Changing How the World Thinks

An online magazine of big ideas

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Latest ArticlesArrow Head

Does Consciousness Come in Degrees?

The answer depends on what you think consciousness is

William Lycan
Issue Article

Literary Bad Sex

Laughing at awards for bad sex scenes in books, ultimately, offers no insights on what makes 'good sex'

Catherine Brown
Ideas for Life

On Being Useless: A Daoist Reflection

According to Daoism, our obsession with use and productivity works against us

Edward McDougall
Frontiers

Algorithms We Love By

Artificial Intelligence may offer a playful way out of our stale thinking on romance

Pavlo Shopin
Ideas for Life

What Are Love and Sex? Eight Answers from Philosophy

From Michel Foucault to Martha Nussbaum, we've selected a range of ways of understanding sexuality and romance

IAI News Editorial Staff
Ideas for Life

Why Sexual Morality Doesn't Exist

To get back to enjoying sex, we need to rid ourselves of moralising definitions of what sex is and should be

Alan H. Goldman
Issue Article

Most PopularArrow Head

Should I kill myself or have a cup of coffee? The Stoics and Existentialists agree on the answer

Drinking coffee is not a blasé choice, but an affirmation that life is worth living

Skye C. Cleary
Ideas for Life

Philosophy vs. Psychology

Is Kant the latest casualty in the war between the two disciplines?

Andrew Bowie

What is authentic love? A View from Simone de Beauvoir

Being independent and equal in love

Kate Kirkpatrick
Ideas for Life

The Failure of Patriarchy

Outlining a vision for a just, equitable and socialist society, and how to achieve it.

Finn Mackay

Gaia and the City

Urban solutions to overpopulation: James Lovelock in conversation with Crispin Tickell.

James Lovelock

When Art Meets Activism

As Tate faces the Information Tribunal over BP sponsorship, is there a line between art and ethics?

Hannah Davey

Life & The LivingArrow Head

On Being Useless: A Daoist Reflection

According to Daoism, our obsession with use and productivity works against us

Edward McDougall
Frontiers

Algorithms We Love By

Artificial Intelligence may offer a playful way out of our stale thinking on romance

Pavlo Shopin
Ideas for Life

What Are Love and Sex? Eight Answers from Philosophy

From Michel Foucault to Martha Nussbaum, we've selected a range of ways of understanding sexuality and romance

IAI News Editorial Staff
Ideas for Life

The History and Politics of Boredom

Boredom isn’t a personal matter. It's the symptom of modernity

Elizabeth S. Goodstein
Ideas for Life

Prayer for Atheists

Prayer can be a helpful practise even if you don't believe in God

William Irwin
Ideas for Life
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Culture & SexualityArrow Head

Literary Bad Sex

Laughing at awards for bad sex scenes in books, ultimately, offers no insights on what makes 'good sex'

Catherine Brown
Ideas for Life

Why Sexual Morality Doesn't Exist

To get back to enjoying sex, we need to rid ourselves of moralising definitions of what sex is and should be

Alan H. Goldman
Issue Article

On Being Naked and Having Sex

Nakedness the concept has vanished – it disappeared behind the American fear of nudity

John E. Portmann
Ideas for Life

The Good Life in the 21st Century: Living Single

Studies show single people are more independent, focus on growth and develop rich relationships

Bella DePaulo
Issue Article

The Science of Good Sex: An Interview with Zhana Vrangalova

The psychologist explains the orgasm gap and how it can be overcome

Paula Erizanu
Issue Article
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Art & AestheticsArrow Head

Does Consciousness Come in Degrees?

The answer depends on what you think consciousness is

William Lycan
Issue Article

What is Afrofuturism?

Mixing sci-fi, magic and non-Western beliefs, Afrofuturism frees individuals

Ytasha Womack
Issue Article

The Art of Boredom

Rather than an individual experience, boredom can be a philosophical key to understanding modern life

Andrew Bowie
Issue Article

What Do You Do When You're Alone

Art, obsession and intimacy, according to the psychoanalyst D. W. Winnicott

Olivia Laing
Ideas for Life

Enjoying Vicious Artists

Can you ever really separate the art from the artist?

Nate Sheff
Philosophers on Film
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Narrative & RealityArrow Head

Listening to Aesop’s Animals

Blurring the lines between human and animal, Aesop's Fables challenge our understanding of human behaviour

Jeremy B. Lefkowitz
Essay

Trump: The Post-Modern Nightmare

Is Trump the end of post-modernism?

Alison Milbank

Beyond Originality

If there are only seven basic plots, are we doomed to an eternity of re-runs?

Dylan Evans

Authenticity is a Con

From Oprah Winfrey to Nigel Farage: is the quest for authenticity just a way to make a fast buck?

Peter York

Fantasy Management

Can we live without fantasy, or is it an essential part of our lives?

Richard K. Morgan
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