The hottest Philosophy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Mystery of The Origin Node — Take the Leap

Generative Forms • 39 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Metaphysics Existentialism Ontology Epistemology Ethics
  1. Greatness takes time and can't be rushed. It's about continuous effort and dedication without expecting immediate results.
  2. Taking a leap of faith is essential for growth. You need to act despite fears and doubts to bring your visions to life.
  3. Every act of greatness is unique and cannot be replicated. It emerges from individual effort and the right moment, not from trying to force it.

I still don't think Slate Star Codex readers have an IQ of 137.

Unconfusion • 39 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Logic Ethics Epistemology Metaphysics Phenomenology
  1. Claiming that a group of people has a very high average IQ is a big statement and not as straightforward as it seems. It's easy to assume that just because a blog attracts smart readers, their IQ is automatically high.
  2. Self-reported data, like IQ numbers, can often be inflated. People might think they have higher IQs or might overestimate their scores, making such claims less reliable.
  3. Belonging to a group can make people feel proud or special, but it's important to remember that individual worth isn't defined by group averages. Everyone has their own value, regardless of how they compare to others.

If I Were an Alien

Polymathic Being • 54 implied HN points • 15 Jun 25
📖 Philosophy Culture Technology Humanity Society Anthropology
  1. Humans can live in very different ways. Some use advanced technology, while others live simply and off the grid, showing how diverse human experiences can be.
  2. Despite our technological advancements, some groups of people have not changed much in thousands of years. This makes us think about what progress really means.
  3. We have the ability to quickly adapt and learn new things, but we also struggle to manage the technology we create. It's a balancing act between embracing change and staying connected to our roots.

A Total and Complete Shutdown of... History

Holodoxa • 119 implied HN points • 23 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Political Philosophy Human nature History Evolutionary Theory Cultural analysis
  1. Francis Fukuyama's 'The End of History' thesis discusses the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.
  2. Fukuyama's concept of the 'Last Man' highlights the psychological quandary faced by individuals in advanced free-market democracies, emphasizing the need for societies to address human desires for recognition and meaning.
  3. Fukuyama argues that liberal democracies balance human impulses for freedom and equality, pointing out the importance of culture and economic development in shaping societies.

#20 - Nick Bostrom | Life and Meaning in an AI Utopia

Win-Win • 19 implied HN points • 04 May 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Existentialism Consciousness AI Ethics
  1. In a world with superintelligence, we need to think about how we find purpose and meaning. This could be a challenge since many problems would be solved.
  2. Different types of utopias can exist, but they might approach ideas like competition and technology limits in unique ways.
  3. Bostrom talks about ideas like the Vulnerable World Hypothesis, which warns about potential risks in a highly technological society. We need to be careful and think ahead.
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“And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds": On the naturalistic possibility of soulmates

Philosophy bear • 135 implied HN points • 05 Dec 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Metaphysics Epistemology Existentialism Romanticism
  1. There's a concept of 'soulmates' that can exist even for people who don't believe in spirits or destiny. It's about recognizing deep connections between similar personalities.
  2. People can be organized into 'ethotypes' based on their core personality traits, and these groupings can help identify potential soulmates.
  3. Falling in love might actually change a person's ethotype, allowing them to connect more deeply with another person, potentially turning them into a soulmate.

Seduced By The Machine

The Ruffian • 368 implied HN points • 16 Dec 23
📖 Philosophy Values Metrics Autonomy Technology Happiness
  1. Humans are becoming more like machines by allowing apps and corporations to define their values and goals.
  2. Metrics and rankings from technology and organizations can shape our values, making us prioritize quantifiable standards over personal fulfillment.
  3. Value capture by external agents can lead to a loss of individuality and hinder personal growth, as people conform to standardized metrics and neglect their unique aspirations.

Polymathematics In One Breath

polymathematics • 99 implied HN points • 21 Aug 23
📖 Philosophy Existentialism Ethics Metaphysics Epistemology Aesthetics
  1. Polymathematics is about embracing a variety of interests and doing what you love. It means not just saying you're interested in many things, but actually pursuing those passions.
  2. Finding what you genuinely love is the first challenge. It can be tough to narrow down your true interests when there are so many options.
  3. Living a polymathematical life is rewarding, but it takes effort to balance those multiple passions. It's about actively engaging with the things that bring you joy.

Six Weeks Into Poverty

The False Consensus Effect • 39 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Poverty Government Action Protest Political Ethics
  1. Living in poverty challenges the norms and calls for embracing hardship to break free from society's expectations.
  2. Questioning the definition of poverty in the context of governmental thresholds and the need for societal reforms like universal healthcare.
  3. Exploring the idea of indirect action against corrupt government policies by advocating for living in poverty as a form of rebellion.

We are the fireflies in the dark

storyvoyager • 6 implied HN points • 28 Dec 25
📖 Philosophy Existentialism Ethics Metaphysics Political Philosophy Social Philosophy Critical Theory
  1. We are like fireflies in the dark, a brief but real expression of life in the universe right now.
  2. Modern techno-capitalist systems measure human worth by productivity and energy use, turning life into a commodity.
  3. That logic creates a hierarchy where the most ambitious use others and the least ambitious are used, leading to exploitation.

Organ Harvesting is Wrong, Actually

Going Awol • 119 implied HN points • 20 Feb 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics Morality Intuition Consequentialism
  1. Many people find organ harvesting morally wrong, even in extreme situations where it could save multiple lives.
  2. Arguments against the deontic intuition of organ harvesting may fail to persuade due to common-sense prevailing.
  3. Considerations like societal aversion to killing and the veil of ignorance don't always justify violating rights for the greater good.

Transhumanism does not require immortality

Extropic Thoughts • 39 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Immortality Transhumanism Personal Identity Religion Aging
  1. Transhumanism does not require immortality, but it is compatible with it
  2. Different types of immortality exist, such as biological immortality, superimmortality, and hyperimmortality
  3. Avoiding the term 'immortality' in transhumanism can help prevent negative connotations and encourage a focus on defeating aging and biological death

No One is Coming to Save Us

Anxiety Addiction & Ascension • 79 implied HN points • 13 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Politics Responsibility Legacy Existence
  1. No one is coming to save us; we must take personal responsibility and not rely on political saviors.
  2. The current political system is designed to stymie well-intentioned individuals; true rulers are banks, corporations, billionaires, and global financiers.
  3. To combat tyranny and maintain independence, individuals must prioritize self-sufficiency, physical health, mental well-being, and financial literacy.

Setting The Stage

Weekly Wisdom • 79 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
📖 Philosophy Cognition Values Identity
  1. Integral theory introduces stages of development, covering cognition, values, and identity.
  2. Stage development in integral theory involves growing up, moral development, and understanding perspectives.
  3. Integral theory categorizes levels of development using colors, from egocentric to kosmocentric stages.

Short Thoughts on Obscurity

Autoscriptorium • 79 implied HN points • 23 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Reflection Thoughts
  1. Thoughts and ideas can be obscure and difficult to grasp, forming erratic shapes and trailing away like comet's furze.
  2. Accumulating new habits can dilute old ones and lead to personal growth and realization.
  3. Sometimes, our own thoughts and feelings can be unclear, requiring us to analyze objective data like our physical reactions and routines.

Cultural evolution and testing (Part II)

America in Crisis • 79 implied HN points • 05 Sep 23
📖 Philosophy Cultural Evolution
  1. Successful groups have pre-existing cultural structures that help them acquire useful information for success, leading to higher levels of cultural growth.
  2. Cultural beliefs and norms underlying group success are a result of cultural evolution, with some groups having more CG-enhancing cultural structures than others.
  3. Historical events like colonization and slavery have influenced different groups' cultural evolution and levels of cultural growth, impacting their success and development.

Second-handers

The Voyage • 39 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Identity Morality Self
  1. There are two types of people: first-handers and second-handers.
  2. First-handers desire greatness for themselves, while second-handers desire greatness for the approval of others.
  3. First-handers stay true to themselves, while second-handers seek validation from society.

For more lifeboats: The only just academic job market is a tight academic job market

Philosophy bear • 135 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Job Market Social Critique Higher education
  1. Lifeboat ethics talks about how to share limited resources when not everyone can have what they want. It's an important conversation in academia to think about who gets what.
  2. Many discussions in philosophy focus on how to share jobs and recognition, but we need to pay attention to creating more opportunities rather than just dividing what's there.
  3. Increasing the number of academic positions can help reduce inequality and give people a better chance, especially those who face challenges in their careers.

What are the Limits to Growth?

Erik Torenberg's Thoughts • 416 implied HN points • 02 Sep 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics Nature Technology Reality Existence
  1. The debate of growth limits involves prophets advocating for living within our means and wizards innovating to overcome limits.
  2. The sustainability question divides opinions - from Cowen's optimism to concerns about exponential growth and hitting future limits.
  3. The distinction between Progress Studies and Transhumanism showcases a shift from wizards versus prophets to wizards versus transhumanists, creating new fault lines in technological advancements.

The virtue of indifference to outcome

Strategy Notes • 78 implied HN points • 29 Mar 23
📖 Philosophy Self-Improvement Strategy
  1. Having a sense of indifference to outcomes in competitions and challenges is important for strategists.
  2. Although outcomes matter, it's beneficial to approach challenges with indifference in the heart and mind.
  3. Strategists should cultivate a sense of indifference to the outcome of any given challenge for long-term success.

Upgrading Murphy's Law

Strategy Notes • 78 implied HN points • 21 Mar 23
📖 Philosophy Life philosophy
  1. Pain is provided, pleasure is permitted - More hardship than fun by default.
  2. It's about the balance of good and bad things - Prepare mentally for both.
  3. Good things happen too - It's about the relationship between good and bad.

Introducing not-knowing.

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 199 implied HN points • 11 Jan 23
📖 Philosophy Uncertainty Knowledge Decision-making Existentialism Cognition
  1. Understanding not-knowing helps us deal with uncertainty in our lives. It’s important to recognize that we often face different types of not-knowing that affect our decision-making.
  2. The world is more interconnected today, which means uncertainties can spread faster. We need to be aware that one issue in one part of the world can quickly impact others.
  3. It's important to accept that we can't know everything. Recognizing our limits can help us manage our emotions better and make clearer decisions in uncertain situations.

Chaos, Order, and the Struggle for Survival

Mind & Mythos • 219 implied HN points • 20 Oct 22
📖 Philosophy Survival Chaos Existence
  1. The universe is constantly changing and fluctuating between chaos and order. When chaos meets other elements, some order can emerge if it is strong enough.
  2. Survival is a key instinct for all living creatures. Over time, instincts arose to help organisms protect themselves, find food, and reproduce.
  3. In social species, like wolves, gaining status can also impact survival. A wolf's strength and ability to provide food can attract mates, showing that social behaviors improve chances of survival.

Making Sense of Consciousness Part 7: Volition

Rough Diamonds • 9 implied HN points • 24 Nov 25
📖 Philosophy Consciousness Free will Neuroscience Agency
  1. We feel like our actions are our own when we can see and understand the choices we make. If we can't perceive our decision-making process, we may feel a loss of control.
  2. There's a time right before we move where our brain shows readiness for action, which is called W-time. This moment is closely linked to when we consciously feel that we have decided to move.
  3. People with certain conditions, like schizophrenia or motor disorders, can experience distorted perceptions of their own actions. They might struggle to sense control over their movements, feeling like some actions aren't truly theirs.

The curvature of space

Infinitely More • 33 implied HN points • 27 Jul 25
📖 Philosophy Mathematics Geometry Theory Concepts Logic
  1. Spherical geometry has positive curvature, which means circles on a sphere are smaller than expected compared to flat surfaces.
  2. In hyperbolic space, there are way more locations nearby than in regular space, making it easier to get lost or have many places to explore.
  3. Although spherical and hyperbolic geometries are quite different, they can seem similar to a person at a small scale, just like how our everyday experience seems like flat geometry.

The Sensemaking Companion: Section III

The Bigger Picture • 359 implied HN points • 08 Feb 22
📖 Philosophy Sensemaking
  1. The Sensemaking Companion offers insights on the Third-Person Perspective, which is discussed in Section III of the resource.
  2. Readers are invited to join Sensemaking 101, starting on February 10, for a collaborative process to enhance their sensemaking abilities with global participants.
  3. To access the full content of The Sensemaking Companion and other posts, readers can subscribe to The Bigger Picture with a 7-day free trial.