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Philosophy

Essays and videos on philosophy, the history of ideas, ethics and life’s big questions

Beauty and aesthetics Bioethics Comparative philosophy Cosmopolitanism Death Ethics History of ideas Knowledge Logic and probability Meaning and the good life Metaphysics Philosophy of language Philosophy of mind Philosophy of religion Philosophy of science Political philosophy Thinkers and theories Values and beliefs Virtues and vices

Black and white photo of four people in sunglasses standing on a terrace overlooking the sea with a hilly coastline in the background.

essay

Metaphysics

Desperate remedies

In order to make headway on knotty metaphysical problems, philosophers should look to the methods used by scientists

Nina Emery

Silhouette of baobab trees against a vibrant orange sunset with the sun peeking through the branches of the largest tree.

essay

Biology

Seeing plants anew

The stunningly complex behaviour of plants has led to a new way of thinking about our world: plant philosophy

Stella Sandford

Abstract artwork featuring geometric shapes, primarily red and black triangles, against a white background. Russian text is interspersed, with a red triangle pointing rightward and a large white circle on the right. Various smaller shapes and text elements are scattered around.

essay

Quantum theory

Quantum dialectics

When quantum mechanics posed a threat to the Marxist doctrine of materialism, communist physicists sought to reconcile the two

Jim Baggott

Close-up of a person’s hand gently holding the wet snout of a black cow, with a blurred green background.

essay

Evolution

Kinship

Science must become attuned to the subtle conversations that pervade all life, from the primordial to the present

David Waltner-Toews

Medieval illustration of two figures walking with staffs, dressed in blue and red robes, standing within a circle, with decorative blue and red corners.

essay

History of science

The missing conversation

To the detriment of the public, scientists and historians don’t engage with one another. They must begin a new dialogue

Lorraine Daston & Peter Harrison

Two stick figures, one purple and one white, touching heads with scribbled lines above them, depicting a heated argument.

video

Gender

When aggression is viewed as brilliance, it hurts women in science, and science itself

5 minutes

Scientists in cleanroom suits conversing in a brightly lit laboratory with a yellow hue, featuring reflective surfaces and specialised equipment.

essay

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

Medieval illustration of a monk using a compass on a wooden desk, with books, a scale, and an ornate background.

essay

History of science

Machina mundi

How medieval thinkers foreshadowed modern physics in investigating the character of machines, devices and forces

Henrik Lagerlund & Sylvain Roudaut

Man in a brown jacket and maroon tie sitting on a beige sofa, speaking with a neutral expression. Background is a plain, light brown wall.

video

Thinkers and theories

Bernard Williams on Descartes’s audacious endeavour to prove knowledge is possible

43 minutes

Silhouettes of three people walking dogs on a sand dune under a clear sky, creating shadows on the rippled sand.

essay

Knowledge

A sliver of reality

Science and mathematics may never fully capture the physical universe. Are there hard limits to human intelligence?

David H Wolpert

Group photo of attendees at the Colston Symposium on Observation and Interpretation in 1957. All are male bar one.

essay

Thinkers and theories

The lady vanishes

The history of ideas still struggles to remember the names of notable women philosophers. Mary Hesse is a salient example

Ann-Sophie Barwich

Abstract image featuring a metallic sphere inside a grey circular tunnel, viewed towards a blurred gradient background.

essay

Philosophy of science

What is a law of nature?

Laws of nature are impossible to break, and nearly as difficult to define. Just what kind of necessity do they possess?

Marc Lange

Two scatter plots with points in a circular pattern centred at origin, labelled x and y axes ranging from -1 to 1.

video

Logic and probability

The unresolved probability paradox that goes to the heart of scientific objectivity

8 minutes

Man with blonde hair wearing a black jumper, gesturing with his hands, and speaking indoors with a painting in the background.

video

Quantum theory

Mind-bending new quantum experiments are blurring past, present and future

10 minutes

Person in diving suit stands in the middle of calm lake with misty hills in the background and reflection in the water.

essay

History of science

Fringe theories stack

Believe in the Loch Ness monster and you’re more likely to believe the Apollo missions were fake. How do weird beliefs work?

Michael D Gordin

Black-and-white photo of a man looking at a projector screen displaying scientific diagrams and symbols.

essay

History of science

Calculate but don’t shut up

The cliché has it that the Copenhagen interpretation demands adherence without deep enquiry. That does physics a disservice

Jim Baggott

A sketch of light passing through a prism and then focusing through a lens, illustrating the dispersion of light into colours.

essay

Philosophy of science

The beautiful experiment

Science has become extraordinarily technocratic and complex. Is the simple and decisive experiment still a worthy ideal?

Milena Ivanova

Aerial view of a concrete area with colourful staggered beams, sections of white paint, and black tyre marks forming circular patterns.

essay

Future of technology

Learn from machine learning

The world is a black box full of extreme specificity: it might be predictable but that doesn’t mean it is understandable

David Weinberger

Abstract art with intersecting shapes and colours: lavender semicircle, light blue background, and vertical green, white, and black lines.

essay

Physics

Why simplicity works

Does the existence of a multiverse hold the key for why nature’s laws seem so simple?

Johnjoe McFadden

Close-up of a barracuda swimming underwater with several smaller fish in the background.

essay

Genetics

An idea with bite

The ‘selfish gene’ persists for the reason all good scientific metaphors do: it remains a sharp tool for clear thinking

J Arvid Ågren

Illustration of a man with grey hair and arms crossed in front of full bookshelves.

video

Cosmology

Building ‘bigger and better’ has pushed cosmology forward. Can it take it any further?

7 minutes

Image of a star-filled night sky with galaxies and stars of various sizes and colours scattered on a dark background.

essay

Cosmology

A non-Standard model

Most cosmologists say dark matter must exist. So far, it’s nowhere to be found. A widely scorned rival theory explains why

David Merritt

Map showing Mumbai with a 6.2-metre sea rise, indicating affected areas.

video

Earth science and climate

How much can science really tell us about the future of climate change?

24 minutes

A woman with glasses and curly hair, wearing a brown top is speaking while sitting on a black chair.

video

Mathematics

Against ‘beauty’ in science – how striving for elegance stifles progress

9 minutes