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Nigel Warburton

Consultant Editor and Interviewer, Aeon+Psyche

Nigel is a writer, philosopher and podcaster. He is interviewer for the popular Philosophy Bites podcast. His books include A Little History of Philosophy, The Art Question and Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction. Nigel is on Twitter @philosophybites.

See Nigel Warburton’s profile on Aeon

Website

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Edited by Nigel Warburton

Illustration of a nurse pouring a drink for a seated man at a table with flowers and books.

Cultural diversity

idea

What we lose by being overly scientific about healthcare

Empirical studies tell us about treatment outcomes, but they overlook the cultural dynamics that can help us feel better

by Ana Todorović

A man is seen through a windowpane with blurred people and autumn foliage shown in the reflection.

Values and beliefs

idea

What a dream helped me see about the politics of sovereignty

A moment of insight captured the danger in our widespread ‘sovereigntism’ – and how we ought to relate to each other instead

by Rupert Read

Close-up of a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion, and sauce in a sesame seed bun.

Ethics

idea

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

Aerial view of a mountain range with rugged terrain, valleys and ridges under a hazy sky.

Cultural diversity

idea

The Quechua idea ‘pacha’ urges us beyond narrow self-concern

The Quechua term ‘pacha’ embodies an Andean worldview that sees everything as related, transcending narrow self-interest

by Jorge Sanchez Perez

Painting of large trees with exposed roots in a verdant forest, a wooden fence and a distant cabin partially obscured by foliage in the background.

Imagination

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Aphantasia can be a gift to philosophers and critics like me

Aphantasia veils the past and the future from the mind’s eye. That can be a gift to philosophers like Derek Parfit and me

by Mette Leonard Høeg

A large spider sculpture with St. Paul’s Cathedral and cranes in the background on a cloudy day in London.

Poetry

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A conversation with my spider Maman and Louise Bourgeois

Woman made of braided steel, monster I call Maman: why am I so scared of you? An imagined conversation with Louise Bourgeois

by Pascale Petit

Waxwork of a woman in a vintage recording studio behind a microphone. A control panel is in the foreground, and a sign reads “Sing like Crazy with Patsy Cline.”

Music

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They’re playing our song! The philosophical puzzle of cover songs

Can a song be both the original and a copy? Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, and the ‘crazy’ philosophical puzzle of song covers

by P D Magnus

Two women in period costumes, one lying on a bed with colourful blankets, the other standing behind her, both in a room with patterned wallpaper.

Theatre and performance

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Why did Ibsen put ‘philosophers in skirts’ up on the stage?

When Henrik Ibsen put ‘philosophers in skirts’ into his plays, he demonstrated a different way of thinking about the world

by Kristin Gjesdal

Abstract art with intersecting black lines and coloured circles in blue, yellow, green, and black on a white background.

Change and self-development

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How to change your self-limiting beliefs

Let Descartes, Kant and other philosophers help you view the world through a more positive filter and you’ll bloom

by Rebecca Roache

Soldiers in camouflage uniforms resting at dusk in a desert landscape, with distant fires and smoke visible on the horizon.

Ethics

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What luck in war reveals about the role of chance in life

From the battlefield to the playing field, don’t overlook the role of luck. It shapes how we judge others, and ourselves

by Andy Owen

Silhouette of a person riding a horse up a rocky hill during sunset, with rolling hills in the distance.

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

Person with curly hair in a dark jacket stands facing a large, minimalistic framed artwork with a plain background.

Thinking and intelligence

guide

How to think for yourself

Schopenhauer and Proust can help you find inspiration from your favourite writers while also retaining an independent mind

by David Bather Woods