Knowledge and reason
Meaning and the good life
idea
You can be a materialist and find meaning in the universe
My hard-nosed materialism led me to an existential crisis, but then I realised the difference between science and scientism
by Jessica Tracy
Technology and media
idea
Chatbots remind us that natural conversation is artificial too
People fret about the authenticity of AI chatbots but precisely the same issues confront everyday exchanges between humans
by Larry S McGrath
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
Knowledge and reason
idea
Reason is a powerful tool, but it pays to know its limits
As a philosophy student, I was bewitched by the power of reason – but my life is freer since I escaped from its spell
by Pranay Sanklecha
The nature of reality
idea
Uncertainty isn’t a human flaw, it’s a feature of the world
They bring contrasting perspectives, but a literary scholar and a physicist agree on the wisdom of embracing uncertainty
by Richard C Sha & Nathan Harshman
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
Learning and education
idea
Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a symptom of learning
Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a sign of learning, but the key is finding the sweet spot of productive confusion
by Juliette Vazard
Imagination
idea
In the architecture of the mind, where lies human imagination?
In the architecture of the mind, is imagination a built-in structural feature or a result of cognitive remodelling work?
by Michael Omoge
Wonder and the sublime
guide
How to revive your sense of wonder
That childhood urge to ask ‘how’ and ‘why’ usually fades. But we can all learn to rediscover the joys of wide-eyed discovery
by Frank Keil