Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus, is an 1818 novel by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Set in the late 18th century, it follows scientist Victor Frankenstein’s creation of life and the terrible events that are precipitated by his abandonment of his creation. It is a Gothic novel in that it combines supernatural elements with horror, death and… Continue reading Frankenstein: how Mary Shelley’s sci-fi classic offers lessons for us today about the dangers of playing God
If you’re looking for ways to bring more positive changes into your life, TikTok recommends jumping on the “lucky girl syndrome” trend. The hashtag links countless videos, all claiming this new form of positive thinking can help you achieve your goals. If you haven’t already come across one of these videos, many of them involve… Continue reading Lucky girl syndrome: the potential dark side of TikTok’s extreme positive thinking trend
Scientists regularly study the ongoing degradation of Earth’s environment and track the changes wrought by a warming planet. Economists warn that intensifying disasters are harming people’s quality of life. And policymakers focus on crafting rules to diminish the health and environmental effects of humanity’s growing footprint. What is the role of philosophers and people of… Continue reading Can religion and faith combat eco-despair?
Do you remember what it was like to discover the magic of a city for the first time? Do you remember the noises, smells, flashing lights and pulsating crowds? Or do you mostly remember cities through the screen of your phone? In 1967, French philosopher and filmmaker Guy Debord publicised the need to move away… Continue reading The art of ‘getting lost’: how re-discovering your city can be an antidote to capitalism
Ideas about the soul have been powerful throughout the history of religion and philosophy. Until the 19th-century, most people took the existence of souls for granted. With the rise of modern psychology, this belief lost its plausibility, and today it is largely absent from academic philosophical and even theological writing. Many now deny the existence… Continue reading How Disney took Plato’s view of existence and added a modern twist
Dry conditions and impending drought mean millions of people endure hosepipe ban’s each year. There is a “temporary use ban” in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with Kent and Sussex to follow. It’s virtually impossible for water suppliers to enforce this ban themselves, so some are reportedly urging customers to report if they spot… Continue reading Hosepipe ban: should you snitch on your neighbour’s water use? A philosopher’s take
It’s now over two years since 33-year-old Sarah Everard was kidnapped while she walked home and killed by a police officer in London. Since then, we’ve also seen the case of Sabina Nessa, a primary school teacher also from London, was also killed by a stranger while walking to meet a friend. And in early… Continue reading Stopping violence against women starts with learning what misogyny really is
It has been more than 50 years since astronomers first proposed “dark matter”, which is thought to be the most common form of matter in the universe. Despite this, we have no idea what it is – nobody has directly seen it or produced it in the lab. So how can scientists be so sure… Continue reading Dark matter: should we be so sure it exists? Here’s how philosophy can help
In 1624, a physician called Jean-Baptiste van Helmont told a strange story in his book of “magnetic cures” about a man from Brussels who had lost his nose. Having had his nose cut off “in combat”, the man went to a famous Italian surgeon, Gaspare Tagliacozzi, who promised to make him a new one “resembling… Continue reading His new nose grew ‘frigid and cadaverous’: the philosophy of the first nose job
At a time when humans are threatening the extinction of so many other species, some people think that the extinction of our own species would be of benefit. Take, for example, the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement, whose founder believes that our extinction would put an end to the damage we inflict on each other and… Continue reading Solve suffering by blowing up the universe? The dubious philosophy of human extinction
