Knowledge and reason

Knowledge and reason
idea
These lessons in scepticism could make the world a better place
In our age of certainty and dogma, we would all do well to learn from the philosophy of the ancient Greco-Roman sceptics
by Massimo Pigliucci

Drugs and psychedelics
idea
Psychedelics are philosophical tools for demolishing assumptions
By shaking up our sense of how things are, substances like LSD or psilocybin have the potential to promote deep learning
by David J Blacker

Thinking and intelligence
guide
How to think like a Bayesian
In a world of few absolutes, it pays to be able to think clearly about probabilities. These five ideas will get you started
by Michael G Titelbaum

Knowledge and reason
idea
There is knowledge in the land as well as in ourselves
Indigenous Australian knowledge systems understand what Descartes didn’t – the natural world has important things to tell us
by Andrew Kirkpatrick

Love
idea
There’s no good reason to love each other – and that’s a relief
Loving is an unreasonable decision (we are all extremely unpleasant little beasts) and that’s what allows it to survive
by John Kaag

Knowledge and reason
guide
How to think about truth
In a world of disagreement, what should you believe? These ideas will help you take a philosophically informed perspective
by Jeremy Wyatt & Joseph Ulatowski

Technology and media
idea
Why deepfakes pose less of a threat than many predict
Applying Descartes’ sceptical puzzle to deepfake videos reveals the challenge they present is one that we can rise to
by Keith Raymond Harris

Wisdom
idea
Wisdom is a virtue, but how do we judge if someone has it?
Our team explored who is considered wise in cultures with contrasting philosophical traditions. The results surprised us
by Maksim Rudnev & Igor Grossmann

Thinking and intelligence
guide
How to think for yourself
Schopenhauer and Proust can help you find inspiration from your favourite writers while also retaining an independent mind
by David Bather Woods