Author Archives: James Atkins
The pursuit of truth
A lot of education in England seems to be about learning “how to be right”, not learning “how to discover truth.” This is a reason why our politics is so messed up: our politicians are often very clever at being … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, society, politics and economics
Tagged argument, debate, Oxford, politics, truth
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Why right-wing politicians need to be kind
When I think of right wing politicians, I don’t think of kind people. From Norman Tebbit (on yer bike) to Mrs Thatcher (there’s no such thing as society) to the populist modern types such as Trump and Orban, these appear … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, society, politics and economics
Tagged compassion, kindness, orban, right-wing, thatcher, trump
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Mughals, Tzu Chi and the dead front gardens of North Oxford
A short trip to Oxford prompted some thoughts for the Bustard… The Bodleian Library is holding a small exhibition about the hunting practices of the Mughals, a medieval Asian people who once ruled across India. The exhibition displayed exquisitely decorated … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, society, politics and economics
Tagged gravel, hunting, mughals, Oxford, Tzu Chi
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The Man of the Sugar Mountain – an allegorical tale
I saw an article about Mark Zuckerberg’s thoughtful goal to rid the world of disease by the end of the century. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37435425 So I wrote a fairy tale … The Man of the Sugar Mountain Once upon a time when all … Continue reading
GDP Growth, climate change and the end of the peripheral science
Economics has long been known in academic circles as “the peripheral science”. It became increasingly side-lined as people realised how little it added to the world’s well-being. This is another extract from the Chronicles of Nat Eb, the memoirs of … Continue reading