books

Wikileaks, StratFor and the Importance of Primary Sources – How to Lower Your Own Ignorance

In books, current affairs, international relations, journalism & media on 2 March 2012 with no comments

Socrates supposedly once said that one should just accept that one’s own ignorance is the only thing to be certain about. In my experience, a lot of our own ignorance is formed and shaped by how we choose to inform ourselves. The less you think about the sources you get your information from, the more [...]

Plagiarism and Moral Relativism

In books, current affairs on 20 February 2010 with no comments

It has recently been discovered that a critically acclaimed young German author, 17, has plagiarised parts of her novel “Axolotl Roadkill”. In one case, she lifted an entire page from an obscure book with few, if any, changes. The German feuilleton and ‘literary establishment’ have been discussing this for the last few weeks, accomplishing nothing. [...]