Philosophy

He argued for the importance of communication within society, but his works were relentlessly inaccessible. Despite this, he was central to Germany’s post-war moral recovery

For thousands of years, philosophers have disagreed over what to do with mortal remains. Some wanted a solemn burial, others to be eaten by dogs, while others jumped into a volcano. What would they have made of a modern, water-based method?

Thinkers have suggested that we see through photographs, back to the reality that they depict. But really their power is symbolic

The problem is that the secret international network of powerful men that Epstein created around himself will only convince the paranoid fantasists they were on to something

The dissident artist has been targeted by China – but On Censorship reveals a wider world of control

Sorry, but leaving the universe to right itself is just misguided wishful thinking

It Wittgenstein had written a Tractatus Logico Humurous, would we have learned anything from it?

Dehumanisation, obedience and lack of empathy: what drives people to commit the worst acts imaginable

Legislation or an unexpected saviour could help – but the tech giants will try to crush them

Andy West, the man who inspired the hit new drama, on nature, change and the ‘terrible, dehumanising’ life behind bars

I'm an admirer of John Stuart Mill, David Hume and Diogenes the Cynic. The problem is, I cannot endorse any one of them without reservation

Promises to ourselves have a superficially similar structure to promises to other people – but with a kind of double lock

A Scottish geologist made a discovery that altered the way we see ourselves, and our planet. And yet his name is widely forgotten

He was a master of misery who sometimes argued it was better never to have been born. But his love of the flute suggests the philosopher wasn’t all gloom

When we lose someone it distorts everything - even the world around us

Cameras and digital tracking make our lives more convenient – but at what cost?

The philosopher’s occult vision of artificial intelligence seemed like fringe raving – until it was taken up by tech billionaires and far right thinkers

If we reach the point where real friends seem retro, life will have lost all its meaning

Luck has played a part in how the world’s billionaires gathered their wealth. The issue arises when they don’t quite see it this way

It’s fun to entertain the possibility of panpsychism – that all the physical things around you have some level of experience. But that doesn’t mean it’s how reality works

Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel won the closest philosophy has to the accolade and, even if you disagree with him, it's easy to see why

The prevalence of dog attacks points to an underlying moral failing: too many owners are shirking their basic responsibilities

There is, so far, no philosophical consensus about how we should go about our lives. We have to keep thinking for ourselves

We shouldn’t need philosophy to tell us that wealth redistribution could alleviate extensive poverty

The street artist’s work leaves an indelible trace in our memories and it will last long after authorities scrub away the paint

Uniting in collective mockery of self-obsessed billionaires can help us to remain sane

A package resort deal reminded me of one of the most important things in life – the ancient Greek philosopher would have approved

Philosophers have long debated the concept of immortality but now Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are concerned too

In today's world, media doesn't need AI - it needs real journalists

A cross of St George or a union jack flown today means the same as it did in 1977: ‘You’re not welcome here’

Like bullfighting, this practice shows little respect for animals’ capacity to suffer and turns their deaths into a spectacle

What do Patrick Süskind’s classic and Asako Yuzuki's contemporary novel tell us about the philosophy of smell and taste?