The hottest Metaphysics Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways

The Flip, The Formation, and The Fun

The Joyous Struggle • 691 implied HN points • 23 Nov 23

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

The flip involves changing our understanding of reality to see consciousness and value as primary, leading to a sacred view of the world.
The formation requires a shift from utilitarianism to virtue ethics, focusing on shaping desires towards higher purposes and societal good.
The fun pertains to a shift in societal goals from growth to intrinsic ends like spiritual and creative fulfillment, aiming for an attractive and galvanizing future.

A Conversation Between A Philosopher and an AI Researcher

Teaching computers how to talk • 115 implied HN points • 19 Nov 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

AI is not just a library of knowledge; it does more than store information. It can analyze, create, and have conversations, making it unique compared to traditional libraries.
Cultural and social technologies, like AI, reflect human beliefs and the ability to pass information across generations. This shapes how society evolves, just like the printing press and the internet did.
While AI can produce novel ideas, it's more about reading patterns from the information it has seen before. If it creates something new, it's similar to a random mix of ideas rather than true creativity.

Please take my weird moral puzzles quiz

DYNOMIGHT INTERNET NEWSLETTER • 468 implied HN points • 17 Jun 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

A survey is created to gauge people's moral beliefs on unusual scenarios that challenge common ethics. It involves questions about difficult decisions we might face.
The scenarios include serious topics like abortion and euthanasia, but also quirky ideas involving advanced AIs and future societies. This mix aims to provoke thought about morality.
Participants are encouraged to respond honestly and intuitively, with the creator assuring no tricks are involved in the survey.

The Subjective Grounds the Physical

Ethics Under Construction • 25 implied HN points • 25 Jan 26

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Physicalism assumes the physical is primary, but subjective experience actually grounds and makes physical facts intelligible; you can’t fully describe phenomena like color or pain without the first-person perspective.
Experiential facts are a distinct, irreducible class: what it is like to see red or feel pain is constitutive of those facts and can’t be captured by wavelengths or neural descriptions alone, as thought experiments like Mary’s Room and the Chinese Room illustrate.
There is no neutral “view from nowhere” — all knowledge is mediated by subjects, and objectivity is best understood as a shared, structured map built from and dependent on subjective experience.

Mohists: Early Effective Altruists?

Thing of Things • 412 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Many modern ideas have ancient roots, showing that historical societies were not as different from us as we may think.
Considering knowledge as a skill, not just a set of facts, could offer valuable insights.
Consequentialism relies on being correct, highlighting the importance of ensuring accuracy in ethical decision-making.

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Ultrafinitism as arithmetic potentialism

Infinitely More • 25 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Ultrafinitism can be fruitfully seen as a form of potentialism, which clarifies its philosophical commitments and lets us give a formal treatment of ultrafinitist theories.
Models of finite arithmetic naturally extend step by step to larger models (M+, M++, and so on), presenting arithmetic as a growing structure even without committing to a single completed limit model.
The potentialist view highlights that mathematical truth can depend on how a theory develops, and it provides a natural framework for discussing and adjudicating different ultrafinitist positions about mathematical existence.

Neither Robot Nor Baby

In My Tribe • 364 implied HN points • 13 Jun 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

The folk theory of mind suggests that humans have feelings and decision-making abilities, while AI does not. This means we shouldn't think of AI as having a mind like ours.
AI operates based on code and rules, not feelings or intentional decisions like humans have. Mistakes made by AI don't come from emotional reactions like they would in a person.
While AI can cause harm, it's not because it has its own mind. It's important to recognize that AI's actions reflect human intentions, whether they're intended or not.

How Does it Feel to Be a Bug?

Bet On It • 271 implied HN points • 30 Jul 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Bugs live short lives, but they don't experience long-term suffering like humans do. They don't linger in misery or worry about the future.
Bugs likely have a different way of experiencing life. They probably don't feel loss, disappointment, or humiliation like we do.
It's not clear if bugs are actually less happy than humans. They might have lives worth living, even if they face quick deaths.

Perhaps You Shouldn't Read This

The Algorithmic Bridge • 743 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Reading can take away your ability to think for yourself. If you read too much, you might lose your original thoughts and feelings.
Both reading and using AI are good, but doing them excessively has downsides. Just like you should drink enough water, you shouldn't overdo reading or rely too much on AI.
It's fine to use AI or read books, but balance is important. You don’t have to do one all the time; a mix of both can help keep your mind sharp.

Natural existence in an artificial age

storyvoyager • 4 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Rapid technological progress, especially AI, risks eroding human cognitive sovereignty and treating people as resources for building a superintelligence.
A better path is to embrace our natural, biological existence and reintegrate with Earth's ecosystems as central to what it means to be human; protecting biodiversity and life's continuity should be our main goal.
We should use technology to protect and reconnect with nature rather than to segregate from it, aiming to secure the planet's ability to sustain diverse life in perpetuity.

Good Memory

The Memory Palace • 79 implied HN points • 11 Jun 24

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Memory is often seen as less reliable than other ways of knowing, like perception. It doesn't create new knowledge but relies on what it's given, so it might forget important details.
When we remember things, we can also remember them incorrectly or distort them. This means that sometimes memory can lead us to feel certain about things that are actually wrong.
Despite its flaws, memory still plays an important role in how we understand our experiences. It can help us organize our memories, but we should be careful not to trust it too much.

Cetacean Philosophy

Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet • 846 implied HN points • 15 Dec 24

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Sperm whales have their own unique way of thinking and understanding the world. It's important not to put their ideas into human categories too easily.
Recent studies show that sperm whales do have a true language, which we are still trying to fully understand. They can express complex thoughts and engage in creative conversation.
The attempt to define 'cetacean philosophy' risks oversimplifying the whales' perspectives. We need more time and careful study before making conclusions about their thoughts and beliefs.

Sunday Strip: Paranoid lately?

Who is Robert Malone • 41 implied HN points • 28 Dec 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Sometimes what looks like paranoia is actually a rational response to real facts and information, so suspicion can be justified when evidence lines up.
Those in power control narratives by steering questions and limiting criticism, so who you cannot criticize often indicates who is controlling you.
Paranoia often springs from fear mixed with good sense, and you can either let it make you miserable or use it to make yourself stronger.

A meaning of life

Philosophy bear • 57 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Meaning isn’t just an abstract answer but a story you craft to present your values to yourself in an aesthetic and emotional way, so life feels purposeful and livable.
The best human life mixes bliss, adventure, creativity, friendship, and deliberate struggle, and rich, responsive simulations (with real-seeming people) can help deliver those deeply felt experiences.
We can and should work to reshape the world and ourselves toward an intelligently designed moral order—ending involuntary death and needless suffering, guiding evolution, and improving animal welfare—while preserving voluntary challenge and growth.

Issues in Philosophy of Memory 4

The Memory Palace • 59 implied HN points • 25 Jun 24

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

The philosophy of memory is growing quickly, with more conferences and research on it recently. People are exploring topics about how we remember and what memory means.
The fourth conference on philosophy of memory will take place in Geneva in June 2024. It will feature key talks and papers from researchers from many different countries.
The event will cover a wide range of memory-related topics, from how we remember to the connections between memory and emotions. It aims to inspire new ideas and discussions in the field.

Resistance is necessary

Austin Kleon • 1878 implied HN points • 02 Aug 22

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Resistance helps us move forward. Without some friction, we can't really make progress in life.
We often get distracted by easy paths. It's important to seek out challenges that guide us in the right direction.
Creativity thrives on challenges. Facing resistance can spark new ideas and help us grow.

Configurancy

Breaking Smart • 43 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Heidegger's idea of 'Care' as the basis for understanding existence is too vague and normatively loaded. It's hard to use 'Care' as a foundational concept because it carries so many emotional and ethical meanings.
The new idea of 'Configurancy' is about how things and people relate over time to create a meaningful world. It's a process that describes how worlds and individuals come together without carrying any specific emotional weight.
Configurancy helps us understand existence without tying it to goals or feelings. It shows that meaning arises from relationships and changes, rather than aiming for a fixed purpose.

The Asymmetry of Destruction

Passing Time • 267 implied HN points • 29 Jun 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Creating something takes time, teamwork, and skill. It's a careful process that can easily fall apart with just one mistake.
Destroying things is much easier and faster than creating them. Just a small action can ruin a whole system while building it requires collaboration and effort.
In life and politics, it's often harder to prove false claims than to spread them. We need more people focused on building a better future instead of just tearing down what's there.

Introducing The McGilchrist Manoeuvre

The Joyous Struggle • 474 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

The McGilchrist Manoeuvre highlights the importance of acknowledging the different but equally valuable perspectives of the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
It emphasizes the relative trustworthiness of the right hemisphere's viewpoint in guiding us on understanding reality and making progress in philosophy.
The maneuver involves transcending contradictions and recognizing the generative nature of coinciding opposites, ultimately enriching our perception and understanding of complex aspects of life.

2.5 René Descartes

Fields & Energy • 259 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

René Descartes believed science is connected and trying to find one truth could help explain other truths. He thought this truth came from the 'infinite perfections of God.'
He had some important ideas in physics, like how light bends and motion is conserved. However, some of his ideas turned out to be wrong, showing that science takes time to improve.
Descartes thought that studying nature could help humans control it, but his methods sometimes lacked support from experiments. He lived a relaxed life, which changed when he had to teach in Sweden and sadly got pneumonia.

Can One Become a Different Person?

Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet • 691 implied HN points • 08 Dec 24

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

People can feel like they've transformed into a new version of themselves, much like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. This change can be exciting, but it also makes them reflect on their past identities.
Memories play a key role in how we see ourselves and maintain our identity over time. Even when we go through tough experiences, like illness, we hold on to memories that connect us to who we were.
The idea of being a person isn't as fixed as it seems; we shift and change over time. It's natural for us to evolve and take on new roles, much like actors changing characters in a play.

Reflections on Ethical Vegetarianism, Part 2

Bet On It • 191 implied HN points • 23 Jul 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Many people find ethical vegetarian arguments hard to understand. This might be because philosophy can be tricky, and most people don't have great responses to common issues.
Common sense really matters in philosophy. When people doubt basic ideas about the world, appealing to common sense can help clear up confusion.
Eating meat and treating animals differently isn't seen as absurd to many people. It's okay to think this way, especially when there are bigger issues, like helping hungry humans.

Gnosticism: Inversions

Secretum Secretorum • 606 implied HN points • 11 Dec 24

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Gnosticism focuses on seeking knowledge and self-discovery, rather than blind faith. It believes understanding who we are and where we come from is the key to spiritual liberation.
Gnostics had a very different view of traditional figures, often seeing them in an oppositional light. They believed that the mainstream teachings were a form of deception and celebrated figures like the serpent or Judas as misunderstood heroes, emphasizing personal experience over established doctrine.
Many Gnostic teachings involved breaking away from societal norms and moral restrictions. This led to controversial practices and beliefs about liberation being found through transgressions against established moral codes, although the full reality of these practices is still debated among scholars.

Ethics and Insecticide

Bet On It • 211 implied HN points • 07 Jul 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Insect suffering could challenge views about animal suffering. If we think insects feel pain, it might mean many everyday actions are wrong.
Intelligence might affect how bad suffering is. The more intelligent a being is, the worse their suffering could be seen as.
Concrete facts should guide ethical theories. It's better to start with real experiences and observations, not just abstract ideas.

Recent Media Appearances

Good Thoughts • 216 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Recent public philosophy discussions cover effective altruism, longtermism, and synthetic a priori knowledge.
Critical discussion on the reliance on supernatural forces in discerning philosophical truths.
Rejecting the causal debunking principle in favor of relying on coherent philosophical methods for truth-seeking.

Math is not art

The Strategy Toolkit • 26 implied HN points • 22 Dec 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

You often need to leave your familiar life and roles to really discover who you are, because you can’t fully see yourself from inside your own island.
Having a craft, job, or practical skill can sustain you but it doesn’t replace the deeper search for identity and meaning.
Moments and changing perspectives can reveal unexpected beauty and mystery, so paying attention to how time and place shift perception helps you understand the world and yourself.

Hidden Open Thread 353.5

Astral Codex Ten • 688 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

This is a thread for subscribers to discuss various topics openly. People can share their thoughts and insights freely.
It is exclusive to those who have paid a subscription. This means that the discussions here are intended for a smaller, dedicated group.
Engagement is encouraged, with comments and sharing options available. Subscribers can interact with each other in a more personal space.

The Revaluation of All Values, Part 4

Intimations of a New Worldview • 373 implied HN points • 14 Mar 23

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

The will to power is a metaphysical doctrine similar to Heraclitus' Logos and Schopenhauer's primacy of the will.
Nietzsche's will to power aims to promote and justify the flourishing of life, opposing pessimistic philosophies like Schopenhauer.
The will to power is based on empirical findings in biology and psychology, generalizing to explain all aspects of life.

2.0 Aristotle, Plato, & Newton

Fields & Energy • 259 implied HN points • 13 Dec 23

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Aristotle and Plato have very different views on existence. Aristotle believes existence comes first, while Plato thinks consciousness creates reality.
The Aristotelian approach focuses on observing nature to discover principles, while the Platonist starts with foundational ideas and deduces from them.
Both schools of thought are important for science. Sometimes we discover new principles like Aristotle, and other times we analyze and apply ideas like Plato.

1.1 Calculation Versus Understanding: Why Care?

Fields & Energy • 319 implied HN points • 01 Nov 23

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Understanding is important, not just getting the right answers. If we want to make sense of our world and society, we need deeper insights and not just calculations.
Ideas about causality and certainty have changed over time. What was once thought to be clear cut, like Newton's laws, has become more complicated with concepts like quantum mechanics.
Political philosophy can be impacted by scientific ideas. If we believe everything is contradictory, it may affect how we think about power and society, sometimes leading to a focus on who holds power rather than what is right or wrong.

Why the Good Guys Will Usually Win

Eurykosmotron • 353 implied HN points • 09 Jul 23

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Good guys are likely to win and open-mindedness prevails over closed-mindedness across the multiverse.
Prosocial communities are smarter and better at problem-solving than communities of distrustful individuals.
In a diverse and open environment, good and open-minded agents are more likely to prevail and positively influence society.

Immanuel Kant—What can we know?

Ralph Ammer • 314 implied HN points • 01 Nov 23

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Immanuel Kant questioned how we can know things, diving into the roles of rationalism and empiricism.
Kant believed that our mind shapes how we perceive the world, filtering and structuring our knowledge.
Kant's idea is that we need both external observations and internal structuring through concepts to truly understand the world.

Random bits of philosophy

Philosophy bear • 50 implied HN points • 20 Nov 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Today, many people view exploitation as worse than disobedience, reflecting a shift in values compared to the past. We are more horrified by the abuse of power than by the breaking of traditional rules.
When judging past actions, it's often argued that people from history should be seen in their own context. However, it's important to recognize that some actions, like slavery, were wrong regardless of the era.
Intuitions guide our understanding of moral and philosophical concepts but may not always point to objective truths. They often reflect our own principles instead of revealing universal truths.

Ultrafinitism with a largest number

Infinitely More • 25 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Ultrafinitism holds that only comparatively small or ‘feasible’ numbers exist, and finite arithmetic (FA) formalizes this by axiomatizing arithmetic with a single largest natural number.
The full theory true in all finite truncation models is not computably axiomatizable, so FA is a distinct and simply stated theory rather than that inexpressible common truncation theory.
Any model of FA can be interpreted inside a strictly taller FA-model where the former largest number attains much larger values (making previously undefined sums and products defined), revealing a potentialist hierarchy that, when iterated, yields models arising from truncations of bounded induction.

The Most Dangerous Idea

Secretum Secretorum • 1161 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Traumatic transcendence challenges the concept that extreme states of consciousness can manipulate physics, prompting a need for deeper understanding through experiments induced by profound suffering.
Evidence and reasoning suggest that consciousness may transcend normal physics, as seen in tales from folklore and religious history, trauma-related phenomenon, and philosophical arguments against materialism.
Love plays an integral role in traumatic transcendence and mystical experiences, emphasizing a connection between profound experiences and emotion, challenging traditional metaphysical paradigms.

2.1 Ancient Ideas of Atomism & Plenism

Fields & Energy • 219 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

The concept of atomism began in ancient Greece with philosophers like Leucippus and Democritus, who believed everything is made up of tiny, indivisible particles called atoms. They also thought a void exists where these atoms move.
Democritus' ideas influenced later thinkers like Epicurus, who introduced the idea that atoms can swerve randomly, allowing for free will. Lucretius expanded on this by describing how tiny particles move in ways we can't always see.
Aristotle challenged atomism with his idea of plenism, which suggests everything is filled with matter and there is no empty space. He argued that motion is continuous and depends on the presence of matter all around.

The Probability of God

Fake Noûs • 200 implied HN points • 07 Jun 25

⛪ Faith & Spirituality Metaphysics

The existence of God is debated, especially around traditional views of a perfect being like an all-knowing, all-powerful entity. Many people question if such a being can even exist at all.
There are arguments that challenge the idea of an all-powerful God, like how can someone be truly powerful if they can’t do everything or know everything. This raises doubts about the traditional definition of God.
Determining how likely it is that God exists is tricky. People often struggle to assign initial probabilities to such beliefs before looking at evidence.

A Second Kind of Objects

Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet • 345 implied HN points • 02 Feb 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Many short words can have different meanings in various languages. For example, the word 'kut' means very different things in Hungarian, Dutch, and Sanskrit.
Exploring words like 'kut' can reveal interesting connections between different cultures and languages. It shows how language can be rich and complex.
The idea of cross-linguistic homonyms helps us appreciate the diversity of human language and thought. It’s fascinating to see how one small word can connect so many meanings.

Hey, I plan to be back!

Inland Nobody • 320 implied HN points • 01 Feb 25

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

The writer has been focusing on weight loss and has lost a total of 237 pounds. They feel more energized and are looking forward to new experiences.
They plan to write more frequently, with less emphasis on perfectionism. This means sharing ideas that are in progress instead of perfectly polished posts.
The writer is moving from Galesburg to Chicago and will share thoughts on urbanism and philosophy related to their new environment.

Beyond The Appearances.

Trying to Understand the World • 6 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26

📖 Philosophy Metaphysics

Thinking that an ideal model must be true and then forcing facts to fit it is a common and damaging habit across religion, science, and politics. That approach suppresses evidence and treats reality as an inconvenience to be reshaped.
Mathematical economics and technocratic policy can become detached from material limits like production, supply chains, and everyday human experience. Redefining metrics or relying on models instead of practical judgement leads to bad policy and misleading claims.
A pragmatic, evidence-first attitude that respects messy appearances and practical constraints works better in medicine, policy and conflict than grand, a priori systems. Humility and readiness to revise theories when facts disagree are essential to avoid ideological error.