Essential Knowledge

Articles by authors in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series. Written by leading thinkers, the series offers accessible, concise books on subjects that range from the cultural and the historical to the scientific and the technical.

Latest Articles

Science & Tech	How Cognitive Bias Can Explain Post-Truth Our built-in biases help explain our post-truth era, when “alternative facts” replace actual facts, and feelings have more weight than evidence. Lee McIntyre \| Jan 21, 2021
Economics	The Baleful Consequences of Corruption Corrupt practices harshly cut across classes and castes, disturb institutions, destroy communities, and infect the very structure of people’s lives. Robert I. Rotberg \| Oct 16, 2020
Culture	What Irony Is Not A handy guide to distinguishing the notoriously slippery concept from its distant cousins coincidence, satire, parody, and paradox. Roger Kreuz \| Aug 6, 2020
Environment	Recycling Is Not Garbage Recycling may be an imperfect solution for an imperfect world, but it is no less valuable as a point of potential environmental engagement. Finn Arne Jørgensen \| Jul 20, 2020
Culture	What the National Review Gets Wrong About Deconstruction A misguided article in the conservative magazine blames the concept for the powerful cultural transformations we’re seeing today. That’s about all it gets right. David J. Gunkel \| Jul 7, 2020
Culture	Citizenship: The Great Extinguisher of Hope Hypocritical and random in nature, citizenship is an empty rhetorical shell deployed to perpetuate abuse, dispossession, and exclusion. Dimitry Kochenov \| Jun 24, 2020
Culture	The Symbolic Use of Barrier Contraceptives in American and English Literature The diaphragm and cervical cap have been used to signify extramarital sex, working-class status, embarrassment, sorrow, and the onset of adulthood — but rarely a joyful or pleasant sexual encounter. Donna J. Drucker \| May 14, 2020
Culture	Using Pornography to Rewrite the Script for Consent Anti-pornography feminists see porn as inherently degrading and exploitative, but for some viewers it can be hugely empowering and even a challenge to rape culture. Milena Popova \| Feb 3, 2020
Philosophy	What Nihilism Is Not In order to preserve nihilism as a meaningful concept, it's necessary to distinguish it from pessimism, cynicism, and apathy. Nolen Gertz \| Jan 16, 2020
Culture	The 'Dark Side' of Citizenship An expert in citizenship reveals the concept’s totalitarian, racist, and sexist underpinnings and considers alternatives. Dimitry Kochenov \| Nov 14, 2019