It's a Kind of Magic: The Philosophy of Ritual
Getting philosophical about ritual, from Confucius and spirit sacrifice in Ancient China to the everyday miracle of shaking hands.
Blogs
Pyrrho and the Trouble with Ethics
Pyrrho was the precursor of the ancient sceptical school. He was a philosopher who travelled widely and, according to some commentators, reinvented Indian modes of thought in the context of ancient Greece.
Hipparchia: Philosophy as Comedy
The Cynic philosopher Hipparchia defied social convention, in pursuit of a life free of hypocrisy and privilege.
Not the Mystical East: India's Long Tradition of Materialism
We often assume that Indian philosophy is somehow inherently “spiritual”. But India's long tradition of Cārvāka materialist philosophy suggests otherwise.
Sophie Grace Chappell on Plato and the Moral Imagination
An interview with Sophie Grace Chappell about philosophy, following your deepest impulses, and why mountain climbing is not unlike philosophy.
Aristotle on Flourishing
Aristotle argued that the end or purpose of human life was flourishing. But what is flourishing? And how do we flourish?
Aristotle on Ways of Knowing
Aristotle was a hugely eclectic thinker. But he was also a systematic one. And at the heart of his philosophy is the idea of the diversity of human ways of knowing.
Hui Shi and the Power of Analogy
The Chinese philosopher Hui Shi (370-310 BCE) was famed for his logical puzzles, and his skill in debate.
Plato's Theory of Forms
Plato is famous for what is sometimes called his "theory of forms". But what are forms? What is this theory? And what makes Aslan an almost-perfect cat?
