Battles in Print

The Battles in Print are essays that accompany each session at the Battle of Ideas 2007, available here and in print on the day. The Battles in Print serve as an introduction to a debate and for reflection afterwards, and take a variety of forms, from short provocation essays, to head-to-heads, to longer think-pieces and interviews with leaders in specific fields. To read a Battle in Print, click on its title in the list below.

Themed, full-colour printed collections of selected Battles in Print are now available: Music & Arts, Science & Technology, Best of the BiPs 1 and Best of the BiPs 2. The collections are £3 each, or £10 for a set of four, including postage. Call 020 7269 9220 or buy online.

 Battles in Print Index

Arts & Culture

The changing nature of the film documentary - a short history, Alan Miller

"Books should remain the essence of public libraries", Andrew Wheelhouse vs. Kiranjeet Kaur Gill

Sound, city and song (or, iPod, therefore iAm), Sarah Snider

Film stars: from icons to role models, Nathalie Rothschild

Of the one who must be happy: an argument for poetry in relation to pleasure, Ion Martea

The Music Manifesto misses the real power of music, Piers Hellawell

Diversity policies and the arts - what's next?, Sonya Dyer

Each to his iPod, or great music for all?, Anca Dumitrescu

Stop this political prancing and get to the pointe - the best dance is elite dance, Shirley Dent

Should art change the world?, Andrew Brighton

Education

What is education for?, Michael Young interview by Toby Marshall

The debate over examinations is little more than a War of the Poses, Mark Taylor

A culture of relativism and misanthropy is undermining the teaching of geographic knowledge, Alex Standish

No academic freedom or no ideas?, Dennis Hayes

Citizenship education is not working, Kevin Rooney

History and its values, Seán Lang

After the bubble has burst , Toby Marshall

Is ICT transforming learning?, Keri Facer

Beyond technology: rethinking learning in the age of digital culture, David Buckingham

Health & Wellbeing

Complementary medicine, Colin Berry

Fat Fictions, Patrick Basham and John Luik

Psychiatrists and drug companies are thoroughly redefining normal behaviour, Christopher Lane

International Relations & Development

Africa Strand, Ceri Dingle

Africa - exploitation, exploitation, exploitation, Stuart Simpson

What future for Britain's 'ethical' foreign policy?, David Chandler versus Alan Mendoza

The Iraq war: the strip-tease of democracy, Lee Jones

Beyond the war on terror, Alex Gourevitch

The biggest challenge facing China, Sheila Lewis

Liberty & Law

How heretic-hunting breeds totalitarianism, Arthur Versluis interviewed by Amol Rajan

Out of the shadows: why we need an amnesty for immigrants, Austen Ivereigh and Raymond Perrier

Anti-Americanism at home and abroad , Nancy McDermott

Lifestyle & Society

Expression management: Infant feeding and maternal anxiety, Charlotte Faircloth

Are friends electric? The promise and perils of online social networking, Mark Vernon

Out to play, Sue Palmer

Comments on Sue Palmer 'Out to play', Helene Guldberg

Ethical shopping, Kate Soper

Eat, drink and be merry - banned, Jamie Douglass

Revolting Students: The Right to be Offensive, Suzy Dean

Therapeutic competition for losers, Dan Travis

Is Britain a nation of sporting losers?, Richard Beard

Will ethical shopping save the world?, George Hoare

Media

Response to Norman Lewis, Robin Walsh

Spectres haunting journalism: the 'what crisis?' crisis, Andrew Calcutt

Adult insecurities drive the myth of the digital child, Norman Lewis

Politics & Ideology

The resurrection of religion: Moving beyond secularism or losing faith in politics?, François Houtart interviewed by Alex Hochuli

The quest for certainty and the question of autonomy, Stratos Ramoglou

The Public Service Customer: Misdirection, Manipulation or Myth?, Nicki Senior

Post Ideology: the moralising of society and the politics of behaviour, Russell Jacoby interviewed by Maria Grasso

Democracy and its discontents, Peter Mair interviewed by Maria Grasso

Engaging the youth: Am I bovvered?, Charlie Winstanley

Post Ideology: New Labour and the politics of behaviour , Emily Turnbull and Michael Blomfield

Science & Environment

What neuroscience cannot tell us about humanity, David Perks

Longer, healthier, happier? Human needs, human values and science, Raymond Tallis

Particle physics is sexy!, David Perks

Climate science: truth you can wear on your hands, Stuart Blackman and Ben Pile

Recycling: Reducing waste or waste of time?, Martin Earnshaw

Technology & The City

The problem with design, Colin Davies

Moving into the future?, Peter Smith

The New Jerusalem - built on a house of cards?, David Clements

 Festival Buzz

Fora TV logo Particle Physics is Sexy

Particle Physics is Sexy [Opens in new window]

"Exactly what debate and diatribe should be about in these challenging days."
Prof Phillipe Sands QC, author, Lawless World