Why Is the World So Weird?
January 4, 2026
Quantum mechanics, mathematics, human consciousness…. whichever way you slice it, the universe is weird. How…
Why Be Reasonable?
August 30, 2026
“You’re being unreasonable.” “Reasonable doubt.” The “reasonable person” standard. Talk of reasonableness is everywhere we turn, but what does it actually come to? What makes something reasonable as opposed to unreasonable—and why does it matter? Could we hope for a society full of reasonable people,…
The Examined Year: 2025
December 28, 2025
What happened over the past year that challenged our assumptions and made us think about…
Mind Sharing
December 21, 2025
Mind reading might sound like the stuff of science fiction. But in philosophy and psychology,…
Shakespeare’s Outsiders
December 14, 2025
Over 400 years after his death, Shakespeare is still widely regarded as the greatest dramatist…
Im Yunjidang
December 7, 2025
18th-century Korean philosopher Im Yunjidang was the first Confucian to argue for women’s equality in…
Gilbert Ryle and the Map of the Mind
November 30, 2025
Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976) was a British philosopher of mind and language best known for his…
Can A.I. Help Us Understand Babies?
November 23, 2025
Artificial intelligence is everywhere in our day-to-day lives and our interactions with the world. And…
Margaret Cavendish
November 16, 2025
Margaret Cavendish was a writer of poetry, philosophy, polemics, histories, plays, and utopian fiction. She…
Narrative and the Meaning of Life
November 9, 2025
Humans are uniquely storytelling creatures who can narrate the events of their own lives. Some…
Impossible Worlds
November 2, 2025
Philosophers often speculate about possible worlds: ways that things could be. Some of them also…
Mary Astell
October 26, 2025
Mary Astell (1666–1731) was an English philosopher and writer who advocated for equal rights for…
In Awe of Wonder
October 19, 2025
Descartes said that the purpose of wonderment is “to enable us to learn and retain…
Making and Breaking Habits
October 12, 2025
We often hear that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” The idea seems…
Elisabeth of Bohemia
October 5, 2025
Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia is best known for her correspondence with René Descartes. In her letters,…
Zhuangzi: Being One with Ten Thousand Things
September 28, 2025
Zhuangzi, the 4th-century BCE Chinese philosopher, was arguably the most important figure in Taoism. He…
Robert Musil and Life as Experiment
September 21, 2025
Robert Musil (1880-1942) was an Austrian novelist, famous for The Man Without Qualities. Set in…
Now Offering Institutional Subscriptions to the Philosophy Talk Archive!
Subscribe to Philosophy Talk
As a member, you’ll gain access to hundreds of engaging episodes, exclusive content, and the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community of curious minds.
