Throughout most of the history of Western civilization, rhetoric was seen as one of the primary subjects of the liberal arts. After more than century of decline, the study of rhetoric is making a comeback. This is good news, since to combat political polarization, we can all benefit from the...

Personal reflections on our shared human condition

The sociologist Musa al-Gharbi on empire, Islam, and the hypocritical liberalism of Manhattan.

This essay discusses Cecilia Heyes’ groundbreaking new book Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking. Heyes’ point of departure is the claim that current theories of cultural evolution fail adequately to make a place for the mind. Heyes