Philosophy

The philosopher’s 1981 book After Virtue suggested that modern morality is fragmented and rootless – an argument that still stands today

The Mission: Impossible films show a man who bends the chaos of the world to his will and saves humanity. But what would Friedrich make of it all?

Atheists have a simple answer: it is evidence that God doesn’t exist, while believers say the gift of human free will brings with it the possibility of doing evil

The philosopher lost his childhood at the expense of his father's educational experiment. It was far too high a price for anyone to pay

Many secular philosophers have opposed war and particular wars, but Russell stands in a class apart

It’s never too late to start learning a musical instrument, and even if you aren’t very good, the benefits are much deeper than you might imagine

Thinkers like Kierkegaard used complexity and literary style, rather than clarity, to provoke reflection on existential questions

The media often describes terrorists as manifestations of evil, or as zombie-like products of indoctrination, but we urgently need a better account than that

The philosophical power couple lived in freedom, but that came at a cost for others around them

When we see something that’s well-crafted it’s very tempting to assume that it was designed by one person. But that tendency can lead us astray

Using artificial intelligence to generate images that mimic artworks robs humanity of one of the most meaningful experiences of all

The Austrian-born art historian’s bestselling books revolutionised our understanding of artistic perception

Whatever you do, don’t give in to the idea that we are all doomed. It only makes it all much worse

James Bailey’s new book attempts to finally answer humanity’s oldest and most profound question

The high-concept streaming hit is really asking one question: who would we be without our trauma?

Thousands of trees are being felled in the Amazon rainforest to build a four-lane highway for this year’s climate summit in Belém

Modelling physical violence as a way of controlling other people is bad in itself, but emotional damage for victims can be long-lasting and debilitating, too

A collective called the 1000 Artists have followed in the composer’s footsteps by releasing a silent protest album

From Voltaire to Kant, the world would be a duller place without the discipline’s coffee-fuelled breakthroughs

For philosophers Andy Clark and David Chalmers, phone crime is ‘more akin to assault’

Eventually, when a bully has got out of control and he’s made enough enemies, he may find the roles of bully and bullied reversed

Despite once being a practising clergyman, the late Cupitt was noted for his radical ideas on ‘non-realist’ philosophy of religion

On the 75th anniversary of the author’s death, some of his most famous words read as a warning

These experiences, however, are far from conclusive evidence of life after death

The Oxford-based sleep scientist Vladyslav Vyazovskiy believes so, but it would just make life blander

How could anyone believe that it is right to murder someone else to make a political point?

For anyone who cares about animal suffering, it should be a no-brainer that eating intensively farmed turkey is unethical

Oxford University Press’s word of the year suggests social media has become a drug-like distraction from the world

The forgotten Scottish philosopher’s legacy resurfaced last week when his historic cello was played for the first time in 220 years

It is time to dispel disbelief and face the grim reality that is unfolding

If Trump sees himself as a Randian hero, expect nothing but indifferent self-interest for the next four years

The philosoper’s ethical legacy lives on in the form of a bot – but its hectoring, evangelical tone means it is far from convincing