Politics & Opinion

“Social Progress” as Social Deception

BY ALEXEI BATTEN The philosopher Alfred North Whitehead once wryly observed that although academics celebrate the intellectual achievements of ancient Greece, the typically successful man in that age was still more brutish thug than gentle professor. An Athenian general, upon being questioned about the justice of his acquisition of…

TRUMP, SANDERS AND THE TRIUMPH OF THE OUTSIDER

Nearly a year into one of the most unpredictable election seasons in the history of American politics, the race for the White House is finally picking up steam. Time is running out for voters in both parties to choose between the political “outsider” and the Washington machine that has dictated the…

How to Reason with Food Fanaticism

Contemporary North America is as health-obsessed as a society could be imagined to be. But it would also be odd to think of a society where there is more disagreement and uncertainty about what constitutes healthy eating. Government guidelines, magazine articles, celebrity-promoted fad diets, professional, self-titled doctors and and nutritionists…

Less is More: Why Too Much Choice is Bad News

Choice is good, right? In some ways, yes. When faced with a choice, we are forced to think critically about the available options, judge the merit of each one, and ultimately choose whichever seems most suitable. This sort of critical thinking is what allows us to learn and grow. One…

The butterfly effect

When those of us from outside Quebec first arrive at McGill, we all hear variations on the same theme from someone who is earnestly trying to welcome us. Do what you can to leave the McGill bubble, they tell us, get involved with the Montreal community – after all, there’s…

To Fight against Capitalism We Must Fight for Socialism!

Today the globe is completely dominated by big banks and multinational corporations. They own and control the economy and use their position of power and privilege to dominate the political process and control the world’s governments. Power is almost completely consolidated into the hands of the owners and large shareholders…