Tag Archives: political science

Rant about Brexit and Hume’s Guillotine

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

[[Per the title, this post really is a rant.]] As a political scientist whose background includes an extensive study of international cooperation, the Brexit referendum was an event that drew out the most curiosity I’ve ever felt during my career. … Continue reading →

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Update: Orlando Shooter Did Have an Expressed Goal

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

A couple days ago I published a post asking what the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooter’s goal was. In it I mentioned that as far as we knew he made no demands during his 911 calls to the police. As it … Continue reading →

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What Was the Goal of the Pulse Nightclub Shooting?

Posted on June 18, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

Last week’s terrorist attack against patrons of the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which claimed the lives of 49 people, has me scratching my head. Although coming to terms with such a tragedy is difficult enough, the most puzzling aspect … Continue reading →

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When Merely Mentioning ISIS is Offensive

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

About six weeks ago I gave a presentation on ontological insecurity, cognitive dissonance, and prophetic violence carried out by the Islamic State. It was an informal setting; several pizzas adorned a round table, and the audience had as much talking … Continue reading →

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True Believers, Religion, Politics, and Willingness to Die

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

I’m currently working on some rather cool simulations, attempting to determine the conditions sufficient to cause mass rebellious movements, where being killed by your own government is preferable to living in the status quo. I’m referring to armed insurrection with … Continue reading →

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First Degree Murder as Self-Preservation: Religious Violence and Insecure Identity

Posted on April 10, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

Ask yourself the following questions: What is your identity? What is the most important part of your identity to a larger social group? To what lengths are you willing to go to preserve that identity (criticism of others or violence)? … Continue reading →

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When Prophecy Succeeds?: The Islamic State Problem as an Imaginary Reality

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

The main point of this essay is that the Islamic State’s beliefs are so entrenched in its adherents’ identities that defeating them is all but an exercise in futility. There is no way to put the genie back in the … Continue reading →

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Reform without Authority?

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

One of the problems—if you will—with Islam and why it is so difficult to reform is its lack of a central authority. Their prophet long dead and the Ottoman Caliphate long defunct, in the intervening years the closest we’ve come … Continue reading →

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Clashes, Sex, and Cognitive Dissonance

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

Later this month I’m giving two public presentations (one at a conference and one in a small, 10-person room) about a paper I’ve been working on for about six months (it gets moved around the burners depending on my workload). … Continue reading →

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Existential and Spiritual Threats: Why the Church Still Exists

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

Traditionally speaking states serve one purpose—to protect its subjects from internal and external threats. Without an existential threat from across the border or within it, for what purpose does the state exist? In order to protect its subjects the state must … Continue reading →

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