The Samurai and the Spirit of Bushido
Author: Julian ScottJuly 31, 2026
I was inspired to write this article after visiting an exhibition on the samurai at the British Museum. Paradoxically for an exhibition about warriors, and much to my surprise, I emerged with a strong feeling of joyful peace and serenity, effects which I attribute to the sheer beauty of some of the paintings and artefacts on display, along with the often heroic stories that accompanied them, [...]
Problems with Artificial Intelligence
Author: Florimond KrinsJuly 25, 2026
Artificial Intelligence is an umbrella term. It regroups various types of computing and algorithmic models. There are three types of AI: the Weak or Narrow AI; Artificial General Intelligence or Strong AI; and Super or Self-aware AI. So far only the first one has concrete applications and the last two are strictly theoretical. All the so-called AI applications and algorithms available on the [...]
The Depth of Courage
Author: Sofia VenutiJuly 25, 2026
Courage is often imagined in the language of spectacle: the soldier charging into battle, the firefighter rushing into flame, the dissident standing before a hostile crowd. These images are vivid because they are visible. They lend themselves to narrative, to applause, to history. Yet there exists a quieter and more subtle form of courage – one that can happen much more frequently than these [...]
Pachamama, Goddess of the Earth, the Universe, the All
Author: Natalia LemaJuly 24, 2026
Pachatata and Pachamama These days, I often hear about the need to go back to our roots and reconnect with nature. It feels as though we have allowed speed and productivity to take over our daily lives. In recent years and knowing I grew up in a city, I have started to shift from simply observing nature’s beauty to feeling part of it, rather than standing outside of it. It makes a difference [...]
Exploring the Question of Consciousness with Philosophy
Author: Siobhan FarrarJuly 24, 2026
Our questions and the answers we receive are dependent on one another. It is not possible to gain an answer to a question that we’ve never asked. We remain ignorant until we awaken to the possibility that our understanding is somewhat limited. Currently, definitive answers to the question ‘what is consciousness?’ are out of reach. Perhaps one day it will be possible for different theories [...]
The Art of Happiness
Author: Sabine LeitnerJuly 24, 2026
“Are you happy?” “Well, sort of happy.” “Would you like to be happier?” “Hm, I don't have time to ask myself this question. What does happiness mean anyway?” “Good question.” Do we mean by happiness this temporary moment of a pleasant day, a nice event or winning the lottery? Because even the happiness derived from gaining a large sum of money is temporary – [...]
Have We Reached the End of History?
Author: Istvan OrbanJuly 23, 2026
In 1992, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the political philosopher Francis Fukuyama wrote a highly influential book, The End of History and The Last Man. He claimed that “what we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of postwar history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end point of mankind’s ideological evolution [...]
Emperor Julian: Apostate or Hero of Philosophy? – Part 2
Author: Stjepan PalajsaJuly 23, 2026
In Part 1 we saw the biography of this extraordinary but forgotten figure of Roman history. This article concludes with an examination of Julian’s philosophical ideas and inner life. A soul incapable of feeling fear Julian followed the great philosophical ideas under the guidance of his teachers, with a particular focus on ethical ideas. These taught him to completely control his body and [...]
Emperor Julian: Apostate or Hero of Philosophy? – Part 1
Author: Stjepan PalajsaJuly 23, 2026
Emperor Julian The dust of oblivion has erased the memory of one of the greatest figures in European history, whose ideas and work left a profound mark on the world: the Roman Emperor Julian, named ‘the Apostate’ by the Christians to whom his memory was anathema. By the 4th century AD, Rome had almost completely exhausted its spiritual energy. That immense social body was no longer [...]
Beyond the Arrow of Time: Quantum Physics, Philosophy and the Courage to Align
Author: Laszlo BalizsJuly 22, 2026
Classical physics presents a world that feels reliably ordered: first comes the cause, then the effect. If you push something, it moves. Time flows forward like an arrow and reality unfolds step by step. This view shaped not only science but civilization itself. Law, responsibility, morality, planning and identity all follow the same pattern: past, present and future. We learn from the past, act [...]
The Goddesses of Philae Temple: Egyptian Art as a ‘Magical Machine’.
Author: Sian PhillipsJuly 22, 2026
Egypt. Say the name and a host of iconic images are brought forth in your mind’s eye: The Great Pyramids, The Sphinx, King Tutankhamun’s funeral mask, walls filled with hieroglyphs, to name but a few. All of these could be seen as expressions of Egyptian art and architecture, but really, they seem to go far beyond our modern conception of such things. For the Egyptians, art was always at the [...]
The Legacy of Kant
Author: Julian ScottJuly 22, 2026
This article cannot possibly cover the entire legacy of the 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant, as he had a profound effect on so many fields, but I will focus on one in particular: the legacy of doubt. It all stems from what is known as Kant’s “Copernican Revolution” in philosophy. Copernicus proposed that the Earth revolves around the sun and around its own axis, thus transforming [...]