Before starting the discussion about the actual situation in Ukraine one has to become acquainted with the distinguishing features of the political system in Ukraine: Political parties do not have any specific ideologies. Nevertheless, they are not populist, in this case the…
Continue reading “Democratic” reforms in Ukraine – a threat for the country? – Julia Rudenko
For me IFLRY’s 2015 General Assembly was a peculiar occasion. A conference of people who care about addressing climate change, expanding free trade and promoting feminism is not something you would stumble upon in Australia. It was a pleasure to be…
“Why the hell are you going to Kharkiv, Ukraine?” that was generally the question I got when people asked me where I was going from the 1st of July till the 6th. Trying to explain my “questionable” destination did not…
Continue reading A first experience of Ukraine – Arvid Plugge
You can read an introductory post to Krijn’s series on liberal political philosophy here. In what Hobbes calls “the natural condition of mankind” (p. 86), people’s lives are be “solitary, poore, nasty, brutish and short.” (p. 89) Hobbes believes this,…
It’s been a week since the Turkish general elections. Unlike the previous elections or referenda of the past 12 years, this one was not a clear victory for AKP or the party’s de facto leader Erdogan. Turkish politics has so…
Continue reading Here’s what you need to know about the Turkish elections – Ekin Can Genç
Last year saw the largest number of refugees worldwide since the Second World War, and this year the numbers don’t look to be reducing. There’s an aspect to this crisis which isn’t accounted for within the UN Convention on the…
Continue reading Climate Refugees: The Crisis that isn’t Recognised – Harriet Ainscough
More and more countries have begun contemplating whether or not to introduce plain packaging for products containing tobacco. Not only does such a policy fail to produce the outcomes governments intend, but it also fails to respect the intellect and…
Continue reading Patronising People: Why is Plain Packaging Plainly Wrong? – Charlie Kingsbury
John Stuart Mill believed that until conditions of equality exist, no one can possibly assess the natural differences between women and men. Mill spoke about human rights in general with focus on voting rights for women. Mary Wollstonecraft encouraged women…
The same-sex referendum that took place in Ireland yesterday is very significant. This is not just because 84.16% of the population identifies as Roman Catholic. It’s not because of the matter either: seventeen countries (eleven of which are European) have…
Continue reading Of rights and referendums: Ireland votes – Junior Sikabwe
As its name implies, one of the fundamental ideas that underpin liberalism is liberty. However, as with ideas underpinning other political philosophies, people don’t always mean the same thing when they use the term. This is not unimportant. Different ways…
