Politics don’t matter; market forces shape our world. So ran the dominant ethos before 2008. Adam Tooze, the author of a landmark book, says it was always an illusion
In a keynote speech in Budapest last week, the Observer columnist argued that hostility to migrants is not a fringe project – mainstream politicians have long helped promote fear of ‘the other’
Brexit Britain is an island nation, but it’s never been alone
Will Hutton and Andrew Adonis
In an exclusive extract from a new book, Will Hutton and Andrew Adonis argue that the UK has been entwined with Europe for centuries, whatever Leavers claim
How often are you diverted from a task by the seductive lure of your mobile phone? And does it matter? In a landmark book, James Williams argues we’re losing the power to concentrate
Behind the seemingly intractable Palestinian conflict lie deeper questions about what Israel wants to be: an ‘open’ globalised democracy or a ‘closed’ Jewish state
Every year, king salmon swim 2,000 miles up Alaska’s Yukon river to spawn. Their journey is vital to the native people and animals – but now the numbers are dwindling. One man followed their run to find out why
The Observer’s Facebook revelations reignited debates about ownership of our details. But while we seek privacy in parts of our digital life, open data elsewhere could be a force for good
The UK is at the centre of global corruption: shell companies that launder dirty money can be set up with ease. But when a whistleblower showed just how easy it is, he faced the full force of the law
The murder of Lee Rigby five years ago ushered in a wave of ‘easy’ extremist violence. But will such random acts result in radical Islam losing its malign ideological power?
Psychologists have tried to plumb the depths of human motivation to make sense of our behaviour. But our inner mental world is a fiction, sustained by constant improvisation
As Britain prepares to leave the EU, the Irish border question looms ever larger, stirring fears that the Troubles have not yet been consigned to the past
An unduly bleak view of recent British history, apt to see little but a legacy of neoliberalism, ignores the advances of social democracy and erodes faith in progressive politics, writes Andrew Hindmoor
How populist uprisings could bring down liberal democracy
Yascha Mounk
Authoritarians are on the rise, and electorates are seduced by extremes. To fight back, mainstream politicians need to grasp the causes of popular discontent and rebuild democracy’s moral foundations
Changing your mind has never been easy. But we must start listening again
Tim Adams
It’s never been easy for people to change their mind. But in a world of social media and polarised opinion, the stakes are now even higher. Time for a listening revolution
As our correspondent prepares to leave Russia, he argues that the Russian leader’s rule has been dedicated to restoring pride lost in the collapse of the Soviet Union
Once seen as saviours of democracy, tech giants are now viewed as threats to truth. But how did our faith in all things digital turn into an erosion of trust, particularly in the arena of information and politics?
Civilisation, the landmark 1960s series, transformed how TV treated culture. But now, argues a presenter of the series ‘update’, it’s time for a broader sweep across time and place
A freshly created town has been chosen by China as the launching point for its Belt and Road project that will take not only its trade to Europe, but influence and power
More than half the world’s population is now bilingual. Now thought to encourage flexibility of mind and empathy, bilingualism is also transforming societies
