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...) What Is a Stoic Person? Learning to control one’s mind A Stoic is an adherent of Stoicism, an ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of life. Stoics thought that, in order to be happy, we must learn to distinguish between what we can control and what we cannot. (more...) Which Social Media Site Is the Most Ethical? A case for applied utilitarianism Social media affect our society in many ways: addiction, democracy, the decline of journalism, privacy, surveillance, and effects on friendships. (more...) Is Whistleblowing Ethical? ...and why Confucius might disagree Whistleblowing might be wrong because it violates one’s obligations to one’s friends, relatives, co-workers or superiors. (more...) The Memories of Our Experiences Daniel Kahneman on the Happiness of Memories Economist Daniel Kahneman studied the effects of memory on our perception of past experiences. He distinguishes experienced from remembered happiness. (more...) The Ethics of Eating Meat Four moral theories and their views Eating small quantities of meat that was grown in a sustainable way might be morally justifiable, while large-scale animal farming is probably morally wrong. (more...) Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love What is love made of? Robert Sternberg thinks that we can best describe love as composed of three “primary” components that combine to produce all the kinds of love that we observe around us: intimacy, passion and decision or commitment. (more...) Erich Fromm on Being Productive Are we active, or just busy? For Erich Fromm, true activity means to fully use one’s talents in order to grow as a person. The mere display of business is not a sign of productive work. (more...) 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 activity is performed because of its intended function. (more...) 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 are more important than the rules of some abstract ethical theory. (more...) 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 that we are able to act against our instincts and to be truly free. (more...) Thales of Miletus A stroll through the history of philosophy Thales of Miletus is generally cited as one of the first philosophers, although his contributions extended to many sciences and even to business endeavors. (more...) Aristotle and the Roots of Deep Ecology Modern ecological ethics reaches back to Aristotle and his idea that the flourishing of any one thing is dependent on the flourishing of everything else. (more...) Life Is a Skill Aristotle's Eudaimonia Aristotle on living a life well through exercising one’s virtues. (more...) Aristotle on moral development The three types of human beings For Aristotle, the moral development of a person progresses in three stages: from akrates, to enkrates, to sophron or wise person. (more...) Do Unicorns Exist? And what, please, is an ontological commitment? A rant about the ontological commitment of the existential quantifier. (more...) Love is All Around Eryximachos’ views in Plato’s Symposion In Plato’s Symposion, the doctor Eryximachos says that love is the harmony of opposites. This resonates with beliefs in the traditional medicine of many cultures, as well as with our concept of a “balanced” person. (more...) September 26: Happy Birthday, Martin Heidegger! September 26: Martin Heidegger’s Birthday (1889-1976) (more...) Can love be forever? In Plato’s Symposium, Plato defines love as the desire for the eternal possession of the good. (more...) September 23: Happy Birthday, Kublai Khan! Xanadu, poets, pop singers, and a day devoid of significance Did you know that singer Olivia Newton-John is the granddaughter of the famous physicist Max Born, one of the two people who claimed to have discovered the uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics? (more...) Let’s Talk About Love The complexities of understanding love Love is a very complex phenomenon that encompasses sex, friendship, self-love and selflessness, as well as God’s love in many religious traditions. (more...) «« « 14 15 16 17 18 » »»
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...)
What Is a Stoic Person? Learning to control one’s mind A Stoic is an adherent of Stoicism, an ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of life. Stoics thought that, in order to be happy, we must learn to distinguish between what we can control and what we cannot. (more...)
Which Social Media Site Is the Most Ethical? A case for applied utilitarianism Social media affect our society in many ways: addiction, democracy, the decline of journalism, privacy, surveillance, and effects on friendships. (more...)
Is Whistleblowing Ethical? ...and why Confucius might disagree Whistleblowing might be wrong because it violates one’s obligations to one’s friends, relatives, co-workers or superiors. (more...)
The Memories of Our Experiences Daniel Kahneman on the Happiness of Memories Economist Daniel Kahneman studied the effects of memory on our perception of past experiences. He distinguishes experienced from remembered happiness. (more...)
The Ethics of Eating Meat Four moral theories and their views Eating small quantities of meat that was grown in a sustainable way might be morally justifiable, while large-scale animal farming is probably morally wrong. (more...)
Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love What is love made of? Robert Sternberg thinks that we can best describe love as composed of three “primary” components that combine to produce all the kinds of love that we observe around us: intimacy, passion and decision or commitment. (more...)
Erich Fromm on Being Productive Are we active, or just busy? For Erich Fromm, true activity means to fully use one’s talents in order to grow as a person. The mere display of business is not a sign of productive work. (more...)
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 activity is performed because of its intended function. (more...)
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 are more important than the rules of some abstract ethical theory. (more...)
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 that we are able to act against our instincts and to be truly free. (more...)
Thales of Miletus A stroll through the history of philosophy Thales of Miletus is generally cited as one of the first philosophers, although his contributions extended to many sciences and even to business endeavors. (more...)
Aristotle and the Roots of Deep Ecology Modern ecological ethics reaches back to Aristotle and his idea that the flourishing of any one thing is dependent on the flourishing of everything else. (more...)
Life Is a Skill Aristotle's Eudaimonia Aristotle on living a life well through exercising one’s virtues. (more...)
Aristotle on moral development The three types of human beings For Aristotle, the moral development of a person progresses in three stages: from akrates, to enkrates, to sophron or wise person. (more...)
Do Unicorns Exist? And what, please, is an ontological commitment? A rant about the ontological commitment of the existential quantifier. (more...)
Love is All Around Eryximachos’ views in Plato’s Symposion In Plato’s Symposion, the doctor Eryximachos says that love is the harmony of opposites. This resonates with beliefs in the traditional medicine of many cultures, as well as with our concept of a “balanced” person. (more...)
September 26: Happy Birthday, Martin Heidegger! September 26: Martin Heidegger’s Birthday (1889-1976) (more...)
Can love be forever? In Plato’s Symposium, Plato defines love as the desire for the eternal possession of the good. (more...)
September 23: Happy Birthday, Kublai Khan! Xanadu, poets, pop singers, and a day devoid of significance Did you know that singer Olivia Newton-John is the granddaughter of the famous physicist Max Born, one of the two people who claimed to have discovered the uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics? (more...)
Let’s Talk About Love The complexities of understanding love Love is a very complex phenomenon that encompasses sex, friendship, self-love and selflessness, as well as God’s love in many religious traditions. (more...)