Monday, December 26, 2016
  1. A Presidential Truthfulness Oath

    Yasheng Huang
  2. The Empathy Trap

    Peter Singer

    The Empathy Trap

    21

     makes the case that ethical decision-making must depend on reason, not feelings.

    Immigrant protest at trump tower Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Our emotions often motivate us to do what is right, but they are equally likely to motivate us to do what is wrong. In making ethical decisions, it is our ability to reason – not our ability to feel the pain of others – that should play a crucial role. READ MORE

  3. Abusing Churchill

    Ian Buruma

    Abusing Churchill

    16

     explains why a bust of Britain's wartime leader has no place in Donald Trump's Oval Office.

    Farage in Trump Tower Yana Paskova/Getty Images

    The cult of Britain's wartime leader has not been an altogether beneficial one for the US: too many US presidents fancy themselves Winston Churchill’s true heirs. President-elect Donald Trump is the least qualified by far to claim Churchill's mantle, though that appears unlikely to stop him. READ MORE

  4. Training for Gender Equality

    Arib Ali Al-Mandhari

    Training for Gender Equality

    3

     recommends strategies for empowering women to play a more active role in Middle Eastern societies.

    Female dentist students Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images

    Achieving gender equality in the Middle East will be a long process, requiring fundamental educational, social, and economic reforms. But giving women the right training now can kick-start the process, enabling more women finally to reach their potential – to the benefit of all. READ MORE

  5. A Scientific Outlook for a Post-Factual World

    Helga Nowotny

    A Scientific Outlook for a Post-Factual World

    3

     says that the best way to manage uncertainty is to embrace it in the spirit of free inquiry.

    Zuckerberg at F8 Conference AFP/Stringer

    In a climate of fear, the rules of public discourse become obsolete, and the open horizon of possible futures is narrowed to a single escape route that fear-mongers have decided is the only way forward. This is a poor way to cope with uncertainty, and it stands in striking contrast to the methods of science and free inquiry. READ MORE

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106 pages

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