An introduction to G.E. Moore’s Proof of an External World and his response to External World Skepticism.
Moore’s Proof of an External World: Responding to External World Skepticism
Category: Historical Philosophy
African American Existentialism: DuBois, Locke, Thurman, and King
An introduction to African American Existentialism and the thought of DuBois, Locke, Thurman, and King.
Pascal’s Wager: A Pragmatic Argument for Belief in God
Author: Liz Jackson Categories: Philosophy of Religion, Epistemology, Historical Philosophy, Logic and Reasoning Word Count: 996 Should you believe there’s a God? To answer this, we might examine arguments for theism—like first-cause and design arguments—and arguments for atheism—like arguments from evil. These arguments offer evidence for and against God’s existence.[1] Pascal’s wager, originally proposed by … Continue reading Pascal’s Wager: A Pragmatic Argument for Belief in God
What is Philosophy?
Author: Thomas Metcalf Category: Metaphilosophy Word count: 1000 Listen here If you’ve ever wondered whether God exists, whether life has purpose, whether beauty is in the eye of the beholder, what makes actions right or wrong, or whether a law is fair or just, then you’ve thought about philosophy. And these are just a few … Continue reading What is Philosophy?
Is Death Bad? Epicurus and Lucretius on the Fear of Death
Author: Frederik Kaufman Categories: Ethics, Metaphysics, Historical Philosophy Word count: 987 Listen here Most people think dying would be bad for them and so they fear it. Is that fear rational? The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 BCE) says no. He argues that death— as the permanent extinction of consciousness—is not bad, so we should … Continue reading Is Death Bad? Epicurus and Lucretius on the Fear of Death
John Stuart Mill on The Good Life: Higher-Quality Pleasures
Author: Dale E. Miller Category: Ethics, Historical Philosophy Wordcount: 994 One important question in ethics is what makes people’s lives go well for them. Philosophers have proposed various theories about what things in and of themselves make people better off, i.e., theories of “well-being.” Many such theories say that pleasurable experiences are at least part of … Continue reading John Stuart Mill on The Good Life: Higher-Quality Pleasures
al-Ghazālī’s Dream Argument for Skepticism
Author: John Ramsey Categories: Epistemology, Historical Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Islamic Philosophy Word Count: 997 Right now you probably think that you are awake, that you are not asleep and dreaming. But do you know you aren’t dreaming? French philosopher René Descartes (1596–1650) famously asked a question like this at the beginning of his Meditations … Continue reading al-Ghazālī’s Dream Argument for Skepticism
Aristotle’s Defense of Slavery
Author: Dan Lowe Categories: Historical Philosophy, Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Race Word Count: 999 Listen here Aristotle (384-322 BC) is one of the greatest philosophers, and his moral and political philosophy remains especially influential. But he also believed that, for some people, being enslaved was just and even beneficial for them. How … Continue reading Aristotle’s Defense of Slavery
Mill’s Proof of the Principle of Utility
Author: Dale E. Miller Category: Ethics, Historical Philosophy Wordcount: 999 It may seem obvious that happiness is valuable, but is it the only thing valuable for its own sake, as opposed to being useful as a way to get something else? The 19th-century utilitarian philosopher John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) argues that it is.[1] His argument … Continue reading Mill’s Proof of the Principle of Utility
Wu-Wei: Acting without Desire
Author: Henrique Schneider Categories: Chinese Philosophy, Historical Philosophy Word Count: 997 Wu-wei (無爲, wúwéi) is a central concept in early Chinese philosophy. However, different schools of thought conceptualized the notion differently, so it is difficult to briefly capture its multiple senses and uses. Our focus here will be on one sense of wu-wei in the … Continue reading Wu-Wei: Acting without Desire
1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology 