Values and beliefs

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

Bioethics Civic life Cultural diversity Ethics Fairness and equality Human rights and justice Meaning and the good life Nature and the environment Neurodiversity Progress and the future Race and ethnicity Values and beliefs Virtues and vices Wisdom

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Photo of a masked officer talking to two seated people outside Les Deux Magots cafe in Paris.

Freedom and choice

idea

In a pandemic we learn again what Sartre meant by being free

What the Nazi occupation was for Sartre, the COVID-19 pandemic is for us: an opportunity to relearn what it means to be free

by Julian Baggini

Photo of a person kneeling on a barren landscape under a cloudy sky, capturing a sense of isolation and vastness.

Spirituality and religion

idea

Religion gives life meaning. Can anything else take its place?

Religious faith promotes a sense of meaning in life – and it might take more than ‘social glue’ to duplicate the effect

by Michael M Prinzing

Abstract art with intersecting black lines and coloured circles in blue, yellow, green, and black on a white background.

Change and self-development

guide

How to change your self-limiting beliefs

Let Descartes, Kant and other philosophers help you view the world through a more positive filter and you’ll bloom

by Rebecca Roache

A man with a beard and glasses wearing a wide-brimmed hat and blue clothes stands outdoors near a pond, with trees in the background.

Spirituality and religion

film

When his faith crumbles, an ‘Amish atheist’ rebuilds his world from scratch

Directed by Lance Edmands

A woman in period dress smiles while holding a small object depicting a nude seated figure.

Laughter and comedy

idea

Just when in history did men decide that women are not funny?

Women have been witty and bawdy throughout history. It’s only recently that men haven’t been able to see their funny side

by Joy Wiltenburg

Photo of a man in a crowd wearing a large letter Q with the American flag pattern. Many people wear red hats.

Thinking and intelligence

idea

How conspiracy theories bypass people’s rationality

Prior research has focused on the negative reasons people are drawn to conspiracies, but there’s another side to the story

by Jan-Willem van Prooijen

Woman in a white dress and straw hat pulling a grey pram on a sandy beach.

Parenting and families

guide

How to know if you want to be a parent

Set aside everyone else’s preconceptions. Then try doing these counterintuitive exercises to understand your own desires

by Ann Davidman

Black and white photo of three children standing outdoors under a cloudy sky. The boy on the left wears a flat cap and checked shirt with trousers, while the two girls on the right wear patterned headscarves and dresses, smiling and looking into the distance.

Values and beliefs

film

For Hutterites, ‘love thy neighbour’ is both gospel and practical necessity

Directed by Colin Low

Photo of a person riding a donkey on a rocky hill at sunset with a wide, expansive sky and distant rolling hills.

Spirituality and religion

idea

Why religion without belief can still make perfect sense

Meet the practising agnostic and the religious fictionalist: people for whom religion can work well without sure belief

by Philip Goff

Photo of a chain-link fence with a “Private Property No Trespassing” sign in front of an open field.

Personality

idea

Your sense of right and wrong is interwoven with your personality

Personality traits such as agreeableness and openness to experience can help explain differences in moral judgment

by Luke D Smillie & Milan Andrejević

A clear glass, half-filled with water, placed on a wooden surface. The background is a plain, soft beige. The image has a warm, sepia tone.

Meaning and the good life

guide

How to appreciate what you have

To better face an imperfect world, try a deeper reflection on the things, people and legacies that make your life possible

by Avram Alpert