“The Satanic Verses” written by Salman Rushie is one of the most controversial pieces of literature of the last century. The novel is inspired by the life of Muhammed; it received positive reviews in the UK and was awarded the Whitbread Award in 1988. At the time of publication Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollan Khomeini declared [...]
What would it mean if there was a speed faster than the speed of light? According to Einstein’s theory of special relativity there is a limit to the speed at which energy and information can travel. This limit is the speed of light, measured by the variable c. It is, for all intents and purposes, [...]
On Friday the credit rating agency Standard & Poor downgraded the ratings of 13 european countries, including France and Austria, which both lost their AAA grade. But what does this all mean? And why is it important? Credit rating agencies are private companies which study the data and give an unbiased opinion on how ‘safe’ [...]
In a recent landmark case concerning immigration regulations, Mr. Munawar challenged the Home Office’s decision that denied him to remain in the UK. The tribunal found in favour of Mr Munawar and declared that the Home Office decision was incompatible with Article 8, which protects the right to privacy and family life, under the European [...]
On the 4th of January the Afghani Taliban reached an agreement with the United States which has allowed for the opening of an official Taliban office in Qatar. While the exact purposes of the office remain unclear it is likely that this new office will act as a consulate and central base from which the [...]
Should people who help a loved one to commit suicide be prosecuted? The Commission on Assisted Dying has recommended that laws be established to allow people to assist suicide in a limited range of cases. Anyone seeking assisted suicide would need to be over the age of 18, terminally ill with less than 12 months [...]
On October 30th we ran our most recent edition of the English Masterclass. Students began by discussing why we read and write and we came up with some interesting answers! We then engaged with some texts on writing by P.B. Shelley and Salman Rushdie. Students were encouraged to discuss whether reading is just a fun [...]
Topics ranging from the causes of the credit crunch to whether it is ever okay to torture a terrorist suspect were among the wide range of issues under discussion at Debate Chamber’s Autumn PPE School. The course gave students a chance to spend a day studying each of philosophy, politics and economics and an interdisciplinary [...]
Last weekend our students came together in central London to ponder philosophical questions of personal identity, to learn how economic theories can map out human behaviours, and to look at the different kinds of constitutions countries might employ. The first day of the weekend kicked off with economic game theory. Students looked at a number [...]
What can Harry Potter teach us about right and wrong? How do you know you are the same person as you were yesterday? What about the same person as when you were when you were baby? These were just a few of the challenges and questions which 18 Year 7 students in Walthamstow tackled in [...]