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Amartya Sen on justice and happiness

The economist - one of the great thinkers of the era - explains why justice is the subject of his latest book

Who said school targets don’t work?

Teachers may be celebrating, but parents should fear another ‘golden age’ of learning

Even if it's all in public, they'll cry whitewash

Of course the entire Iraq inquiry should be open. But that will take time and is still unlikely to satisfy critics of the war

How to help reformers help themselves

New technology means that Iranian individuals can support the protest movement

Five changes to make Labour electable

Fresh thinking is needed after the carnage at the polls. First, the party must close the gap between politics and real life

By George, I've got it! Now let's tell the MPs

Politicians are subject to non-stop scrutiny of their policies and personalities. Their failure to adapt has led to this crisis

I'll show you mine if you show me yours

That's electoral reform, obviously. One subject is now top of every politician's agenda

Esther won't clean up Westminster

You can try riots, fresh elections or independent candidates. But the real problem is a lack of public interest in politics

If we want democracy, we have to pay

We are intoxicated by our own outrage. When we sober up we'll face some tough decisions

God's return is greatly exaggerated

Religion makes you happy. It may seem bad manners for we atheists to say it, but so do pets

Was Maggie bound to win?

Thirty years ago Mrs Thatcher swept to power. Her victory had an impact many Tories did not expect

9/11 conspiracy theories: why the truth isn't on the internet

A new book debunks the world's greatest conspiracy theories. Here, the 9/11 and the 7/7 bombings are deconstructed

Harriet's wand won't cure our ills

Encouraging the poor to stop smoking or to read to their children is unlikely to dent the intractable problem of inequality

The truth is never its own reward

Our leaders might be more honest with us if we were more likely to give them credit for being open about harsh reality

Can Obama force change in Cuba?

A small shift in US policy may not be enough for those struggling with tyranny, unemployment and crime in Havana

The policing of protests must change

The death of Ian Tomlinson throws up questions about collective guilt

Blatant statistical lies

Did you hear the one about the Turin Shroud? Or bad pupil behaviour? The research was a joke

The war between Jade and the jaded

A small media industry builds a Goody-type phenomenon up and a slightly smaller one laments that such a vulgarity exists at all

Our prurience is a disgrace

Publishing the Home Secretary's personal bills is as big a breach of privacy as one can imagine