philosophy

Scientists believe they have the answer, but philosophers prove them wrong.

Because of our ability to think about thinking, “the gap between ape and man is immeasurably greater than the one between amoeba and ape.”

It is impossible for science to arrive at ultimate truths, but functional truths are good enough.

Using urinals, psychological collages, and animated furniture to shock us into reality.

How imagining the worst case scenario can help calm anxiety.

Dancing, for Nietzsche, was another way of saying Yes! to life.

Modern science progresses with an intensity and even irrationality that Aristotle could not fathom.

Think of the nicest person you know. The person who would fit into any group configuration, who no one can dislike, or who makes a room warmer and happier just […]

Are we enslaved by the finer things in life?

Instead of insisting that we remain “free from” government control, we should view taking vaccines and wearing masks as a “freedom to” be a moral citizen who protects the lives of others.

Our brains make snap moral decisions in mere seconds.

Escaping the marshmallow brain trap.

A curated list of must-watch films from Big Think readers.

Democritus also did not believe in free will but was still known as the “laughing philosopher.”

The public sphere should be open to conflict.

Philosophers, theoretical physicists, psychologists, and others consider what or who is really in control.

The ‘reasonable person’ represents someone who is both common and good.

How the German political philosopher called out Henry David Thoreau on civil disobedience.

Most people seem to enjoy liberalism and its spin offs, but what is it exactly? Where did the idea come from?

How long should one wait until an idea like string theory, seductive as it may be, is deemed unrealistic?

What happens when simulation theory becomes more than a fascinating thought experiment?

And if they could, would they care, asks philosopher John Gray in his new book.

Technology of the future is shaped by the questions we ask and the ethical decisions we make today.

How does philosophy try to balance having free will with living in a deterministic universe?

Even tyrants and despots offer wisdom worth heeding.

It’s a common misconception that to be a Stoic is to be in possession of a stiff upper lip.

Words of wisdom from H.P. Lovecraft, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Dr. Temple Grandin, Hannah Gadsby and more.

What can ‘behaviorism’ teach us about ourselves?

Adam Frank, a card-carrying atheist and physics professor, wonders if there might be more to life than pure science.

Life is absurd, that detail can be the start of a great many things.