How cultural commitments damage your ability to reason

When people don't accept the scientific evidence, it may be useless to present them with yet more evidence. They are not stupid. They are simply protecting their cultural identity. Here's the journalism: Science confirms: politics wrecks your ability to do math And here's the original study, Motivated Numeracy and Enlightened Self-Government Kahan, Dan M., Peters, … Continue reading How cultural commitments damage your ability to reason →

Ignorance may be bliss but it’s not democracy

Ignorance may be bliss but it's not democracyThe basis of democracy is an informed public. Voters don't have to be clever or well-meaning for this to work - but ensuring they are duped amounts to breaking the system and replacing it with something else. Jay Rosen asks:Can there even be an informed public and consent-of-the-governed for … Continue reading Ignorance may be bliss but it’s not democracy →

Cultural Theory and the Open Society

Catriona Kelly, Professor of Russian at Oxford Universty, has written an article about the concept of freedom in the context of Soviet and post-Soviet politics. She takes issue with the two-sidedness that pits the open society against the closed society, finding in Grid-Group Cultural Theory a helpful and illuminating alternative. ''The "open society" to which … Continue reading Cultural Theory and the Open Society →

Fatalist Activism in America… and now the UK

My favourite Fatalist joke goes like this: Two farmers in conversation. 'What would you do if you won a million dollars?" "I'd just keep on farming until it ran out." Despite the fact that this joke comes from America and was once quoted in the Senate, the US is not the first place one thinks … Continue reading Fatalist Activism in America… and now the UK →

Political blogs – the curious case of the missing centre

There's an interesting working paper on the culture of political blogs over at Crooked Timber. Some highlights and discussion: "blog readers tend to read blogs that accord with their political beliefs". "Cross-cutting readership of blogs on both the left and right of the spectrum is relatively rare" A few thoughts: 1. The evidence presented suggests … Continue reading Political blogs – the curious case of the missing centre →