What is civil disobedience? Can it be justified? If so, under what conditions? And what should happen to people who engage in civil disobedience? Should they be punished? Or should they be praised This essay reviews some important philosophical answers to these questions.
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/
Ethics and Animal Research
While many medical advances such as vaccines, analgesics, and dialysis have involved animal research, the practice is controversial for a simple reason: we experiment on animals because they are like us, yet this likeness may imply that we’re wrong to use them. This essay discusses the ethics of animal research, by considering three common defenses of it and some responses.
Stoicism: Finding Happiness in What’s Under Your Control
The things that upset us often aren’t in our control. Stoic philosophers argue that it isn’t wise to allow these events to upset us. Instead, we need to regulate our emotions. For Stoics, this is the key to a happy—and good—life. This essay introduces some basic Stoic ideas.
Animal Minds
It’s natural to believe that many nonhuman animals think and feel—and therefore have minds—but it’s important to consider whether these beliefs are justified. This essay explores animal minds, the challenges involved in studying them, and why such study matters.
Arguments from Religious Experience: Richard Swinburne’s ‘Principle of Credulity’
Philosopher Richard Swinburne (b. 1934) attempts to categorize these different types of religious experience. He argues that such experiences are usually some evidence for the existence of whatever people believe they encounter. This essay summarizes Swinburne’s philosophy of religious experience.
Philosophy of Pain
An introduction to the philosophy of pain: is pain physical or mental? What is the role of the pain system? And, is pain always unpleasant? These questions are the focus of this essay.
Martin Heidegger on Being: Why is There Something Rather than Nothing?
An introduction to Martin Heidegger's notion of Being.
William James on Mystical Experience
William James is considered the first philosopher of mysticism. This essay introduces James’ views on mystical experience.
Robert Nozick’s “Wilt Chamberlain” Argument for Libertarianism
Nozick thinks that a story about the basketball superstar Wilt Chamberlain shows why the government should not take from the rich to help everyone else. This article explains Nozick’s argument which he uses to support “libertarianism,” his view that the government’s role is not to redistribute wealth but to promote liberty.
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Society, and the Environment
This essay introduces some of the most urgent moral and societal issues related to Artificial Intelligence.