Nigel Warburton
13 December 2023
Everyday Philosophy: Remembering Chaucer’s European life
Geoffrey Chaucer’s legacy should be as a great European, not as a quintessentially English writer
Read the full article06 December 2023
Everyday philosophy: The beauty of swearing
Philosophers have rarely written about swearing - until now
Read the full article29 November 2023
Everyday philosophy: Our animals face a difficult winter
It’s not just people paying the price for the cost of living crisis
Read the full article22 November 2023
Everyday philosophy: We have to play by the rules
Taking faster routes can be a sensible thing to do but only when it doesn’t destroy the activity itself
Read the full article15 November 2023
Everyday philosophy: Rough sleeping is not a ‘lifestyle choice’
Suella Braverman’s cruel attack on unhoused people points to a larger problem and must not be forgotten amid the reshuffle
Read the full article07 November 2023
Everyday philosophy: Happy birthday, Albert Camus
The French philosopher and writer, born on November 7, 1913, was a publisher’s dream
Read the full article01 November 2023
Everyday philosophy: Don’t shy away from reality
Switching off the news has been particularly alluring in the last few weeks, but we must not fall into this trap
Read the full article18 October 2023
Everyday Philosophy: The Israel-Hamas war has become Sophie’s Choice
There are no right answers in solving this conflict. But the wrong ones are obvious
Read the full article11 October 2023
Everyday Philosophy: How to live forever
It’s human nature to crave immortality, despite the pain and boredom that would accompany it
Read the full article04 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 article