Roman goddess of justice, Justitia, is better known in contemporary times as the statue of Lady Justice that commonly graces the architecture of courthouses. She embodies the judicial system: the set of scales she holds symbolises balance; the blindfold she dons represents impartiality, the sword she wields a marker of deft punishment and the toga…
Since the days of guillotines that sent heads rolling, the justice system has been integral in defending fundamental human values by meting out appropriate punishments to those who violate the law. However, the nature of the system, its objectives and its symbolism in society remains largely subject to debate, given the fluidity of such human constructs. There seems to have been a gradual shift in attitudes about how the incriminated should be dealt with. Numerous forward-looking societies such as that of Norway have begun to take a rehabilitative approach to the incarcerated, such that wrongdoers are therapized and trained in…
In the age of capitalization and increased power of money, countries all over the world are striving for the swiftest economic growth. To prioritize this practical way of thinking, many domains in life have become a product sold on the global market. The trade of ideas, products and even culture has put a monetary value…
With humanity’s desire for economic progress and technological advancements, rampant urbanisation and developments have gradually replaced Earth’s natural landscape with towering skyscrapers and concrete pavements. The loss of habitats and biodiversity, deforestation, pollution and the overall degradation of the environment has not been a rare occurrence for the past centuries. Humans have long sacrificed the…
Religion is a set of beliefs that people hold regarding God and the wider world. In today’s society, religion occurs most frequently in the form of organised religion, in which a large group of people subscribe to the same belief or believe in the same God. Religions, such as Christianity, Buddhism and Islam, have often…
A defining characteristic of homo sapiens that places us at the apex of Earth’s creatures is arguably our capacity for creative thinking and imagination. For a testament to that, one need not look further than our pantheon of folktales and fairy tales, fictional stories that have endured the test of time and have permeated throughout…
In an increasingly globalised world, governments of nations are seeing greater diversity in population demographics, especially with the migration of people enabled by advanced transport technologies. This has resulted in the need for ethnically-sensitive or even ethnically-motivated public policies to cater to this rising populace. At its core, these public policies are intended to benefit…
The question of artistic expression and its limits have come a long way. Over the years, various societies have chosen to impose different degrees of restrictions to artistic expression but despite this, boundaries continue to be pushed, and opinions continue to change. My society, Singapore, holds a notoriously conservative stance against freedom of artistic expression,…
The recent COVID-19 crisis has disrupted global supply chains. While farmers are dumping milk and plowing their crops under instead of harvesting them, it is a cruel irony that many more are going hungry. Singapore has not been exempted from supply chain disruptions – take a closer look at our food security measures in this…
Under the relentless heat of the Middle Eastern sun, a man set himself on fire in front of the government building. His intention – to draw attention to the dire financial situation of Tunisian food vendors. His silent dissent catalysed a series of large-scale uprisings – many of them violent – against the leaders of…
Eudaimonia 
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