Words of Wisdom — May 22, 2014

Descartes on Facing Challenges

“Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it.” – Rene Descartes

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

“Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it.” – Rene Descartes

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A painting of a group of people standing in front of a church.

Thinking

How advances in philosophy made the world safer for scientists

Science and philosophy seem to be separate fields, but philosophical advancements have made the world more accepting of debate and unorthodox ideas.

a painting of a bust of a man with a red and blue background.

Thinking

Skepticism: Why critical thinking makes you smarter

“In order to seek truth,” Rene Descartes once wrote, “it is necessary once in the course of our life to doubt, as far as possible, all things.”

Thinking

5 of the most misunderstood quotes in philosophy

That Nietzsche quote might not mean what you think it does.

The Present

Politics desperately needs hope, so why does it no longer inspire it?

For some philosophers, hope is a second-rate way of relating to reality.

Thinking

I don’t believe in blind idealism: An interview with Katarzyna Boni

The author of “Auroville: The City Made of Dreams” talks about the difficulties of establishing (and writing about) utopian societies.

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