Philosophical Dictionary

Plato's Cave usually stops at 'enlightenment.' The real ending, from Republic Book VII, has a prisoner going blind twice and one exact line about killing anyone who tries to free the others. Here's what the Cave actually says about truth, education, and who gets punished for ending an illusion.

Today we discuss the joys of informal fallacies in philosophical arguments, and how they can change how you treat people showcasing their opinions in real life, and how you make your own arguments for things you are passionate about.

What's the deal with Ayn Rand? Why does she remain a big deal to tech billionaires and politicians half a century after her death? Let's delve deeper into the continued influence of the 20th century's controversial yet popular thinker.

Can scholarship have biases based in empire and colonialism? Edward Said critiques these biases and the damaging stereotypes they produce in his landmark work Orientalism. Let's have a look!

Why is Derrida so hard to read? And what can he tell us about the way we communicate? Join us as we discuss his work on deconstruction and finding meaning.

Why is making close friends as an adult so hard? Aristotle said real friendship requires living together and sharing your days, something almost nobody does anymore. Schopenhauer's porcupine parable might explain the rest. What happens when neither solution is available to you?