Should we stress about stress?
Emotional suffering is real and that there should be no shame in seeking the help of others to diminish it. Whether it has an agreed name and a scientific definition is secondary.
ReadAuthor: Julian Baggini
Can we get used to anything?
The hope we might draw from history is that clear-eyed individuals can see beyond what is socially acceptable to what is morally right. If we get used to questioning even what is universally accepted, we might be able to avoid getting used to social norms that are well past their use-by date.
ReadWhich great thinker is most relevant today?
Hume understood that logic alone tells us nothing useful about how the world works and that the fundamental principles that underpin science cannot be given an objective justification. Yet he also understood that the proper use of reason was our only safeguard against pernicious superstition and false belief.
ReadFreedom Regained at Scientia Salon
The undeniable fact is that brains provide the material means by which conscious life is sustained. Without brains there can be no human consciousness. But it does not follow from this that we can explain all human behavior in neurological terms alone and that conscious thoughts contribute nothing to our actions. That is a much stronger claim, which goes against the evidence of experience.
ReadGuardian Books Podcast
GUARDIAN BOOKS PODCAST. Talking about Freedom Regained in a programme that also includes Joanna Biggs. Listen/download here.
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