Philosophy

Philosophy

Examine life’s biggest questions, from ethics to existence, with curiosity and critical thinking.

A weaver's resilient hand skillfully crafts vibrant, geometric patterns into the woven fabric.
Many expect AI to follow a familiar pattern — technological disruption followed by adaptation — but what are we losing in return?
Open book showing a close-up of a hand squeezing a blue stress ball on the left page, symbolizing pressure, while a grayscale image of a person in a suit with crossed arms graces the right page, set against a serene blue backdrop.
You got your promotion — but managing the pressure inherent to your elevated role is now a crucial part of your job.
covid nasal spray
A new bill introduced into the US Senate claims to make us safer. Instead, it would destroy all virology research, and for no real cause.
Illustrated bell curve depicting IQ distribution with meme characters at various IQ levels: 70, 100, and 130, representing different intellectual stereotypes.
A study on the “moral circles” of liberals and conservatives gets drafted into the culture wars — with mixed results.
A person in a suit holds a paper with a smiley face over their head, giving the thumbs-up with the other hand—perhaps caught in the people-pleaser trap, masking true feelings for approval.
The road to “uncaged leadership” means reimagining your professional identity and value. Here’s how.
Map of Europe overlaid with an image of a contemplative monkey, set against a dark blue grid background.
Whether we should tear down philosophy’s Berlin Wall and let East and West finally merge depends entirely on what we think philosophy is—and what it’s for.
Large white text reading “maybe” in quotation marks, with a purple scribble behind it, is shown on a black background.
When plans fall apart, adaptability can build something better.
A woman smiles at a baby in a crib, holding a toy while the baby reaches out, attempting their first words. They appear to be in a domestic setting.
While death-bed utterances are more famous, baby’s first words have influenced us too.
Abstract collage with red dice and handwritten text overlay, featuring a hand writing with a pen. Against a background of grid and bookshelf patterns, it captures an existential crisis. The title "The Night Crawler" hovers above, probing life's uncertainties.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
A blue compass rose emblem with a fractured design symbolizes navigation through the struggles of addiction, set starkly against a black background.
Big Think spoke with author and psychiatrist Elias Dakwar about addiction, rock bottom, and the moment you realize your compass is broken.
Collage featuring Donald Trump on 'The Apprentice', Kim Kardashian on a red carpet, a film script, and a camera operator, capturing the behind-the-scenes essence of reality TV.
From Allen Funt to Donald Trump, author Emily Nussbaum explains how reality TV has blurred the lines between, well, reality and TV.
Collage featuring a woman smiling, the text "The Nightcrawler," power lines, and multiple sticky notes with handwritten text detailing tiny experiments.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Group of people in a formal setting, with a man holding a large book, others standing nearby, and photographers capturing the scene. There is a large portrait and flags in the background.
We're all entitled to our own opinions, no matter how ill-informed they are. But facts are facts; we can't just choose the ones we prefer.
A person with light hair is turned sideways, holding and reading a partially redacted book filled with pseudonyms, all set against a black grid background.
From acclaimed novels to heretical treatises, sometimes a writer just doesn't want to put their name on the cover.
Abstract black and white artwork consisting of scattered and fragmented geometric shapes on a plain background.
A brief guide to habits that separate deep understanding from superficial knowledge — and how to cultivate them.
first contact
Only 5% of the Universe is made of normal "stuff" like we are. Could there be dark matter or dark energy life, or even aliens, out there?
A silhouette of a head brimming with green grass and tiny flowers forms a brain-like shape, embodying sentience against a yellow textured background.
Could AI develop true intelligence without sentience? Philosopher Jonathan Birch explores the boundaries of artificial and evolved minds.
Collaged image with a Buddha statue, newspapers on finance, and text "The Nightcrawler" against a grid background. Featuring stock market graph details, it embodies the concept of mujo—impermanence—in the ever-changing financial landscape.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.