we can’t tell ourselves whom to fall in love with – means that our wrestling with the passions is what brings the self into being. Habits consolidate what control we can have of our passions. Hume gives habit pride of place in his moral accounting, but the key here is to continually assess whether we […]
‘The impossible has already happened’: what coronavirus can teach us about hope
In the midst of fear and isolation, we are learning that profound, positive change is possible. The idea that everything is connected is an affront to conservatives who cherish a macho every-man-for-himself frontier fantasy. Climate change has been a huge insult to them – this science that says what comes out of our cars and […]
What a Solidarity Economy Looks Like
Despite President Bolsonaro’s COVID-19 denialism, a small Brazilian city has one of the most ambitious responses in the world. While Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro denies that a serious public health crisis is underway, a small municipality an hour up the coast from Rio de Janeiro has instituted a remarkable and effective COVID-19 response. In Maricá, a […]
How Civic Technology Can Help Stop a Pandemic
Taiwan’s Initial Success Is a Model for the Rest of the World The guiding principle was not top-down control but mutual respect and cooperation. Privacy was carefully protected, and the movements of an individual were not visible to others. This approach supported an astonishing degree of social coordination, which reduced transmission. And despite being an […]
The horror films got it wrong. This virus has turned us into caring neighbours
Across the world, Covid-19 has triggered community action on a vast scale. It’s a powerful riposte to both government and private money There is no guarantee that this resurgence of collective action will survive the pandemic. We could revert to the isolation and passivity that both capitalism and statism have encouraged. But I don’t think […]