philosophy

Nietzsche, physics, and the seduction of an idea.

Podcast host Robert Wright’s lively conversation with the Harvard psychologist.

Robert Wright and Massimo Pigliucci discuss the challenges of scientism.

Do you ever act irrationally? You probably have. Let’s take a look at how to fix that. 

When you’re in a midlife crisis, success can seem like failure. 

Why is it that people say Ayn Rand isn’t a “real” philosopher? 

Do we really believe everything we say? Are you always trying to establish the truth when you argue? This thought experiment will help answer these questions.

Many great minds have plenty of bad things to say about democracy, but what about the people who think it is great?

Finding New Year’s resolutions isn’t always easy. To help you out, we’ve gotten ideas from some of the greatest thinkers of all time.

One of the stranger philosophies currently enjoying a renewal of interest is also that of your favorite group of magical space wizard monks. 

Some philosophers have tried to base morality on human nature, but what does biology say about that?

‘Total work’, a term coined by the German philosopher Josef Pieper just after the Second World War in his book Leisure: The Basis of Culture (1948), is the process by which human beings are transformed into workers and nothing else.    

Existentialism is great and all, but how can you really relate to the ideas if you don’t think God is dead? Luckily, we’ve got just the thing. 

Nietzsche’s ideas were used by the Nazi’s to justify their atrocities, but did Nietzsche actually support Fascism? 

Americans are, often with justification, regarded as not being versed in philosophy. This is a shame, as the United States and the colonies that proceeded it have produced many great thinkers

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,Courage to change the things I can,And wisdom to know the difference.

Once desire becomes suspect, sex is never far behind.    

Why do scientists look down on philosophers? And are they right to do so?

India is a vast land, rich in history, beauty, and great ideas. Here, we want to introduce you to ten great minds in Indian thought. These ten thinkers span thousands of years, include several religions, and more than a few fields of expertise.

Is consciousness everywhere? Is it a basic feature of the Universe, at the very heart of the tiniest subatomic particles? Such an idea – panpsychism as it is known – […]

Time on your own means time to tell the difference between right and wrong.    

And thanks to Alvin Plantinga, they have a rational conversation.

Those head-scratchers can be “symmetrical” or “asymmetrical.” Here’s how.

Knowing who you are can stop you from becoming who you want to be.  

Adults tend to become lazy with their thinking, backing into moral and ethical wrongdoing without noticing fully what they’re doing. 

Capitalism has hijacked our emotions and rewired us for instant gratification—but we can reclaim our lives by practicing deep hope.

Here’s what Israel Guillen learned about life by studying 8 hours a day during his 22-year prison sentence.

Go back to school, Agora style. Philosophy can train us to respond to life’s problems rather than merely react. One such training camp is coming to Baltimore. 

Hope is not as soft or as passive an emotion as we think. Here’s how ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ can teach us the philosophy and function of hope as a response to possibility.

There is a philosophical way of looking at the current arguments to remove Confederate statues, and it’s one that dates back to Ancient Greece.