Civic life
Civic life
idea
Don’t be stoic: Roman Stoicism’s origins show its perniciousness
Stoicism might help you as an individual. But we need a philosophy that doesn’t dull us to the injustices of the world
by Henry Gruber
Civic life
idea
You want people to do the right thing? Save them the guilt trip
If you want to inspire people to do the right thing, don’t guilt-trip them. Positive emotions are a more powerful motivator
by Claudia R Schneider
Civic life
guide
How to interpret historical analogies
They’re good for kickstarting political debate but analogies with the past are often ahistorical and should be treated with care
by Moshik Temkin
Human nature
idea
The radical aristocrat who put kindness on a scientific footing
Peter Kropotkin took on social Darwinism, casting evolution in a cooperative light and laying the groundwork for mutual aid
by Lydia Syson
Virtues and vices
idea
As the Ancient Greeks knew, frankness is an essential virtue
Who can speak truth to the leaders? The story of parrhesía, from classical Greece to Christian martyrs and beyond
by Hartmut Leppin
Civic life
guide
How to be a hands-on citizen
You can be so much more than a well-informed consumer: it is in your (and our) power to change society from the ground up
by Jon Alexander
Values and beliefs
idea
Popper was right about the link between certainty and extremism
In terms of irrational confidence, many people at opposite ends of the political spectrum seem to have something in common
by Thomas Costello & Shauna Bowes
Nature and the environment
idea
What does water want? Most humans seem to have forgotten
Asking what water wants sounds a bit mystical, even radical. But it’s a practical, proven path to creating a better world
by Erica Gies