, Memory

Insta-Worthy Memories and Filtered Truth

I’m looking forward very much to delivering my Royal Institute of Philosophy Lecture, Insta-Worthy Memories and Filtered Truth, on Thursday 23rd Jan at the Senate …

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Football

A Haiku

WORLD CUP QUARTER FINAL, 1954 Switzerland five, but Moxie insufficient, so Austria seven.

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Politics

The Parthenon Marbles: a Biased Account?

There seemed to be an extraordinary sleight-of-hand in today’s coverage of Rishi Sunak’s decision not to meet his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. According to No.10, …

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Film, Politics

The Italian Job and Nigel Farage’s Head

For an explanation of Brexit, it is extraordinary how much is contained in The Italian Job. A cult classic in the UK, starring icons Michael …

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