Tawney. Click here. One of England’s greatest Labour theorists R. H. Tawney argues that Christian ethics should underlie Socialist thinking.
Are Socialism and Religion Compatible?
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Category Archives: Blog
Toynbee’s Great Study of History
Toynbee and Religion: Read Paul’s essay on Arnold Toynbee’s views on Religion and History. He wrote a famous bestseller “The Study of History”, which compared the world’s great civilisations.
The Illimitable Dazzle of the Universe: Priestley
J.B. Priestley was not religious, but he yearned for a deeper and richer reality in life.
“I happen to believe there are levels of being in this universe far higher than ours, which at its best is probably near the bottom of all lists. I can imagine, if only vaguely, that highly conscious love may exist on such levels of being in blazing magnificence. But only after aeons of conscious effort…[We might do better to] imagine ourselves among indifferent stars and terrible dark spaces, so many helpless little creatures – but still capable, if we choose and try hard, of creating unwavering, unshakeable conscious love. To create it and sustain it, against heavy odds, may be what this universe is all about, may fit some secret pattern behind the illimitable dazzle of its particles”
[“Over the Long High Wall”, 1972,p.32].
A New World Order? One Pioneer
Lionel Curtis Lionel Curtis was an imperial statesman and advocate of a peaceful world order well before the UN and the EU. He used Christian ideals to support this cause. Click on link.
Bigotry: The Realm of the Uninformed?
It sometimes seems that we are living in an age of increasing bigotry. Here is what G.K. Chesterton said in 1905: “Bigotry may be roughly defined as the anger of people who have no opinion… the appalling frenzy of the indifferent” [in his book Heretics].
Is Eugenics Dead?
Darwin’s Origin of Species
The Origin of Species was a world-shattering book with important social and political consequences as well as changing the scientific paradigm in biology. See Paul’s review of a “biography” of Darwin’s book.
Perceptions of Race and Nation
Review5PerceptionsofRaceandNation 1
Click on above link to see my review of Erik Schmeller’s book on the perceptions of English and American writers on race and nation, 1833 to 1914.
Crossing Borders: Bernard Crick
In 2001 I reviewed Bernard Crick’s collection of political essays entitled Crossing Borders. I knew Bernard well as he was my PhD supervisor at LSE, and an inspiring scholar. He died in 2008. As a tribute I am attaching my review of his book. Click on:
Am I an atom of the planet?
Is dividing one’s body from the rest of the world realistic? As Deepak Chopra says: “Is the air in my lungs part of my body? If so, what about the air I’m about to inhale or the air I just exhaled? The world ‘out there’ is composed of trillions of atoms that either once were or soon will be me, and the whole packet of matter and energy we call Earth is necessary to keep me alive. I could as easily say that I am just a cell in this larger body, and since I need the whole planet to sustain myself, everything on Earth is part of my body” [Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, pp.306-7].
Paul Crook 