31 ideas
| 7823 | Lucretius was rediscovered in 1417 [Grayling] |
| 8920 | Equivalence relations are reflexive, symmetric and transitive, and classify similar objects [Lipschutz] |
| 6408 | Russell needed three extra axioms to reduce maths to logic: infinity, choice and reducibility [Grayling] |
| 6414 | Two propositions might seem self-evident, but contradict one another [Grayling] |
| 7091 | The argument from analogy is not a strong inference, since the other being might be an actor or a robot [Grayling] |
| 7293 | It is legitimate to do harm if it is the unintended side-effect of an effort to achieve a good [Grayling] |
| 7809 | In an honour code shame is the supreme punishment, and revenge is a duty [Grayling] |
| 23262 | Experience, sympathy and history are sensible grounds for laying claim to rights [Grayling] |
| 20086 | Nowadays sovereignty (once the basis of a state) has become relative [Reybrouck] |
| 20090 | Today it seems almost impossible to learn the will of the people [Reybrouck] |
| 20087 | There are no united monolothic 'peoples', and no 'national gut feelings' [Reybrouck] |
| 23263 | Politics is driven by power cliques [Grayling] |
| 20089 | Technocrats may be efficient, but they lose legitimacy as soon as they do unpopular things [Reybrouck] |
| 20088 | Technocrats are expert managers, who replace politicians, and can be long-term and unpopular [Reybrouck] |
| 23254 | Democracies should require a supermajority for major questions [Grayling] |
| 20085 | Democracy is the best compromise between legitimacy and efficiency [Reybrouck] |
| 23255 | It is essential for democracy that voting is free and well informed [Grayling] |
| 20095 | A referendum result arises largely from ignorance [Reybrouck] |
| 20094 | You don't really govern people if you don't involve them [Reybrouck] |
| 23260 | A cap on time of service would restrict party control and career ambitions [Grayling] |
| 20093 | In the 18th century democratic lots lost out to elections, that gave us a non-hereditary aristocracy [Reybrouck] |
| 20091 | Representative elections were developed in order to avoid democracy [Reybrouck] |
| 23253 | Majority decisions are only acceptable if the minority interests are not vital [Grayling] |
| 23256 | Liberty and equality cannot be reconciled [Grayling] |
| 23258 | The very concept of democracy entails a need for justice [Grayling] |
| 23259 | There should be separate legislative, executive and judicial institutions [Grayling] |
| 7292 | War must also have a good chance of success, and be waged with moderation [Grayling] |
| 7824 | If suicide is lawful, but assisting suicide is unlawful, powerless people are denied their rights [Grayling] |
| 7819 | Religion gives answers, comforts, creates social order, and panders to superstition [Grayling] |
| 7817 | To make an afterlife appealing, this life has to be denigrated [Grayling] |
| 7818 | In Greek mythology only heroes can go to heaven [Grayling] |