In this issue

December 2021 / January 2022

Looking for the Purpose of Life

Brian King says that life’s meaning is a question of purpose; but what is the purpose of human existence?

10+ mins

What Is Happiness?

Gary Cox asks, ‘is happiness a cigar called Hamlet?’, and other searching questions.

10+ mins

The Happy State

Dan Corjescu says soma could be coming.

4 mins

The Philosopher with a Thousand Faces

Alex Gooch on narrative, meaning, and the failure of philosophy.

10+ mins

Huygens A Scientist Among the Philosophers

Hugh Aldersey-Williams traces the philosophical connections of a polymath.

10 mins

What Is Guilt?

Farah Abdessamad wonders if it is a function of responsibility.

5 mins

Exploring Time

Nurana Rajabova looks for a way of seeing time as if from the outside.

7 mins

Samuel Grove

Samuel Grove recently published Retrieving Darwin’s Revolutionary Idea: The Reluctant Radical. In commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of The Descent of Man (1871), Roberto Navarrete sat down with him to discuss the philosophical dilemmas Darwin faced in applying his theory of natural selection to human beings.

10+ mins

Classics : A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

“Moralists have unanimously agreed, that unless virtue be nursed by liberty, it will never attain due strength and what they say of man I extend to mankind, insisting, that in all cases morals must be fixed on immutable principles; and that the being cannot be termed rational or virtuous, who obeys any authority but that of reason.” – Mary Wollstonecraft

8 mins

MINDING THE GAP

Dylan Skurka on a film that suggests it’s possible to choose to overcome your upbringing.

7 mins

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Philosophy Now Magazine Description:

Philosophy Now is a lively, international newsstand magazine for everyone interested in ideas. It aims to corrupt innocent citizens by convincing them that philosophy can be exciting, worthwhile and comprehensible, and also to provide some light and enjoyable reading matter for those already ensnared by the muse, such as philosophy students and academics.

Philosophy Now appears every two months. It contains articles on all aspects of Western philosophy, as well as book reviews, letters, news, cartoons, and the occasional short story.

Since its small-scale launch in Britain in 1991, Philosophy Now has grown to become the most widely-read philosophy periodical in the English language. Philosophy Now is independent of all groups and has no intentional editorial bias except for a passionate conviction that philosophy is a Good Thing.