Ethics
From bondage to freedom: Baruch Spinoza’s guide to the rational life.
An atheist’s case for why American democracy needs a more Christlike Christianity.
Rutger Bregman’s “Moral Ambition” wants us to aim our careers not at money but solving the world’s biggest problems.
“Nobody expects a computer simulation of a hurricane to generate real wind and real rain,” writes neuroscientist Anil Seth.
In all the known Universe, Earth is the only planet known to have native life. What should guide us in expanding humanity beyond our world?
Pessimissts are never disappointed, but are they also kinder?
How much can you know about someone from a single belief?
Your BS detector might not be as accurate as you think.
A study on the “moral circles” of liberals and conservatives gets drafted into the culture wars — with mixed results.
The more you know, the better you can act.
From King Midas to Gordon Gekko, humanity has struggled to grasp greed’s true nature.
The psychology of people who cut off all communication—and how that affects their partners.
Two great philosophies — but do they work better together?
“I have a friend who thinks vaccines cause autism,” writes Nina. “What can I do?”
In the 18th century, David Hume argued that we are only motivated to do good when our passions direct us to do so. Was he right?
Can laboratories become more humane, or is it time to end animal research altogether?
Philosopher Peter Singer argues it’s time to examine a morally dubious practice.
Three of the greatest moral philosophers — Bentham, Kant and Aristotle — offer invaluable and practical lessons for leaders today.
Why do we tip waitstaff and cabdrivers but not flight attendants and retail clerks?
Cecilie Fjellhøy, from the Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, shares her experience.
“We’re acting more like fans of a football team going to a game than a banker carefully choosing investments.”
Why human attempts to mechanize logic keep breaking down.
As creatures and machines meld together in increasingly advanced forms, ethicists are starting to take note.
Big Think guest writer Rory Stewart — former UK Secretary of State for International Development and co-host of The Rest Is Politics podcast — made a profound discovery about leadership while working with GiveDirectly.
The idea of awarding legal personhood to nature has received renewed attention in the contemporary environmental justice movement, but much contention remains.
“The brain is never the same from one moment to the next throughout life. Never ever.”
When stuffed and staring down the last bite, you might hear your mother’s voice in your mind.
In “Moral Ambition,” Dutch historian Rutger Bregman argues that all would benefit from a collective redefinition of success.
A golden new era of business is within our reach — provided that we harness AI’s potential while mitigating the risks.
A researcher weighs in on who’s accountable, when and why, in the eyes of the law — and whether the measures work as intended.