Daily Philosophy Making sense of the world.

August 25, 1609: Galileo's telescope unveiled. From the moment of this first demonstration of his telescope, Galileo was caught in a web of competing interests that would ruin his life and cement his fame at the same time. [More...]

August 25, 1776: Death of philosopher David Hume.

The Secret Gospel of Frankenstein

What If the Creature Had Remained Uncorrupted?

The Algorithm of the Logos

AI, Moral Truth, and the Divine Pattern

Petrică Nițoaia

Can We Save Morality's Reputation?

Reclaiming morals in the post-truth world

Leibniz, Perpetual Motion, and my Father

Featured

David E. Cooper

Huts, Homelessness and Heimat

Chōmei and Heidegger

For Heidegger, we let things be what they are. Chōmei, steeped in the Buddhist conception of the interdependence of everything, would concur. (more...)

Taking Pessimism Seriously

Pessimism today has an ambivalent status. On the one hand, even a cursory glance at …

We and They

Nella Leontieva

Shortlisted entry for the Daily Philosophy Global Essay Contest 2024.

How to lose friends and influence people

Petrică Nițoaia

Who does not know that feeling when a discussion becomes unfair, as if sabotaged? You …

Videos

Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha (1)

Hermann Hesse and Romanticism

Let's Read Together

Guides and Introductions

What is a Fallacy?

How to Spot and Avoid Logical Pitfalls

A fallacy in Critical Thinking is an error in argumentation that makes an argument invalid. (more...)

The Ultimate Guide to the Philosophy of Erich Fromm

Biography, ideas, books

A comprehensive overview of Erich Fromm’s philosophy of happiness. We discuss his life, his ideas and his main works, both in their historical context and how they are still relevant for us today. (more...)

Andreas Matthias

Western Ethics Theories

The Shortest Possible Overview

We examine the basic ideas behind the four main Western ethics theories: utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, social contract ethics and virtue ethics. (more...)

Philosophy in Quotes

David E. Cooper

Jeremy Bentham on Animal Ethics

Philosophy in Quotes

A history of philosophy in its most famous quotes. Today: Jeremy Bentham on the suffering of animals: “The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?” (more...)

Socrates on Knowing Nothing

Philosophy in Quotes

Explore philosophy through its most famous quotes! Today: Socrates on knowing that you know nothing. (more...)

Marcus Aurelius on Opinions

Philosophy in Quotes

Explore philosophy through its most famous quotes. Today: Marcus Aurelius, Meditations: “It is in our power to have no opinion about a thing, and not to be disturbed in our soul…” (more...)

Interviews

Wael B. Hallaq on Islamic Law and Human Rights

Philosopher interviews

Wael B. Hallaq (وائل حلاق‎) is a leading scholar of Islamic law and Islamic intellectual history at Columbia University. In this interview, we ask his opinion on the tension between Western and Islamic conceptions of governance and human rights. (more...)

Paul Lodge on Philosophy and Music

Philosopher interviews

Paul Lodge, Professor of Philosophy and songwriter, sets philosophical poems to …

Robert Rodriguez on Hermits

Philosopher interviews

Robert Rodriguez is the author of The Book of Hermits and founder and editor of the …

Involuntary Heroes, Accidental Saints. Catherine Greene on Her Book “The Red Hairband”

Andreas Matthias

Catherine Greene is a philosopher and writer. In this interview, we discuss her new …

Book reviews

Andreas Matthias

Should a Liberal State Ban the Burqa?

Should a Liberal State Ban the Burqa? by Brandon Robshaw, is a very clear, instructive and carefully argued book that shows off philosophy at its best. (more...)

Five Most Inspiring Philosophy Books

Life-changing wisdom for your summer reading list

Looking for a life-changing summer read? Here are Daily Philosophy’s recommendations for five of the most inspiring books that everyone should know. (more...)

Five More Inspiring Philosophy Books for Your Christmas

Our big Christmas gifts guide, part 2

Daily Philosophy’s recommendations for five more of the most inspiring books for your Christmas presents list. The best from Jill Taylor, John Stevens, Bill Porter, Eugen Herrigel and Aldous Huxley. With tips on whom to gift each book. (more...)

Modern life

A Better Society?

Bonanno's utopian anarchism

Bonanno stands apart with his radical, borderline utopian critique of modern society. (more...)

Catherine Greene

I’m depressed and it’s all your fault!

Separating depression from sadness

Are we driving ourselves insane? And have we been doing so for over a hundred years? To understand this, we need to understand how we came to think of ourselves as depressed. (more...)

Michael Hauskeller

Nothing Matters. Or Does It?

What exactly do we mean when we say that “nothing matters”? More than sixty years ago, the British philosopher Richard Mervyn Hare attempted to answer this question in an early essay. (more...)

Hermits

Robert Rodriguez: The Book of Hermits

Robert Rodriguez’ “The Book of Hermits” is a work of impressive scholarship, covering the global history and lore of eremitism from antiquity to the present. (more...)

Dao De Jing

The Taoist book of the Way

The Dao De Jing, literally “The Classic of the Way and the Virtue,” is traditionally attributed to an author known only as Lao Zi, which means “Old Master.” (more...)

The Wisdom of the Dao

Main themes in the Dao De Jing

The Dao De Jing is often not so different from other philosophies of its time. Acting according to nature, virtue as a skill, and the Daoist praise of humility are reminiscent of similar passages in the works of Stoics, Epicureans and Aristotle. (more...)

Classics

Can love be forever?

In Plato’s Symposium, Plato defines love as the desire for the eternal possession of …

Kant on Autonomy and Human Rights

Are humans meant to be free?

The theory of evolution changed our understanding of our own humanity, but overlooks …

In Praise of Pyrrhonian Scepticism

Radical scepticism has a good claim to be both the longest lasting tradition in …

Inspiration

Life Is a Skill

Aristotle's Eudaimonia

Aristotle on living a life well through exercising one’s virtues.

St Augustine on the Function and Pleasure of Sex

The real cost of pure pleasure

For St Augustine, the pleasure inherent in any activity is good as long as the …

Aristotle's Highest Good

In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle argues that we can recognise the highest good …

Ethics

Peter Singer's Drowning Child

Are we required to save lives if we can?

Peter Singer’s Drowning Child thought experiment: If, on the way to the office, we saw a child drowning in a pond, would we think that we have to save it? (more...)

Seven Reasons to Outlaw Recreational Drugs

The main arguments

Should we legalise recreational drug use? This article explains seven arguments against legalising recreational drugs. (more...)

The Empathy Paradox

It is often supposed that greater empathy is a good thing. But this is a mistake, unless one assumes that being empathetic will inevitably bring it about that one treats others better. (more...)

Martha Nussbaum and the Capabilities Approach

What makes a human life worth living?

In the capabilities approach, philosopher Martha Nussbaum argues that a human life, in order to reach its highest potential, must include a number of “capabilities” – that is, of actual possibilities that one can realise in one’s life. (more...)

Death Penalty: Right or Wrong?

The Accented Philosophy Podcast

In this episode, Ezechiel and Andy discuss the ethics of the death penalty, and particularly the question whether other countries have the right to withhold the drugs used in US executions. (more...)

How to Live an Aristotelian Life

Become happy through being good

Aristotle’s theory of happiness rests on three concepts: (1) the virtues; (2) phronesis or practical wisdom; and (3) eudaimonia or flourishing. (more...)

Biographies

Aristotle (384-322 BC)

Not all who wander are lost

Aristotle (384-322 BC), born in Stageira, Greece, is one of the most influential philosophers who ever lived. He worked not only in philosophy, but also wrote dozens of books on all topics, from astronomy and biology to literary theory. (more...)

Andreas Matthias

The Princess and the Soul

Elisabeth of Bohemia and Rene Descartes

Descartes admired her intelligence and Leibniz stood at her deathbed, but during most of her life, she was a penniless refugee. Meet Elisabeth, Princess of Bohemia. (more...)

Epicurus (341-270 BC)

The misunderstood ascetic

Epicurus (341-270 BC) is often seen as an advocate of a luxurious life, rich in good food and other pleasures. This is incorrect. (more...)

Recent

Socrates on Knowing Nothing

Philosophy in Quotes

Explore philosophy through its most famous quotes! Today: Socrates on knowing that you know nothing. (more...)

Fear

As fauna became more complex, particularly with backboned organisms known as chordates, basic brain structures evolved. (more...)

A Supportive Partner Is Not What You Need

Support can come in many forms. Whatever shape it comes in, it is one of the desired characteristics in selecting a good partner. However, an all-supportive partner should not be desired… (more...)

Brandon Robshaw

Sex Metamorphosis

Suppose the sciences of biology and medicine advanced to the stage where it became possible to change the sex of an animal (including, of course, human animals) completely. (more...)

Petrică Nițoaia

The stories that keep you up at night are all made up

Exploring the mythology of a mythless world

Did the ancient Greeks really believe all those myths? We find it hard to imagine that people trusted the Oracle of Delphi with important decisions or prayed to such a horny and mischievous god as Zeus! (more...)

Treena Balds and Timothy Morton

Deliver Us from Evil – Part 2

Digesting the Lord’s Prayer

Ponēria is a blot or stain on an otherwise good being, like a diseased limb, or a “bad time” as opposed to good times: a bad state of affairs. (more...)