Civic life

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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