Welcome to 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology, an ever-growing set of over 160 original 1000-word essays on philosophical questions, theories, figures, and arguments. 

New to philosophy?! Perhaps begin with our essays What is Philosophy? by Thomas Metcalf, Critical Thinking: What is it to be a Critical Thinker? by Carolina Flores, and Is it Wrong to Believe Without Sufficient Evidence? W.K. Clifford’s “The Ethics of Belief” by Spencer Case.

Many of our most popular essays are available as audio recordings and some are available as videos.

We publish new essays frequently, so please check back for updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe by email on this page to receive notifications of new essays.

A teaching units page has resources to help instructors develop course modules.

Select Recent Essays

The Philosophy of Humor: What Makes Something Funny? by Chris A. Kramer

Karl Marx’s Theory of History by Angus Taylor

Meaning in Life: What Makes Our Lives Meaningful? by Matthew Pianalto

Modal Logic: Axioms and Systems for Alethic Modal Logic by Tom Metcalf

Contemporary Syllogisms by Timothy Eshing

Saving the Many or the Few: The Moral Relevance of Numbers by Theron Pummer

Philosophy of Space and Time: What is Space? and Philosophy of Space and Time: Are the Past and Future Real? by Dan Peterson

What Is Misogyny? by Odelia Zuckerman and Clair Morrissey

Philosophy and Race: An Introduction to Philosophy of Race by Thomas Metcalf

“Can They Suffer?”: Bentham on our Obligations to Animals by Daniel Weltman

Ursula Le Guin’s “The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas”: Would You Walk Away? by Spencer Case

Indoctrination: What is it to Indoctrinate Someone? by Chris Ranalli

Agnosticism about God’s Existence by Sylwia Wilczewska

African American Existentialism: DuBois, Locke, Thurman, and King by Anthony Sean Neal

Conspiracy Theories by Jared Millson

Philosophical Inquiry in Childhood by Jana Mohr Lone

Essay Categories

* New categories are added as the project expands. 

Popular Essays

* This is a selection of some of our most popular essays. 

Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am” by Charles Miceli and Descartes’ Meditations by Marc Bobro

Marx’s Conception of Alienation by Dan Lowe

John Rawls’ ‘A Theory of Justice’ by Ben Davies

The Ethics of Abortion by Nathan Nobis

Aristotle’s Defense of Slavery by Dan Lowe

“God is Dead”: Nietzsche and the Death of God by Justin Remhof

Philosophy and Its Contrast with Science: Comparing Philosophical and Scientific Understanding by Thomas Metcalf

Happiness: What is it to be Happy? by Kiki Berk

Pascal’s Wager: A Pragmatic Argument for Belief in God by Liz Jackson

The African Ethic of Ubuntu by Thaddeus Metz

All Essays

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