Philosophical Dictionary

Ancient philosophy meets modern psychology. Learn practical techniques for gaining cosmic perspective on modern problems, dealing with difficult people, and finding peace in chaos.

Join us as we explore Descartes's philosophical revolution which is listed amongst the likes of Newton and Copernicus. Descartes, a Rationalist, sought to rebuild knowledge on the foundation of reason alone, famously using his method of Cartesian Doubt to discard uncertain beliefs making him an extremist Socratic reincarnation. We delve into his Meditations 6, particularly his exploration of the mind-body problem, where he argued for the distinct, yet interacting, substances of mind (res cogitans) and body (res extensa). We also look at criticisms of Descartes’ Dualism by figures like Princess Elizabeth and Gilbert Ryle, who mockingly called it the “Dogma of the Ghost in the Machine.” 

The philosophy meme is blunt: open Kant or Hegel with no background and the book bites. Kant knew readers found the Critique dry and obscure, and Hume disowned his first book as juvenile work. So should beginners start with primary texts or secondary literature, and which books should a beginner read first?

Marble Marcus Aurelius heads, three quotes and a lot of confidence: Stoicism memes are everywhere, and the trend has a newsletter, a free online course and a Reddit army behind it. Critics call it neoliberal self-help. A prisoner of war leaned on it and modern therapy borrowed from it. Who reads the Stoics right?