Moral Philosophy

Moral Philosophy

9mins
Humans are among the most altruistic species that we’ve studied, due to our alloparental instincts – a trait we evolved into that allows us to care for offspring who are […]
A split image with a blurred, colorful portrait of Sam Bankman-Fried on the left and Peter Singer on the right.
"The movement is much bigger than Sam Bankman-Fried, or any one person, no matter how wealthy," philosopher Peter Singer told Big Think.
A person in a black hat and coat raises a black square and a blue square against a clear sky, symbolizing their moral ambition.
In "Moral Ambition," Dutch historian Rutger Bregman argues that all would benefit from a collective redefinition of success.
Neon outline of hands in prayer with an arrow pointing from them to a collage of various brand tags on the right side of the image.
God is not a vending machine, but is it wrong to treat him like one?
A diptych image: left side shows a row of shopping carts lined up, right side depicts a single shopping cart abandoned in a puddle, serving as a litmus test for societal behavior.
The "Shopping Cart Litmus Test" is a popular meme about morality. What does it really reveal about one's character?
A collage of images featuring an anatomical drawing of a heart, a portrait of a bearded man embodying everyday philosophy, a brain illustration, and a smartphone showing an unread message notification.
Nicole has been dating someone for a while but it's not working out from her point of view. Is sudden radio silence an ethical option?
A woman and an octopus gracefully intertwined in a mesmerizing scene.
A controversial new philosophy paper tries to bring our moral prejudices to heel. Should it?
A statue of three monkeys covering their faces.
We all have a place in our lives where we look the other way and pretend everything is fine. It's a built-in excuse to act selfishly.
A painting exploring the philosophy of sex through a woman holding a shell.
The philosophy of sex is going through a recalibration period.
Cupid and Psyche statue
Philosophy can focus on some dull topics. Luckily, some thinkers have spent lots of time on the philosophy of sex
a picture of a man with a hat and a tarot card.
The debate goes back at least 400 years.
John Templeton Foundation
A depiction of Jesus surrounded by angels, affirming the existence of God.
A philosophical debate spanning creation, free will, and a sneaky teapot.
a person standing on top of a mountain under a starry sky.
A proponent of panpsychism argues moral truth is inherent in consciousness.
a close up of a person wearing a suit and tie.
6mins
University College London professor Brian Klaas exposes the ugly truth about world leaders.
a black and white drawing of a man with a brain on his head.
Are people are more likely to act less emotionally and more rationally when speaking their second language?
a painting of a man sitting in a cave surrounded by dogs.
Diogenes engaged in shocking behavior to demonstrate the contradictions, small-mindedness, and sheer absurdity of prevailing social conventions.
a painting of a group of people riding horses.
Evolutionary pressures drove the formation of tribes who encoded their values in myths and symbols. Was this cooperation cursed?
In "The History of Western Philosophy," Bertrand Russell made it clear whose thinking he admired — and whose thinking he didn't.
Bunny in a hot tub
The utilitarian “greatest happiness principle” has remained popular for two centuries — is it time for a rethink?
5mins
The formula for rational thinking explained by Steven Pinker.
There's a link between dark personality traits and breaches of battlefield ethics.
Psychologists are finding that moral code violations can leave an enduring mark — and may require new types of therapy.
Many have argued that morals are relative, but Russia's war crimes reveal the hollowness of that belief. Morality is universal and objective.
After 10,000 years of civilization, have we figured out what virtue is?
One of the fundamental questions for those studying and advocating progress is around understanding what variables can move the needle for the type of progress that you might want to see in the world. It's a key focus of the "progress studies" discipline and a question that has received increased attention from academics and public intellectuals in recent years.