Why We're Terrible at Knowing What Will Make Us Happy
We're remarkably bad at predicting what will make us happy. Research shows this again and again. People think getting the promotion will make them happier...
What Free Will Actually Means
Most people think free will means you can choose what to do. That's not the real question. Of course you can choose. Right now you could choose to close this...
The Guilt About Feeling Good
I felt guilty yesterday for enjoying my coffee while reading about disasters in the news. This happens a lot. You're having a good time, then remember...
The One Thing We Know for Sure
Pain feels bad. That's not a complex philosophical statement. It's not even interesting. But it might be the only moral fact we can know for certain. Think...
Why 'It's Natural' Is Never a Good Moral Argument
People love saying things are "natural" when they want to win an argument. Meat-eating is natural. Monogamy isn't natural. Competition is natural....
Your Dinner Is a Philosophy
You're standing in your kitchen at 6 PM. What should you eat? This feels practical. Maybe boring. It's not. It's philosophy in action. Every choice reveals...
If We Can't Choose, Should We Still Punish?
Let's say free will is an illusion. Your brain makes decisions before "you" know about them. Every choice follows from prior causes stretching back to the...
The Problem That Breaks Belief
Here's the problem that ended my belief in God. If God exists, he's supposed to be all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good. But terrible things happen...
What Stoics and Epicureans Actually Disagreed About
Most people think Stoics were against pleasure and Epicureans were for it. That's not the real disagreement. Both schools wanted the same thing: a peaceful...
Nietzsche Wasn't Celebrating
When Nietzsche wrote "God is dead," most people think he was celebrating. He wasn't. He was diagnosing a problem. A massive one. For centuries, God gave...
You're Probably Already a Utilitarian
Most people reject utilitarianism when they first hear about it. The idea that we should maximize happiness for the greatest number sounds cold. Calculating....
Camus and the Absurd Life
Camus had a simple observation: we want life to make sense, but it doesn't. We keep asking "why" about everything. Why do bad things happen to good people?...
The Hedonist Who Ate Bread and Water
Most people think hedonism means being reckless. Partying. Excess. It doesn't. Epicurus — the original hedonist — lived on bread, water, and conversation...
The Fact-Value Gap
Science can measure how much dopamine your brain releases when you eat chocolate. It can't tell you whether you should eat the chocolate. This distinction...