Variety
The American philosopher William James died a hundred years ago. Jonathan Rée calls for a return to his humane example
Ideas
Book Review: Is God Still an Englishman? by Cole Moreton
Francis Beckett finds out whether the English have lost their soul
Thinkers: Voltaire
Fame and fortune allowed the great 18th-century writer to challenge the powers of the state, says Ian Davidson
For uselessness!
In the UK the axe is falling on philosophy departments. Nina Power reports from the frontline
Book Review: On Evil by Terry Eagleton
Beneath the diaphanous veil of ambiguity, the wit and the nuance-sense Terry Eagleton fails to get to the real heart of darkness, says AC Grayling
Gloom merchant
To be truly happy we must be pessimistic, says Roger Scruton
Shadow pope
What do the Pope and the secular philosopher Jürgen Habermas have in common, asks Jonathan Rée
Battle of the Babies
A new book argues that liberal secularism and high birth rates are fuelling a revival of religious fundamentalism. Caspar Melville speaks to its author Eric Kaufmann
The last of the bohemians
Tom McDonough celebrates the subversive poetic vision of the Situationists
Man & other beasts
Humanism is under attack in the academy for its assumption of man’s superiority over animals. John Appleby visits the intellectual borderland between humans and animals