What are conspiracy theories? What is a conspiracy theory? Are conspiracy theories always irrational to accept?
Year: 2020
What Is It To Love Someone?
We love our friends, our family, and our romantic partners. We love them in very different ways, though, so we might wonder what, if anything, makes all of them cases of the same thing, namely, love. What is it to love someone?
Frege’s Puzzle and the Meaning of Words
An introduction to Frege's puzzle and outline his solution.
What is Philosophy?
What is philosophy? The question is itself a philosophical question. This essay surveys some answers. #philosophy #whatisphilosophy #definingphilosophy
Is Death Bad? Epicurus and Lucretius on the Fear of Death
Most people think dying would be bad for them and so they fear it. Is that fear rational? The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 BCE) says no. He argues that death—as the permanent extinction of consciousness—is not bad, so we should not fear it. The Roman philosopher Lucretius (94- circa 55 BCE) agrees, and he defends Epicurus. If Epicurus and Lucretius are right, then fear of death is irrational. But are they right?
John Stuart Mill on The Good Life: Higher-Quality Pleasures
Author: Dale E. Miller Category: Ethics, Historical Philosophy Wordcount: 994 Video below One important question in ethics is what makes people’s lives go well for them. Philosophers have proposed various theories about what things in and of themselves make people better off, i.e., theories of “well-being.” Many such theories say that pleasurable experiences are at least … Continue reading John Stuart Mill on The Good Life: Higher-Quality Pleasures
Feminism Part 3: The Dominance Approach
Author: Chelsea Haramia Category: Philosophy of Sex and Gender, Social and Political Philosophy, Ethics Word Count: 1000 Editor’s Note: This essay is the third in a three-part series on the topic of philosophical feminism. The first two parts, on the Sameness Approach to feminism and the Difference Approach to feminism, are by Annaleigh Curtis. The … Continue reading Feminism Part 3: The Dominance Approach
Epistemology, or Theory of Knowledge
What is knowledge? And how do we come to have it? Is it important that we have knowledge? If so, why? The branch of philosophy that attempts to answer these and related questions is known as ‘epistemology’ or ‘theory of knowledge.’ This essay introduces epistemology.
al-Ghazālī’s Dream Argument for Skepticism
Author: John Ramsey Categories: Epistemology, Historical Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Islamic Philosophy, Global Philosophy Word Count: 997 Right now you probably think that you are awake, that you are not asleep and dreaming. But do you know you aren’t dreaming? French philosopher René Descartes (1596–1650) famously asked a question like this at the beginning of … Continue reading al-Ghazālī’s Dream Argument for Skepticism
Epistemic Injustice
An introduction to the concept of epistemic injustice.