Freedom and choice
idea
Recognise free will is an illusion and reap the emotional benefits
The idea that all our choices are determined by past events may seem dispiriting – but it can be emotionally liberating
by Francis Merson
Freedom and choice
idea
The three reasons why it’s good for you to believe in free will
Regardless of whether humans do or don’t have free will, psychological research shows it’s beneficial to act as if you do
by Kennon Sheldon
Freedom and choice
idea
Why not driving is my own form of resistance
As romantic petrochemical-fuelled narratives slip into the past, I’ve found my own kind of freedom in a life without a car
by Vicky Grut
Parenting and families
idea
I’m childfree by choice. Should I feel guilty about ending my line?
My uterus is not my ancestors’ vessel for future progeny. What’s the impact of my choice on my family’s genetic lineage?
by Starre Vartan
Food and drink
idea
What our fantasies about futuristic food say about us
Once ‘future foods’ were powdered and automatic, but times change and today they have become about speed and social justice
by Kelly Alexander
The body and physical health
idea
I chose to go flat after breast cancer surgery. I have no regrets
Breast reconstruction following surgery to remove cancer owes more to the cosmetic industry than to medical science
by Sarah Cretch
Values and beliefs
idea
Teaching tolerance in schools cannot avoid controversy
If tolerance of different values, lifestyles and creeds is an aim of education, how should schools teach it to children?
by Christina Easton
Freedom and choice
idea
Brainwashing has a grim history that we shouldn’t dismiss
Scientific research and historical accounts can help us identify and dissect the threat of ‘coercive persuasion’
by Joel E Dimsdale
Knowledge and reason
idea
Dare to speak your mind and together we flourish
Reason emerges through dialogue with others. To truly flourish, stop self-censoring and risk your status to speak your mind
by Hrishikesh Joshi
Learning and education
idea
Why I shut down an argument in my philosophy for children class
To provide the free, open conditions needed to do philosophy for children can sometimes mean restricting what gets said
by Amy Reed-Sandoval
Focus and attention
idea
‘Farsighted impulsivity’ and the new psychology of self-control
When people prioritise the present, it’s not because they’re being short-sighted – quite the opposite could be true
by Adam Bulley
Imagination
idea
Nourish your imagination and you will be forever free
The imagination is fundamental to the human experience, freeing us from physical confines and anchoring us during unrest
by Tania Zittoun