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When Things Fall Apart

January 26, 2023 • Climate change, political unrest, random violence - Western society can often feel like what the filmmaker Warner Herzog calls, "a thin layer of ice on top of an ocean of chaos and darkness." In the United States, polls indicate that many people believe that law and order is the only thing protecting us from the savagery of our neighbors, that the fundamental nature of humanity is competition and struggle. This idea is often called "veneer theory." But is this idea rooted in historical reality? Is this actually what happens when societies face disasters? Are we always on the cusp of brutality?

When Things Fall Apart

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Ayn Rand, Russian-born American novelist, is shown in Manhattan with the Grand Central Terminal building in background in 1962. ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Monster of We

December 16, 2021 • Are most modern problems caused by selfishness or a lack of it? Ayn Rand, a Russian American philosopher and writer, would say it's the latter — that selfishness is not a vice but a virtue — and that capitalism is the ideal system. Everyone from Donald Trump to Alan Greenspan to Brad Pitt have sung Ayn Rand's praises. The Library of Congress named her novel, Atlas Shrugged, the second most influential book in the U.S. after the Bible. Ayn Rand wasn't politically correct, she was belligerent and liked going against the grain. And although she lived by the doctrine of her own greatness, she was driven by the fear that she would never be good enough.

The Monster of We

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A woman takes a lead role in Confucian ceremonies, breaking a new path in South Korea

Lee Bae-yong, the first woman to officiate a Confucian ceremony in the country's long history with Confucianism, at Museong Seowon, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Jun Michael Park for NPR hide caption

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Jun Michael Park for NPR

World

A woman takes a lead role in Confucian ceremonies, breaking a new path in South Korea

October 19, 2021 • Women's equality has made slow progress in South Korea. Some South Koreans want to bring about change starting at the country's cultural roots by reinterpreting Confucius.

A woman takes a lead role in Confucian ceremonies, breaking a new path in South Korea

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Death And The Great Beyond: How We Grapple With The Idea Of Dying

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Hidden Brain

Death And The Great Beyond: How We Grapple With The Idea Of Dying

September 26, 2019 • There's an event we were all invited to the day we were born. Attendance is mandatory. But we'd rather not think about it. On this week's radio show, the lengths we go to to avoid thoughts of death.

Death And The Great Beyond: How We Grapple With The Idea Of Dying

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Hidden Brain

We're All Gonna Live Forever!

September 23, 2019 • Last week, we spoke with psychologist Sheldon Solomon about the fear of death and how it shapes our actions. This week, we pivot from psychology and politics to religion and history as we explore how people have tried to resolve these fears. We talk with philosopher Stephen Cave about the ways we assure ourselves that death is not really the end.

We're All Gonna Live Forever!

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'Tragedy, The Greeks, And Us' Examines How Classical Philosophers Saw Early Dramas

Greek philosopher Plato with the philosopher and scientist Aristotle in 350 BC painted by Raphael as part of his School of Athens in the Vatican. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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Review

Book Reviews

'Tragedy, The Greeks, And Us' Examines How Classical Philosophers Saw Early Dramas

April 18, 2019 • The Stone's Simon Critchley premises tragedy on action — as opposed to the generally more passive approach philosophy has a reputation for — and examines how Plato and others saw it as a threat.

In 'Hiking With Nietzsche,' Challenges Are Seen Through The Philosopher's Teachings

Review

Book Reviews

In 'Hiking With Nietzsche,' Challenges Are Seen Through The Philosopher's Teachings

September 26, 2018 • John Kaag extracts ideas from Nietzsche and his followers — but also from his own experience — in this stimulating book about combating despair and complacency with searching reflection.

NBC's "The Good Place" cast during the Aug. 2, 2016. press appearance (left to right): William Jackson Harper, Ted Danson, D'Arcy Carden, Kristen Bell, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto. NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images hide caption

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NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Review

TV Reviews

The Good Psychology In 'The Good Place'

October 23, 2017 • Despite my skepticism at the outset, for a light and amusing TV sitcom "The Good Place" does a pretty good job with philosophy — and a pretty good job with human psychology, too, says Tania Lombrozo.

Yes, Some Questions Are Better Than Others

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Science

Yes, Some Questions Are Better Than Others

September 11, 2017 • In the child's world of Twenty Questions, it's pretty easy to evaluate what makes a good question. But producing good questions in the real world can be a more complicated affair, says Tania Lombrozo.

The Two-Way

French Philosopher Who Promoted Risk-Taking Dies Attempting Water Rescue

July 24, 2017 • "Being alive is a risk," Anne Dufourmantelle said. She died Friday at the beach in Saint-Tropez while trying to save a drowning child.

'Knowing The Score': A Look At Philosophy And Sport

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Opinion

'Knowing The Score': A Look At Philosophy And Sport

May 26, 2017 • Alva Noë says a new book by David Papineau places the value of sport on our love for cultivating our skillfulness — and because it is joyous and thrilling and hard to develop our physical capacities.

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Opinion

Is 'Being' The Same For Everyone?

May 15, 2017 • Philosophical skepticism, in part coming from Decartes, considers the idea that it's impossible to know another person's reality. Alva Noë ponders this in relation to debates in today's world.

How (And When) To Think Like A Philosopher

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Opinion

How (And When) To Think Like A Philosopher

April 10, 2017 • Some forms of critical evaluation and philosophical thinking are hard because they force us to suspend other habits of mind that serve us well when our goal is to engage others, says Tania Lombrozo.

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Opinion

Life And Mind At Dinner: An Allegory

March 29, 2017 • Blogger Marcelo Gleiser imagines a conversation between a geneticist, a Buddhist, a physicist, a psychologist, and a theologian about life and the future of humanity.

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Opinion

Philosophy In The Octopus's Garden

January 13, 2017 • It's worth pausing and taking delight in the stunning image of a philosopher descending the ocean blue in his quest to understand how other minds work, says Alva Noë of Peter Godfrey-Smith's new book.

Courtesy Marcelo Gleiser

Opinion

Knowledge, The Endless Pursuit

June 29, 2016 • Imagine how sad it would be if we one day arrived at the end of knowledge — no new questions to explore, no boundaries to expand, no great discoveries ahead, says astrophysicist Marcelo Gleiser.

What Is 'Natural' Food? A Riddle Wrapped In Notions Of Good And Evil

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The Salt

What Is 'Natural' Food? A Riddle Wrapped In Notions Of Good And Evil

May 8, 2016 • Time is almost up for consumers to tell the FDA what "natural" food means. It's an ancient philosophical question with no easy answers.

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Opinion

Is It Bad If Art Is Boring?

December 11, 2015 • Works of art, in all their variety, afford us the opportunity for boredom — and they do so when everything in our lives mitigates against boredom, says Alva Noë. Maybe this is one of art's gifts.

Carrying A (Welding) Torch For Philosophy

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks during Republican presidential debate at the Milwaukee Theatre in Milwaukee on Nov. 10. Morry Gash/AP hide caption

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Opinion

Carrying A (Welding) Torch For Philosophy

November 16, 2015 • At the last Republican presidential debate, Sen. Marco Rubio said the U.S. needs more welders and fewer philosophers. So, Tania Lombrozo talked with a Stanford philosopher who was once a welder.

Finding The True Philosophical Discussion In 'Irrational Man'

Director Woody Allen attends a special screening of Irrational Man at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on July 15. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP hide caption

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Author Interviews

A Funny Philosopher Tackles A Tough Query: 'Does Santa Exist?'

October 18, 2014 • Eric Kaplan's son had a zoo trip canceled because one mom worried about reindeer-induced questions. So Kaplan, a comedy writer and philosophy grad student, started pondering the puzzle of St. Nick.

A Funny Philosopher Tackles A Tough Query: 'Does Santa Exist?'

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