The Cult of Creativity

We live in a world that places a premium on creativity. Companies expect their employees to be creative, parents want their children to become creative, mayors want to convert their cities to creative hubs, translators want to be acknowledged for their creative skills and artists strive to express their unique visions through creative work. But … Continue reading The Cult of Creativity →

The Narrow Corridor, the Cage of Norms and the Red Queen Effect

Thomas Hobbes, was born in the year of the Spanish Armada and lived through the English Civil War. When Charles I lost his head, he lived in exile in France and only returned after the monarchy was restored under Charles II. (I had written a bit about this period here). To understand his political philosophy, … Continue reading The Narrow Corridor, the Cage of Norms and the Red Queen Effect →

The Stuarts and the English Civil War

No conversation around the idea of democracy can skirt the English Civil War. The seventeenth century in England with the Stuarts in power also produced two of the greatest political philosophers of all time – Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. So, trying to get a sense of this period led me to Jonathan Healey’s ‘The … Continue reading The Stuarts and the English Civil War →

The Case Against the Sexual Revolution

Feminism, like all isms, brooks no dissent. For this reason, Louise Perry’s argument against the sexual revolution, brought about and cheered largely by the feminist movement from the 60s, requires a wider reading. While I disagree with her conclusions, her courage to stick her neck out and make her arguments makes this an important addition … Continue reading The Case Against the Sexual Revolution →

Atelic Pursuits

For the philosopher Kieran Setiya, midlife is marked by “a disconcerting mixture of nostalgia, regret, claustrophobia, emptiness, and fear” and looking forward, he saw only “a projected sequence of accomplishments stretching through the future to retirement, decline, and death.” The solution to this conundrum can be found in Aristotle’s take on a life well-lived. For … Continue reading Atelic Pursuits →

Passport, please!

Between 1917 and 1934, Gandhi’s base in Mumbai was a pretty mansion which now houses a museum dedicated to preserving the memories of this period. Mani Bhawan is relatively unknown in the tourist circuit but did manage to attract the attention of Martin Luther King and Obama during their visits to the city. I visited … Continue reading Passport, please! →

Elevators as Mass Transport Systems

Last month, I had two ‘elevating’ experiences in Bombay. The first was my vertical descent from the third floor of a building to the ground floor. No, I didn’t fall from the balcony. I took an elevator – the only catch being that this happened to be the world’s largest. (I’m still trying to wrap … Continue reading Elevators as Mass Transport Systems →