Philosophy & Great Books
Stoicism, ethics, classic books, political philosophy, consciousness and AI, and the art of living.
About this list
This reading list brings together items from the sources selected for Philosophy & Great Books. Open each item at its original source for the complete article, episode or video. This is a selection of current coverage, not a complete archive.
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I won’t remain alone
In the wake of tragedy, an elderly couple must make a choice: should they let their son go to save the lives of others? - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
How to assemble science
Humanity produces a staggering amount of new knowledge every day. The question is how to make sense of it all - by Helen Pearson Read on Aeon
All-around junior male
A ball suspended in mid-air meets an athlete’s determination: in the one-foot high kick, competitors must defy gravity - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
A life in episodes
For a decade, I’ve posted episodes of my memoir to Facebook. My readers correct my understanding of my past - by Thomas Söderqvist Read on Aeon
Life on a hair trigger
A world of violence sustains itself through guns, poverty and other social ills, but also through the minds it creates - by Megan Kang Read on Aeon
Green tree ants are famous in the tropics
In tropical forests ruled by aggressive ants, these species have adopted a ‘fake it till you make it’ survival strategy - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
Reason is more than a tool
If intelligence is merely optimisation then machines will outrun us. Kant tells us why human reason is so much more - by Sasha Mudd Read on Aeon
Passportless mess
A fool, a genius, or ‘a man who destroys everything’? Piecing together Zoran, a mythic figure of Belgrade - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
Don’t use the ‘C-word’
A cancer diagnosis carries with it fear and upheaval. For many patients the cellular changes do not warrant the label - by Matthew R Cooperberg Read on Aeon
Affect theory
In the mid-1990s, thinkers pushed back against the idea we’re built by language, turning to feeling and the body instead - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
Paternity is poetical
The notion that fatherhood and creativity are at odds is plain wrong, as both poetry and neuroscience are showing us - by Daniel Swift Read on Aeon
Reasoning together
Jürgen Habermas, the great defender of deliberative democracy, lived up to its demands: he never feared changing his mind - by Emilie Prattico Read on Aeon
Britain’s last great airship
The remarkable engineering and tragic demise of the vessel that would end Britain’s dream to dominate the skies - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
Where a land ethic blooms
Caring for this planet entails decisions that are intimate, about our farms, our homes, our human and our wild neighbours - by Craig Maier Read on Aeon
How the West was fun
Be it movie mythos or nostalgia for a ‘simpler’ time, there’s an undeniable allure in stepping into the American West - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
Toadstools and toxins
When I found the mushroom Amanita muscaria being sold in candy wrappers, I uncovered legal loopholes, dangerous dosages and more - by Eric Leas Read on Aeon
Sound guardians
As Indonesia builds a new capital city, the race is on to preserve the sounds of the rainforest before they vanish forever - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
He was probably right
Cicero’s life and thought are a testament to the idea of probabilia: we should be confident in our beliefs, but never certain - by Massimo Pigliucci Read on Aeon
Cosmic amnesia
A black hole rings like a struck bell, then settles into silence, forgetting almost everything about its history. Why? - by Richard Dyer Read on Aeon
Animal eye
Probing the biology, beauty and mystery of animal eyes, this short poetic documentary explores an alien world - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
Who will taste the cherries?
The computist has one dream: to debug the subjectivity out of all of human knowledge, creating a pure, frictionless world - by Liam Spradlin Read on Aeon
The meaning of fake marble
From ancient Roman frescoes to modern kitchen benchtops, our desire to recreate marble is about more than cutting costs - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
Chasing la dolce vita
Homecomings, fantasies, food and ghosts – how the myth of eternal return keeps the Italian diaspora in a state of longing - by Ben Faccini Read on Aeon
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