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 crisis of authority
Author: Sabine LeitnerMarch 28, 2026
It seems that respect for authority is declining in many parts of the world. In 2001 half of all Americans said that they trusted the government to do what is right always or most of the time. In 2023, only 16% said the same. Hardly a day passes by without news about some abuse of power or position: former presidents in prison, ministers having to resign, princes losing all their titles, sexual [...]
The Joy of Discipline
Author: Zarina ScrewvalaFebruary 18, 2025
You may ask what joy can discipline bring? Doesn’t discipline suggest a rigid, regimented life? Evoking images of hard work, full of rules and regulations enforced by others that you reluctantly follow? Perhaps, we can learn more if we ask ourselves: Is discipline something that comes from outside? Or from our own will and choices? And where does the joy come? This article examines Discipline [...]
Smart Slavery
Author: Antonin VinklerMay 2, 2024
Thanks to the benevolent faith there are over a hundred letters preserved from my favorite philosopher - Lucius Annaeus Seneca, in which he is mentoring his younger friend Lucilius. In one of those letters (No 27) Seneca mentions Calvisius Sabinus – a rich fellow, who wanted to become a memorable part of the society of educated aristocrats. In that society it was normal to discuss Homer, to [...]
Unshackling My Chains
Author: Sukesh MotwaniAugust 25, 2021
In my younger years, I would often wonder about the idea of enlightenment. There has been a fascination about how I could ever reach a point where my mind would merge into, or become united with, the Cosmic Mind; to acquire, to realise, or to experience, what some might call, the ultimate Truth. But I was advised: Spiritually elevating yourself is about dropping ideas about the self… it is [...]
To Freedom: Mastering our Tools
Author: Yaron BarzilayMarch 31, 2021
In recent years we seem to see an increasing number of people across the world calling to sharpen the fine boundary between technology employed to serve humanity, and that which takes over our freedom. We have smart phones and watches that make our lives easier, or sometimes more complicated… leaving users sometimes lesser and lesser capable, while devices become ever more sophisticated. It is [...]
Standing for True Solidarity
Author: Trishya ScrewvalaApril 17, 2020
In many ways, the last decade can be considered a decade of protests - starting with the Arab Spring in 2010 and the Occupy Wallstreet Movement soon after, to the still ongoing clashes on the streets of Hong Kong, Venezuela’s uprising against its leadership and the widespread protests against India’s Citizenship Amendment Act, to name only a few that have occurred within the last year itself. [...]
The Joy of Living Philosophy
Author: Akanksha SanghiOctober 13, 2019
Know Thyself. This famous axiom from the ancient Greek tradition seems so simple but in reality these words are a key to living life. As I reflect over the last 5 years, since when I began my journey as a philosopher and started to explore the meaning of these words, it is easy for me to see that I am a totally different person. While externally I may seem quite the same to many, there is a deep [...]
Great Power of Choice. Great Responsibility.
Author: Harianto MehtaSeptember 30, 2018
Often we find ourselves at the crossroads of various opportunities in life. We celebrate the privilege of having options, and experience a sense of freedom in the ability to choose from among so many possibilities. We feel we are in control of our lives, and decide to retain this freedom as far as possible, without having to commit to any one of the options. Before long, however, we are torn [...]
Kant and the Kingdom of Ends
Author: Nataliya PetlevychSeptember 14, 2018
In the second half of the 18th century Immanuel Kant formulated a new a golden standard for human relations: “Act in such a way as to treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of anyone else, always as an end and never merely as a means.” This maxim has influenced numerous other philosophers and legislators, impacting on the constitutions of many countries and the Universal [...]
Is Morality Relative?
Author: Julian ScottMay 17, 2016
This is one of those philosophical questions that will probably always exist. There are no doubt many possible answers, but perhaps the best place to start is with the philosophy of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). Kant’s position on this question was unequivocal. In a world of relativities, there is only one thing that can be considered good without qualification: the good will. Talent, [...]
The Dark Side of Freedom
Author: Sabine LeitnerJanuary 27, 2015
Freedom is one of those words that are usually perceived as 100% positive. Who does not want to be free? Free from any form of outer coercion or restraint, free to do whatever we want. But is the concept of freedom really so simple? What if we don’t use our freedom wisely? Imagine a fridge full of things you like: you are free to choose to eat whatever you fancy. However, you are [...]