Philosophy & Psychology
Why we should trust science
Many of us accept science is a reliable guide to what we ought to believe – but not all of …
Salman Rushdie and freedom of speech
Salman Rushdie was assailed by 24-year-old Muslim fanatic Hadi Matar on 12 August as he was about to give a …
Why do we mourn people we don’t know?
The death of Queen Elizabeth II has prompted public displays of grief around the world – from public gatherings at …
Inflationary psychology could make things worse
With the world experiencing inflation levels not seen since the 1980s, central banks are caught between warning of the dangers …
Uncertainty and the pull of magical beliefs
Magic has a seemingly universal allure. It’s interwoven in some of the most popular narratives for children and adults, from …
Big data: Unlocking insights into psychology
People aren’t like rocks, and that has long been a problem for psychological scientists. If you are experimenting on a …
Why conspiracy theories are exciting – and dangerous
Conspiracy theories have been around for centuries, from witch trials and antisemitic campaigns to beliefs that Freemasons were trying to …
How cults corrupt our desire for love and connection
Project Mayhem is an all-male cult – but unlike the real cults that Sarah Steel writes about in Do As …
Karl Marx’s philosophy explained
In 1845, Karl Marx declared: “philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it”. …
Blaming ‘evil’: Unpacking the paradox of using the word
The word ‘evil’ circulates widely in the wake of terrible public violence. The May 24, 2022, massacre at an elementary …
Why are we so vulnerable to bad information?
There are two fundamental reasons why misinformation is a bigger problem than ever before. The first is tied to the …
Bertrand Russell’s universe
One hundred and fifty years ago on 18 May 1872 the philosopher Bertrand Russell was born. Of everything he said …