Philosophy

Big Think Home

Philosophy

Everything Videos Articles Classes
A grayscale portrait of a smiling man is overlaid on classical artwork with pink and black graphic elements, evoking a sense of desire. The text at the top reads "THE NIGHT CRAWLER.
Business
Why desire — not resilience — leads to longevity
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Eric Markowitz
Two women at a window; one leans on the sill smiling, perhaps sharing jokes, while the other stands behind, partially concealed, holding a white cloth to her face.
Mini Philosophy
The two types of jokes everyone tells
Is your humor affiliative or adversarial?
Jonny Thomson
Six orange origami shapes on a light background, with hand-drawn arrows connecting them to illustrate a progression or transformation—evoking themes of change and even human extinction.
Mini Philosophy
If humans went extinct, could we re-evolve?
Maybe — just don't expect a carbon copy.
Jonny Thomson
A woman in a white dress sits on a chair by a window, reading a book in a softly lit room with a piano nearby, embodying the quiet charm of why read old books.
The Learning Curve
Every era believes it is enlightened. Old books teach us otherwise.
Reading classic books can teach you as much about the present as the past.
Kevin Dickinson
Silhouettes of two people facing each other, clinking wine glasses against an orange background, sharing a lighthearted, possibly drunk moment.
Mini Philosophy
The “intoxication thesis”: The evolutionary benefits of getting drunk
Getting drunk might be bad for you but good for us.
Jonny Thomson
A man, identified as Andrew Gazdecki, wears a dark hoodie with “Acquire” printed on it, standing against a beige background with multi-colored shadows behind him.
Business
Why “outrageous optimism” is your startup super-skill
Andrew Gazdecki — the founder and CEO of Acquire.com — explores the skillsets and pitfalls of selling a business. And why it’s often crucial to start all over again.
Tim Brinkhof
A collage with black-and-white portraits partly obscured by red squares evokes themes of existentialism and absurdism; one shows a man walking, the other a figure pushing a boulder uphill.
Mini Philosophy
Would you rather be an absurdist or an existentialist? Here’s the difference between the two.
How to look cool in post-war France in black and white photos.
Jonny Thomson
A collage features a man in academic regalia at a podium, a black-and-white rural village, ants, and the words “THE NIGHTCRAWLER” in bold text at the top, evoking the art of reason amid contrasting scenes.
Business
Meet the philosopher outsmarting me since kindergarten
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Eric Markowitz
Collage of ancient philosophers' portraits partially revealed through cutouts on a textured background with handwritten script, evoking the timeless influence of history.
Mini Philosophy
One of the most quoted lines in philosophy is completely misused and misunderstood
We don't learn from history because we can't learn from history.
Jonny Thomson
A drawing of a group of people soaring in a plane, embodying cosmism.
High Culture
Cosmism: The 19th-century movement to reach space and immortality
In revolutionary Russia, a group of forward-thinking philosophers offered an alternative to both futurism and communism.
Tim Brinkhof
A crowd of people, drawn by tourism, faces and photographs the Mona Lisa painting, which is displayed on a wall.
Mini Philosophy
Ian McEwan: “Tourism is a wonderful spectacle of mass derangement.”
Here are three ways to do it better.
Jonny Thomson
A grayscale portrait of Caterina Fake is centered between an FDNY ambulance on the left and patterned designs with circular symbols on the right.
Business
Essential skills for “weird times”: How internet pioneer Caterina Fake keeps it real
Venture capitalist and Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake talks to Big Think about why AI won’t make the internet better, her influences beyond tech, and more.
Lucy Handley
Abstract illustration of a human figure with glowing neural-like lines and bright light concentrated around the head, set against a red and orange gradient background.
Thinking
A letter from the editor
Introducing Big Think's Consciousness Issue.
Stephen Johnson
A person wearing a wide-brim hat and vest crouches beside a tree stump covered with various fungi, gazing in wonder at the fascinating growths in the green forested area.
Mini Philosophy
3 ways to find and invite more wonder
Wonder is like a guest you haven’t planned for.
Jonny Thomson
Bogumil Baranowski, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie, stands and smiles in front of a plain light blue background.
The Long Game
The Bogumil Baranowski interview: “Treat everyone with care”
The investment advisor and host of the Talking Billions podcast explores childhood curiosity, building networks through kindness, and more.
Eric Markowitz
A woman with curly hair sits in a chair holding an open book, looking to the side, surrounded by strange books, drawn white pentagrams, and a lit candle nearby.
Books
5 of the strangest books ever written
Some books are remembered for their lyrical prose or engaging stories. Others are remembered for simply being weird.
Scotty Hendricks
A man dressed in red crawls on all fours with a bit in his mouth, while a woman in a checkered dress rides on his back, indulging in a playful kink scenario.
Mini Philosophy
The Tree of Kink: What science teaches us about fetish clusters
How deep is your kink?
Jonny Thomson
A split image shows a hand with fingers crossed on the left, evoking the idea of a noble lie, and a person in military uniform saluting on the right.
Mini Philosophy
The noble lie: Why countries that lie together, stay together
This is my country and this is what we stand for. At least for now.
Jonny Thomson
A woman in ancient armor holds out a small statue to a seated, bearded man, while another figure—symbolizing the evolution of wisdom—stands with their back turned near a tree and a cave.
Mini Philosophy
Does the evolution of reason undermine the belief in evolution?
Evolution may have built our brains, but it didn't build them to find truth.
Jonny Thomson
A collage featuring a subway train, a person in elaborate costume, stylized crows, and the text "The Nightcrawler" on a dark grid background explores the myth of leadership in an urban landscape.
Business
The myth of leadership
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Eric Markowitz
Two women with long hair and dark coats face each other against a divided background, evoking a Socratic dialogue. A red scribbled area looms above, while light and dark halves split the scene behind them.
Mini Philosophy
3 ways to have more meaningful conversations
Can you be my Socrates?
Jonny Thomson
Learn from the world's biggest thinkers.
© Copyright 2007-2026 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved.