Nigel Warburton
04 October 2023
Everyday Philosophy: On the Sycamore Gap
Psychologically, absences felt in particular places matter to us. The gap left on Hadrian’s Wall will be felt by anyone who had visited the remarkable tree in situ
Read the full article27 September 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Bertrand Russell and King’s hypocrisy
When it comes to climate change, King Charles is a hypocrite. But at least, unlike Rishi Sunak, he tells the truth about the issue
Read the full article20 September 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Aliens, miracles and jumping to conclusions
We lack conclusive evidence about aliens, but this won't deter the believers
Read the full article13 September 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Learning how to die
Dying can be worse than death. Is it time for our legislation to reflect this?
Read the full article06 September 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Iceland’s whaling ban is flawed
Anything short of a complete ban on all whale hunting is immoral
Read the full article30 August 2023
Everyday Philosophy: The fun and games (and politics) of chess
Trans women have been banned from world chess events while a review is underway. Recognising that chess is a game not a sport could bring clarity to the situation
Read the full article23 August 2023
Everyday Philosophy: What Suella Braverman can learn from migrant butterflies
The home secretary’s rhetoric falsely depicts migrants as threats to those already living in Britain
Read the full article16 August 2023
Everyday Philosophy: On knowing yourself
Should we be surprised that we sometimes reveal things about ourselves that we don’t know at the time?
Read the full article02 August 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Is bystanding just a form of denial?
It’s hard to ignore suffering when it’s near you, or even right in front of you. Yet still, we turn away
Read the full article26 July 2023
Everyday Philosophy: How to spot a bullshitter
Serial liars, such as Boris Johnson, don’t want you to know what they’re up to. The late Harry G Frankfurt’s writing can help us call them out
Read the full article19 July 2023
Everyday Philosophy: The death of Socrates
Socrates was poisoned with Hemlock. But did Plato fictionalise the account of his death?
Read the full article12 July 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Walter Benjamin and art’s aura
Does the replication of artwork add to or detract from the original piece’s value?
Read the full article05 July 2023
Everyday Philosophy: The world according to AJ Ayer
It took bravery to stand up to the philosophical establishment in the 1930s. But Ayer took it all in his stride
Read the full article21 June 2023
Everyday Philosophy: We’ve entered Cormac McCarthy’s Hobbesian wasteland
Europe is edging closer to nuclear war. How would we behave in the world that remained?
Read the full article14 June 2023
Everyday Philosophy: The moral dilemma of Cornel West’s candidacy
West won’t succeed. But his failure could push the US towards fascism
Read the full article07 June 2023
Everyday Philosophy: How to spot a bigot
The term used to describe those typically offensive to religious or racial groups is thrown around too often in contemporary societies
Read the full article31 May 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Who should wield power?
Plato wanted societies to be governed by an incorruptible, intellectual elite. Today this is a terrifying thought
Read the full article24 May 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Finding privacy in a public world
Today, if you’re in public, you’re fair game
Read the full article17 May 2023
Everyday Philosophy: How best to educate our children
Teaching philosophy in the classroom can help better prepare younger generations for later life
Read the full article09 May 2023
Everyday Philosophy: The bravery of dissent
There is a long British tradition of meeting dissent with disproportionate measures. Sadly, last weekend was no exception
Read the full article03 May 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Suella Braverman’s lack of compassion has taken us through the looking glass
The government’s egregious Rwanda policy won’t stop the boats. It will only cause more suffering for anyone who attempts the journey
Read the full article26 April 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Derek Parfit, Star Trek and the self
The philosopher turned to Star Trek to tackle some of life's biggest questions
Read the full article19 April 2023
Everyday philosophy: Immanuel Kant and racial liberalism
The irony at the heart of his moral philosophy is as relevant today as it was in the 18th century
Read the full article13 April 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Slavery, guilt and restorative justice
The Guardian and the Church of England have confronted their historical links to the slave trade – but what about the monarchy?
Read the full article30 March 2023
Everyday Philosophy: What is pornography?
A teacher in Florida was forced to resign after parents complained that Michelangelo’s David statue is “pornographic”
Read the full article23 March 2023
Everyday Philosophy: The ethics of octopus farming
Critics argue that it is impossible, or at least impractical, to rear octopuses for food without causing them intense suffering
Read the full article16 March 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Free expression
Remembering the brave resistance of Germany’s White Rose movement and their fight for free expression
Read the full article09 March 2023
Everyday Philosophy: ChatGPT and the rise of the machines
The latest AI system has been hailed as a gamechanger in journalism, but will the bots have their day?
Read the full article02 March 2023
Everyday Philosophy: The importance of symbolic gestures
Why tranquil indifference is not the answer to the world's problems
Read the full article23 February 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Celebrating Arthur Schopenhauer
The European philosopher who wrote to be understood
Read the full article16 February 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Voltaire, God and evil
In today's world, God and evil are tough to explain. Can the works of Voltaire help?
Read the full article09 February 2023
Everyday philosophy: Understanding the ethics of Westminster
There's a deep inconsistency at the heart of the government's ethical code
Read the full article