Tracing the history and origins of chess can yield interesting insights about the history of human civilisation. Because chess has become a cultural artefact, examining its historical origins can bring forth an understanding of how societies from different periods or centuries and regions invented and developed this board game through cultural and informational exchange. Several […]
Henry Ford was a revered American business magnate whose name is easily identified with early 20th century American industrialism. He founded Ford Motor Corporation in 1903 and was instrumental in popularising the consumption of automotive vehicles in the United States and positioning his country as a significant player in the global automobile industry. It was […]
Why is there inequality in capitalism? Renowned philosopher and economist Karl Marx wrote extensively about his condescension toward capitalism. One of his strong arguments against this economic system is about the inevitability of inequality. He said capitalism creates conditions or situations that promote inequality between the rich and the poor or more appropriately, between the capitalists […]
The French Revolution has been closely associated with the Age of Enlightenment. This is inevitable. The reasoning and scepticism that pervaded during this particular period in history compelled a sizeable number of French to revolt against the prevailing standards and norms in the French society. During the aforementioned period, military and political leader Napoleon Bonaparte […]
The Crusades were a series of military campaigns by the Roman Catholic Church and allied European states beginning in the late 11th century and lasting until the 15th century. Fundamental to the factors and reasons for launching and promoting the Crusades was to reclaim the City of Jerusalem and other holy lands in the Levant from […]
The spread of Islam from Mecca and the Arabian Peninsula to the rest of the Middle East and other parts of the world such as Europe and Southeast Asia was phenomenal. It was rapid and effective. Note that this religion is the second largest and the fastest-growing major religion in the world. Several factors played […]
In the Socratic dialogue Republic, Greek philosopher Plato envisioned and proposed a utopian city-state ruled by a particular class of citizens who possess a firm grip of philosophy. He called the city “Kallipolis” and the rulers “philosopher kings” who are trained under a specialised 50-year-long scholastic program. Plato believed that philosophers are the best rulers […]
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Western world was shaken with an emerging cultural movement that eventually transformed involved Western societies. This focal point in history has been popularly referred to as the Age of Enlightenment. During which, intellectuals had taken the spotlight to promote reasoning and scepticism. Revolutionary philosophical ideas, socio-political ideologies, scientific […]
The idea that Coco Chanel worked as an undercover agent for the Nazi Germany remains controversial. Born as Gabriel Bonheur Chanel, the French designer was one of the most remarkable women of the 20th century. Her perfume and little black dresses catapulted her to global prominence and secured the longevity of her fashion empire. She revolutionised the fashion industry […]
Easter or Pasch Sunday is one of the most important religious festivities in Roman Catholicism and some Christian denominations. This event marks the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Note that the New Testament describes this resurrection as having occurred on the third day of his burial after his crucifixion by […]
The trial of Socrates marked an interesting turning point in the lives of his followers. It is important to note that Socrates philosopher did not have any known written works that directly communicated his ideologies or narrated his life. Instead, what the modern world know about Socrates and his Socratic ideologies have come from the […]
The ECHELON surveillance system is a purported intelligence program involving the development and operation of a top-secret global surveillance network by five signatories of the UKUSA Agreement—Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It was publicly disclosed in 1988 by investigative journalist Duncan Campbell and later expositions from journalists, government officials, and […]
While corruption continues to pervade in several Asian countries, the situation in the Philippines remains unique. In his journal article, economist Robert H. Nelson said the country has fallen far behind other countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia in terms of economic development because of rampant corruption and political instability. Furthermore, he observed that […]
1950: Iran has an expressed interest in the research and development of nuclear technology as early as the 1950s—a period when the country began receiving assistance from the United States Atom for Peace program. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah or King of Iran, had spearheaded the development of technologies related to the Iranian nuclear program. As […]
Islam has existed in China for thousand of years and currently, there are Muslims living in every region across the country. The presence of several Muslim organisations and representative bodies further demonstrates the integration of Islam in the greater Chinese society. However, in some regions, the social and political oppression of Muslims pervade. In the […]
Propaganda shares similarities with advertising and public relations. Thus, whenever the Islamic State or ISIS rolls out a series of propaganda, the goal is to sell a particular brand of Islamic governance, sell jihadist and extremist ideas, and incite other Muslims to join the jihadist movement or provoke targeted adversaries.But like any other messages, the propaganda […]
Despite demonstrated armed capabilities and an established stronghold in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State or ISIS is still having a hard time dealing with resistant groups—among them are factions of battle-hardened warriors commonly known as the Kurdistan fighters. Who are the Kurdistan fighters? Despite shared ethnicity and geopolitical identity, it would be difficult to […]
Los Angeles passed an ordinance in 2008 that banned fast food restaurants in South Los Angeles and other neighboring areas within the city. However, a study from RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, revealed that this ordinance was not effective because overweight and obesity rates in areas covered under the fast food ban have increased […]
Better breakfast, better grades—a new study conducted by a researcher from the University of Iowa has reinforced this apparent adage. The study centred on examining the difference in the academic performance between students who attend schools that participate in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) of the United States Department of Agriculture and students who attend […]
Like any other oil producing and exporting countries, the economic potential of Kuwait is boundless. Wealth derived from its oil industry has the capacity to support programs or initiatives aimed at promoting broad industrialisation and economic diversification. However, bureaucracy and process inefficiency due to nepotism permeate across its business landscape and labor market, thus discouraging […]