Featured

Kant's conception of freedom

Kant on using reason to critically examine our inclinations and uncover the forces that manipulate and misinform us. (more...)

Happy Endings

Dan Weijers, Nick Munn, Lorenzo Buscicchi

We’ve heard it all our lives — size matters and bigger is better. But David …

Respect and Love

John Shand

What is meant is a form of respect that is a condition, one might say a conceptual …

Sex Metamorphosis

Brandon Robshaw

Suppose the sciences of biology and medicine advanced to the stage where it became …

Videos

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Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha (1)

Hermann Hesse and Romanticism

Let's Read Together

Guides and Introductions

The Presocratics

The most important thinkers and their ideas

The 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...)

The Ultimate Guide to Epicurus

Biography, ideas, books

A comprehensive overview of Epicurus’ philosophy of happiness. Epicurus is one of the few ancient philosophers who are more relevant today than they were in their own times. Learn all about him right here. (more...)

Epicurus: A Guide to the Principal Doctrines

Text, commentary and study guide

The Principal Doctrines is the main work of Epicurus on happiness. This article presents the original text with explanations and discussion questions. It also includes tips for organising an Epicurus reading group or book club. (more...)

Philosophy in Quotes

July 4, 2025

Socrates on Knowing Nothing

Philosophy in Quotes

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

Immanuel Kant on Means and Ends

Philosophy in Quotes

Explore philosophy through its most famous quotes! Today: Immanuel Kant on how to treat human beings. (more...)

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...)

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...)

Robert Rodriguez on Hermits

Philosopher interviews

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

Dan Demetriou on the Ethics of Colonial Monuments

Andreas Matthias

Luis de Miranda on Esprit de Corps

Philosopher interviews

Luis de Miranda is the founder of the Philosophical Health movement, author of Being …

Book reviews

Andreas Matthias

Just Fodder. The Ethics of Feeding Animals

Book review

Josh Milburn’s “Just Fodder” is a very thoughtful and rigorous analysis of the ethical issues related to feeding animals. (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...)

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...)

Modern life

Ian James Kidd

Hánfēizǐ

A Chinese philosophical pessimist

Hánfēizǐ advocated a realist political philosophy and its aim was the establishment of order. The function of the state is to survive – to suppress internal strife and resist external aggression. (more...)

Ezechiel Thibaud

What’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...)

Miles Erickson

A Better Society?

Bonanno's utopian anarchism

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

Hermits

The Hermit of Suwarrow

The 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...)

Three Modern Hermits

Following one’s own way

We 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...)

Robert Rodriguez: The Book of Hermits

Book review

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...)

Classics

Books that Lead You to Philosophy

John Shand

What are the books that brought us to philosophy? For John Shand, philosophy …

The Dialectic of Enlightenment

Horkheimer, Adorno and the Frankfurt School

The Frankfurt School is generally taken to mean a lose collection of thinkers who …

Confucius on Loyalty and Betrayal

Would you send your father to prison?

For Confucius, one’s personal loyalties to family, friends, co-workers and superiors …

Inspiration

Human Dignity and Freedom

Why restaurant menus may be destroying humanity

Erich Fromm and Richard Taylor on the perils of capitalism.

Aristotle's Highest Good

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

Aristotle and the Roots of Deep Ecology

Modern ecological ethics reaches back to Aristotle and his idea that the flourishing …

Ethics

Lorenzo Buscicchi, Dan Weijers, Nick Munn

Psychological Hedonism

You Know You Want It

According to Psychological Hedonism, we are all just looking for fun. Psychological Hedonism is a theory about motivation. (more...)

Catherine Greene

What is Ethical Investing?

We all want our money to serve the right cause – but how can we make sure that it will? Catherine Greene on what is involved in ethical investing and ESG considerations. (more...)

July 20, 2025

Petrică Nițoaia

Can We Save Morality's Reputation?

Reclaiming morals in the post-truth world

Why is there such a difference between the picture of morality one gets from books and the one so many people encounter in real life? (more...)

David E. Cooper

Necessary Vices

In our societies, an impressive array of vices is on display. Hypocrisy, greed, cruelty, prejudice… But what if many of these vices were necessary for human life? (more...)

Is Stealing Always Immoral?

Utilitarianism, Kant and Aristotle

In utilitarianism, stealing would only be immoral if it leads to bad consequences for the stakeholders. For Kant, it would always be immoral. (more...)

Six Reasons to Legalise Recreational Drugs

The main arguments

Should we legalise recreational drug use or not? This article explains the most important six arguments in favour of the legalisation of recreational drugs. (more...)

Biographies

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...)

September 26: Happy Birthday, Martin Heidegger!

September 26: Martin Heidegger’s Birthday (1889-1976) (more...)

October 19, 2025

Eleftherios Makedonas

Carlo Michelstaedter (1887-1910)

Michelstaedter has been one of the few geniuses in human history who attempted to come to the very core of human suffering. (more...)

Recent

January 6, 2026

Neel Somani

Darwin’s Four Postulates in Light of “Don’t Die”

This raises a question: does Darwin’s argument no longer hold up in a Kurzweilian world where we might not die of old age at all? (more...)

December 20, 2025

Stephen Leach

Machiavelli on Cruelty and Compassion

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527) was interested in self-reliance, self-preservation and self-promotion. These things motivated his writing of The Prince and these were its themes. (more...)

November 25, 2025

Leonardo Caffo

Interview with Paul B. Preciado

Philosopher interviews

Leonardo Caffo interviews Paul B. Preciado (more...)

November 18, 2025

Alex Goldberg

The Land of Perfect Justice

Short Story

Solon stood before the people of Athens, their murmurs rising and falling like the waves crashing against the harbor behind him. When he spoke, his voice carried conviction enough to command them all. (more...)

November 9, 2025

John Shand

Respect and Love

What is meant is a form of respect that is a condition, one might say a conceptual precursor, to love proper. (more...)

November 3, 2025

Chris Atkinson

An Ontological Disproof of the Devil?

Some philosophers think that proving the existence of God might also disprove the existence of the Devil. (more...)