The RSA Blog

The Coalition's leadership dilemma

Blog

02 Jan 2011

Matthew Taylor

In its critique of Labour’s record, the Coalition is in danger of reinforcing a model of authority which undermines a core principle of the Big Society…..

When is an organisation ‘an organisation’?

Blog

31 Dec 2010

Matthew Taylor

Some further early thoughts on my proposed annual lecture 2011. To recap: the 2010 lecture suggested we need to think afresh about the core values of the Enlightenment – values which have not only shaped who we are in the West but which continue to frame public discourse. Following Todorov I focussed on the values of autonomy, universalism and humanism, which can roughly be expressed, respectively, as individual freedom, social justice and human progress.

2011 annual lecture - an outline

Blog

30 Dec 2010

Matthew Taylor

After yesterday’s rather self indulgent cri de coeur (which received comments far more generous and thoughtful than it deserved) let me get back to the substance of my planned 2011 annual lecture, working title: ‘21st century enlightenment – what it could mean for organisations’.

Blocked by the post Christmas blues

Blog

29 Dec 2010

Matthew Taylor

What really is the point of it all? I’m afraid that is the question preying on my mind on this grey in- between-time day. ‘But why the existential neurosis?’ I hear my imaginary reader ask.

Raise your glasses to social division…

Blog

23 Dec 2010

Matthew Taylor

I have made the decision to focus some festive season blogs on early thoughts about my annual lecture 2011 (tentative topic; towards a 21st century enlightenment organisation). Of course, I may fail or renege but as my readers were so incredibly helpful with last year’s lecture I will try my best to use my brain for at least 30 minutes a day between now and January 4th.

Prepare for the Olympics - buy a new couch

Blog

20 Dec 2010

Matthew Taylor

I try in this blog to be reasonably dispassionate about issues. But I’m afraid when it comes to London, the Olympics and sporting participation, I find it hard to keep my cool. Let me try to explain why.

Big Society - points out of five (times five)

Blog

15 Dec 2010

Matthew Taylor

A few months ago, in a series of posts about the Big Society, I described what I saw as some of the conditions for its success. In the few moments before I go off to record Moral Maze, I wanted to give an impressionistic update along five dimensions:

How to make money and influence people

Blog

15 Dec 2010

If you are a charity, what’s the best way to raise £100,000?

The Hidden Wealth of Student Researchers (plus a survey)

Blog

15 Dec 2010

Benedict Dellot

A couple of months ago now, Matthew Taylor offered up an idea in his blog about how we might kill two birds with one stone. The basic gist of this idea was to match postgraduate students searching for thesis ideas with the many organisations and individuals up and down the country that might like to tap into some of that spare research capacity, particularly those who are engaged in work with a social impact. An online matchmaking tool with a set-up similar to sites such as Kiva, Wowsociety and Simpl could effectively act as a broker linking the two parties together.