WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?WHAT IS THE “SUBJECT MATTER” OF PHILOSOPHY
November 12, 2023

WHAT IS THE “SUBJECT MATTER” OF PHILOSOPHY

“There is a common misunderstanding that philosophy—like chemistry or history—has a content to offer, a content that a teacher is to teach and a student is to learn,” writes Professor…
History Of PhilosophyPOST-KANTIAN PHILOSOPHY IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
November 15, 2023

POST-KANTIAN PHILOSOPHY IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

Kant’s philosophy continued to dominate throughout the nineteenth century, although there were increasing concerns about the overall coherence of his system; in particular, there was doubt as to whether the…
Writing PhilosophyWRITING IS CENTRAL TO PHILOSOPHY
November 24, 2023

WRITING IS CENTRAL TO PHILOSOPHY

For the great majority of us, writing is instrumental to thinking. Since it is reasonable to describe philosophy as the application of disciplined thought to a variety of topics, issues,…
LogicINTUITIONISM
November 15, 2023

INTUITIONISM

One of the most familiar non-classical logics is intuitionism, which, in simple terms, is based upon the rejection of the law of excluded middle: (P ∨ ¬P). There are both…
POST-KANTIAN PHILOSOPHYHistory Of PhilosophyPRAGMATISM
November 15, 2023

PRAGMATISM

Pragmatism was a philosophical movement in the United States concerned with the relationship between abstract theory and practical activity, and with the value of philosophical reflection.
FORMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGWriting PhilosophyFORMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING
November 20, 2023

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,…
Writing PhilosophyGRADING CRITERIA FOR PHILOSOPHY ESSAYS
November 24, 2023

GRADING CRITERIA FOR PHILOSOPHY ESSAYS

The eight skills just listed are so central to philosophical writing that we may count them among the criteria most instructors use in grading essay assignments. Keep these eight skills…
LogicRELEVANCE LOGICS
November 15, 2023

RELEVANCE LOGICS

A relevance logic is motivated by the idea that the premises of a valid argument must be somehow “relevant” to its conclusion. The idea is motivated by the fact that…
History Of PhilosophyPYTHAGOREANISM
November 15, 2023

PYTHAGOREANISM

Based on the teachings of Pythagoras (c. 570–495 BC) and the school he established inCroton in southern Italy, we may conclude that, in many ways, Pythagoreanism was more ofa mystery…
FORMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGTHE PERSONAL ESSAY
November 20, 2023

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…
Writing PhilosophyWHAT PHILOSOPHY PROFESSORS WANT FROM STUDENT WRITERS
November 24, 2023

WHAT PHILOSOPHY PROFESSORS WANT FROM STUDENT WRITERS

Some 2,300 years ago, Aristotle introduced the syllogism into the intellectual world. A threeelement formula, it is the elementary building block of syllogistic logic and deductive reasoning. The syllogism combines…
Writing PhilosophyWRITING PHILOSOPHY
November 24, 2023

WRITING PHILOSOPHY

How Do You Do Philosophy? Writing Is Central To Philosophy What Philosophy Professors Want From Student Writers What Is Good Writing? What Is Good Philosophical Writing? Grading Criteria for Philosophy…
History Of PhilosophyCLASSICAL PHILOSOPHY
November 15, 2023

CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHY

The Classical Period in philosophy was dominated by the teachings of Plato (427–347 BC) and Aristotle (384–322 BC) but gradually fell into a decline following the conquest of the independent…
THE EARLY MODERN PERIODHistory Of PhilosophyRATIONALISM
November 15, 2023

RATIONALISM

Rationalism designates a variety of philosophical schools maintaining that reason, as opposed to empirical investigation, is the most important method of acquiring knowledge.
Traditional Branches of PhilosophyPhilosophy BranchesLOGIC
December 12, 2023

LOGIC

Logic is concerned with studying the inferences we make, and the formal languages developed to systematize those inferences. This includes both the proof-theories and semantics for these languages, as well…

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The Atomos Blog

Reexamining Spacetime Substantivalism: A Critique of Modal Arbitrariness and Determinism in Teitel’s Framework

Reexamining Spacetime Substantivalism: A Critique of Modal Arbitrariness and Determinism in Teitel’s Framework

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Reexamining Spacetime Substantivalism: A Critique of Modal Arbitrariness and Determinism in Teitel’s FrameworkAtomos

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Philosophy StudentPhilosophy StudentDecember 8, 2025
Rule-Following and Artificial Intelligence: A Kripkean PerspectiveAtomos

Rule-Following and Artificial Intelligence: A Kripkean Perspective

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The Eternal Coexistence of Consciousness and Spacetime: A Philosophical InquiryAtomos

The Eternal Coexistence of Consciousness and Spacetime: A Philosophical Inquiry

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Embracing Contradiction: An In-Depth Analysis of DialetheismAtomos

Embracing Contradiction: An In-Depth Analysis of Dialetheism

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Analysis of, and Responses to Edmund Gettier’s “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?”Atomos

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Philosophy StudentPhilosophy StudentDecember 8, 2025
The Unstable Foundation: A Critique of the Ontological Proof of God’s ExistenceAtomos

The Unstable Foundation: A Critique of the Ontological Proof of God’s Existence

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Meta-Modal Actuality: A Dynamic Framework for Possibility, Actualization, and CausalityAtomos

Meta-Modal Actuality: A Dynamic Framework for Possibility, Actualization, and Causality

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Killing, Morality, and the Human Condition: A Philosophical InvestigationAtomos

Killing, Morality, and the Human Condition: A Philosophical Investigation

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The Intricacy of Existence: A Philosophical Exploration of Complexity, Contingency, and Divine AgencyAtomos

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Philosophy StudentPhilosophy StudentDecember 8, 2025
The Ethics of Procreation and the Rational Acceptance of Life: A Critical Engagement with Weinberg’s ArgumentAtomos

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Imagination, Consciousness, and the Nature of the Soul: A Philosophical InquiryAtomos

Imagination, Consciousness, and the Nature of the Soul: A Philosophical Inquiry

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The Interplay of Karma, Rebirth, and Non-Self in Buddhist Philosophy: A Metaphysical InquiryAtomos

The Interplay of Karma, Rebirth, and Non-Self in Buddhist Philosophy: A Metaphysical Inquiry

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Metaphysical Perspectives: A Comparative Analysis of Theism and AtheismAtomos

Metaphysical Perspectives: A Comparative Analysis of Theism and Atheism

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The Infinite Universe, Death, and the Search for Meaning: A Philosophical Exploration of Existence, the Divine, and Human MortalityAtomos

The Infinite Universe, Death, and the Search for Meaning: A Philosophical Exploration of Existence, the Divine, and Human Mortality

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The Unconscious Artistry of Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Reflection on Spinoza’s God and the Blind WatchmakerAtomos

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The Ethics of Procreation and the Rational Acceptance of Life: A Critical Engagement with Weinberg’s Argument

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Terms & Concepts

A

Appeal to pity (ad misericordiam)

An informal fallacy constituted by imploring someone to accept a claim on the basis of pity, rather than relevant reasons. https://youtube.com/shorts/mqmat_UhL9I?feature=share
W

Well-Formed Formula (wff)

In symbolic logic, a “logically grammatical” statement. https://youtube.com/shorts/rXxqpE4zEx8?feature=share
D

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…
D
Declarative sentence
D
Deductive argument
I
Invalid
B
Being
M
Metaphysics
P
Property
G
Government
R
Realism
I
Informal proof
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