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+22 +5
Does the World Outside Your Mind Exist?
Is there a reality outside of our perception? If we cannot see, hear, feel, or otherwise perceive something, does it really exist? Solipsism is the philosophical idea that we can only ever be certain of the existence of our own mind. The world and other people outside of it may only exist as electrical stimuli in our brain. Constructs we build ourselves. Concepts to which we attach meaning. Information we process, interpret and use to survive. An objective reality may not even exist.
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+4 +1
People with stronger Buddhist beliefs are more likely to donate blood due to greater sensitivity to morality
A study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology suggests that appealing to the moral elements of Buddhist teachings might encourage more people to donate blood. The researchers found that people with stronger Buddhist beliefs were more likely to say they would donate blood, and this was partly explained by increased moral attentiveness.
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+13 +5
We need to talk about transhumanism
This weekend, hundreds of people from across the globe will gather in Madrid to discuss how to turn themselves into a new species. The occasion is TransVision, the world’s biggest annual meet-up of transhumanists — and probably the most important intellectual summit you’ve never heard of. This year, anti-ageing specialist Aubrey de Grey will explain why he thinks most people alive today have a 50/50 chance of living to a thousand years old.
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+11 +1
The Influence of Buddhism and Taoism in Aleister Crowley’s Work
Writing about Aleister Crowley is a big responsibility. In a world that indoctrinates people into seeing the reality through a lens of duality (God or the Devil, Heaven or Hell, right or wrong), to understand Crowley and his importance to the mysticism requires us to go pass this dual vision, as he did in his life and development of his work.
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+19 +2
Should We Fear the Future? The Philosophy of Transhumanism
Transhumanism is a philosophy that covers a wide range of different philosophical areas. In short, transhumanism engages with the necessity of overcoming humanity’s limitations and/or enhancing its abilities.
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+12 +4
When life gives you lemons ... 4 Stoic tips for getting through lockdown from Epictetus
Born into slavery, then crippled by his master and exiled by the Emperor Domitian, Epictetus (c.60-135 CE) has become arguably the central figure in today’s global revival of Stoicism. A straight-talking advocate of the idea philosophy should help people flourish even in hard times, Epictetus has much to offer as we wrestle with pandemic lockdowns and uncertainty. Here are four tips from perhaps the most stoic of the Stoics:
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+20 +1
The pyschedelic cure for philosophy
Philosophy of mind has been crippled, since its very beginnings, by two main prejudices. First, the blind implementation of the traditional Western logical framework, that boils down to Aristotelian logic; second, the perennial neglect of crucially relevant empirical data, in so far as, in most arguments, sense-perception is reduced to sight alone.
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+4 +1
Pursuing happiness is a mistake
An alternative moral outlook to utilitarianism, would be a better starting point during the pandemic. One that doesn’t lead us to treating others as means towards a greater good, argues Amna Whiston.
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+20 +3
Is nihilism compatible with the moral life? (Podcast)
In moral philosophy and mass culture alike, “nihilism” has a bad name. And little wonder. It is most often associated with meaninglessness, pessimism, and amoralism. At its heart, nihilism is a view of the world in which progress is not assured, a world without overarching meaning. Does that present a problem to the moral life?
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+14 +2
What Happens When Modern Society Rebrands an Ancient Philosophy?
Everyone from Silicon Valley billionaires to self-help enthusiasts is repurposing Stoicism for our modern age, with results that are good, bad, and highly indifferent.
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+11 +1
Lost memoir paints revered philosopher John Locke as ‘vain, lazy and pompous’
Rediscovered papers thought to record the memories of a longstanding friend say the ‘father of liberalism’ plagiarised and lied about never reading Thomas Hobbes
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+14 +3
Catastrophe Overload? Then Live Like a Stoic for 24 Hours
We’ve faced bad tidings for over a year now. But, viewing the news makes us feels awful; ignoring it doesn’t feel right either. Recently, Psychologist Terri Apter wrote about the “phenomenon in human behavior.” She describes how catastrophic events reduce procrastination and lazy thinking.
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+11 +1
Mind Chat’s Philip Goff and Keith Frankish On Why We Are Conscious
We spoke to philosophers Philip Goff and Keith Frankish about their popular new online show, Mind Chat, in which they interview scientists and philosophers on the mystery of consciousness.
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+17 +3
The dangers of public philosophy according to Leo Strauss
In his essay ‘Persecution and the Art of Writing’ (1941), the political philosopher Leo Strauss painted a picture of intellectual life that should offend me as a person with political commitments to democracy and egalitarianism, and philosophical commitments to pluralism and against monism, yet I return to it again and again. I want to understand why.
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+15 +2
The survival paradox
We are working toward a true account of the universe, and the world we see around us is an accurate picture of reality. Or so most of us believe. At the same time we think we, along with our experience, are a product of evolution. Yet evolution is driven by survival not by truth.
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+16 +1
The Hume paradox: how great philosophy leads to dismal politics
The Enlightenment genius showed how admirable scepticism in the world of ideas can translate into a miserable reactionary stance in the world of practical affairs.
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+19 +2
The History and Politics of Boredom
When you’re bored—really bored—it feels like forever. A lived eternity. And so for some people, boredom turns into negative revelation: of the meaninglessness of it all, the senselessness of life itself. But this nihilistic dynamic should not be taken at face value; rather, it requires an investigation of how we got to this feeling.
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+12 +3
The clockwork universe: is free will an illusion?
The long read: A growing chorus of scientists and philosophers argue that free will does not exist. Could they be right?
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+14 +3
Who am I? Why am I here? Why children should be taught philosophy (beyond better test scores)
Teaching children philosophy can help improve academic results. But the main reason it should be used in schools is it allows children a space to make sense of the world, and meaning in their lives.
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+2 +1
Hugh Jackman on nature of God, Non-Duality, Bhagavad Gita, Death, Buddha, Krishna, Zen
Long interview, but somewhat interesting.
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