Category: Society & Culture
Global WEIRDing Threatens Cognitive Diversity
Human cognitive diversity joins a number of other forms of diversity that are disappearing. Diversity of mammals and plants, of languages and cuisines. But the loss of cognitive diversity raises issues all its own.
‘Adversarial’ Humanities Fuel Our Outrage Culture
Literary theorists of the past half-century—who now dominate the humanities—encourage us to assume ill-intentions of one another. This contrasts with the 'empathetic' humanities, which aim for more understanding and less judging in our daily lives.
Engaging in Civil Arguments Is Effective Against Extremism
Philosophers are exemplars in disagreeing vehemently but civilly with others. Like them, using these 4 principles can help us have arguments that are effective against extremism.
Stereotypes Are Like Sediment
It's said that our actions are based on immediate intuitions, informed by accumulated stereotypes. Are we merely puppets of inherited ideologies?
Ecstatic Experience: How the West Can Find Itself by Losing Control
In the West, we resist ecstatic experience, fearful of losing control—this hyper-rationalistic mindset excludes us from crucial paths to insight and connection. But there is a dark side to ecstasy.
A Tough President and An Unsettled Nation
While the most violent mood in recent history settles over the nation, can we blame it on Donald Trump and his aspirations to be "tough?"
What is the Sublime? (According to Kant and Schopenhauer)
For Kant and Schopenhauer, scientific understanding deepens our experience with the Sublime, elevating our spiritual strength.
Jung and Freud Feud: Is it Sex or the Collective Unconscious?
Once resembling the relationship between a devoted father and an admiring son, Freud and Jung split over the question of culture's origins.
Competition is Bad for Families but Good for Societies
Local competition—including that among siblings or neighbors—stymies cooperation and social capital, whereas global competition fosters both.
Loss of Indigenous Languages Limits Our Insights from Nature
Language loss can be considered as extreme as the extinction of a plant or an animal—regarding indigenous languages in particular.
News-fatigued? Read Stoic Philosophy and Poetry Instead
Reading the news feels awful but ignoring it doesn’t feel right either. A stoic mindset shields us from catastrophy—and inspires action.
Saudade: Happy Melancholy, Nostalgia for What Is Absent
Portuguese speakers commonly boast that "saudade" is untranslatable. Does that mean certain emotion experiences can be unique to a particular culture?
An Experience is ‘Interesting’ But the World is Not
Examining the ways in which we use the word 'interesting' unlocks a key understanding about human existence and how we experience the world.
Religion is About Emotion Regulation and Shared Experience
Religion is a social glue that unifies individuals into cooperative social groups and helps us regulate our emotions—even if it can't explain nature.
‘Awakening the Soul’: One Man’s Challenge to the Post-truth World
A new book protests the postmodernist refutations of shared truth and grand narratives—we struggle because we lack story and soul.
Free-range Parenting Has Protection in Utah, Many Battles Ahead
Free-range parenting gains momentum in Utah, but families nation-wide still face threats to their autonomy from intrusive governments.
Infantilization of Western Culture: Adults No Longer Adult
College students aren't the only ones embracing infantilization, but what happens when an entire society succumbs to childlike behavior?
Is ‘Know Thyself’ The Greatest Delphic Maxim We Know?
We're familiar with 'know thyself' as one of the highest commands of philosophy, but we'd be remiss if we ignored the other Delphic maxims.
Shared Reality and Truth Are Losing Ground to Tribalism
People turn to tribalism for a sense of certainty, as trust in institutions and commitment to truth erode. Instead, we need to restore a shared reality which builds common ground, regardless of identity group.
Cult, New Religious Movement, or Minority Religion?
We need to change the language we use when talking about religion, starting with the word "cult."
Truth Is Not Absolute, But That Which Works
A common view of truth aims for that which corresponds with reality. Left with nothing but our own interpretations of the world, Pragmatists, like William James and Charles Peirce, argue that the best we can do is to hold to that which works.
Meaning of Life No Longer Matters to Philosophers
Professional philosophers rarely ask 'What is the meaning of life?' and when they do, they often dismiss it as nonsense.
‘History of White People’ and Dealing with Race Theorists
Nell Irvin Painter's book identifies some of the roots of the inequality we see today, which are based on the antiquated "science" of race theory. We can use the social construct of race to address social injustices, but what do we do with the mixed legacies of race theorists?
LGBTQ…P? Polygamy in the Era of Marriage Equality
Same-sex marriage was legalized in 2015. Ever-individualized notions of love, sexuality, and gender identity broaden our definition of family—but will we make room for polygamy? Should we?
Agape Restaurants Could Revive Toleration and Multiculturalism
Debates surrounding tribalism and bigotry abound, many focused on biased media or public policy. Agape Restaurants conceptualize food as a cultural force for realizing toleration and nurturing community—all while dining with strangers.
Urban Youth Use Myths and Drums to Become Men
Drawing power from mythological stories and self-disclosure, this award-winning mentoring program transforms teens into community leaders.
Funerals Are Vital Spaces for Emotional Learning
We dishonor a person's memory and do ourselves a disservice when we don't also acknowledge the dead person’s flaws, faults, or missteps—in other words, embrace their whole humanity. Whether we want it or not, funerals are spaces for emotional learning, not just grieving or reinforcing cultural norms.
As Atheists and Believers, We Need Deeper Reverence for Mystery
Throughout most contemporary discourse about God and practiced religion, God is conceptualized as a literal being, leading believers to harm, vilify, and limit the potential of other people. While atheists ridicule the religious for believing in such a temperamental God, they have also limited their own potentials.
Unconditional Cash Transfers Can Fix Foreign Aid
Foreign aid in the form of conditional cash transfers between governments tends to be abused by corrupt regimes, and rarely makes it into the hands of those in need. UCTs are a way to bypass that, and reinforce personal freedom.