What makes something funny? This essay reviews some theories of what it is for something to
The Philosophy of Humor: What Makes Something Funny?
Category: Historical Philosophy
Karl Marx’s Theory of History
Author: Angus Taylor Categories: Social and Political Philosophy, Historical Philosophy Word Count: 998 Karl Marx (1818–1883) is one of history’s most influential and controversial figures. He devoted most of his time to trying to understand the inner workings of capitalist economies.[1] He was also a philosopher concerned with the alienation under capitalism of individuals from … Continue reading Karl Marx’s Theory of History
Classical Syllogisms
Author: Timothy Eshing Category: Logic and Reasoning, Historical Philosophy Word Count: 999 Consider this argument: All humans are mammals. All mammals are animals. Therefore, all humans are animals. It’s an example of a classical syllogism. The logic of syllogisms, which are special kinds of deductive arguments, was famously discussed by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle … Continue reading Classical Syllogisms
Philosophy of Space and Time: What is Space?
Categories: Metaphysics, Philosophy of Science, Historical Philosophy Author: Dan Peterson Word Count: 999 Imagine that every object in the universe – you, your chair, Earth, everything else – moved one meter to your left. Would you notice a difference? Facts about relative distances, like how far my chair is from me, would remain the same … Continue reading Philosophy of Space and Time: What is Space?
The Ethics of Mozi: Social Organization and Impartial Care
Author: Henrique Schneider Categories: Chinese Philosophy, Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy Word count: 994 Mo Di, or Mozi[1], (墨子, c. 470 – c. 391 BCE) is the founding figure of Mohism, a philosophical, social, and self-defense movement during the Warring States era (479–221 BCE) in China. Mohism, as much of early Chinese philosophy, ties ethics … Continue reading The Ethics of Mozi: Social Organization and Impartial Care
G. E. M. Anscombe’s “Modern Moral Philosophy”
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”
Why be Moral? Plato’s ‘Ring of Gyges’ Thought Experiment
Author: Spencer Case Categories: Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, Historical Philosophy Word count: 995 What if you could steal, cheat, and violate any other moral norm without fear of punishment? Would you still have reason to do what’s right? The ancient Greek philosopher Plato (427—347 B.C.E.) considered this question in his dialogue, the Republic, which … Continue reading Why be Moral? Plato’s ‘Ring of Gyges’ Thought Experiment
“Can They Suffer?”: Bentham on our Obligations to Animals
An overview of Jeremy Bentham's ethical views on animal rights, including the famous quote “the question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?”
Psychological Approaches to Personal Identity: Do Memories and Consciousness Make Us Who We Are?
An introduction to the theory of personal identity known as a psychological theory of personal identity: the nature of persons is that we are our conscious mind and memories.
Is it Wrong to Believe Without Sufficient Evidence? W.K. Clifford’s “The Ethics of Belief”
An introduction to W.K. Clifford’s “The Ethics of Belief.”
1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology 