Category Archives: Life

The Fertility Rate: the Best Dam(n) Wellbeing Index Going Around?

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Antonios Sarhanis

Valiant attempts have been made to measure happiness and wellbeing. People much smarter than me have developed fancy indices, and people even smarter than that, such as our own Nicholas Gruen, has called bullshit on many of them. What I … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Health, Life, Philosophy, Social Policy, Society | 13 Comments

Fatalism and counterfactuals in times of lockdowns

Posted on September 11, 2021 by Paul Frijters

One of the more curious phenomena of the last 18 months has been the fatalism on display on both sides of the lockdown divide. In the anti-lockdown brigade fatalism props up in the guise of “this was the inevitable outcome … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronavirus crisis, Cultural Critique, Dance, Death and taxes, Life, Philosophy | 16 Comments

On Faust, Lord of the Rings, and lockdowns

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Paul Frijters

A major theme in our book “the Great Covid Panic” (now also on Kindle!) is how a whole layer of politicians, medical advisers, and opportunistic business people grabbed the opportunity for more power and money during the lockdowns of 2020-2021. … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronavirus crisis, Dance, Death and taxes, Health, History, Life, Philosophy, Social | 4 Comments

The Great Covid Panic: now out!

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Paul Frijters

It’s here, the booklet I am sure you have all been waiting for. The one which Gigi Foster and Michael Baker slaved over for 10 months. It is also on Kindle. It is dedicated to all the victims of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bargains, Coronavirus crisis, Dance, Death and taxes, Democracy, Economics and public policy, Education, Employment, Ethics, Health, History, Humour, Inequality, Isegoria, IT and Internet, Journalism, Law, Libertarian Musings, Life, Literature, Media, Medical, Parenting, Philosophy, Political theory, Politics - international, Politics - national, Print media, Public and Private Goods, Religion, Review, Science, Social, Social Policy, Society, Sortition and citizens’ juries, Terror, Theatre, Travel, WOW! - Amazing | 7 Comments

Sex and war in Afghanistan

Posted on August 17, 2021 by Paul Frijters

I visited Afghanistan only once, on a brief visit in 2014. I fell off a donkey to great hilarity of the local villagers, slept in a compound with the armed owner keeping watch the whole night, heard stories of how … Continue reading →

Posted in Death and taxes, Immigration and refugees, Life, Politics - international, Religion, Terror | 2 Comments

Pragmatic utilitarianism?

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Paul Frijters

I have been a utilitarian for about 30 years now and am seen in my academic work as an extreme version of the genre. I did my Phd on the topic. I do not merely say that governments should make … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Critique, Dance, Death and taxes, Democracy, Economics and public policy, Ethics, Geeky Musings, History, Humour, Life, Parenting, Personal, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Social, Social Policy, Society | 13 Comments

Book Launch of the Handbook for Wellbeing Policy-Making July 1st

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Paul Frijters

Wellbeing & Policy Making Book Launch Event on 1st July 5-6.30pm London Time. Attending the Launch is Free, the book is not! 1: The What Works Centre for Wellbeing, and our commissioning partners at the ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Death and taxes, Democracy, Economics and public policy, Health, History, Life, Philosophy, Political theory, Politics - international, Politics - national, Public and Private Goods, Science, Social, Social Policy, Society, Theatre | Leave a comment