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Thinkers and theories

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Black and white photo of soldiers walking on a ridge with their reflections in the water below.

History and philosophy of mental health

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One woman’s six-word mantra that has helped to calm millions

Ahead of her time, yet largely ignored by psychiatry, Claire Weekes taught millions of readers how to overcome anxiety

by Judith Hoare

A painting of a man with long hair wearing a black outfit and hat, holding a lit cigarette, and sitting in a café with a glass of green liquid.

Thinkers and theories

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Learning to be a loser: a philosopher’s case for doing nothing

For Emil Cioran, a life devoid of action, practical ambitions and busyness is a life in which room has been made for meaning

by Costica Bradatan

Ancient Greek marble relief of a girl holding doves, displayed on a pedestal, depicting detailed clothing and serene expression.

Habits and routines

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Sprinkle a little ancient philosophy into your daily routines

Long before the psychology research was in, ancient philosophers knew the importance of spiritual exercise for wellbeing

by Joel Owen

Painting of a man on a leafy balcony with potted plants and German text on the wall below.

Thinkers and theories

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For Nietzsche, nihilism goes deeper than ‘life is pointless’

For Friedrich Nietzsche, nihilism is a terrible psychological problem – a coping mechanism with deadly consequences

by Kaitlyn Creasy

A painting depicting a cosmological diagram with an abstract human figure and various mythical creatures.

History of ideas

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Ancient Indian texts reveal the liberating power of metaphysics

Indian metaphysics presented a philosophical route to a higher level of existence beyond limits of space and time

by Jessica Frazier

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

Freedom and choice

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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 an elderly man with grey hair in front of a bookshelf filled with colourful books.

Thinkers and theories

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To Karl Jaspers, uncertainty is not to be overcome but understood

The existentialist Karl Jaspers believed uncertainty ungirds human existence: better to recognise this than rage against it

by Carmen Lea Dege

Black and white photo of an office with a laptop and monitors, showing an image of a person with hands on their head.

Thinkers and theories

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Pseudophilosophy encourages confused, self-indulgent thinking

Pseudophilosophy can result from simple misunderstanding or wilful obscurity. The cure is basic critical thinking skills

by Victor Moberger

Painting of a chaotic ancient city in flames, with a large statue and crowds fleeing across a bridge over a turbulent sea.

History of ideas

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How the ancient philosophers imagined the end of the world

How the ancient Greeks and Romans imagined the end of the world, and what we can learn from them today about catastrophe

by Christopher Star

People sitting and walking through a city square on a sunny day, with a red brick building and large advertising posters covering other buildings.

Stories and literature

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Your life is not a story: why narrative thinking holds you back

Our stories help us make sense of a chaotic world, but they can be harmful and restrictive. There’s a liberating alternative

by Karen Simecek

A photo of a child in a red dress running on a wooden bridge with adults walking in the background under a clear sky.

Ageing

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Simone de Beauvoir recommends we fight for ourselves as we age

Old age, for Simone de Beauvoir, is not shameful or frightening but should be celebrated as an opportunity to be authentic

by Skye C Cleary

Hands sculpting a small, rough clay figure of a person’s head and torso against a blurred background.

The self

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When Nietzsche said ‘become who you are’, this is what he meant

Behind the philosopher’s cryptic phrase is an invocation to sculpt your ideal self out of the hard stone of your psyche

by Ryan A Bush