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The Runaway Trolley Problem and Its Consequences
Perhaps you have heard about The Runaway Trolley problem. It’s one of the popular thought experiments in philosophy where one is made to question their morality. Here is a simplified version of it. Suppose there is a trolley car hurtling down the track at a high speed. Up ahead you see five workers standing on… Read more
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Why Anna Karenina Is Still So Beautiful
There must be a reason why a late 19th century book spanning over 700 pages still charms its readers. And the reason would become obvious as soon as you read Anna Karenina, or any of Leo Tolstoy’s work, for that matter. The Author: Let’s talk briefly about Leo Tolstoy’s writing. There is a good chance… Read more
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The Importance of Having a Grandmother
Every house needs a grandmother in it. Louisa May Alcott Perhaps when you were a child, when your parents and siblings were away for some reason, you spent a couple of days on your own just with your grandmother. Perhaps you noticed her unique way of cutting fruits, or telling stories, or doing ordinary things… Read more
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Marxism, Liberalism and Romantic Love
Politics seems an incongruous field to link to love, but can we not read, in the bloodstained histories of the French, Fascist, or Communist revolutions, something of the same coercive structure, the same impatience with diverging views fuelled by passionate ideals? Alain de Botton It’s not difficult to draw parallels between politics and love, although… Read more
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Can Freedom and Equality Coexist?
Can Freedom and Equality coexist? It’s a fundamental point which draws a clear line between capitalism and socialism. Or to some extent, political right and left. To understand this point better, consider any two individuals living on this earth. Are they equal? They might have equal political and legal rights, but are they equal in… Read more
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Surprising Origins of English Words
Etymology is the study of the origins of words. Like you and I, words also take birth, grow and travel and eventually settle somewhere. Therefore, tracing their journey is exciting, as they too are alive (in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “cut them and they start to bleed.”). Tracing the origins of English words… Read more
