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1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology

1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology

Philosophy, One Thousand Words at a Time

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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/

The Meaning of Life: What’s the Point?

February 6, 2023September 22, 2025 ~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 5 Comments

Does life’s having meaning depend on a supernatural reality? Is death a threat to life’s meaning? Is life the sort of thing that can have a “meaning”? In what sense? Here we will consider some approaches to questions about the meaning of life.

Arguments: Why Do You Believe What You Believe?

December 28, 2022June 23, 2026 ~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 5 Comments

This essay is an introduction to what arguments are and how they can be good or bad.

Philosophy of Humor: What Makes Something Funny?

November 20, 2022January 2, 2025 ~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 1 Comment

What makes something funny? This essay reviews some theories of what it is for something to be funny.

Karl Marx’s Theory of History

November 4, 2022January 7, 2025 ~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 7 Comments

An introduction to Karl Marx's theory of history, known as historical materialism.

Meaning in Life: What Makes Our Lives Meaningful?

October 31, 2022January 31, 2026 ~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 9 Comments

What is a meaningful life? This essay reviews some influential answers to this question.

Modal Logic: Axioms and Systems for Alethic Modal Logic

October 26, 2022November 24, 2025 ~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 1 Comment

An introduction to the axioms and systems for alethic modal logic.

Contemporary Syllogisms

October 23, 2022April 2, 2026 ~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 2 Comments

Contemporary syllogisms are part of modern day quantificational logic, which is widely regarded as an improvement upon the approach originally described by Aristotle about 2,400 years ago. This essay discusses the contemporary approach to syllogisms.

Saving the Many or the Few: The Moral Relevance of Numbers

October 9, 2022July 29, 2024 ~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 1 Comment

Many claim that, when those you can help are innocent strangers with similar interests at stake, you’re required to save the greater number. Is this claim justified? This essay reviews some doubts.

Classical Syllogisms

August 28, 2022April 2, 2026 ~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 3 Comments

This essay introduces the classical Aristotelian approach to syllogisms.

Philosophy of Space and Time: What is Space?

August 3, 2022June 4, 2025 ~ 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology ~ 2 Comments

An introduction to the philosophy of space and time, focusing on the question, "What is space?"

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