philosophy
Arendt thought 20th-century philosophy had become too passive and abstract. She called for “active thinking” that prepares us to live in the real world.
You don’t need to be a scientist or a philosopher for facts, reality, and the truth to matter. The alternative is simply known as bullshit.
Follow the money and you’ll follow history.
Barry Ritholtz — market commentator, founder of Ritholtz Wealth Management, and podcast host — shares what really trips investors up.
Perhaps no existential question looms larger than that of our ultimate cosmic origins. At long last, science has provided the answers.
Do our thoughts have any meaning whatsoever?
Pessimissts are never disappointed, but are they also kinder?
Spotify’s Co-President, CPO and CTO chats with Big Think about the science of discovery, Swedish innovation, C-suite podcasting, and more.
That Nietzsche quote might not mean what you think it does.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
The Kalam cosmological argument asserts that everything that exists must have a cause, and the “first” cause must be God. Is that valid?
What can drugs teach us about consciousness?
Harmony and moderation make for a happier life.
How much can you know about someone from a single belief?
“It’s much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong.”
Your BS detector might not be as accurate as you think.
When you enter someone’s home, you learn how life is lived elsewhere.
These books helped build the empirical case that life’s origins differ from those described in myths and legends.
Investor Guy Spier joins Big Think for a chat about the “Oracle of Omaha,” generative AI, what confuses him, and more.
“Lookism” is prevalent and harmful. So why do so few take it seriously?
We need more science fiction-inspired thinking in how we approach AI research, argues AI expert Gary Marcus.
Whether we should tear down philosophy’s Berlin Wall and let East and West finally merge depends entirely on what we think philosophy is—and what it’s for.
Robert Waldinger, Zen priest and Harvard professor, explains why fulfillment isn’t about reaching an idealized state. It’s found in everyday acts of kindness and compassion.
Big Think spoke with author and psychiatrist Elias Dakwar about addiction, rock bottom, and the moment you realize your compass is broken.
Be more like Goldilocks.
The more you know, the better you can act.
From acclaimed novels to heretical treatises, sometimes a writer just doesn’t want to put their name on the cover.
A brief guide to habits that separate deep understanding from superficial knowledge — and how to cultivate them.
Could AI develop true intelligence without sentience? Philosopher Jonathan Birch explores the boundaries of artificial and evolved minds.