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Values and beliefs

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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 a person kneeling on a barren landscape under a cloudy sky, capturing a sense of isolation and vastness.

Spirituality and religion

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Religion gives life meaning. Can anything else take its place?

Religious faith promotes a sense of meaning in life – and it might take more than ‘social glue’ to duplicate the effect

by Michael M Prinzing

A woman in period dress smiles while holding a small object depicting a nude seated figure.

Laughter and comedy

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Just when in history did men decide that women are not funny?

Women have been witty and bawdy throughout history. It’s only recently that men haven’t been able to see their funny side

by Joy Wiltenburg

Photo of a man in a crowd wearing a large letter Q with the American flag pattern. Many people wear red hats.

Thinking and intelligence

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How conspiracy theories bypass people’s rationality

Prior research has focused on the negative reasons people are drawn to conspiracies, but there’s another side to the story

by Jan-Willem van Prooijen

Photo of a person riding a donkey on a rocky hill at sunset with a wide, expansive sky and distant rolling hills.

Spirituality and religion

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Why religion without belief can still make perfect sense

Meet the practising agnostic and the religious fictionalist: people for whom religion can work well without sure belief

by Philip Goff

Photo of a chain-link fence with a “Private Property No Trespassing” sign in front of an open field.

Personality

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Your sense of right and wrong is interwoven with your personality

Personality traits such as agreeableness and openness to experience can help explain differences in moral judgment

by Luke D Smillie & Milan Andrejević

Cartoon scene in a kitchen with a woman wearing an oven mitt and a man standing by a pie on the hob.

Values and beliefs

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Marge and Homer’s ice cream argument, or why metaethics matters

Metaethics is about the meaning of our moral concepts, which are so consequential for moral debates and behaviour

by Rachel Handley

Painting depicting pioneers with covered wagons and oxen travelling through a valley, with mountains, a river, and people on horseback in the background.

Identity

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I rebuilt my self-esteem by changing the story of who I am

I once clung to a dubious family legend to help me cope with a difficult childhood. I’ve since found a better story to tell

by Patricia Olsen

Painting of elegantly dressed people at a party, one serving sandwiches to others who are smiling and holding plates.

Virtues and vices

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Be honest: little white lies are more harmful than you think

Even well-intentioned white lies can foster disconnection and distrust – openness and honesty really are the best policy

by Elena Svetieva & Leanne ten Brinke

Photo of a bearded man holding a US flag at an outdoor gathering, with blurred people and flags in the background.

Values and beliefs

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Popper was right about the link between certainty and extremism

In terms of irrational confidence, many people at opposite ends of the political spectrum seem to have something in common

by Thomas Costello & Shauna Bowes

A man watches a film on a monitor, showing a close-up of a scene with two people.

Addiction

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If you think you’ve got a porn addiction, you probably haven’t

People with addictions see relationships, health and careers fall apart. Most people who watch porn don’t meet this definition

by Joshua Grubbs

Abstract photo of colourful bokeh lights in red, green and yellow on a dark background.

Virtues and vices

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‘Moral molecules’ – a new theory of what goodness is made of

Seven basic moral elements could be the building blocks of morality, recombining as needed to form new moral molecules

by Oliver Scott Curry, Mark Alfano, Mark Brandt & Christine Pelican