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.
“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.
Phenomenology: Describing Experiences From a First-Person Perspective
The philosophical method called phenomenology tries to understand experiences from the inside, i.e., what it’s like to live through different types of experiences from the individual experiencer’s own point of view. This essay introduces phenomenology’s attempt to achieve this understanding of our experiences.
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.
Jean-Luc Marion on ‘Saturated Phenomena’: What Are Mind-blowing Experiences?
This essay introduces French philosopher Jean-Luc Marion's concept of "saturated phenomena"—things people seem to experience (e.g., artworks, romantic partners, spiritual realities, etc.) that “blow your mind”—an important idea in the school of philosophy known as “phenomenology.”
Rudolf Otto on “Numinous” Religious Experience
German philosopher and theologian Rudolf Otto (1869-1937) coined the term “numinous” and described numinous religious experience in his influential 1917 book "The Idea of the Holy." This essay introduces Otto’s theory.
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.