Philosophical Dictionary

Explore how Dante condemned Epicurus to hell for his materialist philosophy and how this suppression might have delayed scientific progress. This witty essay contrasts Epicurean atomism with Platonic dualism and traces how Christian dogma replaced ancient philosophical pluralism.

A discussion of the influences of Hegel's dialectics on the work of Karl Marx, and his influence on the greater world.

It is the most famous formula in philosophy class, and Hegel never used it for his own method. We trace thesis, antithesis, synthesis back to Kant, Fichte and a forgotten popularizer, then show how Hegel’s dialectic actually works, from being and nothing to freedom and love. So why does the wrong version stick?

Materialism and idealism disagree about what reality is made of, and the fight has run since Plato called it a war of giants and gods. A bishop denied matter, a critic kicked a stone, Marx flipped Hegel upside down. So what do the two camps actually claim, and which side are most philosophers on today?