Dehumanization involves wrongly treating or viewing some person or group as less than human. But what exactly is it to treat or view some person or group as less than human? And how might these actions and beliefs be related? This essay introduces influential answers to these questions so we might better understand dehumanization.
Category: Ethics
“That’s Subjective”: Subjectivism about Truth, Beauty, and Goodness
People sometimes say that judgments about what’s true, what’s ethical, what others find beautiful or aesthetically pleasing, and more are "subjective." What does “subjective” really mean? Are judgments like these truly “subjective”? This essay introduces different answers to these questions.
Transformative Experiences: Can Life-Changing Choices Be Both Rational and Authentic?
Transformative experiences are radically new experiences that significantly change who you are. Can we rationally choose to have transformative experiences in a way that’s authentic to our own values? This essay explores this question.
Martin Heidegger on Technology
Philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) argues that the main problem with technology’s dominance is how it limits our thinking and what we experience as human beings. Heidegger presents this view in a philosophy of technology that seeks to identify the defining characteristic or essence of modern technology. This essay summarizes Heidegger’s theory.
Civil Disobedience: Seeking Justice by Breaking the Law
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.
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.
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.
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.