Thinkers and theories

The self
idea
When Nietzsche said ‘become who you are’, this is what he meant
Behind the philosopher’s cryptic phrase is an invocation to sculpt your ideal self out of the hard stone of your psyche
by Ryan A Bush

Thinkers and theories
idea
Learning to be a loser: a philosopher’s case for doing nothing
For Emil Cioran, a life devoid of action, practical ambitions and busyness is a life in which room has been made for meaning
by Costica Bradatan

Ethics
guide
How to think about ethical dilemmas
Learning about ethical theories won’t give you easy answers, but will increase your confidence in how you choose to live
by Timm Triplett

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

Thinkers and theories
idea
For Nietzsche, nihilism goes deeper than ‘life is pointless’
For Friedrich Nietzsche, nihilism is a terrible psychological problem – a coping mechanism with deadly consequences
by Kaitlyn Creasy

Meaning and the good life
guide
How to live like an Epicurean
Forget shallow hedonism. Follow this philosophy for wondrous, unexpected joys and resilience against inevitable misfortune
by Emily Austin

Knowledge and reason
idea
Our big problem is not misinformation; it’s knowingness
Everybody knows we live in an age of misinformation. But everybody’s wrong, and here’s why it’s our age’s biggest problem
by Jonathan Malesic

History of ideas
idea
How the ancient philosophers imagined the end of the world
How the ancient Greeks and Romans imagined the end of the world, and what we can learn from them today about catastrophe
by Christopher Star

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