Teach philosophy to heal our ‘post-truth’ society, says President HigginsPresident highlights need for citizens to identify ‘illusory rhetoric’ after recent eventsSun Nov 20 2016 - 18:24
Let’s reimagine democracy: replace elections with lotteriesBrexit and the Trump presidency are making people ask whether the current form of democracy is the best we can doSat Nov 19 2016 - 06:00
Want a kinder world? Then seek help‘To be truly benevolent we should solicit the kindness of others,’ argues lecturer Seán MoranTue Nov 15 2016 - 11:06
World Philosophy Day: We need to start talking about life’s ‘meaning’If the world stops making sense, call the philosopherTue Nov 15 2016 - 01:00
Has democracy become a threat to the planet?Unthinkable: Democratic politics have not been good to the environment, but it needn’t be so, says Diarmuid TorneyMon Nov 07 2016 - 15:09
What Aristotle can teach us about friendshipSomething you won’t hear on Facebook: only the virtuous can be true friendsTue Nov 01 2016 - 01:00
Does science have all the answers?No, says Susan Haack, but scientists are generally better at producing answers than philosophersTue Oct 25 2016 - 10:14
So you think you’re bad at maths? Think againYou can change your ability by first of all changing your mindsetTue Oct 18 2016 - 08:22
Unthinkable: Are you part of the 1% but just don’t know it?Don’t underestimate your power to make a difference, says ‘effective altruism’ advocate William Mac AskillTue Oct 11 2016 - 06:00
Is humanity losing faith in reason?Philosopher Julian Baggini says rationality needs to be rethought to counter the forces of unreasonTue Oct 04 2016 - 06:00
Is there any such thing as an ethical steak?Unthinkable: The rights of animals cannot be dismissed, argues philosopher Tatjana VišakSun Sept 25 2016 - 06:00
35 years of abortion demos: from Plac and Spuc to ‘Repeal the 8th’Ahead of Saturday’s pro-choice rallies, a look at some of the most influential protests and counter-protests on abortionFri Sept 23 2016 - 18:10
Is humour an effective way of communicating wisdom?Shared, unspoken knowledge is always the active ingredient in ‘getting the joke’Tue Sept 20 2016 - 08:00
Unthinkable: Do you need faith to give your life meaning?There are ‘few indications’ that God matters to the Irish, says sociologist Tom InglisThu Sept 08 2016 - 16:35
Unthinkable: Who should you follow on social media for unbiased opinion?Philosophers should take the broadest possible measure of beliefs, argues philosopher Justin EH SmithTue Sept 06 2016 - 01:00
Sabina Higgins backs campaign for teaching philosophy in schoolsNew organisation set up to support teachers who wish to offer Junior Cycle short courseSun Aug 28 2016 - 13:18
I’m a philosopher, get me out of here!Two new books, The Philosopher: A History in Six Types and Philosophy and Practical Engagement, ask if an ancient discipline has lost its wayThu Aug 25 2016 - 15:55
Joe Humphreys: How the left can rise again - in three easy stepsValues, free enterprise and religion can all play a part in winning over the votersMon Jul 18 2016 - 01:00
Joe Humphreys: Rebranding socialism as humane and socially responsible capitalismIrish socialist thinking has moved on very little since the foundation of the StateMon Jul 11 2016 - 10:28
Euro 2016: the intellectual’s guide to football‘There are intellectual football-lovers but those who go to stadiums and bookshops are different’Wed Jul 06 2016 - 18:30
Unthinkable: Should we give up on utopian politics?Utopian visions work because they are fictional, says sociologist Deirdre Ní ChuanacháinTue May 31 2016 - 06:00
Unthinkable: Is philosophy having an existential crisis?Irish governments have been slow to draw on philosophers, argues Joseph MahonTue May 24 2016 - 01:00
Unthinkable: Why are beauty standards becoming more onerous?‘You are not going to be thin, with curves, on your deathbed,’ says philosopher Heather WiddowsTue May 17 2016 - 01:00
Unthinkable: Does reality depend on where you are standing?Art theorist Francis Halsall explains the enduring appeal of phenomenologyTue May 10 2016 - 06:00
Unthinkable: Does the universe’s fate mean life is futile?The cosmos’s ever-changing nature is cause for cheer, not despair, says author Niamh BrennanTue May 03 2016 - 05:00
Unthinkable: Are public manners in a state of decline?Greater social inequality stands as a threat to civility, argues sociologist John A HallTue Apr 26 2016 - 07:00
Mock Dáil produces a government of national unity - and it only took 90 minutesPublic voting experiment in Dublin explores feasibility of electing a powersharing governmentSun Apr 24 2016 - 17:04
Fantasy Dáil: Power-sharing to be tested in voting experimentPublic invited to take part in role play to elect ‘government of national unity’ on SaturdayThu Apr 21 2016 - 08:10
Unthinkable: Is all this remembering such a good idea?The difference between the reality of the men of 1916 and the way they are being used is ‘enormous’, says David RieffTue Apr 19 2016 - 08:53
Unthinkable: How can scientists disagree on basic ‘facts’?An astrophysicist and a philosopher have teamed up to examine how experts disagreeTue Apr 12 2016 - 09:10
Joe Humphreys: Stop kidding yourself, you have no human rightsNext time you bleat about your right to something think about what’s being done in your name in the MediterraneanFri Apr 08 2016 - 12:00
Executions globally hit 26-year high, warns AmnestySurge in death penalty in Pakistan, Iran and Saudia Arabia but China remains ‘world’s top executioner’Wed Apr 06 2016 - 10:51
Unthinkable: Does religion have a problem with women?Rigid notions of masculinity continue to cause a crisis in Islamic communities, says Dr Amanullah de SondyTue Apr 05 2016 - 06:00
Life, death and faith: approaching the unanswerableJoe Humphreys reviews books by five authors – a philosopher, a literary legend, a humanist, a former priest and a doctor – tackling that age-old question: is this it?Thu Mar 31 2016 - 10:00
Unthinkable: Could we make a computer trip on acid?Computers will never have human consciousness unless they have our foibles too, argues author Andrew SmartTue Mar 29 2016 - 10:02
Unthinkable: Why did the bust make us feel less European?The rise of nationalism in Europe and the US is a response to failures of internationalism, suggests sociologist Neil FligsteinTue Mar 22 2016 - 01:00
Unthinkable: Is ‘living in the now’ such a good idea?The mindfulness industry tells us to ‘be in the present’ but is that meaningful or desirable, asks philosopher Seán Enda PowerTue Mar 15 2016 - 01:00
Unthinkable: Can silence be used to fight injustice?A person’s silence can send a powerful challenge to interpret it, says author Hugo SlimTue Mar 08 2016 - 01:00
Democracy 2.0: Five steps to give power back to the peopleAs the parties pick over the results of Ireland’s general election, critics say that our blunt majority-rule system is an outdated form of governmentThu Mar 03 2016 - 12:45
Unthinkable: Is ‘higher education for all’ based on a lie?Nietzsche believed expanding college access peddled the lie that all students were equally capableTue Mar 01 2016 - 01:00
Unthinkable: Do we have a duty to look after ourselves?Neglecting your health is immoral, said Kant: Trinity philosopher Alice Pinheiro Walla explains whyTue Feb 23 2016 - 06:00
Joe Humphreys: Church has no reason to fear secularismPenny slow to drop among Catholic Church in Ireland on issue of school patronageTue Feb 23 2016 - 01:36
Unthinkable: Why are some parents spooked by vaccines?A combination of fear and distrust fuels the anti-vaccine movement, suggests American academic Eula BissTue Feb 16 2016 - 08:00
Unthinkable: Is Islam compatible with human rights law?A Trinity scholar warns against generalising about a population of 1.6 billionTue Feb 09 2016 - 06:43
Unthinkable: How do you judge good art from bad?‘The best art affects you as an individual,’ says art theorist Hugh MossTue Feb 02 2016 - 06:00
Unthinkable: How many emotions can one person feel?Poets rather than scientists are best-placed to explain our feelings, says ‘emotional archivist’ Tiffany Watt SmithTue Jan 26 2016 - 07:00
Unthinkable: Can a steak tax tackle climate change?Food ethics has more to do with property rights than what we eat, says American philosopher Paul B ThompsonTue Jan 19 2016 - 06:00
Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, by Rebecca Newberger GoldsteinCarefully researched and written with delightful verve and imagination, it captures the full scope and spirit of Plato’s dialogues, and injects real life into old argumentsTue Jan 12 2016 - 07:00
Unthinkable: Is it unethical to take brain stimulants?‘Smart drugs’ pose dilemmas for students and academics, says an NUI Galway academicTue Jan 12 2016 - 06:00
Students to explore ‘life’s big questions’ in new Philosophy courseJunior Cycle course seeks to promote the benefits of ‘changing one’s mind’Mon Jan 11 2016 - 16:35