Tag: Philosophy

Don’t Get Triggered by Analogies – They are a Powerful Tool for Logical Reasoning

I was recently reading a book by US General McChrystal, and his experiences fighting the Al Qaeda terrorist insurgency in Iraq. In the book, he brought up something that I found particularly interesting. The world has become “flatter” and faster. People are more connected, more mobile, and move faster than ever before. These changes have … Continue reading Don’t Get Triggered by Analogies – They are a Powerful Tool for Logical Reasoning →

Would you get Blood on your Hands to Save a Life?

I was recently debating a philosophical conundrum with some friends, when I realized that something that seemed morally obvious to me was actually considered abominable by others. Something that made me realize that our common understanding of morality may not be nearly as common as I had thought. Some tangential context that sets the stage. … Continue reading Would you get Blood on your Hands to Save a Life? →

We Don’t Need Elections to Figure Out What People Want

Source I read today a very thought-provoking piece by Yuval Harari, a historian and philosopher. “You can vote but you can’t choose what is true.” A paraphrased summary of his thesis: Elections are awful ways of determining what is true. For that, we need to turn to experts and institutions, not popularity contests. However, elections … Continue reading We Don’t Need Elections to Figure Out What People Want →

The First Stoics – Philosophical Themes In The Bhagavad Gita

Source Stoic philosophy is often assumed to have originated entirely in Greece, through philosophers such as Zeno. However, such a characterization ignores vastly similar Eastern philosophies such as those found in Buddhism or the Bhagavad Gita - a text that was authored in a similar time period, transmitted orally for centuries prior, and is one … Continue reading The First Stoics – Philosophical Themes In The Bhagavad Gita →

Better that 10 Innocent Men be Murdered

I recently came across an interesting article, discussing the evolution of the popular phrase “Better that 10 guilty men go free, than 1 innocent man go to prison.” More specifically, it discusses how the exact ratio has varied throughout all of human history. A perfect demonstration that as poetic as the phrase may sound, coming … Continue reading Better that 10 Innocent Men be Murdered →

Solving the Raven-Paradox and Improving the Way we do Science

One of the most interesting paradoxes studied by Philosophers, is also one that challenges our entire approach to science and knowledge gathering. Despite its monumental importance, there currently exist no satisfying resolution to this paradox. Which is unfortunate, because by studying this paradox, and learning how to resolve it, we all stand to benefit immensely, … Continue reading Solving the Raven-Paradox and Improving the Way we do Science →

Philosophical Proof for the Human Soul

As a lifelong agnostic, I never thought that I would find myself arguing for the existence of “souls”, much less claiming that I’ve found proof through Philosophical reasoning. And yet, as I consider the alternative, I find myself unable to accept any other conclusion. If we were to assume that human consciousness arises purely out … Continue reading Philosophical Proof for the Human Soul →

Why Philosophy gets no Respect in Society

There was a time when Philosophy was one of the most respected intellectual disciplines in humanity. Philosophical greats such as Aristotle, Plato and Kant are world renowned today, even centuries after their death. Others like Pythagoras and Newton considered themselves to be natural philosophers, and their contributions to mathematics have made them scientific idols even today. … Continue reading Why Philosophy gets no Respect in Society →

The Deafening Silence Around Animal Cruelty

The past week has produced a number of interesting articles which have become instant talking points. There was one about the continuing lack of opportunities & hurdles facing women in the sciences. There was another about how rich people subconsciously empathize less towards people who aren’t as powerful as them. As can be expected, both … Continue reading The Deafening Silence Around Animal Cruelty →