Category: Philosophy
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Solipsism, the theory that only one’s own mind is certain to exist, has ancient roots and was notably explored via Descartes’ “Cogito”. While the egocentric predicament makes it hard to refute, arguments from language and practicality counter it. Though not widely believed, solipsism endures as a thought experiment questioning reality.
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Time is a profound mystery, viewed through philosophical lenses like Presentism and Eternalism, and shaped by physics from Newton’s absolutes to Einstein’s relativity and the thermodynamic arrow. Our subjective perception is malleable, while quantum physics even questions time’s fundamental existence, leaving a unified understanding elusive.
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Ancient Greece (8th–2nd century BCE) laid Western civilisation’s foundations through philosophy and theatre. Athens’ Classical era fostered Socrates’ dialectic inquiry, Plato’s idealism, and Aristotle’s empiricism, shifting from myth to reason. Greek theatre blended civic ritual with tragic and comic storytelling, influencing modern drama. Their legacy persists in democratic discourse, ethical debate, and narrative structures, despite…
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Philosophy, originating over 2,500 years ago with Socrates, Confucius, and others, examines ethics, reality, and human existence. From Plato’s Forms to Kant’s deontology and existentialism, it challenges perceptions and shapes moral frameworks. Today, it addresses AI, climate change, and digital ethics, offering critical tools for navigating complex global dilemmas while bridging individual and collective responsibility.
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The text explores cyclical theories of civilisational rise and fall, citing historical perspectives. It details Spengler’s deterministic model of cultures having organic life cycles and Toynbee’s focus on “Challenge and Response” and creative minorities. Despite criticisms, these grand theories encourage thinking about long-term historical patterns and contemporary global challenges.
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Quantum Field Theory describes reality not as particles, but fundamental fields whose excitations are particles. Unifying quantum mechanics and relativity, it forms the Standard Model, using concepts like renormalisation and symmetries. Though highly successful, it currently excludes gravity and doesn’t explain dark matter, highlighting ongoing research.
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Plato’s Allegory of the Cave illustrates prisoners mistaking shadows for reality. This timeless tale explores the challenging path to true knowledge. It remains relevant, echoing in modern neuroscience, virtual reality, psychology, and science fiction, highlighting the ongoing human struggle to distinguish illusion from genuine reality and question perceived truths.
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The universe is 95% invisible: 27% dark matter, holding galaxies together via gravity, and 68% dark energy, driving accelerating cosmic expansion. Inferred from galaxy rotation and supernova data, their true nature is unknown. Scientists are actively searching for dark matter particles and studying dark energy’s large-scale effects.
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Philosophy explores fundamental questions about existence, reality, and human nature, originating in Ancient Greece and evolving through history. It provides tools to critically examine puzzles like consciousness, freedom, and ethics. Complementing science, it helps us understand ourselves and the universe, stressing the value of critical inquiry.
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Black holes, classical traps, seemed to destroy entropy, violating thermodynamics. Bekenstein proposed they have entropy proportional to their area. Hawking’s discovery of radiation confirmed this, revealing they have temperature. This led to the information paradox, prompting theories like holography linking entropy to quantum information and spacetime structure.
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Mindfulness practice enhances emotional intelligence by training non-judgmental attention. It directly boosts self-awareness and self-regulation, fosters empathy, and aids motivation and social skills. This provides tools for better emotional management, stronger relationships, and increased resilience in navigating life’s complexities, supported by scientific evidence.
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Technology is deeply embedded in modern life, influencing human evolution. Whilst medicine weakens natural selection, digital demands introduce new pressures. Gene editing and human augmentation present radical possibilities, raising ethical dilemmas about humanity’s future and our wisdom to responsibly direct our biological destiny.
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Ancient Athenian democracy, born in ancient Greece, was a radical system of direct citizen rule. Key institutions included the Assembly, Council, and citizen juries, chosen by lot. While groundbreaking in citizen participation, it excluded women, foreigners, and slaves. Despite limitations, Athenian democracy’s ideals of equality and free speech profoundly influenced modern democratic thought and practice.
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Philosophy explores values and ethics, offering frameworks from virtue ethics to existentialism. It provides critical thinking tools to navigate moral dilemmas, question assumptions, and shape personal and societal values. Understanding philosophy is vital for ethical decision-making and building a more ethical world.
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General Relativity beautifully describes gravity at cosmic scales, while Quantum Mechanics governs the subatomic world. These theories clash when applied together, particularly in extreme conditions like black holes and the Big Bang. Quantum Gravity seeks to reconcile them, exploring theories like String Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity, to understand the fundamental nature of space and…
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