Philosophy
What’s Wrong with Technocracy?
Democratic theory points to two problems: unjust concentrations of power and a flawed theory of knowledge.
The New Moral Mathematics
In his new book, philosopher William MacAskill implies that humanity’s long-term survival matters more than preventing short-term suffering and death.
Remembering Richard J. Bernstein
The wide-ranging philosopher had the uncanny ability to bring very different traditions into conversation.
The Personal Is Philosophical
On the first English translation of Wittgenstein’s early private notebooks.
Ingeborg Bachmann’s “Dream of Language”
On the first English translation of the Austrian poet’s critical writings, composed in the shadow of fascism.
Selling Hope
A cancer diagnosis reveals how pervasive consumerism has become, infecting even the stuff meant to heal us.
Just Give Me My Equality
A new book explains where egalitarianism went wrong—and what it still has to offer.
In Search of Foucault’s Last Words
Against the philosopher’s dying wish, the final volume of History of Sexuality has now been published. How should we approach it?
The Fight for Reparations Cannot Ignore Climate Change
Racial redress should be modeled on the global anticolonial tradition of worldbuilding.
Seeking Certainty in Uncertain Times
An anthropologist reflects on West African divination as a case study in hope during times of great uncertainty.
The Shocking School
The Judge Rotenberg Center, a Massachusetts school, still uses electric shock therapy to punish disabled students. How can an entire field of mental health accept this?
In Pursuit of Racial Justice: The Life and Thought of Charles W. Mills
A recording of a virtual roundtable to honor the life and work of Charles W. Mills.
Imagine the Worst
How philosophical thinking can make truthfulness possible even when the truth can barely be fathomed.
Fall 2021: Uncertainty
Nearly two years into a global pandemic, uncertainty has profoundly unsettled both our personal and political lives. In our Fall 2021 book, eleven thinkers consider its scientific, philosophical, and economic aspects.
Against Persuasion
Knowing takes radical collaboration: an openness to being persuaded as much as an eagerness to persuade.
Polarization or Propaganda?
Two theories paint very different pictures of the sources of our democratic dysfunction. The debate won’t be settled by accusations of political convenience.
Get our newsletter
Vital reading on politics, ideas, and culture to your inbox
A political and literary forum, independent and nonprofit since 1975
Registered 501(c)(3) organization
Help Us Stay Paywall-Free
Become a Member