This brief history sets the parameters for a discussion of the most important question for the political philosophy of our times In a recent interview for liberty central, Bob Geldof pointed to an apparent paradox at the heart of human rights: rights are western but the west considers them universal...

Newspapers are peasants in the digital kingdom - at least its ruler appears to be fairly benevolent The news that Google is spending $7m on newspaper ads all round the world makes me, as a newspaper journalist, feel as if it were Christmas: but a snowy, cold Christmas, and I am a peasant whom King W...

Frustration at the government's failure to listen and change is provoking a growing willingness to take direct action This economic crisis is resulting in an emerging crisis of political representation. None of the major political parties seem to have a handle on what people are experiencing and how...

Congratulations on having read this far. Reading anything whatsoever is apparently a dying art. According to a survey released last week to help promote World Book Day, 65% of respondents admitted lying about which novels they'd read in a desperate bid to impress people. The news was accompanied by ...

Harman and Darling are the PM's most constant allies. He should let them speak out, rather than slap them down Lord Mandelson may insist, smooth as ever, that the government is one strong, happy team, working away together, faces turned towards a brighter future. But the stories of private dismay ju...

We all enjoy Oxford Union debates, that tantalising peek into academic Nirvana, so here's a topic for them: "How did Oxford University, internationally hailed bastion of privilege and intellect, aspiration of every grovelling middle-class parent in the land, manage to morph from 'dreaming spires' to...

A well-crafted insult can echo down through the ages - but you can't beat a good playground taunt It was a dispute worthy of any creche, even if the protagonists modestly deny it ever happened. After Cristiano Ronaldo, the pulchritudinous Manchester United footballer, was inexpertly tackled by Newca...

An extraordinary document called The Pepsi Gravitational Field has been leaked on to the internet. The claim is that this 27-page wonder represents a successful $1.5m (£1.05m) pitch to make a slight modification to the Pepsi logo. Welcome to the science of PR. "By investing in our history and ...

How bad was Jake Myerson's teenage drug problem? His mother thinks it was so bad that the 17-year-old had to be thrown out of the family home to protect his younger brother and sister from his influence. Jake, now aged 20 and employed in the music industry, says he doesn't agree. He admits to having...

Recession has forced cuts on ITV, and the outdated rules we have to bow to make things even harder The last 24 hours has seen a torrent of press coverage about ITV's year-end results, which contained difficult news for staff, managers and shareholders alike. But what has attracted much less comment ...