The hottest Philosophy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Philosophy Topics
Optimally Irrational β€’ 2 HN points β€’ 23 Nov 23
  1. Debates often revolve around group affiliations rather than logical reasoning.
  2. Our minds are wired to prioritize allegiance to groups over evaluating arguments objectively.
  3. People are more likely to accept arguments that align with their group's views, showing the influence of coalitional psychology.
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Aliveness Studies β€’ 3 implied HN points β€’ 26 Mar 23
  1. Desire and longing can be cherished as sensations in themselves, independent of the object being desired.
  2. Don't wait for permission to pursue your goals and dreams; time is finite and waiting only delays progress.
  3. Life is short and unpredictable, so value and make time for the important people in your life.
The Convivial Society β€’ 3 HN points β€’ 14 Mar 23
  1. Transitioning from natural light to darkness can have a calming effect on our bodies and reduce stress levels.
  2. Precision time-keeping in society has led to a loss of gradual transitions and a shift towards arbitrary rhythms.
  3. Digital culture lacks discernible temporal rhythms, contributing to social disorders, and inhibiting communal and public time.
Ethics Under Construction β€’ 2 HN points β€’ 02 Oct 23
  1. Knowledge is more than just having a justified true belief; it also requires a correct belief in how the justification connects to the truth.
  2. Gettier problems highlight situations where justified beliefs are true only by coincidence, challenging the traditional definition of knowledge.
  3. To have knowledge, there must be a justified true belief, a connector that explains the relationship between the justification and truth, and a belief in that connector.
Research && Reflection β€’ 1 HN point β€’ 14 May 24
  1. The struggles in dating are different for men and women today. Women often deal with being 'involuntarily single', while men may feel 'involuntarily celibate'.
  2. You can improve how you think by letting go of beliefs that don't help you predict the future. This means trusting only the ideas that work for you.
  3. The Dwarkesh Podcast features experts discussing important topics. Learning from their insights can help you understand complex subjects better.
Vic's Verdict β€’ 2 HN points β€’ 08 Apr 23
  1. Alarmist statements can lead to nihilism and instant gratification, especially among the youth.
  2. Choosing delayed gratification over instant gratification can lead to personal growth and positively impact the community.
  3. Rejecting alarmist sentiment or taking action towards delayed gratification can break the harmful feedback loop perpetuated by alarming trends.
world spirit sock stack β€’ 1 implied HN point β€’ 11 Mar 24
  1. Classic ways to earn social credit include doing favors, being consistent and nice, being impressive, doing things people like, and negotiating relationships with responsibilities.
  2. The concept of owing someone has been turned into a detailed, global quantitative system, leading to significant economic activities.
  3. Other forms of social credit are semi-formalized, such as social media likes and follows, but may not drive the same level of activity as the formalized financial system.
Superb Owl β€’ 1 HN point β€’ 04 Mar 24
  1. Quantifying morality through Utilitarianism can be limiting, as it may lead to extremist views and overlook other sources of moral guidance.
  2. Trying to quantify morality using mathematical frameworks can obscure the complexity of human well-being and lead to oversimplified moral judgements.
  3. Mathematizing ethics can allow for biases to be disguised as objective truths, potentially leading individuals to act against their own moral compass.
Philosophy bear β€’ 2 HN points β€’ 10 Mar 23
  1. It's more important for society to get questions right than for individuals to be right, especially for political, existential risk, scientific, technological, and ethical questions.
  2. Different aspects of belief can go in different directions within a single person, and collective rationality can differ from individual rationality.
  3. Advocating beliefs should consider the gap between personal belief and societal belief, and focus on contributing unique information to enhance public reason.
Philosophy bear β€’ 1 HN point β€’ 14 Feb 24
  1. Being an AI skeptic involves questioning the significance of current machine learning research compared to its hype.
  2. Critiques of contemporary machine learning models often involve concerns about their lack of explicit processing, grounding of symbols, and theoretical basis.
  3. The challenge presented is to define a task that current large language models cannot perform, with specific criteria to avoid loopholes or biased assessments.
By Reason Alone β€’ 1 HN point β€’ 11 Feb 24
  1. Education should aim to refine virtue, not just for practical gains. Seeking education for its own sake leads to better outcomes.
  2. Sophistry in education can be dangerous, leading to superficial learning and a focus on appearances over substance.
  3. Interest in philosophy and the arts can be cultivated in all individuals with the right instruction, even if they initially lack enthusiasm.
ThΓ‘i | Hacker | Kα»Ή sΖ° tin tαΊ·c β€’ 19 implied HN points β€’ 09 Dec 11
  1. The story about the fish reminds us to consider the things we take for granted and be aware of our surroundings.
  2. Reflecting on past experiences can help us appreciate how far we've come and understand the changes we've gone through.
  3. Sometimes, stepping out of our comfort zones or familiar environments can help us see things from a different perspective and appreciate them more.
ThΓ‘i | Hacker | Kα»Ή sΖ° tin tαΊ·c β€’ 19 implied HN points β€’ 06 Aug 10
  1. Sometimes we follow rules without questioning why, similar to how monkeys attack others going for a banana in a story.
  2. Questioning why things are done a certain way can lead to deeper insights and understanding.
  3. There are two types of questions - 'how' and 'why'. 'Why' questions often lead to more profound answers and understanding.