Jonny Thomson
Jonny Thomson taught philosophy in Oxford for more than a decade before turning to writing full-time. He’s a staff writer at Big Think, where he writes about philosophy, theology, psychology, and occasionally other subjects when he dares step out of his lane. His first book, Mini Philosophy, is an award-winning, international bestseller, and has been translated into 20 languages. His second book, Mini Big Ideas, was published in 2023.
Most things in the world can be seen in surprisingly different ways.
From boosting empathy to improving therapy, virtual reality is poised to change our ideas of the self.
Death is the great and terrifying unknown, awaiting us all at the end of this life. Giving it a personality makes it easier to gaze upon.
For some people, there is only one thing to live for. They commit their entire being to that thing. They are dangerous.
Pokémon has people wandering the world to enslave wild and magical creatures so they can fight in painful blood sports. What’s fun about that?
When we satisfy our curiosity, the brain has a particular way of rewarding us.
The gospels imply that Jesus became famous as much for his exorcisms as his ministry.
Jean Paul Sartre summed up the existentialist idea of “bad faith” through a waiter who acted a bit too much like a waiter.
People can lose their authentic selves when they don’t honestly confront life’s potential, according to the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard.
It’s that time of year when the hours of meticulous wrapping of Christmas toys are viciously undone in seconds by tiny children.
For such a near-universal concept, the definition of “heroism” is difficult to pin down.
Do your kids a favor and give them the gift of philosophy this Christmas.
Role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons offer a valuable insight: Life is about shifting labels.
Scientific pluralism is the notion that some questions must be approached from many angles. How can we integrate these scientific models?
Communication with home will be difficult on long-haul space flights. The longer this isolation goes on, the more detached a crew becomes.
Are we really only a moment away from “The Singularity,” a technological epoch that will usher in a new era in human evolution?
Truth needs us to define the rules, grammar, and criteria for true statements. But can we do this within language itself?
The most momentous and significant events in our lives are the ones we do not see coming. Life is defined by the unforeseen.
A recent study illuminated surprising differences in how men and women seek help when struggling with relationships.
The ability to differentiate your emotions might make you less likely to suffer from depression, alcoholism, and anger issues.
Frank Herbert’s “Dune” refers to a religious desert people who are desperate for a savior to overthrow an evil empire. Sound familiar?
How we handle grief largely depends on our worldview. Here is how three famous philosophers handled the certainty of grief and despair.
All religions have totems, rites, and taboos that are considered “sacred.” Émile Durkheim believed society is largely underpinned by them.
We are more likely to agree with someone who also agrees with us. Young children, though, only trust themselves. We have to learn to trust.
Dave Eggers book, “The Circle,” uses satire to illuminate how privacy is fast becoming a lost virtue in the digital age.
Linguistic laws are remarkably versatile and have applications in ecology, microbiology, epidemiology, demographics, and geography.
Great genius is not born of lightning bolt-like moments of inspiration. In reality, perseverance plays the biggest role.
It’s better to pursue moral actions instead of the ephemeral state of happiness, according to the philosopher Immanuel Kant.
We all employ heuristics to help us deal with the world. But when we make a hasty generalization, we risk making a big error in our thinking.
Studio Ghibli movies celebrate the natural world using a very Japanese mixture of Shinto, Buddhist, and Daoist themes.