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Knowledge and reason

A woman seen from behind is advising another woman on something. They are standing at the edge of a wide road

Communication and language

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Recognise the point of giving advice and you can do it better

A philosophical look at advising highlights what makes it a distinct form of interaction – and why it often goes wrong

by Joshua Habgood-Coote

Protesters holding various flags and banners, including anti-Islamist messages, stand along a riverbank at sunset with an urban skyline in the background.

Knowledge and reason

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How Nietzsche’s insights can help fight fanaticism

Fanatical thinking is based on a narrative of resentment toward outgroups. Nietzsche offers two ways of changing the script

by Paul Katsafanas

A woman seen from behind talks on a mobile phone while distractedly running her hand through her hair

Worry and rumination

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If thinking is rational, what makes overthinking irrational?

A philosophical perspective on overthinking offers fresh insights into the mental processes involved in anxiety and OCD

by Pablo Hubacher Haerle

A couple sits on a ledge overlooking a city and harbour at twilight, sharing an umbrella.

Meaning and the good life

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You can be a materialist and find meaning in the universe

My hard-nosed materialism led me to an existential crisis, but then I realised the difference between science and scientism

by Jessica Tracy

A man in a light suit stands with a smiling woman while a faceless figure with exposed circuitry stands in the background.

Technology and media

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Chatbots remind us that natural conversation is artificial too

People fret about the authenticity of AI chatbots but precisely the same issues confront everyday exchanges between humans

by Larry S McGrath

A woman in a headscarf holds a broken umbrella and looks up, while another person sits on a bench in the background.

Knowledge and reason

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Reason is a powerful tool, but it pays to know its limits

As a philosophy student, I was bewitched by the power of reason – but my life is freer since I escaped from its spell

by Pranay Sanklecha

Abstract black-and-white image of a spiralling, tunnel-like structure with concentric circles, framed by a vintage-style border.

The nature of reality

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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

Wooden sign of a cow with a “SEAFOOD” sign below, set against a background of a red barn, gravel and a tree.

Learning and education

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Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a symptom of learning

Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a sign of learning, but the key is finding the sweet spot of productive confusion

by Juliette Vazard