Are we living through the end of the democratic moment? While democracy once seemed the bedrock of Western societies, the past few decades have revealed a fragile reality. Once liberal countries are turning to authoritarianism, wealthy individuals and corporations are interfering with elections ever more flagrantly, and faith in democracy has plummeted among every demographic. What happened?

From gerrymandering and partisanship to corporate interference and tainted donations, A. C. Grayling reveals the forces undermining our democratic ideals and offers bold solutions. An urgent wake-up call to the risks this poses to us all, For The People reminds us why democracy remains worth fighting for.

Nuanced and historically grounded, A. C. Grayling searches for middle ground in an otherwise incendiary debate. Looking at the history of cancellation, from Ancient Greek ‘ostracism’ through hemlock cups, witch trials and the House of Un-American Activities, Discriminations  is a timely examination of the state of our public culture and the chilling effect it’s having on intellectual discourse.

‘Grayling brings satisfying order to daunting subjects.’ STEVEN PINKER

Silicon for microchips; manganese for batteries; titanium for missiles.

The moon contains a wealth of natural resources. So, as the Earth’s supplies have begun to dwindle, it is no surprise that the world’s superpowers and wealthiest corporations have turned their eyes to the stars. As this new Space Race begins, A.C. Grayling asks: who, if anyone, owns the moon? Or Mars? Or other bodies in near space? And what do those superpowers and corporations owe to Planet Earth and its inhabitants as a whole?

From feudal common land, through the rules of the sea, to the vast, nationless expanse of Antarctica, Grayling explores the history of the places which no one, and therefore everyone, owns. Examining the many ways this so-called terra nullius has fallen victim to ‘the tragedy of the commons’ – the tendency for communal resources to be exploited by a few individuals for personal gain at the expense of everyone else – Who Owns the Moon? puts forward a compelling argument for a bold new global consensus, one which recognises and defends the rights of everyone who lives on this planet.

‘An enthusiastic thinker who embraces humour, common sense and lucidity’ Independent
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From the eminent philosopher, an authoritative exploration of the great questions of how to live

‘There is a question everyone has to ask and answer – in fact, has to keep on asking and keep on answering. It is, ‘How should I live my life?’ meaning, ‘What values shall I live by? ‘What sort of person should I be? What shall I aim for?’ The great majority of people do not ask this question, they merely answer it unthinkingly, by adopting conventional views of life and what matters in it…’

From Stoics to existentialists, in philosophy and literature, discussion of the philosophy of life — of love and death, of courage, fortitude and wisdom — challenges us all to think about what kinds of life are truly worth living. In this summation of a lifetime thinking and writing about this great question, A. C. Grayling explores with clarity and depth the ideas that each of us must use in answering it for ourselves.

Drawing on the lives, experiences and works of a fantastically eclectic range of thinkers — taking in not only philosophers such as Confucius, Seneca and Nietzsche, but also authors from Shakespeare to Ursula LeGuin, and modern thinkers such as Martha Nussbaum and Bernard Williams – Philosophy and Life brings together wisdom from across eras and continents in a tour de force on the philosophy of being human in a complicated world.

‘A truly excellent book’ Sir David King

The three biggest challenges facing the world today, in A. C. Grayling’s view, are climate change, technology and justice.

In his timely new book, he asks: can human beings agree on a set of values that will allow us to confront the numerous threats facing the planet, or will we simply continue with our disagreements and antipathies as we collectively approach our possible extinction?

As every day brings new stories about extreme weather events, spyware, lethal autonomous weapons systems, and the health imbalance between the northern and southern hemispheres, Grayling’s question – Is  Global Agreement on Global Challenges Possible? – becomes ever more urgent.

The solution he proposes is both pragmatic and inspiring.

In very recent times humanity has learnt a vast amount about the universe, the past, and itself. But through our remarkable successes in acquiring knowledge we have learned how much we have yet to learn: the science we have, for example, addresses just 5 per cent of the universe; pre-history is still being revealed, with thousands of historical sites yet to be explored; and the new neurosciences of mind and brain are just beginning.

What do we know, and how do we know it? What do we now know that we don’t know? And what have we learnt about the obstacles to knowing more? In a time of deepening battles over what knowledge and truth mean, these questions matter more than ever. Bestselling polymath and philosopher A. C. Grayling seeks to answer them in three crucial areas at the frontiers of knowledge: science, history and psychology. A remarkable history of science, life on earth, and the human mind itself, this is a compelling and fascinating tour de force, written with verve, clarity and remarkable breadth of knowledge.
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‘Remarkable, readable and authoritative. How he has mastered so much, so thoroughly, is nothing short of amazing’ Lawrence M. Krauss, author of A Universe from Nothing

‘This book hums with the excitement of the great human project of discovery’ Adam Zeman, author of Aphantasia

‘A truly excellent book’ Sir David King

The three biggest challenges facing the world today, in A. C. Grayling’s view, are climate change, technology and justice.

In his timely new book, he asks: can human beings agree on a set of values that will allow us to confront the numerous threats facing the planet, or will we simply continue with our disagreements and antipathies as we collectively approach our possible extinction?

As every day brings new stories about extreme weather events, spyware, lethal autonomous weapons systems, and the health imbalance between the northern and southern hemispheres, Grayling’s question – Is  Global Agreement on Global Challenges Possible? – becomes ever more urgent.

The solution he proposes is both pragmatic and inspiring.

A. C. Grayling makes the case for a clear, consistent, principled and written constitution, and sets out the reforms necessary – among them addressing the imbalance of power between government and Parliament, imposing fixed terms for MPs, introducing proportional representation and lowering the voting age to 16 (the age at which you can marry, gamble, join the army and must pay taxes if you work) – to ensure the intentions of such a constitution could not be subverted or ignored. As democracies around the world show signs of decay, the issue of what makes a good state, one that is democratic in the fullest sense of the word, could not be more important.

To take just one example: by the simplest of measures, neither Britain nor the United States can claim to be truly democratic. The most basic tenet of democracy is that no voice be louder than any other. Yet in our ‘first past the post’ electoral systems a voter supporting a losing candidate is unrepresented, his or her voice unequal to one supporting a winning candidate, who frequently does not gain a majority of the votes cast. This is just one of a number of problems, all of them showing that democratic reform is a necessity in our contemporary world.

‘Human genius has done much, and promises much, in the way of removing the mystery from many things in our world; at the same time it recognises and honours the mystery in things too.’

In this collection A.C. Grayling extends the range of his previous two books to show how much understanding people can gain about themselves and their world by reflecting on the lessons offered by science, the arts (including literature) and history.

Covering subjects as diverse as Jane Austen’s EMMA, the Rosetta Stone, Shakespeare, the Holocaust, quantum physics, Galileo, and even alien abductions, A..C. Grayling’s latest collection is a rich source for reflection and contemplation over the mysteries of life.