Famished, not famous: retrace Orwell’s hunger days, when he was one of the city’s legion of poor foreigners.

In Orwell’s dystopian novel, the government uses Newspeak to control thoughts by controlling language. But thoughts do not require language.

Many of his criticisms ring true today.

The insurmountable contrasts between their visions help explain Russia’s stunted development and hint at its destructive future.

The most momentous and significant events in our lives are the ones we do not see coming. Life is defined by the unforeseen.

By taking Satan out of the religious context, storytellers explored the nature of sin in new ways.

The German thinker wrote both treatises and songs. He approached each form of expression with the same level of interest.

Even some philosophers don’t think highly of philosophy, but we need it now more than ever.

According to literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin, Dostoevsky's talents were on par with those of William Shakespeare.

Fear is one of the oldest and most powerful emotions known to man, so it should come as no surprise that horror stories are as old as storytelling itself.

Music is often labelled a “universal language,” and according to the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, there is a good reason for that.

In hell, we assume a position of moral superiority, looking down over the sinners and the poor decisions that led them to this wretched place. In heaven, Dante is looking down upon us.

The infamous misogynist had some profound insights on romance.

The Swedish Academy honored the writer for his uncompromising inquiry into the lasting consequences of Africa’s colonization.

This might help you make it to the end of Herman Melville’s 19th century classic.

The Russian writer’s scorn went beyond a difference in taste; Leo Tolstoy virulently hated everything Shakespeare had come to stand for.

Journey to the West is rightly considered one of the most influential novels ever written, but the real reason for its success may be its charismatic poster-boy: The Monkey King.

Baruch Spinoza suggests how to lead a virtuous and blessed life.

Love him or hate, Karl Marx redefined geopolitics and shook up the world order.

Utopia is like a John Lennon song but with golden toilets.

Some neurology experiments — such as growing miniature human brains and reanimating the brains of dead pigs — are getting weird. It's time to discuss ethics.

Though gloomy and dense, Russian literature is hauntingly beautiful, offering a relentlessly persistent inquiry into the human experience.

Unstable politics and virtue signaling are responsible for creating bureaucratic nightmares.

What's the difference between brainwashing and rehabilitation?

Scans show similar activity to what occurs when you think about yourself.

The Red Planet, the God of War, and important life lessons for us all.