Painting of a late-19th century pub scene with two men and a woman, drinks on the table, the woman looking into a mirror.
ETHICS

Is it morally wrong to not take care of yourself?

The philosophical debate goes on. But our research on self-obligations suggests there’s a common, consequential view

by Laura K Soter & Fan Yang

A rear-end collision between two cars, showing damage and close details of tyres and bumpers.
FREEDOM AND CHOICE
23

Why you should try living without free will for two weeks

Set aside the philosophical debates and act as if there is no free will. It leads to less blaming and better questions

by Tara-Lyn Camilleri

Black and white photo of a woman shopping in a supermarket aisle, placing items in a trolley filled with groceries.
WORK AND VOCATION

Logistics underpins power – and logistics is female

A women’s history of logistics from the battlefields of 19th-century Europe to middle-class households and sex trafficking

by Susan Zieger

Ideas

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A spiral wooden staircase with soft lighting and curved design elements, creating a warm, flowing pattern.
VIRTUES AND VICES

Sometimes, the road to virtue comes by way of vice

by Sabrina B Little

An excited crowd in orange shirts cheering at a sports event, showing diverse fans in a stadium atmosphere.
EMOTIONS

Why do crowds make our emotional experiences more intense?

by John Drury

Guides

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An elderly couple sitting on a bench under a patterned umbrella, with a mosaic-tiled wall in the background.
AGEING
6

How to rediscover your purpose later in life

You don’t have to ‘reinvent’ yourself to live happily after 60. There’s a better approach grounded in lifespan psychology

by Denise Taylor

Photo of a person in a white shirt holding an orange behind their back at a crosswalk, seen from behind.
THINKERS AND THEORIES
4

How to think like a Hegelian

For Hegel, your thoughts aren’t trapped in a cerebral box: they act on the world, making meaning and expressing your freedom

by Jeffrey Reid

Life stories

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An older man in a hat and glasses with a colourful tie-dye shirt at an outdoor event, headphones around his neck.
MUSIC
8

The human frequency

With Radio Paradise, William Goldsmith built an internet radio station that’s become a living argument for taste, trust and the art of choosing what comes next

by Greg Easley

Editor’s picks

A young boy smiling, resting his chin on his hands, looking at a marshmallow on a table.
FOCUS AND ATTENTION

What the marshmallow test got wrong about child psychology

Self-control, grit, growth mindset – trendy skills won’t transform children’s lives, but more meaningful interventions can

by Tyler W Watts

Painting of a vintage green wine glass on a beige background.
HABITS AND ROUTINES

How to drink less alcohol

You don’t have an addiction, but you know you’re drinking too much. Learn to regain control and benefit your mind and body

by Michael Levy

Latest videos

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Photo of a man and woman with glasses examining a handheld device in an art-filled room with brick wall and paintings.
ANXIETY

You’re sure that society is spiralling and we’re all doomed. Now what?

Directed by Ryan Malloy

Photo of a man in a black cap holding a baby in white, with a blue cap, sitting on a grey couch against a blue wall.
CAREGIVING

Birth doulas are almost exclusively female. Enter Teddy

Notes to self

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Popular

An elderly couple sitting on a bench under a patterned umbrella, with a mosaic-tiled wall in the background.
AGEING
6

How to rediscover your purpose later in life

You don’t have to ‘reinvent’ yourself to live happily after 60. There’s a better approach grounded in lifespan psychology

by Denise Taylor

Black and white photo of a couple sitting on a bench by the sea with a ship in the distance and a palm tree nearby.
MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS CULTURES

Arabic has four words for sadness. Philosophy explains why

More subtly nuanced than standard diagnostic categories, Arabic lets speakers articulate a world of emotional experiences

by Chereen Shurafa

Photo of a person in a white shirt holding an orange behind their back at a crosswalk, seen from behind.
THINKERS AND THEORIES
4

How to think like a Hegelian

For Hegel, your thoughts aren’t trapped in a cerebral box: they act on the world, making meaning and expressing your freedom

by Jeffrey Reid

A rear-end collision between two cars, showing damage and close details of tyres and bumpers.
FREEDOM AND CHOICE
23

Why you should try living without free will for two weeks

Set aside the philosophical debates and act as if there is no free will. It leads to less blaming and better questions

by Tara-Lyn Camilleri

A spiral wooden staircase with soft lighting and curved design elements, creating a warm, flowing pattern.
VIRTUES AND VICES

Sometimes, the road to virtue comes by way of vice

To work your character into better shape, be like a carpenter who fixes warped wood by bending it the opposite way

by Sabrina B Little

A person writing in a notebook on a cluttered vanity with makeup items and a smartphone nearby.
SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION
6

Writing letters is a spiritual practice for our age of speed

Handwritten letters seem like a remnant of pre-online life, but they connect us to ourselves and each other like nothing else

by Amanda Leigh Lichtenstein

Black and white photo of an older man in a coat tipping his hat on a city street, with another person walking away.
WORK AND VOCATION

The satisfaction of doing work that lasts

In Studs Terkel’s oral history ‘Working’, some of the people happiest with their work have something in common

by Matt Huston

A person walking past outdoor café tables and chairs in shadowed sunlight.
MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION

Absence of presence and presence of absence

Mindfulness experts teach us to be present in the moment. I suggest an antidote – a meditation that’s focused on absence

by Nigel Warburton

Explore: Psychoanalysis and the unconscious

Painting of a dancer in blue with a large winged head in the background, set against a vibrant green-yellow backdrop.
SYMBOLS AND MYTH

Jung’s archetypes are a mirror that shows who and what we are

by Hugh McGovern

Black and white photo of an elderly man with glasses and a moustache wearing a suit, sitting in a patterned chair.
THINKERS AND THEORIES

‘Man cannot stand a meaningless life’ – a conversation with Carl Jung at 84

Video by Face to Face

Black and white photo of a conductor in a white jumper gesturing with a baton, partially visible orchestra member in foreground.
MUSIC

Music speaks louder than words through what it leaves unsaid

by Elena Gigante