David E. CooperHuts, Homelessness and HeimatChōmei and HeideggerFor Heidegger, we let things be what they are. Chōmei, steeped in the Buddhist conception of the interdependence of everything, would concur. (more...)
Plato and the Ancient Politics of WineEva Anagnostou-LaoutidesWe discuss Plato’s description of Socrates’ philosophical inspiration as …
NudgesEzechiel ThibaudIn a book published in 2008, R. H. Thaler and C. R. Sunstein define nudges as “any …
March 31, 2024Andreas MatthiasNew Video Series: Western Ethics TheoriesThe Shortest Possible OverviewA new series of Daily Philosophy whiteboard explainer videos has just been published on YouTube. It gives a very short, and hopefully amusing, introduction to the main theories of Western ethics. (more...)
The PresocraticsThe most important thinkers and their ideasThe Presocratic philosophers were a group of thinkers who lived in ancient Greece before the time of Socrates. They were interested in understanding the natural world and the underlying principles that govern it. (more...)
March 23, 2024Andreas MatthiasWestern Ethics TheoriesThe Shortest Possible OverviewWe examine the basic ideas behind the four main Western ethics theories: utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, social contract ethics and virtue ethics. (more...)
Socrates on Knowing NothingPhilosophy in QuotesExplore philosophy through its most famous quotes! Today: Socrates on knowing that you know nothing. (more...)
Marcus Aurelius on OpinionsPhilosophy in QuotesExplore 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...)
David E. CooperJeremy Bentham on Animal EthicsPhilosophy in QuotesA 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...)
April 6, 2024Jean ArnaudJean Arnaud on AI and the FuturePhilosopher InterviewsInterview with Jean Arnaud, a pioneer of the digital renaissance in art, philosophy, technology, and education. (more...)
Luis de Miranda on Philosophical HealthPhilosopher interviewsLuis de Miranda lives in Sweden and is a philosophical practitioner, founder of the …
Involuntary Heroes, Accidental Saints. Catherine Greene on Her Book “The Red Hairband”Andreas MatthiasCatherine Greene is a philosopher and writer. In this interview, we discuss her new …
Andreas MatthiasShould a Liberal State Ban the Burqa?Book reviewShould 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...)
Stephen LeachSteven Cassedy: What Do We Mean When We Talk About MeaningBook reviewAltogether this is the most comprehensive account of how the phrase ‘the meaning of life’ came to attain its current ubiquity that has yet been written. (more...)
Ian James KiddMisanthropes – Literary and PhilosophicalBook review: Misanthropy in the Age of ReasonJoseph Harris (2022). Misanthropy in the Age of Reason: Hating Humanity from Shakespeare to Schiller. Oxford University Press. 304 pages. Hardcover: 73. (more...)
History of Robots: From Albertus Magnus to the Blade RunnerThe story of our fascination with our own imageFrom ancient China and the European Middle Ages, to zombies, Frankenstein’s monster and HAL 9000, our literary tradition is full of robots – sometimes helpful, sometimes threatening, and always questioning what it really means to be human. (more...)
Ezechiel ThibaudWhat’s Wrong with The Passion Economy?Adam Davidson’s “The Passion Economy”Adam Davidson describes the “Passion Economy” in a book released in 2020. This article shows why Davidson’s proposal is not a sustainable solution to fix our current relationship with work. (more...)
The Memories of Our ExperiencesDaniel Kahneman on the Happiness of MemoriesEconomist Daniel Kahneman studied the effects of memory on our perception of past experiences. He distinguishes experienced from remembered happiness. (more...)
David E. CooperThe Rhetoric of RefugeOn the wish to retreat from the worldThe rhetoric or metaphor of refuge from the world has largely disappeared from religious, social and ethical debate. The contrast with the past is striking. (more...)
Three Modern HermitsFollowing one’s own wayWe visit three very different hermits: Agafia Lykova in remote Siberia, Mauro Morandi on a Mediterranean island paradise, and Lincolnshire nun Rachel Denton. What unites them and gives their lives meaning? (more...)
The Hermit of SuwarrowThe adventures of Tom Neale (1902-1977)Tom Neale spent a total of fourteen years alone on a little island in the Suwarrow Atoll in the South Pacific, where he found peace and happiness in solitude. We have a look at this extraordinary life. (more...)
Live Like a CorpseDaan H. TeerJapanese martial philosophy has been mythologized to nefarious ends, but that does …
Hannah Arendt on work and being humanLabour, work and actionHannah Arendt (1906-1975) distinguishes three types of work; Labor, work, and action.
Plato’s Symposium - Part 1An introductionPlato’s Symposium is one of humanity’s immortal texts on love. Seven friends gather …
St Augustine on the Function and Pleasure of SexThe real cost of pure pleasureFor St Augustine, the pleasure inherent in any activity is good as long as the …
Life Is a SkillAristotle's EudaimoniaAristotle on living a life well through exercising one’s virtues.
How to Recognise Pure AwarenessBrentyn J. RammWhat is pure awareness? Douglas Harding (1909-2007) proposed a series of simple but …
March 31, 2024Andreas MatthiasNew Video Series: Western Ethics TheoriesThe Shortest Possible OverviewA new series of Daily Philosophy whiteboard explainer videos has just been published on YouTube. It gives a very short, and hopefully amusing, introduction to the main theories of Western ethics. (more...)
March 23, 2024Andreas MatthiasWestern Ethics TheoriesThe Shortest Possible OverviewWe examine the basic ideas behind the four main Western ethics theories: utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, social contract ethics and virtue ethics. (more...)
Vaccination EthicsCan the state force us to get vaccinated?Vaccination ethics is a surprisingly rich field of philosophical inquiry, and it covers issues from all major moral theories, reaching into world politics, poverty, the role of the state and the morality of taxation and car seat belts. (more...)
When Is It Right to Break the Law?Ethics and law are not the sameEthics and the law are not the same and it can indeed be morally right, and even indicated, to break the law in certain situations. (more...)
Are Some Countries Objectively Better?The Accented Philosophy PodcastIn this episode, Ezechiel and Andy finish their discussion of moral relativism. If we don’t want to be relativists, what ways are there to know whether one country or system is better than another? (more...)
July 12, 2024Petrică NițoaiaEmbracing KindnessThe Moral Argument for VeganismEthical arguments against veganism are examined and refuted. (more...)
March 18, 2024Andreas MatthiasThe Princess and the SoulElisabeth of Bohemia and Rene DescartesDescartes 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...)
Aristotle (384-322 BC)Not all who wander are lostAristotle (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...)
Annalisa KoukouvesSartre and the LobstersOn Fear, Longing, and LoveIn 1935, a bad trip triggered Jean-Paul Sartre’s deep-rooted fear of sea creatures. Suddenly, he found himself surrounded by crabs and lobsters. (more...)
October 12, 2024John ShandIn Praise of MisinformationThere have been increasingly clamorous calls for the banning, removal, or controlling, or censoring of ‘misinformation’ as an enforced general policy. (more...)
October 4, 2024John Young MyersVerdictWe, the Jury, duly impaneled and sworn, upon our oaths, do find the defendant, of her own free will, as to Count One, guilty of First-degree Murder. (more...)
September 20, 2024Özlem KarakusIrvin Yalom: The Spinoza ProblemBook reviewIrvin Yalom’s (b. 1931) The Spinoza Problem: A Novel (Basic Books 2013) intertwines history and philosophy, offering a fresh perspective on two distinct but connected lives. (more...)
September 15, 2024Avery WarfieldHow Many Cows Does It Take?Navigating the Trolley Problem's Moral DilemmaHere, instead of five people versus one person, the trolley is heading toward N cows and diverting it will kill one person. (more...)
August 30, 2024Christopher BelshawStill Against VeganismA reply to Petrică NițoaiaMy question was – and still is – a short good life with a pain free death, or no life at all, which would you prefer? A reply to Petrică Nițoaia. (more...)
August 16, 2024Ian James KiddThe Hermit of the Lonely LochAspiring hermits have many motivations. Smith eloquently testifies to his reasons, some of them deeply personal. (more...)