Series: Essay Series

Iconoclasm: Rejecting the Past is a warning bell, an alarm, alerting readers to the threat against the tolerance and openness of democratic society. Iconoclasm, the breaking of images, is part of our history - from the destruction of religious images in early Christianity to today's toppling of statues of Confederate generals and slave traders. Images, buildings, and objects that violate...

Technology is at the heart of the human story. In an era of transformation, comprehending what drives these changes means understanding the history of man's relationship with technology. In this anthology of essays, world-leading historians, academics and writers explore innovation, industry and the economy, warfare and espionage, culture and communication, and what it means to be human in the era...

With the end of the Cold War and the triumph of globalisation, many believed that nationalism was now a thing of the past; instead, the opposite is true. The essays in this anthology are based on the Engelsberg Seminar in 2017, where different kinds of identity formation were considered. How does a nation emerge? How is unity achieved in an...

The belief in a governing, celestial principle has long been an essential element of human society worldwide. More than 80% of the world's population has a religious affiliation and even in secular states, religion continues to play an important role. Politics and international relations today cannot be understood without accounting for the religious context of a society's history. The essays...

The Return of Consciousness explores a scientific problem unlike any other: consciousness itself. As Descartes noted, consciousness is the most indubitable feature of our existence, and according to Steven Pinker, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, it is the most precious. Consciousness is life itself, and for most, being alive in a vegetative state is no better than dying. Consciousness...

It has been claimed that around 14,500 wars have been fought since 3,500 BC. Humanity has only experienced 300 years of peace on Earth. During the twentieth century, more people in total were killed in wars than during any previous century. Relatively, though, we kill each other less often now. Are we gradually becoming more peaceful? Regardless of the number...

What role does architecture and trade play in creating civilised societies? How can we create urban environments where the individual can flourish? These questions have taken on a new significance as COVID-19 has reshaped the way cities operate. This collection of essays examines the history of urbanism and trade in order to shed perspective on the future of the city....

In this volume, leading scholars in the arts and sciences discuss how information has been transmitted throughout history. It addresses the multiple challenges of the digital age, particularly with regard to our personal data. Amid growing tension between a "cognitive elite" and those excluded from public discourse and decision-making, editors Kurt Almqvist and Mattias Hessérus ask: will our information society...