James Kierstead

Dr James Kierstead is a Research Fellow at the New Zealand Initiative think tank. Victoria University of Wellington recently disestablished his position as Senior Lecturer in Classics.

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5 Posts

The Elgin Marbles: Playing for Keeps

The Ancient Greek sculptures are a bellwether of where the “decolonization” of museums is headed.

James Kierstead

11 Jan 2024 · 14 min read

Are the Classics Complicit in White Supremacy?

No reason to believe that classics as a field has had any particular tendency towards white supremacism either in the present or in the past.

James Kierstead

29 Jan 2019 · 9 min read

Is Western Civilization Uniquely Bad?

If we are looking for a civilization that never engaged in mass violence or destruction, we’re unlikely to find one.

James Kierstead

15 Jan 2019 · 8 min read

Is Western Civilization a Thing?

Appiah is wrong to pretend that distinct civilizations were never a thing.

James Kierstead

11 Jan 2019 · 9 min read

The Future of Our Ancient Past

There’s nothing wrong with teaching Western Civilization or the Western classics alongside other cultural traditions. At the same time, the way Classics used to be taught is gone for good.

James Kierstead

10 Jan 2019 · 6 min read