When George Yancy, a philosopher, interviews historian Robin D. G. Kelley, what happened on the streets of Tulsa in 1921 is only a point of departure. The riot is not a mirror of its time and place; it is an x-ray exposing deeply rooted conditions in American life. The conversation explores race divisions, class differences, […]
Yancy & Kelley: on the Tulsa Massacre Read More »
Philosophers pride themselves on thinking clearly by seeing what follows from what, exposing sophisms, spotting fallacies, and generally policing our reasoning. Many have spent years honing their skills, often deploying them on arcane topics. But these skills are not the exclusive property of rarefied sages, accessed only with a secret handshake and insider training, as
The Philosophy Toolkit Read More »
Søren Kierkegaard’s reflections on worry are useful reading for those in lockdown. As John Lippitt explains, two of Kierkegaard’s books can help us think more clearly about fear and dread, and how we relate to time.
Dread, Time, and the Pandemic Read More »
If embarking on a second year of shutdowns, social restrictions, constant health risks, and existential dread has eroded your sense of life’s ultimate meaning and purpose, a new report by philosophers in Britain and Australia may offer a double whammy of encouragement. First, you’re absolutely right, they say. Life is meaningless. Second, this fact poses
Good News for Nihilists Read More »
The science you can come across today can often appear to be full of contradictory claims. One study tells you red wine is good for your heart; another tells you it is not. Over the past year, COVID-19 research has offered conflicting reports about the overall effectiveness of wearing a mask.
Making sense of contradictory science Read More »
These squiggles have a meaning. So do spoken words, road signs, mathematical equations and signal flags. Meaning is something with which we’re intimately familiar – so familiar that, for the most part, we barely register or think about it at all.
My words have meaning, your parrot’s do not. Wittgenstein explains Read More »
