Latest thinking

My demon diary

Blog

27 Nov 2009

Matthew Taylor

I used to take great pride in posting a blog every day. But now I seem to fail at least once a week. It isn’t a loss of enthusiasm; merely that my diary has become a voracious beast from which I can neither run nor hide. I’ve also been tardy in responding to comments even though I am always rather touched that people take the time to respond to my ramblings.

Climate denialism and Žižek's fear of the future

Blog

25 Nov 2009

Slavoj Žižek by Hendrik Speck

Zizek, Hayek - and Cowell

Blog

25 Nov 2009

Matthew Taylor

‘Zizek is untwitterable’ was a pithy tweet on last night’s RSA lecture by one of the world’s foremost philosophers. The great man’s lecture was dense, edgy and erudite. Like a good wine its after taste is more affecting than the first impression.

Enterprise for a better world

Blog

24 Nov 2009

Matthew Taylor

New Labour politicians used to say their core belief was that economic dynamism and social justice go forward hand in hand. It is simplistic but a good corrective to the Thatcherite view that all social spending was a drag on economic prosperity. But perhaps the future holds a more ambitious version of New Labour’s sound bite; a major driver of future economic dynamism will be meeting social need.

First as Tragedy, Then as Farce

Video

24 Nov 2009

Slavoj Zizek is a philosopher and author.

RDInsights: Mark Farrow

Video

24 Nov 2009

Graphic designer Mark Farrow speaks to Mike Dempsey about the industry.

Personal budgets - an update

Blog

23 Nov 2009

Matthew Taylor

I have written before in this blog about personal budgets for social care. This afternoon, at a 2020 Public Services Trust event here at the RSA, we had an interesting presentation on this issue from Richard Humphries, Senior Fellow at the King’s Fund.

Encountering the Cabinet getting out of Westminster

Blog

20 Nov 2009

Matthew Taylor

On my way to Nottingham for a conference on emotional well being, I find myself sharing the train with half the Cabinet.  Given how London-centric most of the national media are, many people won’t know that one of Gordon Brown’s political innovations has been regularly to hold Cabinet meetings outside of London.

SIT STOP - small, but perfectly formed

Blog

19 Nov 2009

Matthew Taylor

As you may be aware from previous blogs, we have been having a lot of discussion of late – with staff, with Fellows, and externally – about what constitutes a Fellows’ project.  Well, here is a small but perfectly formed example sent to me by one of our Fellows, Wendy Tansey.