Front Matter

front matte

Time and Space Divided in Dracula

This essay investigates how Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) portrays the identity of modernity. Using the theoretical framework developed by Zygmunt Bauman in Time and Space Reunited (2000), we argue that Dracula contains a dialectic between two incompatible ways of being, associated with different time-periods and conceptions of time itself. These, the Gothic and Modern, must do battle, and as Stoker shows, the victory of the latter is assured by its technological power. This power is derived, as Bauman suggests, from the new conception of time, and itself defines this conception. Finally, Dracula shows the violence that Modernity, through its technology, is capable of, as much as its mediaeval counterpart. 

An Analysis of Economic Development

This research aims to analyse the relationships between key macroeconomic and social phenomena – specifically trade openness and regulatory quality – and their impact on per capita incomes. The objective is to identify patterns and correlations that provide insights into how regulatory quality and trade openness influence per capita incomes across sovereigns. The hypothesis test concluded that there is indeed positive correlation between regulatory quality and per capita incomes; in fact, this positive correlation is very significant

Land, Labour, and Scale: Increasing Agricultural Productivity in Rural China

Released at the beginning of each calendar year, the annual Central Document No. 1 signals the Chinese central government’s key strategic objectives for stimulating the nation’s countryside. The volumes, rich in optimism about rural China’s potential, consistently express an urgent priority: scaling up agriculture through market-oriented reforms.1 In doing so, they underscore the central government’s doubts about whether the country’s small-scale farming, institutionalised under the Household Responsibility System (HRS), can satisfy its changing agricultural demands while forging a path of food self-sufficiency. This essay will argue that shifting away from small-scale landholding is critical to increased productivity. However, it will posit that the gulf between legal and perceived land security limits land rental behaviours among farmers, which market-oriented reforms broadly fail to address. Policies must, therefore, be sympathetic to farmers’ perception of land tenure to achieve optimal growth.  In arguing for this position, the essay will begin by outlining the history of land administration in rural China and its current system of organisation before turning to the advantages offered by land rental markets (LRMs). It will then explore how several land tenure practices, including land abandonment and the prevalence of oral contracts, support the claim that farmers are resistant to renting-out—limiting the effectiveness of other reforms. Informal rental practices that promote moderate-scale farming offer a solution to this problem by maintaining perceived land security while addressing other productivity inefficiencies. Overall, the essay will conclude that while LRMs will improve agricultural productivity, China’s government must address the abovementioned perceptions to maximise this effect.

The Failure of Horace\u27s Epodes

Within the sphere of Ancient Greek and Latin insult poetry, Horace’s Epodes represent a breaking down of the invective and iambic genres, resulting in failure. The cycle begins with a sleight of hand, as Horace deceives his audience by the avoidance of invective in the first two odes. However, when the expected invective arrives, it is constantly undermined by Horace’s own impotence his attempts to cast himself in a dominant and masculine light. By the end of the cycle, the distinction between the abuser and abused has collapsed and the invective poet is rendered powerless at the hands of the witch Canidia. Ultimately, Horace’s attempts to define himself fail in a Rome shaken by the uncertainty of civil war.

Sovereignty Today: A Discussion of the Existence of Sovereignty in the Modern World

In the modern world, interconnectivity is more visible than ever and, because of this, nations often succumb to the forces of nations around them on the world stage, jeopardizing their sovereignty in the current era of international relations. Sovereignty’s existence in the contemporary system is negligible with international crises and concepts such as “responsibility to protect” placing sovereignty in increasing jeopardy. Further, the ever-present power struggle for global control illustrates the lack of sovereignty in conflict globally. However, sovereignty remains an important facet in maintaining a harmonious and tranquil domestic and international system for future generations, particularly given the historic failures of intervention by global powers based upon ulterior motives. To furnish these arguments, sovereignty must first be defined and considered for the purposes of the essay, only then can a discussion of intervention and influence acting to the detriment of sovereignty can ensue

Consistent Inconsistency: Machiavelli and His Use of Roman Sources

Niccolò Machiavelli, a key Renaissance political thinker, adapts Roman historical sources to convey his views on effective leadership. This paper examines how Machiavelli reinterprets figures like Scipio Africanus and Severus to emphasize the necessity of astute cruelty and strategic governance. Machiavelli portrays Scipio’s generosity as a flaw and celebrates Severus for his pragmatic use of cruelty. He selectively adapts sources from Livy, Herodian, and Dio to support his arguments, while also integrating his belief in republicanism. This pattern of selective reinterpretation highlights Machiavelli’s distinctive approach to political strategy and leadership

Echoes of the Rails

“Echoes of the Rails” is a composition that captures the experience of being a passenger on a train. It uses a small ensemble of Piano, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, and Violin to evoke the journey. The different timbres of these instruments interact, creating motifs that mirror the movement of the train. These motifs are developed, altered, and sometimes contrasted with new ones, reflecting the changing scenery outside the window. The piece emphasizes the fleeting nature of the experience—how one can move forward while simultaneously absorbing the world around them

Paradox of Negative Total Equity in Well-Managed Companies

This article discusses about negative total equity in listed companies. Exploring the reasons, implications and financial considerations associated with negative total equity, an elaborate presentation is made using the case study of McDonalds in this work.

What do you mean by ‘infeasible?’ An exploration of feasibility in policymaking

We often hear policy proposals dismissed on grounds of infeasibility, but what do we actually mean when we call something ‘infeasible?’ Is feasibility simply a matter of what’s possible? Should we consider policies as categorically feasible or infeasible, or rather more feasible and less feasible, relative to one another? Is it feasible for a nation to achieve economic stability by opening mines, which randomly strike an abundance of gold? In this essay, I aim to answer these questions, and provide a definitive framework of feasibility to be used in the assessment of government policies. Three main frameworks of feasibility will be explored—the PA (possibility account), SPA (simple probability account), and CPA (conditional probability account). I will conclude that the CPA is the strongest of these and should be put to use when deliberating policies. Furthermore, I will assert that instead of categorising actions and thus policies as simply ‘feasible’ or ‘infeasible’, they must be categorised as more or less ‘feasible’ in relation to one another