Metaphysics is the study of the most general features of reality.
Thank you, Ian Castañares, for such a great question. I am pretty sure I know how to answer it. I believe I speak for most philosophers when I say that sceptics are simply the worst. No matter how well-reasoned and well-structured your argument, there is always somebody who just stands there with their arms crossed […]
How much doubt is reasonable? Read More
The only thought attached here is that it doesn’t seem fitting that the answer is, ‘Whatever science can’t answer.’ Thank you, Joshua Millard, for a great question. Your question has surely haunted all remotely self-aware philosophers at some point in their careers. Remarkably (or perhaps unremarkably, if you have followed philosophy for some time), there
What is the proper domain for philosophy? Read More
Thank you, Brian Eckelman, for such a perceptive question. It is a massive question. Here, I will focus just on what creates our understanding of reality within society. I want to draw a separation between ‘real effects’ and ‘reality’: something can have a real effect upon us, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is
Does perception dictate reality? Read More
Thank you, Leonardo Assis, for such a scientific question! I think you would be quite right to say that a mathematical explanation of the beginning of the universe is plausible. The current common explanation of where our universe comes from – the big bang theory and the theory of the expansion of the universe –
Could we say that the universe began like a mathematical equation? Read More
Thank you, Alex Norris, for such an intriguing question! Even though your question covers several complex philosophical fields (metaphysics and modality, standard and non-standard logic, philosophy of mind and language), I hope my answer will be as clear and complete as possible. “There are things that do not exist.” This enigmatic sentence from A. Meinong
Are all things that can be imagined possible somewhere or somewhen? Read More
Thank you, Mora Kaufmann, for such a fundamental and important question! In this answer, I hope to show why, as a philosopher, I can’t help but consider myself an anarchist. Let me premise what is to follow by saying that this is a very dangerous question for me and for many others on this blog.
Thank you, Luke Rutherford, for a question that no doubt keeps us all up at night! I see you have cleverly dictated the terms of the debate within your question. Only two options seem open to me: either cereal is a soup or cereal is a salad. Either way I risk making myself out to
Is cereal a soup or a salad? Read More
Thank you, Robin Pickering, for a great question! Hopefully this helps… This question seems to have three major dimensions. The first is mainly about what would happen if you went back in time regardless of your wrongdoing. The second is about how we define your responsibility for your wrongdoing – what we need in order
Thank you, Robin Pickering, for such a great question! Many philosophers have cracked their heads open trying to answer this one, so I’ll try to do my best here. A thought experiment will show all the complexities and interesting elements of this problem. Suppose that in the future you can go to work on Mars
If I got myself cloned, would my identity still be my own? Read More
Thank you, Daniel Kelly, for such a meaty question! Why is this a question? It seems to be a question different in kind from the seemingly similar question, ‘Is a convertible a car?’ Here, seemingly, in asking if a thing described by one word belongs to a set of things described by another word, we
Is a hot dog a sandwich? Read More
