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.
Values and beliefs
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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
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
Cultural diversity
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Thinking and intelligence
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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
Virtues and vices
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Toleration is an impressive virtue that’s worth reviving
To be tolerant you need both to sustain your moral beliefs and at the same time resist the temptation to act on them
by Daniel Callcut