‘The Death of Socrates’ — As told by Jacques-Louis David — The Trial of Socrates In the spring of 399 BC, the Greek philosopher and founder of Western philosophy, Socrates was put before an Athenian jury, convicted of corrupting the youth of the state and disrespecting the city’s gods. …

Is this really the best of all possible worlds? — Voltaire and Candide The 18th-century philosopher, François-Marie Arouet, who would later acquire the name, Voltaire, is often lauded as a patriarch of The Enlightenment. Born in 1694, Voltaire’s masterful command of satire was used to make people laugh, as well as to make them think. The problem of evil, as well as the…

What can we learn from Hollywood’s greatest success story? — 50 years on… Few films can claim to have rivalled the influence of Francis Ford Coppola’s seminal masterpiece, The Godfather. Originally written as a novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, Coppola later elevated it into a cinematic spectacle that would last the ages. …

A poignant reminder that the quest for human emancipation from authoritarian rule is far from finished — Farsi, Ferdowsi and Freedom Readers of my previous blog posts may be familiar with my passions for philosophy, science, literature and art, amongst others. What lies alongside these passions is a love for the country of Iran and its people. The impact of its history and contribution to the world stage can simply not…

It’s time to stop affording hope the goodwill we all so often give it — Don’t Let Go In his memoirs, titled ‘Do No Harm’, the eminent neurosurgeon and writer, Henry Marsh, recalls one of his more poignant patient encounters. After informing a family that their loved one had a bleak chance of survival, he notes watching the family from a distance cling onto any possibility of hope…

Do we afford too much privilege to the word ‘unity’? — A United Promise We all know the script. Every couple of years a new political candidate will take our screens with a campaign grounded on unity and the dissolution of division. Such promises are not solely confined to politics either, it is commonplace to see this rhetoric in other walks of life, like…

“We are all on the verge of insanity. The only person not on this verge, is the person we have just met” — The Confession of Vulnerability There is a particular way of discussing oneself that never fails to win friends and comfort audiences… the confession of vulnerability. There is rarely anything nicer that one can hear about us than an admission that we are down, that we have repeatedly come up short, that we feel vulnerable…

“Keep good company — that is, go to the Louvre” — Paul Cezanne — Timeless Treasures Beginning as a medieval fortress, before transitioning to a royal palace and later a modern-day museum, the Musée du Louvre hosts the world’s grandest collection of artistic treasures. …

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” · J.D. Salinger — In the summer of 1946, the English novelist and journalist, Eric Arthur Blair, known more commonly by his pen name — George Orwell, published an essay titled ‘Why I write’. In it, he detailed his personal path to becoming a writer. He concluded that there are 4 great motives that…