Plato, Nietzsche, and 11 Other Philosophers Who Used Mind-Altering Drugs

Plato, Nietzsche, and 11 Other Philosophers Who Used Mind-Altering Drugs

The Psychedelic Influence on Philosophy MMXVI Philosophy itself often arrives as a mind-altering experience, a new mode of perception unto our cosmos, at times so radical as to be hazardous. Thus can philosophy be seen as a psychoactive substance—yet the place of psychoactive substances in philosophy is not apparent. In this mildly chronological overview we […]

Bertrand Russell on Immortality, Why Religion Exists, and What “The Good Life” Really Means

Bertrand Russell on Immortality, Why Religion Exists, and What “The Good Life” Really Means

“There are forces making for happiness, and forces making for misery. We do not know which will prevail, but to act wisely we must be aware of both.” Bertrand Russell (May 18, 1872–February 2, 1970) is one of humanity’s most grounding yet elevating thinkers, his writing at once lucid and luminous. There is something almost […]

Who was Ludwig Wittgenstein?

Who was Ludwig Wittgenstein?

Ludwig Wittgenstein was born in Vienna, Austria in 1889. As a young man he studied engineering, but his mathematical work in this area led him to developing an interest in the philosophy of mathematics and then philosophy in general. Wittgenstein read and admired the philosopher Bertrand Russell’s book, The Principles of Mathematics. In 1911, he […]

Friedrich Nietzsche on Why a Fulfilling Life Requires Embracing Rather than Running from Difficulty

Friedrich Nietzsche on Why a Fulfilling Life Requires Embracing Rather than Running from Difficulty

A century and a half before our modern fetishism of failure, a seminal philosophical case for its value. German philosopher, poet, composer, and writerFriedrich Nietzsche (October 15, 1844–August 25, 1900) is among humanity’s most enduring, influential, and oft-cited minds — and he seemed remarkably confident that he would end up that way. Nietzsche famously called […]