This essay is currently unavailable. Check back later for an updated discussion of this topic. For introductions to induction, see: The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Problem of Induction The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Problem of Induction Follow 1000-Word Philosophy on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, Twitter / X, Threads, TikTok, and LinkedIn, and subscribe to receive email notifications of new essays at 1000WordPhilosophy.com.
Author: 1000wordphilosophy
The Extended Mind
Author: Rachel Bourbaki Category: Philosophy of Mind and Language Word Count: 1000 Can your mind be outside of your body? Typically we think that the mind—including our thoughts, beliefs, memories, experiences, attitudes, etc.—is internal to our bodies. A number of philosophers challenge this commonsense view. The view of the mind that these philosophers propose is knows as an extended view, … Continue reading The Extended Mind
Consequentialism and Utilitarianism
An introduction to consequentialism and utilitarianism.
Karl Popper and Falsificationism
Author: Michael Zerella Category: Philosophy of Science Word Count: 1000 “A million successful experiments cannot prove a theory correct, but one failed experiment can prove a theory wrong.” Perhaps you’ve heard someone use this cliché to describe the scientific method as a tough-minded and unsentimental pursuit of an accurate understanding of nature. The sentiment has … Continue reading Karl Popper and Falsificationism
Moral Luck
An introduction to the concept of moral luck.
Definitions of Art: What is Art?
What distinguishes art from non-art? This is a central question in the field of study called aesthetics, which focuses on philosophical issues about art. This essay introduces influential philosophical attempts to define art.
The Badness of Death
Author: Duncan Purves Category: Ethics, Phenomenology and Existentialism Word Count: 1000 So death, the most terrifying of ills, is nothing to us, since so long as we exist, death is not with us; but when death comes, then we do not exist. It does not then concern either the living or the dead, since for … Continue reading The Badness of Death
Origin Essentialism: What Could Have Been Different about You?
Author: Chad Vance Category: Metaphysics Word Count: 1000 Could you have been an alligator? Or a roller skate? Is there a possible scenario where you were never born as a human being, but where someone builds a roller skate, and you are that roller skate? Probably not. Most people think that you could not have … Continue reading Origin Essentialism: What Could Have Been Different about You?
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
Author: Jason Wyckoff Category: Social and Political Philosophy Word Count: 1000 What is the relationship between being rational and producing good results? One might think that rational people, acting rationally on good information, will always produce good outcomes for themselves, and maybe for others too. But consider William Poundstone’s description of a widely discussed case: “Two … Continue reading The Prisoner’s Dilemma
Existentialism
What do existentialists have to say about human nature and living a meaningful life? This essay provides introductory answers.