FORMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING
The word essay comes from the French infinitive verb essayer, meaning “to try” or “to attempt.” In fact, when the word was first borrowed into the English language, as essay,…
UTILITARIANISM
The French Revolution sparked legal and political reforms across Europe, which brought with them their accompanying philosophical frameworks.
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PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Many of the topics within the philosophy of science overlap with topics in metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of language insofar as they apply within our scientific practice. Metaphysical issues,…
NON-WESTERN PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITIONS
NON-WESTERN PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITIONS
As explained at the beginning of this chapter, this book is intended primarily for philosophy students, especially new philosophy students, whose focus is mainly or even exclusively on Western philosophical…
THE PERSONAL ESSAY
THE PERSONAL ESSAY
The personal essay is a self-reflective search for meaning. Unlike most philosophical writing, it is not argumentative. Instead, it is exploratory and speculative, often even somewhat confessional. It is typically…
INTRODUCTORY PHILOSOPHY TEXTS
INTRODUCTORY PHILOSOPHY TEXTS
There is no substitute for grappling primary sources. Nevertheless, secondary sources—including scholarly research, literary reviews, historical summaries—are valuable tools. They not only show you how you can begin thinking about…
MODAL LOGIC
MODAL LOGIC
A common extension to the standard formal languages outlined above is to introduce the technical machinery required to evaluate natural language arguments containing modal terminology (that is, talk of possibility…
PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
The study of natural languages is conventionally divided among questions of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, all of which raise significant issues for the philosophy of language. In terms of syntax…
THE EXPOSITORY PAPER
THE EXPOSITORY PAPER
We have already touched on the expository paper, but let’s discuss it briefly here. Look at the adjective expository. It is derived from the noun exposition, which is the noun…
TRANSCENDENTAL IDEALISM
TRANSCENDENTAL IDEALISM
The philosophical system developed by Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), Transcendental Idealism sought to overcome the epistemological problems of Empiricism while providing a rational justification for Liberalism.
THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD
THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD
Philosophical thought during the Enlightenment was characterized by a rejection of existing sources of authority. The broadly Aristotelean scientific worldview was undermined by a period of scientific revolution—conventionally beginning with…
UTILITARIANISM
UTILITARIANISM
The French Revolution sparked legal and political reforms across Europe, which brought with them their accompanying philosophical frameworks.
PHILOSOPHY AS METHOD
PHILOSOPHY AS METHOD
Our digital age suggests a useful analogy to further explain the role of philosophy in intellectual life. Philosophy is analogous to an operating system (OS), a software platform that enables…
HIGHER-ORDER LOGICS
HIGHER-ORDER LOGICS
The language sketched above is better referred to as first-order predicate calculus, as the language only quantifies over (first-order) individuals. A stronger language, second-order predicate calculus, can therefore be constructed…
THE ESSAY OF REFUTATION
THE ESSAY OF REFUTATION
The essay of refutation takes the position “I disagree.” Its objective is to persuade the reader that the argument of another is false, flawed, unlikely, implausible, or in some other…
CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHY
The Classical Period in philosophy was dominated by the teachings of Plato (427–347 BC) and Aristotle (384–322 BC) but gradually…
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Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control (The Stoic Virtues Series)
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Stillness Is the Key
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Right Thing, Right Now: Justice in an Unjust World (The Stoic Virtues Series)
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How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius
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Letters from a Stoic: Penguin Classics
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Books
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What Do I Know?: Essential Essays
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The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
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The Rigor of Angels: Borges, Heisenberg, Kant, and the Ultimate Nature of Reality
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Pragmatism as Anti-Authoritarianism
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What Philosophy Is For
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The Saad Truth about Happiness: 8 Secrets for Leading the Good Life
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Humanly Possible
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Religious Revelation (Palgrave Frontiers in Philosophy of Religion)
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Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness
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God Is Bigger Than the Bible
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Autobiography of a Yogi (Self-Realization Fellowship)
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The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality
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Unidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the World
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Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo (Hackett Classics)
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Nothing & Everything: How to stop fearing nihilism and embrace the void
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The Compassionate Brain: How Empathy Creates Intelligence
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The Atomos Blog
How do you get from a singularity to infinity?
How do you get from a singularity to infinity?
How do you get from a singularity to infinity?
How do you get from a singularity to infinity?
When the Light of a Dead Star Touches Your Eye
When the Light of a Dead Star Touches Your Eye
The Threshold
The Threshold
Can Math Prove Its Own Sanity? — A Deep Dive into Artemov’s Landmark Paper
Can Math Prove Its Own Sanity? — A Deep Dive into Artemov’s Landmark Paper
What Does the Mind Really Mean?
What Does the Mind Really Mean?
The Symphony of Existence: Strings, Dimensions, and the Persistence of Identity
The Symphony of Existence: Strings, Dimensions, and the Persistence of Identity
Does It Feel Like Anything To Be Claude?
Does It Feel Like Anything To Be Claude?
Natural Function and Perceptual Content
Natural Function and Perceptual Content
Philosophy of Law: An Introduction
Philosophy of Law: An Introduction
Philosophy of Science: An Introduction
Philosophy of Science: An Introduction
Aesthetics: An Introduction
Aesthetics: An Introduction
Epistemology: An Introduction
Epistemology: An Introduction
Ethics: An Introduction
Ethics: An Introduction
Logic: An Introduction
Logic: An Introduction
Metaphysics: An Introduction
Metaphysics: An Introduction
Philosophy of Science: An Introduction
Philosophy of Science: An Introduction
Terms & Concepts
Deconstruction
A philosophical school of thought begun by twentieth-century philosopher Jacques Derrida (1930-2004). Often contrasted with the Anglo-American analytic tradition, deconstruction involves a specifically critical reading of a text that upends…
State of nature
A hypothetical situation prior to the creation of any political organization, it is used as a framework to discuss the existence of natural rights, the benefits of political organization, and…
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