“If sex is indispensable in reproduction and was made so by God, can we say that the Holy Spirit had sex with Mary?” Thank you, Edet Ukpabio Esiet! Questions at the cross-section of philosophy and theology are difficult, and your question nicely highlights that. Since you framed the question in terms of Mary and the […]
Did the Holy Spirit have sex with Mary? Read More
“In a utopian world, free of hate, racism, sexism (all of the prejudiced ‘-isms’ and forms of offence one can fathom), what would people joke about?” Dear Arjun Sambhi, thank you for this complex question. First off: What wouldn’t we joke about? In fact, we’d probably be able to joke and laugh about much more
In a utopia, what would people joke about? Read More
Thank you, Ela Özcan, for a very important question. First, what is it for two people – any two people, regardless of their genders – to be friends? This is a slippery question, with many different answers. But among these answers seem to be three common threads. First, friends must care about each other for
Can men and women be just friends? Read More
Thanks, Kenth Hubert Badiang Francisco! This question is as old as philosophy itself, with the ancient Greeks being especially interested in it. For some, a good life is one in which we have some positive subjective state—like when we experience the fulfillment of some desire or other. For others, it is one in which we
What does it mean to live a good life? Read More
Thank you, Sajad Ali, for this interesting question. Aristotle famously believed that virtue is a mean between two extremes—for example, courage is a mean between recklessness and cowardice. Does this work for the desire for knowledge, too? In particular, can there be an excess of such a desire? There is no name for the virtue
Can the desire for knowledge be considered greedy? Read More
If we do, how do we actually determine that the self exists? Thank you, Danica Aposaga, for such a fundamental question. First, if I may, I think it would be helpful to reverse the questions: how do we actually determine that the self exists, and, if it does exist, will we ever understand it? After
Will we ever understand the self? Read More
Secondly, why do you continue to study it? Hi Arjun! Thanks for the (very interesting) question. There are several reasons why I study philosophy and why I will continue to study it in the future. Let me get straight into the most relevant ones. First of all, part of philosophy is to ask (and try
Why do you study philosophy? Read More
“If I have come to the conclusion that the fear of death is illogical, why do I still fear death?” (Herbert Fingarette) Thank you, Dave Boyo Klier, for a considered question. Uncharacteristic though it may be for a philosopher, I think I can provide a rather straightforward answer. Indeed, it does make sense that you
If fearing death is illogical, why do we still fear it? Read More
Thank you, Arjun Sambhi, for this important and profound question. This is an important and profound question. Hitler did horrible acts, but did he think his actions were bad? To answer that question, we need to be honest about how we think about moral issues. Popular culture has instilled in us a simplistic vision of
Did Hitler know he was a bad person? Read More
Thank you, Agar Mayor Gai-Makoon, for this fascinating question. To begin with, the question is somewhat ambiguous. If by “right” we mean a legal right – a right created by some law-giving authority, backed by its coercive power – then it seems clear that we can have a right to do a bad thing. For
Can we ever have the right to do a bad thing? Read More
