In this chapter, we examine key empirical implications of our theoretical argument by analyzing global patterns in the termination and recurrence of Islamist civil wars compared with other civil wars. Drawing on novel data that captures the religious dimensions of armed conflict, we assess whether civil wars involving Islamist claims are less likely to end and more likely to restart. The analysis reveals strong evidence that Islamist conflicts are indeed less likely to terminate compared with other civil wars, and when they do end, they are significantly more likely to recur – either through the resurgence of the same group or the emergence of new ones. Importantly, our findings further suggest that the degree of internationalization matters – specifically, the presence of foreign fighters on the rebel side and secondary support on the government side can make these conflicts more intractable. In our analysis, we rule out some competing explanations for the religious dimension more broadly, and we also nuance the claim that Islamists are merely the new revolutionaries.

Large corporations increasingly shape economic and political life, often beyond public oversight. This chapter examines how market concentration, lobbying, and financialization distort competition and policymaking. It traces the emergence of a global economic elite whose influence undermines democratic accountability and inclusive growth. The chapter proposes antitrust reforms, corporate transparency, and institutional checks to limit excess power. Ensuring capitalism serves the public interest requires rebalancing the relationship between business and the state.

This chapter begins by explaining why I came to think questions about the rule of law are crucially important questions in general and why it is particularly important to seek answers to them today. It goes on to outline how my approach to thinking about these issues has evolved away from conventional ways of asking and answering them, and why. In particular I have moved from being a ‘rule of law guy’ to being a ‘tempering power guy’. That is the place to start. What follows depends. I then summarise the themes of the subsequent chapters.

Between the eighth and sixth centuries BCE, the Indigenous Elymian settlement of Monte Polizzo underwent a period of notable socio-economic development in the wake of Greek and Phoenician colonization. Archaeological evidence from multiple excavated domestic structures, including a substantial assemblage of weaving implements, underscores the central role of weaving within the community. Textile production was deeply embedded in daily life, functioning not only as a key contributor to the economy but also as a conservative force in articulating and reinforcing local identity and local agency in response to an ever-changing world.

Life was conceived by the Romantics as the underlying force of nature, and they sought to identify its norms and rules of transformation. For them, life oscillates between contraction and relaxion, between potentiality and actuality. Life establishes and renews the norms they set. However, these sequences do not only lead to the form of living beings. Life is immanent and its creations flourish in every sphere. As we will see in this chapter, this idea of ‘life’ prompted the Romantics to focus on rhythm and habit, as the way in which life gives itself a dynamic order. Habit is the key for the Romantic reformulation of the political lexicon: it enhances sociability; individualities are not isolated beings but rather carry in themselves the inexhaustible transformative forces of life that deploy in and outside the individual. The individual is therefore always influenced by the context. For this reason, her freedom is not formulated as autonomy but rather as creativity or wisdom. This interpretation of ‘freedom’ bridges the gap between humans and nature and demonstrates that, in order to rethink our relationship with nature, we have to reformulate our political concepts.

The 2018 presidential election marked a watershed moment in Brazilian politics with the ascension of Jair Bolsonaro, who secured over 55% of the vote and became the primary catalyst for a novel far-right political alignment. This movement, termed Bolsonarismo, is characterized by a multidimensional political rhetoric that synthesizes reactionary stances on crime, corruption, and sociocultural issues—specifically regarding gender and LGBTQ+ rights—with militarist, economically liberal, and authoritarian inclinations. Bolsonaro’s ideological positioning oscillates between a radical, illiberal far-right and a more extreme, authoritarian posture, consistently commanding a resilient support base of approximately 20% of the electorate. This consolidation of the right-wing spectrum has effectively marginalized “third-way” alternatives, establishing him as the movement’s uncontested figurehead. Chapter 3 investigates the roots of Bolsonaro’s oratory, demonstrating that the core tenets of Bolsonarismo were embedded in his discourse before his presidency. Through a systematic analysis of his public statements and legislative rhetoric, the chapter shows how he championed positions aligned with the global far-right. Furthermore, the analysis examines his executive actions, focusing on his response to the COVID-19 pandemic and his disruption of conditional cash transfer programs as a form of policy rebranding.

This chapter offers a close reading of Chapter 2 of Heinrich von Ofterdingen. It begins by discussing Heinrich’s state of mind on the morning of his departure before turning to the symbolism of the golden necklace he receives from his godmother as a parting gift. It examines the conversation Heinrich has with the merchants, highlighting their debate over the lifeway of action and the lifeway of contemplation. The chapter closes with an analysis of the first story the merchants tell Heinrich: this is the tale of a fabled Greek poet, Arion, whose power of song won him many boons.

This chapter investigates how coloniality and Indigeneity were locally negotiated at Monte Iato (Western Sicily) from the sixth to fifth centuries BCE. Architectural analysis and ceramic ‘fingerprints’ demonstrate that power-seeking elites employed Greek-style monumentalization to assert status while simultaneously fostering a counter-narrative of Indigenous authenticity. The interplay between imported and local cultural elements created multiple overlapping localities within the community. The evolving material culture reveals a dynamic process of sociopolitical differentiation and cultural entanglement, offering new insights into how locality and identity were co-constructed in a colonial matrix.