Lights in the fog

Why do we desperately need powerful stories to unite us as a nation, and where can we find them? How should we confront the rising tide of populism that manipulates facts, and why is truth – which we so often lack – key to the survival of society?

Ján Markoš, an advocate of critical thinking, combines the keen insight of a philosopher with the precision of a chess grandmaster in his texts. He observes the events that confuse, unsettle, or frustrate us. He can take an overlooked detail or a partial picture and place it within the broader contexts that define our world. He shows how small things can have fundamental impacts in the future. He encourages mindfulness and engagement. Although he deals with gloomy topics, his reflections strike a hopeful note. He writes mainly about Slovakia, but his texts are also instructive for the Czech reader: they fully illuminate the crossroads where democracy transforms into totalitarianism.