Jonny Thomson

Jonny Thomson

Jonny Thomson taught philosophy in Oxford for more than a decade before turning to writing full-time. He’s a columnist at Big Think and is the award-winning, bestselling author of three books that have been translated into 22 languages.

Jonny is also the founder of Mini Philosophy, a social network of around two million curious, intelligent minds. He's known all over the world for making philosophy accessible, relatable, and fun. 

A silhouette of a person experiencing a near-death encounter in front of a fire.
Millions of people have had a near-death experience, and it often leads them to believe in an afterlife. Does this count as good proof?
Portrait of Benjamin Franklin in his study.
We each have the same 24 hours in the day. How will you spend yours?
A collection of books about war and peace that you haven't read.
How to say, "In many ways, Proust is similar to Joyce" and get away with it.
Experiencing the zebra effect, a zebra stands near a baby zebra.
The corporate unicorn was yesterday — now we should consider the wisdom of black and white stripes.
A woman and an octopus gracefully intertwined in a mesmerizing scene.
A controversial new philosophy paper tries to bring our moral prejudices to heel. Should it?
A hand is pointing at a diagram illustrating the tyranny of small decisions.
Acting "little and often" has huge consequences and they're not always good — but awareness yields solutions.
A painting featuring a man brandishing a sword, embodying historical valor and prowess.
From Æthelred the Unready to Halfdan the Bad Entertainer, these strange epithets colored the legacy of four rather unlucky historical figures.
A gavel on top of a green and black background, symbolizing the regulation of AI.
Big Think spoke with AI expert Nick Jennings about the future of regulating fast-evolving AI.
A drawing of a man with chart in the background.
The essential element needed for innovation is creative dissonance — and the keys to unlocking it were forged by bankers in Italy.
A little boy finding lockdown compensation by reaching out to an old lady through a window.
Lockdowns moved the burden of COVID from the at-risk elderly to the less-at-risk young. Does this sacrifice merit compensation?
Black and white photo of a woman holding a stack of papers, illustrating Parkinson's Law.
How to figure out the right amount of time for any project.
A man in a black suit and white shirt is smiling, unaffected by the doomer mindset.
When ancient humans stared into the darkness, they imagined monsters. Today, staring into the future, AI is the monster.
An ancient castle perches majestically atop a towering rock, under the expanse of a vivid blue sky.
A single knife is sometimes worth more than a thousand armies.
Photo of G.K. Chesterson superimposed on top of a photo of a wooden fence in the countryside.
That completely useless thing you want to get rid of — it's probably more important than you think.
A gladiator brandishing a sword amidst a crowd.
Gladiators fought in rounds, and there were referees to enforce rules. Only rarely were gladiators killed.
A painting depicting the concept of the law of reversed effort, with a naked man exerting himself to carry a heavy rock.
There are many things in life that cannot be improved with greater effort. Sometimes, life requires that you step back.
A person in a wheelchair exploring a vast desert landscape.
In hospice care and hospitals, we prioritize those with more life to live over those who are terminally ill. What is that, if not prejudice?