Author: 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology

"1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology" is a constantly-growing collection of original essays on important philosophical topics. These essays are introductions rather than argumentative articles. Each essay is as close to 1000 words (while never going over!) as the author can get it. A 1000-word essay takes between five and ten minutes to read. That’s about the length of a bus ride or a waiting room stay or the lead-up to a class meeting. Professional philosophy can seem abstract, esoteric, and hyper-specialized. But we all ask and try to answer philosophical questions myriad times daily: philosophy is the purview not just of the expert, but of all thoughtful people. Our goal in writing and sharing these essays is to provide high-quality introductions to great philosophical questions and debates. We hope that philosophers and non-philosophers alike will benefit from perusing these essays. Our authors generally provide references or sources for more information for readers whose interest is piqued by a particular topic or debate. https://1000wordphilosophy.com/about/

What Is Misogyny?

Shepard Fairey's 2017 Triptych: "We the People: Greater Than Fear, Defend Dignity, & Protect Each Other"
~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 7 Comments

Authors: Odelia Zuckerman and Clair Morrissey Categories: Philosophy of Sex and Gender, Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Race Word count: 998 The term misogyny[1] refers to systems that uphold gender-based oppression against women and girls. What those systems are, and how they operate, is a subject of philosophical debate. Here we explain two … Continue reading What Is Misogyny?

Gricean Conversational Implicature: What We Say and What We Mean

Paul Grice and the cover of his "Studies in the Way of Words."
~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 2 Comments

Author: Thomas Hodgson Category: Philosophy of Mind and Language Word count: 997 Alex and Chris are making cabbage soup and realize that there isn’t any cabbage in the kitchen. Alex states ‘there is a market nearby’. Chris takes Alex to have said that there is a market nearby. Alex also meant that cabbage can be … Continue reading Gricean Conversational Implicature: What We Say and What We Mean

Formal Logic: Symbolizing Arguments in Quantificational or Predicate Logic

Rudolf Carnap’s notes on Gottlob Frege’s Begriffsschrift, the progenitor of modern quantificational logic.
~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 4 Comments

Author: Timothy Eshing Category: Logic and Reasoning Word count: 1000 Editor’s note: for many readers, this essay would be more profitably read after reading Formal Logic: Symbolizing Arguments in Sentential Logic by Thomas Metcalf. There are many varieties of formal logic of varying complexity. Here we survey one that’s somewhat more complex than sentential or … Continue reading Formal Logic: Symbolizing Arguments in Quantificational or Predicate Logic

Praise and Blame

Van Gogh, "First Steps"
~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 10 Comments

Author: Daniel Miller Categories: Ethics, Metaphysics Word Count: 1000 We praise people for morally good things: giving to charity, being generous, having compassion for the needy. We blame for morally bad things: cheating on one’s spouse, being selfish, harboring ill will towards others.[1] What are praise and blame, though? When are they appropriate? This essay … Continue reading Praise and Blame

G. E. M. Anscombe’s “Modern Moral Philosophy”

Gertrude Elizabeth Margaret Anscombe
~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 3 Comments

Author: Daniel Weltman Category: Ethics, Historical Philosophy Word Count: 1000 When discussing morality, we often talk about what we ought to do: e.g., “you ought not to cheat on that test” or “you shouldn’t steal candy from a baby.” The philosopher Gertrude Elizabeth Margaret Anscombe (1919-2001) argues in her article "Modern Moral Philosophy" (1958) that … Continue reading G. E. M. Anscombe’s “Modern Moral Philosophy”