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History & Society

152 readings · 49–60

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Chapter 7: The Humanist Revolution (Homo Deus)

While the modern deal does not include deriving meaning from a cosmic plan, it does allow you to derive meaning independently – and this is how humanism succeeds what came before it. For ages, prophets and…

Book summary

Sapiens Summary (8/10)

Sapiens by Harari is an ambitious attempt to summarize the history of humankind, including our harsh beginnings when we competed with other human cousins for resources, our conquests, our innovations, our tragedies,…

Book summary

Hard Times Create Strong Men

The quote “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times” has become one of the most widely circulated aphorisms of the 21st century, despite…

Original article

The Politics of Social Media

Is Social Media Good? We are in the age of technology and social media apps, and are constantly being exposed to new ways of wasting time. A more interconnected world is rewarding – it keeps us mentally active and…

Original article

Revisiting Chomsky’s Propaganda Model

In his landmark essay “Manufacturing Consent,” Noam Chomsky introduced a simple but elegant model for understanding how propaganda and censorship work in mass media.

Book summary

The Sale of the Brooklyn Bridge

In the bustling heart of early 20th century New York City, amid a frenzy of rapid progress and unending ambition, existed opportunities not only for honest prosperity but also for remarkable deception.

Original article

Week 4: The Persian Mirror

Imagine creating the perfect media channel—unbiased, scientific, truthful, fact-based, insightful. How would it differ from what exists today? Perhaps it would function as an independent body systematically…

Book summary

Blood Meridian Summary

Cormac McCarthy’s novel, Blood Meridian, is a stark, brutal depiction of violence and human depravity set along the US-Mexico borderlands in the mid-1800s.

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