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Philosophy

Essays and videos on philosophy, the history of ideas, ethics and life’s big questions
How John Keats writes a poem | Aeon
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Stories and literature

What makes John Keats’s ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’ so enduringly powerful?

10 minutes

Models of antiquity | Aeon
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Politics and government

Models of antiquity

Radicals in the Age of Revolution saw the classical world as a common inheritance that could aid their fight for liberty

Francesca Langer

The art of rules | Aeon
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Art

The art of rules

Conceptual art often confounds. The key is to understand the rules of the artwork and the aesthetic experiences they yield

Sherri Irvin

A philosophy of secrets | Aeon
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Thinkers and theories

A philosophy of secrets

Jacques Derrida was fascinated by the figure of the Marrano Jew, whose identity could barely be told even to themselves

Peter Salmon

The sonnet machine | Aeon
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Stories and literature

The sonnet machine

A sonnet contains an emotional drama of illusion and deception, crisis and resolution, crafted to make us think and feel

Timothy Hampton

Eliminative materialism | Aeon
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Philosophy of mind

Do we have good reasons to believe in beliefs? A radical philosophy of mind says no

5 minutes

The Swedish theory of love | Aeon
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Political philosophy

The Swedish theory of love

All countries must balance the freedom of individuals with the demands of the community. Sweden’s solution is unique

Lars Trägårdh

Eleonore Stump on the problem of evil | Aeon
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Philosophy of religion

How a devout Catholic philosopher approaches the problem of evil

8 minutes

The post-linguistic turn | Aeon
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History of ideas

The post-linguistic turn

Analytic and continental philosophers were once united in their obsession with language. But now new questions have arisen

Crispin Sartwell

Drawings of my BF | Aeon
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Love and friendship

When drawing your muse hundreds of times becomes an exercise in love

7 minutes

Reckoning with compassion | Aeon
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Philosophy of religion

Reckoning with compassion

After an abuse scandal destroyed my Buddhist community, I had to reconsider what it means to live an ethically attuned life

Jessica Locke

The joy of sulk | Aeon
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Mood and emotion

The joy of sulk

Full of implicit rules and paradoxes, sulking is a marvellous example of intense communication without clear declaration

Rebecca Roache

Our ark | Aeon
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Thinkers and theories

Is simulation theory a way to shirk responsibility for the world we’ve created?

13 minutes

Why not scientism? | Aeon
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Philosophy of science

Why not scientism?

Science is not the only form of knowledge but it is the best, being the most successful epistemic enterprise in history

Moti Mizrahi

The free dogs of India | Aeon
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Animals and humans

The free dogs of India

These canines have independent, peaceful, happy lives without a pet’s constraints. Why are they being persecuted and culled?

Krithika Srinivasan & Chris Pearson

Self-satisfaction | Aeon
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History of ideas

Self-satisfaction

The ancient Cynics taught that masturbation is about more than pleasure: it suggests how to live simply and autonomously

M D Usher

A new paganism | Aeon
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Philosophy of religion

A new paganism

Now is the time to revitalise our relationship with nature and immerse ourselves in the little wonders of the universe

Ed Simon

Disorient yourself | Aeon
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History of ideas

Disorient yourself

Now associated with childhood fun, the swing has a near-universal history of ritual transgression and transformation

Javier Moscoso

Three ways to think about free will | Aeon
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Philosophy of mind

We may never settle the ‘free will’ debate, but tapping into it is still worthwhile

32 minutes

In praise of irritation | Aeon
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Mood and emotion

In praise of irritation

Unlike anger, irritation has neither glamour nor radicalism on its side. Yet it might just be the mood we need right now

Will Rees

The virtue of discretion | Aeon
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Virtues and vices

The virtue of discretion

When the rules break down, you must judge what to do on your own. Discretion is necessary for navigating the muddle of life

Lorraine Daston

Still life | Aeon
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Philosophy of mind

An enigmatic ‘story of consciousness’ told through 19th-century engravings

7 minutes

Patterns of the lifeworld | Aeon
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Beauty and aesthetics

Patterns of the lifeworld

Machine learning theory is shedding new light on how to think about the mysterious and ineffable nature of art

Peli Grietzer

Animal, vegetable, mineral | Aeon
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Consciousness and altered states

Animal, vegetable, mineral

Cruel and unscientific, the ‘vegetative state’ diagnosis stems from a hierarchical and bigoted view of all living things

Ben Platts-Mills