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Sam Dresser

Senior Editor, Aeon+Psyche

Sam has been with Aeon since its launch in 2012. He’s most interested in how to do philosophy and in the continental/analytic divide. History and politics are also amusing to him. He considers Evelyn Waugh to be a very funny writer and enjoys pubs more than he should.

See Sam Dresser’s profile on Aeon

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Written by Sam Dresser

Photo of a man skateboarding beside the ocean with an old car watching a woman in a swimsuit on a sunny day.

Virtues and vices

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How to think about pleasure

Weirdly hard to define, much less to feel OK about it, pleasure is a tricky creature. Can philosophy help us lighten up?

by Sam Dresser

Painting of a man seated at a table next to a skull on books, with a patterned curtain in the background.

Death and dying

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How to not fear your death

You exist, but one day you won’t. An Epicurean perspective can help you feel less afraid, and even grateful for life’s finitude

by Sam Dresser

Edited by Sam Dresser

A classical painting of two women and a man in a lavishly decorated room with ornate furniture and clothing, 19th century style.

Ethics

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The curious paradox in how we address each other today

While honouring people’s preferred pronouns, we’ve begun to neglect forms of formal address. Perhaps we need a rethink

by David Benatar

A blue sports car and a grey luxury car parked on a city street with people and a Christian Dior shop in the background.

Gender

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The ‘masculinity crisis’ is actually a crisis of self-esteem

There’s a modern belief that talent or effort can carry anyone to the top. It’s a myth that’s especially harmful to men

by Leo Rogers

Black and white photo of a couple kissing, with focus on a woman’s hand wearing a ring and watch.

Love

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How to think differently about love

Poets, philosophers and scientists all tell stories about the nature of romantic love. It can be liberating to critique them

by Arina Pismenny

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Conflict and conflict resolution

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Restorative justice fits human nature more than retribution does

As recognised by ancestral wisdom and Indigenous practices, our need to repair relationships is a deep-rooted instinct

by Flavia Corso

Social history

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Bunkerised society – why prepping for end times is so American

Millions are preparing for doomsday, not together, but by closing the hatch. It’s a logical response to a hollowed-out state

by Robert Kirsch & Emily Ray

An ancient Greek clay jug with red stripes and inscriptions against a dark background.

Communication and language

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I am an article about the speaking objects of ancient Greece

Talkative drinking cups and threatening oil flasks tell us how the written word asserted its authority in an oral society

by Teddy Fassberg

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Music

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How to get hooked on opera

Aspects of opera can seem strange. But give it a try and you’ll soon find yourself absorbed in a truly magical experience

by Alexandra Wilson

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Civic life

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Bureaucracy and other civic bullshit can be good for us

No one enjoys waiting in stuffy buildings or on congested roadways, but there’s an upside to our fellowship of frustration

by Joel Cox

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Knowledge and reason

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Long COVID brain fog was my enemy. How did it become my friend?

The confusion of my illness helped me understand Buddhist theories of ignorance and its role in the relief of suffering

by Emily McRae

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Goals and motivation

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How temptation works, and why it nearly stopped me writing this

Temptation can be sneaky – a rationalising voice that subtly undermines your resolve. But there are ways to outsmart it

by John Schwenkler

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Wonder and the sublime

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The most profound wonder is stirred by what is most ordinary

Rare moments of wonder at the mere existence of things – rather than the dramatic or new – involve perceiving with the soul

by Maria Balaska

Photo of a person driving a car, seen through a car window, lit by warm sunlight, wearing glasses, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand resting in front of their face.

Consciousness

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How to think about consciousness

What is it like to be you? Dive into the philosophical puzzle of consciousness and see yourself and the world in new ways

by Amy Kind