Values and ethical living
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
Ageing
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Efforts to expand the lifespan ignore what it’s like to get old
As modern medicine extends the human lifespan, quality of life is not keeping up, raising thorny ethical dilemmas
by Robert S Gable
Cultural diversity
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Cultural differences are far more nuanced than East vs West
It’s simply not the case that ‘Eastern’ cultures are relationally-minded, while ‘Western’ societies are individualistic
by Matt Huston
Cognitive and behavioural therapies
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CBT is the ‘gold standard’, but is that just for white people?
CBT is supported by a strong evidence base. However, effective cultural adaptation of the therapy is a work in progress
by Shayla Love
Ethics
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Morality aside, there’s another good reason to love your enemies
Wishing your antagonists well can be seen as a moral obligation or a misguided ideal. But it might serve your interests
by Alex Moran
Civic life
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It’s not only political conservatives who worry about moral purity
You might think the political Right is more focussed on morals than the Left. But purity is a pervasive political value
by Kurt Gray, Will Blakey & Nicholas DiMaggio
Fairness and equality
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Teaching self-confidence can backfire and perpetuate inequality
It’s true that self-confidence is beneficial, but the way in which it’s often taught is misguided and can be harmful
by Eddie Brummelman & Kelly Ziemer
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
Trauma and PTSD
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Many refugees carry a distinct type of trauma: ‘moral injury’
Trauma is usually fear-based, but refugees are also burdened by witnessing moral violations and their own ethical dilemmas
by Angela Nickerson & Philippa Specker
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
Ethics
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A fake-meat burger, a sex doll and a thought experiment
How is enjoying a burger, even if it’s one made of fake meat, different from enjoying a female, even if she’s a sex doll?
by Rebecca Lowe
Change and self-development
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The cult of being confident and why it doesn’t help women
By making women solely responsible for their own empowerment, the culture of confidence masks the true causes of inequality
by Rosalind Gill & Shani Orgad