In "What My Sister Taught Me About Humanity", Lee Clarke powerfully argues that we need a more inclusive view of moral personhood. Picture: the author's sister Laura. Read Clarke's personal story and her proposed criteria for common humanity: philosophynow.org/issues/170/W...

“The observer isn’t just watching reality — but helping shape it.” Do you agree? #QuantumPhysics meets #IndianPhilosophy in a dialogue about consciousness, causality & the illusion of separateness. Art by Paul Gregory. Read in issue 170: philosophynow.org/issues/170/Q...

Marx, Nietzsche and Sartre walk into a cafe and order hot chocolate. Can you come up with a punch line? For inspiration, take a sip of "Philosophers on Chocolate" by Matt Qvortrup: philosophynow.org/issues/170/P...

Halloween special: Daniel Toré asks whether it’s morally wrong to enjoy horror (archives, issue 156). Do you like watching horror? And what do you make of it? philosophynow.org/issues/156/T...

Read "Alchemy, Mining, Speculation & Experimentation" by Okan Nurettin Okur in issue 170 if you’re curious about how ancient speculation, experiment and metaphysics still shape our thinking about nature. Art: Chemistry by Paul Gregory philosophynow.org/issues/170/A...

Is moral flexibility a virtue in the workplace, what do you think? Art by Steve Delmonte 2025

In Hit Man, Jason and Lauren Friend discuss the idea of reprogramming oneself as raised by Richard Linklater's film. Can we truly reinvent ourselves, or are we bound by who we’ve been? philosophynow.org/issues/170/H...

Spotted in the wild: Philosophy Now Issue 170 on the newsstand in Waitrose supermarket, Biggin Hill.

In "Living According To Nature", Massimo Pigliucci talks about how the Stoics and the Epicureans interpreted this idea, and how to reconcile our eudaimonic (character-cultivating) and hedonic (pleasure-seeking) objectives. Art: Woman in Nature by Paul Gregory philosophynow.org/issues/170/L...

In "Collective Action & Climate Change" Nevin Chellappah presents the argument that there is no moral reason to reduce our emissions formally, and proceeds to refute its foundational premises. Art © Chris Gill 2025 philosophynow.org/issues/170/C...

Can anyone come up with an alternative caption? Cartoon by © Harley Schwadron 2025 in the new issue of Philosophy Now

In "Forced Vaccination" Naina Krishnamurthy argues (employing social contract theory, utilitarianism and ethics of care) that during times of crisis, it is not merely justifiable but morally necessary. Do you agree? Art: Stephen Lahey philosophynow.org/issues/170/F...

In "Moral Decision-Making for a Job Search", Norman Schultz proposes three criteria for an immoral job: it harms people, it requires intentional deception and it plays a key role in a morally troubling industry. Do you agree? Art by Melanie Wu philosophynow.org/issues/170/M...

In the lead article of the new issue, "#DeExtinction: Bringing Back Beasts or Playing God?", John Kennedy Philip revives the #EthicalDebate around #resurrecting species. Art by Cameron Gray. philosophynow.org/issues/170/D...

JUST OUT: Issue 170's theme is Moral Issues, grappling with problems around #DeExtinction, #VaccineMandates, #DisabledRights, #ClimateCrisis and the #ethics of job searches. Also a dialogue with Luce #Irigaray on the mediation of touch. philosophynow.org/issues/170

In "A Crisis of Attention", Paul Doolan spells out the challenges of the "age of distraction" and guides the reader through the relevant philosophical perspectives and remedies (Weil, Nietzsche, Pascal, Lawrence, Thoreau etc). Art by Susan Auletta philosophynow.org/issues/169/A...

The Ultimate Guide's Editor, Alex Marsh, holding a copy in W.H.Smiths in Lewes.

Meet up fortnightly on Zoom with Dr Anja Steinbauer and other philosophers at midnight (UK time) for a candlelit hour of thinking about life, the universe and everything. The topic for tonight's session is "Zeno's Paradoxes". Come in from 23:45. Sign up at: www.meetup.com/london-philo...

JUST OUT: The Ultimate Guide to Ancient Greek Philosophy considers many of the profound new ideas central to the birth of Western philosophy 2500 years ago. It has 5 chapters: Pre-Socratics; Plato & Socrates; Aristotle; Epicurus & Hedonism; and Stoicism, Scepticism & Cynicism. philosophynow.org/shop

September 13 marked the Birthday of Mary Midgley, one of Britain’s most influential contemporary moral philosophers. Explore articles by and about Midgley in Philosophy Now archives. Find out what Midgley had to say in her last book "What is Philosophy For?" Photo by Martin Midgley 2011

Not everything is knowable: true or false? Michael D. McGranahan offers answers from mathematics, logic, and science in "Gödel, Wittgenstein, & the Limits of Knowledge". Link in comments. #limitsofknowledge #godel #wittgenstein #russell #hilbert #heisenberg Art: Reaching the Limit by Paul Gregory

How does Karl Popper's 'falsification' (refutability of scientific theories) pertain to politics? Read Brian King's "Popper, Science & Democracy" in the latest issue of Philosophy Now, link in comments. #karlpopper #falsification Art by Athamos Stradis

From our latest issue, on sources of knowledge. Maya Koka considers the #Gettier problem, with the help of ancient Chinese traveller Xuanzang. philosophynow.org/issues/169/X...

JUST OUT: Issue 169's theme is Sources of Knowledge. The #Gettier problem, the nature & #objectivity of science, and Gödel & Wittgenstein on whether knowledge has limits. Also an interview with Prof Susan Haack on Post-Truth. You know it makes sense. philosophynow.org/issues/169

Tomorrow’s is Kant’s Cave night: Keith Barrett will give a talk on ‘Philosophical Precursors of Psychoanalysis’. See you there?

Young & Meaningful: Elise Beal notes a Japanese philosophy of finding pleasure in the small things, and matches it with the online trend of #hopecore philosophynow.org/issues/168/Y...

Short story from Philosophy Now 168: "René Descartes Loses His Phone" by Judah Crow. The painting is by one of our regular artists, Stephen Lahey. philosophynow.org/issues/168/R...

In the digital philosophy section of our current issue Dr Amir Haj-Bolouri asks: does immersive Virtual Reality offer a meaningful kind of escapism? philosophynow.org/issues/168/I...

In the digital philosophy section of our current issue, this is perhaps the most pressing problem for academics & students. A very interesting take by Dr Max Gottschlich who thinks that the use of AI in university study is, in the end, self-defeating. philosophynow.org/issues/168/S...

Do read Slavoj Žižek's incisive essay for our current issue, on the political and cultural ramifications of the famous #liarparadox. philosophynow.org/issues/168/W...

"Our generation is so screwed." Wonderful to see an article published by a 16 YO in @philosophynow.bsky.social Mag, but the candid admission of the negative effects of social media addiction in young adults had me choked. What have we done to this generation?😢

As part of Issue 168's theme of Digital Philosophy, the subtle and eloquent Stephen Fry addresses many of the profound questions around AI's ability to write literature. Many thanks to @stephenfry.bsky.social and also to our interviewer, Marcel Steinbauer-Lewis.

JUST OUT: Issue 168 June/July 2025 philosophynow.org Digital Philosophy, including AI, virtual worlds & machine consciousness. There's an interview with @stephenfry.bsky.social on AI and literature, and an article by @slavojiek.bsky.social on the Liar Paradox in society and politics.

Issue 168 will be out in a few days. Top features will include an article by Slavoj Žižek on the Liar Paradox in society and politics, and an interview with Stephen Fry on AI and the lure of language.

From our current Human Experience-themed issue, James R. Robinson's article "Empathy & Sympathy", exploring what they are, how they differ and how they interrelate. (link in comments, artwork by Miles Walker.) #philosophy #emotion #empathy #sympathy

Meet up fortnightly on Zoom with Dr Anja Steinbauer and other philosophers at midnight (UK time) for a candlelit hour of thinking about life, the universe and everything. The topic for tonight's session is "Patriotism". Come in from 23:45. Sign up at: meetup.com/london-philo... #philosophy

The philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre died yesterday, 22nd May 2025, aged 96. He was the author of many highly influential books, particularly including "After Virtue" (1981).

Mike Shiell’s Cartoon by Mike Shiell philosophynow.org/issues/167/M...

Meet up fortnightly on Zoom with Dr Anja Steinbauer and other philosophers at midnight (UK time) for a candlelit hour of thinking about life, the universe and everything. The topic for tonight's session is "Wrestling". Come in from 23:45. Sign up at: meetup.com/london-philo... #philosophy #wrestling

The Importance of Nature for Thought Gerardo Posada considers some of the philosophical benefits of green spaces. philosophynow.org/issues/167/T...

Tonight's "Kant’s Cave" lecture in the heart of Westminster is on “Philosophy, Lies & Politics”. How bad are lies in politics? Dr Anja Steinbauer will look at the writings of #HannahArendt, #Marcuse and #Orwell. Join us upstairs in The Two Chairmen pub at 7:30pm or else online. (Link in comments)

Meet up fortnightly on Zoom with Dr Anja Steinbauer and other philosophers at midnight (UK time) for a candlelit hour of thinking about life, the universe and everything. The topic for tonight's session is "Climate Change". Come in from 23:45. Sign up at: meetup.com/london-philo...

The Philosophy of Pain! Vikky Leaney says pain is a problem even (or especially) when we can’t see it. philosophynow.org/issues/167/T...

The latest Philosophy Now on sale in Waterstones, Gower Street, London. This bookshop has been selling Philosophy Now for 33 years!

Guilt! Michael Breslin considers the place of guilt in a healthy personality. philosophynow.org/issues/167/G...

Another themed article from our new issue. What Does it Mean to be Human? Vikas Beniwal considers some philosophers’ core understandings. philosophynow.org/issues/167/W...

From our new issue! With its main theme as 'The Human Experience', John Creigan considers whether hope is a blessing or a curse. Is there a more useful state of mind to build our life around? What do you think? Beautiful artwork courtesy of Melanie Wu philosophynow.org/issues/167/H...

INTRODUCING OUR NEW ISSUE: April/May 2025 (Issue 167) philosophynow.org Issue 167 has a lead article asking what it means to be human, and the essays that follow consider a range of the most fundamental aspects of human experience: hope, guilt, love, empathy, sympathy, and pain.

We are delighted to announce a complete rebuild of the Philosophy Now iOS app. Version 2.0 for the first time allows anyone with a print or digital subscription to sign in to our app and gain unlimited access to all the content. You can subscribe to Philosophy Now at philosophynow.org/subscribe

Here's an oddity: St Thomas Aquinas back in the 13th Century argued against the existence of aliens. Here's the article about it in Issue 166 (Feb/Mar 2025): philosophynow.org/issues/166/T...