From the magazine
Human NaturePhilosophy Basics
Explore the library
Plain-English guides to the philosophers, ideas and movements that shaped how we think.
Most read in the library
What readers are looking up this week.
From the magazine
Ideas from philosophy at work in real lives, studies and decisions.
The Good Life →
Charles Darwin made a list of pros and cons before proposing to his cousin Emma, fretting that a wife would mean less money for books, and on the pro side he wrote that a constant companion was better than a dog anyhow
Aristotle warned that a long silence seems to make friends forget their friendship, but research suggests the friend on the other end would be happier to hear from you than you think
Human Nature →
Falling in love feels like your life is getting bigger, but Robin Dunbar's research suggests it usually costs you about two close friends, because the inner circle most people can sustain holds only around five, and a new partner has to take someone's place
Researchers studied 286 penalty kicks and found goalkeepers almost always dive left or right, even though staying in the center would stop more shots, because a goal hurts more when you didn’t move
Lives & Ideas →
In 1974 Nozick asked whether you would plug into a machine that could give you any experience you desired, and he took it for granted that you would refuse.
Carl Jung suggested life splits into two halves, and the surprise is what the second is for — not more career or identity, but an inward turn he called individuation, reclaiming the parts of yourself the first half left behind
New to philosophy? Start here.
A short, guided way into the big questions and the people who asked them.