Philosophy
What Makes Science Trustworthy
The “scientific method” of high school textbooks does not exist. But there are scientific methods.
Bad Romance
Capitalism hasn’t disenchanted the world. Like a bad lover, it beguiles us into spiritual desolation.
The Critical Bite of Cultural Relativism
The pioneers of cultural anthropology taught not just how to study other cultures, but how to criticize their own.
The Future of Political Philosophy
For five decades Anglophone political philosophy has been dominated by the liberal egalitarianism of John Rawls. With liberalism in crisis, have these ideas outlived their time?
The Why of the World
Allured by the promise of Big Data, science has shortchanged causal explanation in favor of data-driven prediction. But ultimately we must ask why.
The Pacifist Roots of an American Nazi
Ingrid Rimland was a pioneering voice of the neo-Nazi Internet. She was also raised Mennonite, a peaceful religion with a long history of celebrating white “ethnic” identity.
The Book on Marx That Arendt Never Finished
Hannah Arendt’s unfinished book on Marx offers a timely philosophical dialogue for our era of economic precarity.
The Myths of Enlightenment
For the philosopher and intellectual historian Hans Blumenberg, myths and metaphors were pivotal to philosophical thinking, not opposed to it.
Democracy Without God
Martin Hägglund argues that only atheists are truly committed to improving our world. But people of faith and socialists have more in common than he thinks.
Don’t Overthink It
A new book wants us to navigate life’s crossroads with the precision of a military exercise. But personal decisions are more difficult than even the most consequential political decisions.
Is Philanthropy Anti-Democratic?
Most charitable foundations are endowed in perpetuity. But John Stuart Mill argued eternal rights make for bad governance.
The Philosophy of Our Time
Jean-Paul Sartre’s existential Marxism offers a radical philosophical foundation for today’s revitalized critiques of capitalism.
Below the Asphalt Lies the Beach
There is still much to learn from the radical legacy of critical theory.
What John Stuart Mill Got Wrong about Freedom of Speech
Fascist politics exploits freedom of speech for authoritarian ends.
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