Who Pays for "Free" Speech?
Law professor Eric Heinze reminds us that for all the rhetoric about free speech, demonstrations and protests often impose on the public costs of millions of dollars.
Essays
Articles that illuminate, from policy op-eds and cultural commentary to literary criticism.
Engineering Morality in the Age of Driverless Cars
Once the realm of ivory tower thought experiments, the trolley problem is increasingly relevant in the real world as algorithms replace the human behind the wheel, argues philosopher Jimmy Alfonso Licon.
A Prison Love Story
An unconventional love story, but a love story just the same.
Visions of Hell: What One Man Sees in October 7th
How does a French filmmaker best ivory-tower experts and global intelligence agencies? In this interview spanning both geopolitics and moral reckoning, Pierre Rehov shares the insights—and warnings—that led him to anticipate Israel’s surprise strikes on Iran in June.
The Clash and the Quest
In this essay, Alexander Zubatov traces how the stories that fill the boundless canvas of Western canon are, in essence, reflections of two contrasting Homeric archetypes. Venturing beyond the literary, the motifs offer the frames through which one can interpret existence itself.
When Therapy Fails Artists
As a challenge to conventional advice about rest and recovery, poet Nada Faris explains the importance of working amid suffering for those who derive meaning and inspiration from their craft. Shakespeare, Woolf, and Orwell did some of their best work in times of despair, after all.
The Enduring Question at the Heart of Gone with the Wind
Sadhika Pant revisits the 1936 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, a book recently targeted for cancellation by certain activists. Pant suggests that Scarlett O’Hara and Ashley Wilkes represent two dueling approaches to living, and this dichotomy invites nothing short of civilizational questions.
What an Exiled 19th-Century Economist's Letters Tell Us about the Tariff Debate
Perhaps there truly is nothing new under the sun. Robert Rich revisits the writings of Friedrich List, whose pragmatic views on economics were eclipsed by classical orthodoxy but, amid today’s debate over free trade and American exceptionalism, prove surprisingly resonant.
Four Questions to Ask Before Using Artificial Intelligence
Professor Benjamin Mitchell-Yellin, an expert on artificial intelligence, provides a four-point framework for thinking about whether or not to employ new AI technologies in day-to-day life.
The Supreme Court Takes a Welcome Stand against Reverse Discrimination
Jonathan Church, a long-standing critic of the excesses of the critical social justice movement, examines how a recent ruling dismantles the legal double standard that required some Americans to meet a higher burden of proof in discrimination cases.
The Movement James Burnham Began
David Byrne, the author of a recent biography of the mid-century conservative intellectual James Burnham, traces the thinker's influence on Goldwater, on Reagan, on Musk.
Rousseau, the Letter Writer
A new book by Christopher Kelly and Eve Grace explores the letters of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, including many previously left unpublished. These letters provide insight into the mind of the French thinker, a man whose ideas influenced revolutions and political thinking the world over.
As I Think about Pope Francis
Joe Weil, a poet, professor, and Catholic, reflects on the death of Pope Francis, what he loved about the man, and what he hopes the late Pope sees differently on the other side of this world.
Why America?
Originally published in late 2020—a year when many called for a national "moral reckoning"—this personal essay by Alexander Zubatov draws on his family's journey from the Soviet Union to New York in the 1970s to illuminate why America, to him, remains exceptional.
Sponsored · An Apology from Trump’s America
Discover Tony D. Senatore’s provocative new dialogue on free speech and moral courage.
What Moby Dick Still Teaches Us
Andy Owen, who served in the British military in the Middle East, revisits the 19th century classic, believing it can shed light on some of the most important questions of our day, when it comes to both foreign policy and ourselves.
Common Sense or Academic Theory: America's Modern Political Divide
Through a blend of political philosophy and cultural criticism, Alexander Zubatov incisively examines how the 2024 election revealed America's divide between those whose worldview is guided by the dictums of the educated elite, and those molded by their experiences living regular lives in community.
A Three-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
In this rigorous analysis published in 2024, Seamus Flaherty cuts through the polarized rhetoric surrounding Israel's war in Gaza to examine hard truths that both sides must face. His historically grounded perspective offers fresh insights for those seeking to understand the intractable conflict.
Editor’s Choice: Notable Articles in 2024
Contributing editor Jonathan Church reflects on the most important essays the magazine published in 2024.
What Europeans Don’t Understand about Trump
Benedict Beckeld—a philosopher who has lived and taught on both sides of the Atlantic—attempts to explain through a blend of personal insights and politico-historical analysis what Europeans are ill-equipped to understand about the leader of their most important ally.
What Europe Can Learn from the American Election
Writing from Munich, Gerfried Ambrosch considers what Europeans should conclude from the rather decisive electoral victory of President Donald Trump.
Long Live the Queen: 1926-2022
Originally published shortly after Queen Elizabeth II's death, this meditation by Englishman Henry George explores how Britain's ancient crown transcends mere symbolism, revealing monarchy's power to unify and morally anchor a nation—insights that should resonate even for us across the Atlantic.
Blues Run the Game
Erich J. Prince reflects on the famous Jackson C. Frank song, the life of the songwriter, and the age-old question: What value is there in a change of scenery?
America’s Return to Industrial Policy
Should we actually want more government intervention in the economy? In this policy op-ed, Fasteau and Fletcher present a clear-eyed analysis of how strategic government support for manufacturing could restore American economic dominance while countering China's ambitions