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Silhouetted soldiers walking along a ridge with their reflections in the water below during the First World War.

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 marble relief sculpture of a young girl holding two birds, with intricate detailing of her hair and clothing.

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

A man sits on a vine-covered balcony surrounded by potted plants, absorbed in thought, against a backdrop of lush green foliage.

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

Photo of a police officer talking to two elderly people sitting on a bench outside a French cafe, all wearing face masks.

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

Illustrated manuscript page with a circular cosmological diagram, human figure with intricate details, and several narrative scenes.

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

An elderly man with grey hair who is Karl Jaspers in front of a blurred bookshelf, in a dark suit, white shirt and a tie.

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 showing a desk with a laptop displaying a portrait of Michel Foucault between two monitors.

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

A classical city under attack with burning buildings, a damaged statue, fleeing people, and chaos on a bridge over the water.

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

A young girl in a red dress runs across a wooden bridge under bright sunlight, casting a shadow on the planks.

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

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

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