It was an age defined by a potentially apocalyptic situation running rampant, a partisan and dogmatic ruling class refusing to listen to anyone beyond the loudest voices in the mob, and truth and understanding lingering frustratingly out of reach.

Can the leader of a nation ever have a genuine mandate? Are the actions of certain lawmakers actually treasonous? Do religious beliefs supersede all other rights? Does progress always mean giving something else up? When will things finally improve? Or was it better in the past?

These are but a handful of questions explored in...