The thoughts that shape my writing
Fragments of history, reflections on memory, and glimpses of the human thread that runs through it all.
Explore by Theme
This journal brings together essays that explore history, thought, and the human stories beneath them. You can read by theme or browse chronologically.
History · Philosophy · Culture
The Quiet Collapse of Ethical Accountability
Like many people, I have become disenchanted with the behaviour of politicians and business leaders who are meant to serve the public, not themselves.
Aristotle: The Philosopher Who Inspired Monty Python
I’m a man of a certain age who, like many 1970s students, loved Monty Python. Hearing “Aristotle” makes me, Pavlov-like, add: “was a bugger for the bottle” — a line from The Philosophers’ Song, a silly pub singalong that name-checked Western philosophy over beer.
When Power Demands Honour
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Donald Trump at the White House, presenting it as recognition of his ‘commitment to Venezuela’s freedom’. The symbolism is elegant. The reality is not.
A Death Without Compassion
When power rushes to certainty before evidence — and compassion is treated as expendable — belief replaces thought, and a human life disappears from view.