Last articles
Technical Culture as a Factor in the First Industrial Revolution In Power and Progress, Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson provide a detailed account of how technological advancements have rarely benefited the entire population. Their fascinating investigation, spanning from the Neolithic era to the present day, supports the idea—dating back at least to Rousseau—that inequalities increased […]
Since November 2023, several articles have highlighted constraints that limit the ability to achieve psychological distancing and, consequently, to gain freedom of thought and peace of mind: oppositions, idealizations (particularly the pursuit of moral truths), conformity, psychological projection, and the desire for recognition. Here, we will focus on the emotional bond of attachment. While essential […]
By studying the evolution of freedom of thought from the 16th to the 18th century,1 we highlighted how its expansion was stimulated by the growth of knowledge and techniques. Here, we will first emphasize another determining factor: the development of privacy. Once again, we will take the example of Montaigne, who will help us identify […]
Last snapshots
The reelection of Donald Trump as the leader of the world’s foremost power demonstrates that the authoritarian trend across the globe is not a fleeting, circumstantial anomaly that can be resolved with a handful of reforms. This trend reflects a boundless blindness that accompanies the desire to reinforce or redraw borders. The real estate magnate…
George Washington said:1 “if Men are to be precluded from offering their sentiments on a matter, which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences, that can invite the consideration of Mankind; reason is of no use to us—the freedom of Speech may be taken away—and, dumb & silent we may be led, like sheep,…
About
Arranging concepts (i.e. delimiting and linking them) in a coherent and concise manner supports or even grounds clarity. However, devising syntheses constitutes an activity whose complexity increases with knowledge growth and academic specialization. Well, without a conception of the world in which we live that is sufficiently backed up and synthetic, how can we define a political, a moral or a personal direction? Unawareness would likely reduce the field of possibilities, wouldn’t it?