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Philosophy

A collection of TED Talks (and more) on the topic of Philosophy.

Video playlists about Philosophy

Who are you?

What makes you, well, you? Get to know yourself a bit better with this collection of thought-provoking talks.

Unsolved mysteries

We all love parsing the twists and folds of a good old-fashioned mystery -- of all kinds.

How we make choices

Talks on why some choices are so tough, and how we can make better ones. Some even ask: are we really in control of our choices at all?

Are we alone in the universe?

Is Earth really the only life-sustaining planet? These speakers think there might just be something or someone else out there -- and urge us to keep looking for it.

See all playlists on Philosophy

Talks about Philosophy

Sarah Stroud and Michael Vazquez

Is safety worth the loss of privacy?

Stephanie Honchell Smith

How to love, according to Rumi

Joseph Lacey

How could so many people support Hitler?

Joseph Lacey

Picture a perfect society. What does it look like?

Delaney Thull

When is anger justified? A philosophical inquiry

Mark Hopwood

How to know if you're being selfish (and whether or not that's bad)

Edo Liberty

How does long-term memory work in AI?

Douglas MacLean

Ethical dilemma: What makes life worth living?

Anil Ananthaswamy

Where does your sense of self come from? A scientific look

Alex Gendler

The original ring of power

Michael Schur

How ethics can help you make better decisions

Sarah Stroud

Ethical dilemma: Would you lie?

Daniel Gregory

How do you know you're not dreaming?

Doug MacKay

You can only save one— who do you choose?

Erick Wilberding

This tool will help improve your critical thinking

Greg Anderson

Why there's no such thing as objective reality

See all talks on Philosophy

Exclusive articles about Philosophy

Want a meaningful life? Just ask: “Who would I take to a remote island?”

Often the best and easiest way to improve your own sense of well-being and meaningfulness is to switch your lens: Concentrate less on yourself and more on being connected with others, says philosopher and psychology researcher Frank Martela. Identify the people who give you vitality, strength and love, and spend time with them.

Posted Jul 2020

Why you should not try to be the perfect lover

Philosopher Yann Dall’Aglio argues that the quest to be the perfect lover is a distinctly modern delusion -- and that it erodes the very relationships we seek to strengthen. Here's why we should forget about performance and instead seek a less than perfect union.

Posted Nov 2015

Maxims and mottoes from masters of one-liners: A reading list

Professional aphorist and all round word nerd James Geary shares his list of must-read books from authors covering literary life, proverbs, aphorisms, and the art of being quoted.

Posted Jan 2015

See all articles on Philosophy