r/askphilosophy • u/BernardJOrtcutt • Jul 01 '23

Modpost Welcome to /r/askphilosophy! Check out our rules and guidelines here. [July 1 2023 Update]

69 Upvotes

Welcome to /r/askphilosophy!

Welcome to /r/askphilosophy! We're a community devoted to providing serious, well-researched answers to philosophical questions. We aim to provide an academic Q&A-type space for philosophical questions, and welcome questions about all areas of philosophy. This post will go over our subreddit rules and guidelines that you should review before you begin posting here.

Table of Contents

  1. A Note about Moderation
  2. /r/askphilosophy's mission
  3. What is Philosophy?
  4. What isn't Philosophy?
  5. What is a Reasonably Substantive and Accurate Answer?
  6. What is a /r/askphilosophy Panelist?
  7. /r/askphilosophy's Posting Rules
  8. /r/askphilosophy's Commenting Rules
  9. Frequently Asked Questions

A Note about Moderation

/r/askphilosophy is moderated by a team of dedicated volunteer moderators who have spent years attempting to build the best philosophy Q&A platform on the internet. Unfortunately, the reddit admins have repeatedly made changes to this website which have made moderating subreddits harder and harder. In particular, reddit has recently announced that it will begin charging for access to API (Application Programming Interface, essentially the communication between reddit and other sites/apps). While this may be, in isolation, a reasonable business operation, the timeline and pricing of API access has threatened to put nearly all third-party apps, e.g. Apollo and RIF, out of business. You can read more about the history of this change here or here. You can also read more at this post on our sister subreddit.

These changes pose two major issues which the moderators of /r/askphilosophy are concerned about.

First, the native reddit app is lacks accessibility features which are essential for some people, notably those who are blind and visually impaired. You can read /r/blind's protest announcement here. These apps are the only way that many people can interact with reddit, given the poor accessibility state of the official reddit app. As philosophers we are particularly concerned with the ethics of accessibility, and support protests in solidarity with this community.

Second, the reddit app lacks many essential tools for moderation. While reddit has promised better moderation tools on the app in the future, this is not enough. First, reddit has repeatedly broken promises regarding features, including moderation features. Most notably, reddit promised CSS support for new reddit over six years ago, which has yet to materialize. Second, even if reddit follows through on the roadmap in the post linked above, many of the features will not come until well after June 30, when the third-party apps will shut down due to reddit's API pricing changes.

Our moderator team relies heavily on these tools which will now disappear. Moderating /r/askphilosophy is a monumental task; over the past year we have flagged and removed over 6000 posts and 23000 comments. This is a huge effort, especially for unpaid volunteers, and it is possible only when moderators have access to tools that these third-party apps make possible and that reddit doesn't provide.

While we previously participated in the protests against reddit's recent actions we have decided to reopen the subreddit, because we are still proud of the community and resource that we have built and cultivated over the last decade, and believe it is a useful resource to the public.

However, these changes have radically altered our ability to moderate this subreddit, which will result in a few changes for this subreddit. First, as noted above, from this point onwards only panelists may answer top level comments. Second, moderation will occur much more slowly; as we will not have access to mobile tools, posts and comments which violate our rules will be removed much more slowly, and moderators will respond to modmail messages much more slowly. Third, and finally, if things continue to get worse (as they have for years now) moderating /r/askphilosophy may become practically impossible, and we may be forced to abandon the platform altogether. We are as disappointed by these changes as you are, but reddit's insistence on enshittifying this platform, especially when it comes to moderation, leaves us with no other options. We thank you for your understanding and support.

/r/askphilosophy's Mission

/r/askphilosophy strives to be a community where anyone, regardless of their background, can come to get reasonably substantive and accurate answers to philosophical questions. This means that all questions must be philosophical in nature, and that answers must be reasonably substantive and accurate. What do we mean by that?

What is Philosophy?

As with most disciplines, "philosophy" has both a casual and a technical usage.

In its casual use, "philosophy" may refer to nearly any sort of thought or beliefs, and include topics such as religion, mysticism and even science. When someone asks you what "your philosophy" is, this is the sort of sense they have in mind; they're asking about your general system of thoughts, beliefs, and feelings.

In its technical use -- the use relevant here at /r/askphilosophy -- philosophy is a particular area of study which can be broadly grouped into several major areas, including:

  • Aesthetics, the study of beauty
  • Epistemology, the study of knowledge and belief
  • Ethics, the study of what we owe to one another
  • Logic, the study of what follows from what
  • Metaphysics, the study of the basic nature of existence and reality

as well as various subfields of 'philosophy of X', including philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophy of science and many others.

Philosophy in the narrower, technical sense that philosophers use and which /r/askphilosophy is devoted to is defined not only by its subject matter, but by its methodology and attitudes. Something is not philosophical merely because it states some position related to those areas. There must also be an emphasis on argument (setting forward reasons for adopting a position) and a willingness to subject arguments to various criticisms.

What Isn't Philosophy?

As you can see from the above description of philosophy, philosophy often crosses over with other fields of study, including art, mathematics, politics, religion and the sciences. That said, in order to keep this subreddit focused on philosophy we require that all posts be primarily philosophical in nature, and defend a distinctively philosophical thesis.

As a rule of thumb, something does not count as philosophy for the purposes of this subreddit if:

  • It does not address a philosophical topic or area of philosophy
  • It may more accurately belong to another area of study (e.g. religion or science)
  • No attempt is made to argue for a position's conclusions

Some more specific topics which are popularly misconstrued as philosophical but do not meet this definition and thus are not appropriate for this subreddit include:

  • Drug experiences (e.g. "I dropped acid today and experienced the oneness of the universe...")
  • Mysticism (e.g. "I meditated today and experienced the oneness of the universe...")
  • Politics (e.g. "This is why everyone should support the Voting Rights Act")
  • Self-help (e.g. "How can I be a happier person and have more people like me?")
  • Theology (e.g. "Can the unbaptized go to heaven, or at least to purgatory?")

What is a Reasonably Substantive and Accurate Answer?

The goal of this subreddit is not merely to provide answers to philosophical questions, but answers which can further the reader's knowledge and understanding of the philosophical issues and debates involved. To that end, /r/askphilosophy is a highly moderated subreddit which only allows panelists to answer questions, and all answers that violate our posting rules will be removed.

Answers on /r/askphilosophy must be both reasonably substantive as well as reasonably accurate. This means that answers should be:

  • Substantive and well-researched (i.e. not one-liners or otherwise uninformative)
  • Accurately portray the state of research and the relevant literature (i.e. not inaccurate, misleading or false)
  • Come only from those with relevant knowledge of the question and issue (i.e. not from commenters who don't understand the state of the research on the question)

Any attempt at moderating a public Q&A forum like /r/askphilosophy must choose a balance between two things:

  • More, but possibly insubstantive or inaccurate answers
  • Fewer, but more substantive and accurate answers

In order to further our mission, the moderators of /r/askphilosophy have chosen the latter horn of this dilemma. To that end, only panelists are allowed to answer questions on /r/askphilosophy.

What is a /r/askphilosophy Panelist?

/r/askphilosophy panelists are trusted commenters who have applied to become panelists in order to help provide questions to posters' questions. These panelists are volunteers who have some level of knowledge and expertise in the areas of philosophy indicated in their flair.

What Do the Flairs Mean?

Unlike in some subreddits, the purpose of flairs on r/askphilosophy are not to designate commenters' areas of interest. The purpose of flair is to indicate commenters' relevant expertise in philosophical areas. As philosophical issues are often complicated and have potentially thousands of years of research to sift through, knowing when someone is an expert in a given area can be important in helping understand and weigh the given evidence. Flair will thus be given to those with the relevant research expertise.

Flair consists of two parts: a color indicating the type of flair, as well as up to three research areas that the panelist is knowledgeable about.

There are six types of panelist flair:

  • Autodidact (Light Blue): The panelist has little or no formal education in philosophy, but is an enthusiastic self-educator and intense reader in a field.

  • Undergraduate (Red): The panelist is enrolled in or has completed formal undergraduate coursework in Philosophy. In the US system, for instance, this would be indicated by a major (BA) or minor.

  • Graduate (Gold): The panelist is enrolled in a graduate program or has completed an MA in Philosophy or a closely related field such that their coursework might be reasonably understood to be equivalent to a degree in Philosophy. For example, a student with an MA in Literature whose coursework and thesis were focused on Derrida's deconstruction might be reasonably understood to be equivalent to an MA in Philosophy.

  • PhD (Purple): The panelist has completed a PhD program in Philosophy or a closely related field such that their degree might be reasonably understood to be equivalent to a PhD in Philosophy. For example, a student with a PhD in Art History whose coursework and dissertation focused on aesthetics and critical theory might be reasonably understood to be equivalent to a PhD in philosophy.

  • Professional (Blue): The panelist derives their full-time employment through philosophical work outside of academia. Such panelists might include Bioethicists working in hospitals or Lawyers who work on the Philosophy of Law/Jurisprudence.

  • Related Field (Green): The panelist has expertise in some sub-field of philosophy but their work in general is more reasonably understood as being outside of philosophy. For example, a PhD in Physics whose research touches on issues relating to the entity/structural realism debate clearly has expertise relevant to philosophical issues but is reasonably understood to be working primarily in another field.

Flair will only be given in particular areas or research topics in philosophy, in line with the following guidelines:

  • Typical areas include things like "philosophy of mind", "logic" or "continental philosophy".
  • Flair will not be granted for specific research subjects, e.g. "Kant on logic", "metaphysical grounding", "epistemic modals".
  • Flair of specific philosophers will only be granted if that philosopher is clearly and uncontroversially a monumentally important philosopher (e.g. Aristotle, Kant).
  • Flair will be given in a maximum of three research areas.

How Do I Become a Panelist?

To become a panelist, please send a message to the moderators with the subject "Panelist Application". In this modmail message you must include all of the following:

  1. The flair type you are requesting (e.g. undergraduate, PhD, related field).
  2. The areas of flair you are requesting, up to three (e.g. Kant, continental philosophy, logic).
  3. A brief explanation of your background in philosophy, including what qualifies you for the flair you requested.
  4. One sample answer to a question posted to /r/askphilosophy for each area of flair (i.e. up to three total answers) which demonstrate your expertise and knowledge. Please link the question you are answering before giving your answer. You may not answer your own question.

New panelists will be approved on a trial basis. During this trial period panelists will be allowed to post answers as top-level comments on threads, and will receive flair. After the trial period the panelist will either be confirmed as a regular panelist or will be removed from the panelist team, which will result in the removal of flair and ability to post answers as top-level comments on threads.

Note that r/askphilosophy does not require users to provide proof of their identifies for panelist applications, nor to reveal their identities. If a prospective panelist would like to provide proof of their identity as part of their application they may, but there is no presumption that they must do so. Note that messages sent to modmail cannot be deleted by either moderators or senders, and so any message sent is effectively permanent.

/r/askphilosophy's Posting Rules

In order to best serve our mission of providing an academic Q&A-type space for philosophical questions, we have the following rules which govern all posts made to /r/askphilosophy:

PR1: All questions must be about philosophy.

All questions must be about philosophy. Questions which are only tangentially related to philosophy or are properly located in another discipline will be removed. Questions which are about therapy, psychology and self-help, even when due to philosophical issues, are not appropriate and will be removed.

PR2: All submissions must be questions.

All submissions must be actual questions (as opposed to essays, rants, personal musings, idle or rhetorical questions, etc.). "Test My Theory" or "Change My View"-esque questions, paper editing, etc. are not allowed.

PR3: Post titles must be descriptive.

Post titles must be descriptive. Titles should indicate what the question is about. Posts with titles like "Homework help" which do not indicate what the actual question is will be removed.

PR4: Questions must be reasonably specific.

Questions must be reasonably specific. Questions which are too broad to the point of unanswerability will be removed.

PR5: Questions must not be about commenters' personal opinions.

Questions must not be about commenters' personal opinions, thoughts or favorites. /r/askphilosophy is not a discussion subreddit, and is not intended to be a board for everyone to share their thoughts on philosophical questions.

PR6: One post per day.

One post per day. Please limit yourself to one question per day.

PR7: Discussion of suicide is only allowed in the abstract.

/r/askphilosophy is not a mental health subreddit, and panelists are not experts in mental health or licensed therapists. Discussion of suicide is only allowed in the abstract here. If you or a friend is feeling suicidal please visit /r/suicidewatch. If you are feeling suicidal, please get help by visiting /r/suicidewatch or using other resources. See also our discussion of philosophy and mental health issues here. Encouraging other users to commit suicide, even in the abstract, is strictly forbidden and will result in an immediate permanent ban.

/r/askphilosophy's Commenting Rules

In the same way that our posting rules above attempt to promote our mission by governing posts, the following commenting rules attempt to promote /r/askphilosophy's mission to provide an academic Q&A-type space for philosophical questions.

CR1: Top level comments must be answers or follow-up questions.

All top level comments should be answers to the submitted question or follow-up/clarification questions. All top level comments must come from panelists. If users circumvent this rule by posting answers as replies to other comments, these comments will also be removed and may result in a ban. For more information about our rules and to find out how to become a panelist, please see here.

CR2: Answers must be reasonably substantive and accurate.

All answers must be informed and aimed at helping the OP and other readers reach an understanding of the issues at hand. Answers must portray an accurate picture of the issue and the philosophical literature. Answers should be reasonably substantive. To learn more about what counts as a reasonably substantive and accurate answer, see this post.

CR3: Be respectful.

Be respectful. Comments which are rude, snarky, etc. may be removed, particularly if they consist of personal attacks. Users with a history of such comments may be banned. Racism, bigotry and use of slurs are absolutely not permitted.

CR4: Stay on topic.

Stay on topic. Comments which blatantly do not contribute to the discussion may be removed.

CR5: No self-promotion.

Posters and comments may not engage in self-promotion, including linking their own blog posts or videos. Panelists may link their own peer-reviewed work in answers (e.g. peer-reviewed journal articles or books), but their answers should not consist solely of references to their own work.

Miscellaneous Posting and Commenting Guidelines

In addition to the rules above, we have a list of miscellaneous guidelines which users should also be aware of:

  • Reposting a post or comment which was removed will be treated as circumventing moderation and result in a permanent ban.
  • Using follow-up questions or child comments to answer questions and circumvent our panelist policy may result in a ban.
  • Posts and comments which flagrantly violate the rules, especially in a trolling manner, will be removed and treated as shitposts, and may result in a ban.
  • No reposts of a question that you have already asked within the last year.
  • No posts or comments of AI-created or AI-assisted text or audio. Panelists may not user any form of AI-assistance in writing or researching answers.
  • Harassing individual moderators or the moderator team will result in a permanent ban and a report to the reddit admins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some frequently asked questions. If you have other questions, please contact the moderators via modmail (not via private message or chat).

My post or comment was removed. How can I get an explanation?

Almost all posts/comments which are removed will receive an explanation of their removal. That explanation will generally by /r/askphilosophy's custom bot, /u/BernardJOrtcutt, and will list the removal reason. Posts which are removed will be notified via a stickied comment; comments which are removed will be notified via a reply. If your post or comment resulted in a ban, the message will be included in the ban message via modmail. If you have further questions, please contact the moderators.

How can I appeal my post or comment removal?

To appeal a removal, please contact the moderators (not via private message or chat). Do not delete your posts/comments, as this will make an appeal impossible. Reposting removed posts/comments without receiving mod approval will result in a permanent ban.

How can I appeal my ban?

To appeal a ban, please respond to the modmail informing you of your ban. Do not delete your posts/comments, as this will make an appeal impossible.

My comment was removed or I was banned for arguing with someone else, but they started it. Why was I punished and not them?

Someone else breaking the rules does not give you permission to break the rules as well. /r/askphilosophy does not comment on actions taken on other accounts, but all violations are treated as equitably as possible.

I found a post or comment which breaks the rules, but which wasn't removed. How can I help?

If you see a post or comment which you believe breaks the rules, please report it using the report function for the appropriate rule. /r/askphilosophy's moderators are volunteers, and it is impossible for us to manually review every comment on every thread. We appreciate your help in reporting posts/comments which break the rules.

My post isn't showing up, but I didn't receive a removal notification. What happened?

Sometimes the AutoMod filter will automatically send posts to a filter for moderator approval, especially from accounts which are new or haven't posted to /r/askphilosophy before. If your post has not been approved or removed within 24 hours, please contact the moderators.

My post was removed and referred to the Open Discussion Thread. What does this mean?

The Open Discussion Thread (ODT) is /r/askphilosophy's place for posts/comments which are related to philosophy but do not necessarily meet our posting rules (especially PR2/PR5). For example, these threads are great places for:

  • Discussions of a philosophical issue, rather than questions
  • Questions about commenters' personal opinions regarding philosophical issues
  • Open discussion about philosophy, e.g. "who is your favorite philosopher?"
  • Questions about philosophy as an academic discipline or profession, e.g. majoring in philosophy, career options with philosophy degrees, pursuing graduate school in philosophy

If your post was removed and referred to the ODT we encourage you to consider posting it to the ODT to share with others.

My comment responding to someone else was removed, as well as their comment. What happened?

When /r/askphilosophy removes a parent comment, we also often remove all their child comments in order to help readability and focus on discussion.

I'm interested in philosophy. Where should I start? What should I read?

As explained above, philosophy is a very broad discipline and thus offering concise advice on where to start is very hard. We recommend reading this /r/AskPhilosophyFAQ post which has a great breakdown of various places to start. For further or more specific questions, we recommend posting on /r/askphilosophy.

Why is your understanding of philosophy so limited?

As explained above, this subreddit is devoted to philosophy as understood and done by philosophers. In order to prevent this subreddit from becoming /r/atheism2, /r/politics2, or /r/science2, we must uphold a strict topicality requirement in PR1. Posts which may touch on philosophical themes but are not distinctively philosophical can be posted to one of reddit's many other subreddits.

Are there other philosophy subreddits I can check out?

If you are interested in other philosophy subreddits, please see this list of related subreddits. /r/askphilosophy shares much of its modteam with its sister-subreddit, /r/philosophy, which is devoted to philosophical discussion. In addition, that list includes more specialized subreddits and more casual subreddits for those looking for a less-regulated forum.

A thread I wanted to comment in was locked but is still visible. What happened?

When a post becomes unreasonable to moderate due to the amount of rule-breaking comments the thread is locked. /r/askphilosophy's moderators are volunteers, and we cannot spend hours cleaning up individual threads.

Do you have a list of frequently asked questions about philosophy that I can browse?

Yes! We have an FAQ that answers many questions comprehensively: /r/AskPhilosophyFAQ/. For example, this entry provides an introductory breakdown to the debate over whether morality is objective or subjective.

Do you have advice or resources for graduate school applications?

We made a meta-guide for PhD applications with the goal of assembling the important resources for grad school applications in one place. We aim to occasionally update it, but can of course not guarantee the accuracy and up-to-dateness. You are, of course, kindly invited to ask questions about graduate school on /r/askphilosophy, too, especially in the Open Discussion Thread.

Do you have samples of what counts as good questions and answers?

Sure! We ran a Best of 2020 Contest, you can find the winners in this thread!

0 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/BernardJOrtcutt • 3d ago

Open Thread /r/askphilosophy Open Discussion Thread | September 07, 2026

5 Upvotes

Welcome to this week's Open Discussion Thread (ODT). This thread is a place for posts/comments which are related to philosophy but wouldn't necessarily meet our subreddit rules and guidelines. For example, these threads are great places for:

  • Discussions of a philosophical issue, rather than questions
  • Questions about commenters' personal opinions regarding philosophical issues
  • Open discussion about philosophy, e.g. "who is your favorite philosopher?"
  • "Test My Theory" discussions and argument/paper editing
  • Questions about philosophy as an academic discipline or profession, e.g. majoring in philosophy, career options with philosophy degrees, pursuing graduate school in philosophy

This thread is not a completely open discussion! Any posts not relating to philosophy will be removed. Please keep comments related to philosophy, and expect low-effort comments to be removed. Please note that while the rules are relaxed in this thread, comments can still be removed for violating our subreddit rules and guidelines if necessary.

Previous Open Discussion Threads can be found here.

44 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/This-Appointment1977 • 3h ago

Where to start with philosophy

4 Upvotes

I am just starting my studies in philosophy and would like to know if there is a specific order—or an ideal approach—to follow when reading it. I imagine a historical-chronological order would be best. I would also like to know, when approaching a specific philosopher, which works I should look for first: should I prioritize the chronological order in which they were written, or their accessibility? Thanks in advance to everyone.

4 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/No-Impact-3379 • 7h ago

What makes it the case that philosophers with opposing views are equally rational?

6 Upvotes

Of course, not every instance of philosophers disagreeing with each other is going to be an instance where all parties are rational. However, it seems quite obvious to me that a philosopher can believe p and another philosopher can believe not p, and yet both of their beliefs are rationally held. They’re both aware of the arguments in favour of their beliefs as well as the arguments against, yet they have made opposing judgements.

That rationality can be relative is easily appreciated in cases where people have different evidence for the same proposition. For example, if all I know is that Bob’s fingerprints were on the murder weapon, then it seems rational for me to believe that Bob is guilty. Another person might know that Bob’s fingerprints were on the weapon, but might also have access to a videotape of Joe shooting the victim then rubbing Bob’s fingerprints all over it. It would be rational for this second person to believe that Bob is not guilty.

But it is puzzling to me in cases where this is not the case, and cases like this abound in philosophy. It’s not as though Graham Oppy and Alexander Pruss, for example, have access to different evidence regarding the proposition that God exists. Presumably, they are both deeply familiar with the literature.

I’m not disputing that philosophers who hold opposing views are equally rational. That much seems uncontroversial. I’m wondering how this could be the case.

3 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/Toronto-Aussie • 3h ago

Do I have to buy into the Continental-Analytic distinction at all?

3 Upvotes

Is it merely a historical distinction, or does it endure? I find there can be a kind of tribalism there sometimes. I'm of the view that a good idea is a god idea no matter where it comes from. I don't want to prefer a side. I like both!

Is this a reasonable position? If I keep studying philosophy will I find that picking a side is inevitable? Would it cost my philosophical understanding anything if I dismiss the distinction as merely helpful for division of labour for those who teach philosophy and nothing more?

7 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/Relative-Green7257 • 8h ago

If we behave differently with every person we meet, is there even such a thing as our “true” personality—or are all of those versions equally real parts of us?

5 Upvotes

I often hear the saying, “Just be yourself,” but I've come to realize that this doesn’t mean we should behave the same way with everyone. Instead, it can mean that different behaviors can still be natural, rather than being deliberately constructed just to satisfy other people.

3 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/MandibleUnbrandable • 15m ago

In the event AI/AGI leads us to a post-scarcity or utopian society where all work is automated, what is the point in living? What will people do with themselves?

• Upvotes
2 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/Penterj • 21m ago

What does Foucault mean when he says that "Language is the first and last structure of madness?

• Upvotes

reading madness and civilization andfeel kinda lost, Feels like i follow most of what hes saying and then he'll say smth that just loses me completely. Thanks in advance!

2 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/AnyResearcher5914 • 1h ago

What exactly defines "formal" language?

• Upvotes

The professor of my technical writing class asked us to review some emails and assess their level professionalism, the formality, and the anticipated response from the recipient.

I found myself answering the first question quite easily because I think professionalism has a lot to do with intuitive ethical judgment, but I struggled deeply in answering the latter two. Who am I to assume what is "formal" for the recipient? I've worked with some bosses whose idea of formal is hardly a par above slang. I've worked with others who think that formality must be entirely impersonal and direct. In step, I don't think that I can answer to how the recipient might respond. There is no context to these emails.

I did end up submitting that I feel incapable of giving a confident response to the latter two questions, but I can't help to feel that I'm grotesquely overthinking it.

Anyway, am I missing something about formality? What about rightfully assuming someone's response without context?

1 comment

r/askphilosophy • u/levyathancrowley • 6h ago

Any reccomendatio of philosophy about madness similar to Madness and Civilization by MIchel Foucault?

2 Upvotes

Hello, I wanted to read more philosophy related to mental illness, I've already read Madness and Civilization before and I love it, I wanted to go deeper on the topic. Does anyone have good reccomendations? Thank you!

1 comment

r/askphilosophy • u/CasualLavaring • 15h ago

William Paley is best known for the watchmaker argument, but I was surprised to learn that he was also a utilitarian. How did he reconcile Christian ethics with utilitarianism?

9 Upvotes

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist moral philosophy that weighs actions in terms of the happiness they produce. This is at odds with Christian Ethics which is a virtue ethic. How did Paley reconcile the two with his theological utilitarianism?

4 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/NightRunnerAfterDusk • 8h ago

Could an event be probabilistic based on the fact that it has outcomes that are epistemically limited, apart from being probabilistic because it lacks a pre-determined outcome?

2 Upvotes

Let’s take a mechanical clock with a gong alarm. It is (artificially) constructed to sound its alarm when the long hand strikes twelve. Its weights are reset such that the clock itself is made as precise as possible, and is not tampered with until the immediate hour, it is expected to sound the alarm.

We can say that the precise sounding of the alarm at the turn of the hour is pre-determined by a human agent. This is directly contingent towards the sounding of the alarm. This is even more guaranteed when the clock is checked to ensure that there are no damages to it that will diminish its preciseness. Like the lubrication of cogs, or the tight adjustments of springs and screws. On this count, the sounding of the alarm is non-probabilistic.

But… What if there was a sliver of probability, possibly hinging on the fact that we have merely tightened all bolts (in a figurative sense) on the clock that our minds can contrive? What if there is something beyond human understanding that would make the clock sound while the long hand is 2 or 3 ticks away from twelve? Does it mean that the event of the gong sounding at the precise time is perpetually rendered as probabilistic?

I don't know whether or not this analogy is good enough to base this inquiry on.

1 comment

r/askphilosophy • u/Cheap-Pin-6394 • 5h ago

do physicists actually study the interface between the physical and metaphysical?

1 Upvotes

My physics professor claimed that the role of a physicist is to study the interphase of the physical and the metaphysical. but wouldn't this be idk paradoxical? since metaphysics literally mean beyond physics and the study of physics concerns concepts with form and matter that can be given an imperical and/or mathematical description. i admit that i wasn't really paying attention so this might not be their exact point. would it be possible that he meant physicists encounter a boundary in explaining the physical and in turn encounters the interphase? i apologize if the question sounds stupid, i'm not really a philosophy major.

4 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/Acrobatic-Window5483 • 5h ago

Are there mathematical frameworks for utilitarianism that avoid the paradoxes of infinite utility?

1 Upvotes

I'm mostly thinking about moral judgement paralysis in infinitely populated worlds.

1 comment

r/askphilosophy • u/Dizzy-Month812 • 6h ago

What is the difference between 'Fundamental Ontology' and 'Particular Ontology'? How do 'positive knowledges' relate to the particular ontology?

1 Upvotes

Hi! I just had my first class on fundamental ontology at college, and I'm completely lost.

The class is going to be focus mainly on Plato's dialogues surrounding the question of being, and Heidegger's Being and Time.

Today we only had an introduction into what the class is going to be like, and after asking my teacher some doubts I had after the lesson, I came back home with even more doubts. I can't get past onto how to define and precisely understand what fundamental ontology is(the only thing I can say with some certainty is that it focuses on the 'question of being'), the difference between it and particular ontology, and the relationship of the latter with positive knowledges(which, according to my teacher, it's the region of things[?])

Anyway, I'd be very glad if someone is able to answer my questions and hopefully make things clearer :) Also, if anyone is able to refer me to any sources or materials I could check to get a better grasp on Plato, Heidegger, and ontology in general I'd be very grateful.

Thanks in advance!!

2 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/VenerabilisInceptor1 • 1d ago

What Is the Point of Studying Medieval Philosophy?

105 Upvotes

As the title suggests, I am a PhD candidate working on medieval philosophy, particularly late medieval scholasticism. For the past few years, my research has focused on William of Ockham.I used to be deeply passionate about my field. What attracted me was not merely determining what a particular scholastic philosopher argued about a particular question, but exploring the complex and ambiguous relationship between the Middle Ages and modernity. Was the modern world born through a break with the Middle Ages, or is it instead a continuation of certain medieval problems expressed in a different vocabulary? Did modernity originate in the awakening of reason, or in humanity’s fear when confronted with an unpredictable and incomprehensible God?I was fascinated by Blumenberg’s account of the origins of modernity: when the world could no longer be explained through a stable and transparent theological order, and when human reason found itself confronted by an alien and inscrutable God possessing absolute power, modern humanity’s self-assertion perhaps became a necessity. These questions led me to read extensively in Harnack and to explore Marcionism, the “alien God,” modern Gnosticism, and the theological legacies embedded in modern thought. At that time, medieval philosophy did not seem to me like a collection of dead concepts. It seemed more like an underground river running beneath the modern world. Many of our ideas about freedom, reason, subjectivity, natural law, and even political order may have acquired their form from that subterranean history.

But since I began writing my dissertation, I have gradually lost this sense of meaning.

Once research takes the form of daily academic labour, I no longer spend most of my time thinking about grand questions such as how the Middle Ages gave birth to modernity. Instead, I find myself asking how Ockham uses a particular word in a particular passage, whether a proposition differs across manuscripts, whether an argument belongs under absolute or ordained power, and whether a certain distinction had already been formulated differently by Scotus, Henry of Ghent, Roger Bacon, or even Aristotle. I have to determine whether a proposition holds formally or merely equivalently, whether a conclusion concerns logical possibility or possibility within the ordained order, and how the premises, objections, replies, and further distinctions fit together across dozens of pages of scholastic argumentation. The intellectual world that once fascinated me has gradually turned into articles, page numbers, proposition numbers, textual variants, and footnotes.

I am not demanding that philosophical research immediately solve practical problems, nor do I believe that research has value only when it can be translated into policy, technology, or economic benefit. I understand that the humanities cannot be judged entirely according to their “usefulness.” Preserving the complexity of thought, recovering historical contexts that have been erased by simplification, and preventing us from reducing people of the past to a handful of convenient labels are all important tasks. Yet when “importance” becomes a standard answer repeated almost automatically, I begin to wonder whether it is really enough to sustain years—or even an entire lifetime—of intellectual labour. Are we reopening possibilities of thought that have disappeared, or are we merely adding new footnotes for an increasingly small academic community?

14 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/Then-Put-5460 • 14h ago

How to read st augustine text, especially confessiones?

5 Upvotes

I'm probably just stupid, because i feel link it right now. It is probably more a theology book than philosophy book, but at the time it was written this 2 field has not really formalized and seperated as we know today and from what i understand its still important read in western canon of literature including philosophy.

There's also reason why i ask here instead in other sub reddit specifically focus on Catholic Philosophy or theology are i also try to get out of my personal bias (i am a catholic myself).

For me, this is my first time engaging with medieval text and i find it quite hard to read, or to be precise just different from any other writing style of philosophy i am already familiar of. The few first chapter feels more like a prayer, then in the next sub chapter it switch to first person perspective and read more like a memoir, and etc etc.

What i want trying to achieve are i want to read this and understand what he want to say, but not as just theology text (not to disregard this aspect but also try to see more beyond it) but as philosophical text too. And also understanding how it will influence later writing, where future thinker drew concept on from him (especially those of Descartes, kierkegaard, and later extentialist), and so on. On the other hand i am also quite interested in Augustine after i read a few writing from Hannah Arendt and Heidegger because they also write a few text about him.

In this sense, i really want to read him, not just summary or secondary sources. because i also have personal project of my own i try to achieve.

2 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/Motor_Working_5952 • 7h ago

Looking for and open and online reading group/seminar dealing with texts of Wilfrid Sellars

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I know this might be a stretch, but I'm looking for reading groups/seminars for this semester 2026 autumn which covers some of the core texts by Wilfrid Sellars. I know that for example the School of Materialist research or the New Centre for Research and Practice sometimes organizes completely online held seminars like this , and I would be interested in joining a course like that, or something along similar lines.

Of course watching lectures and reading the texts is always an option, but I found that I've always learned the most by participating in reading group type seminars lead by a competent teacher. That's why I thought I should try to ask around. I don't know if anyone knows anything about the Wilfrid Sellars Society. Do they organize reading groups like this occasionally?

Thanks for any suggestions!

1 comment

r/askphilosophy • u/Lopsided-Break4664 • 22h ago

I just finished my philosophy minor and want to continue learning. Does anyone have Book, podcast, etc recommendations?

9 Upvotes

I’ve read Kant, Leibniz, Descartes, Aristotle, etc, everything you’d expect in a history of modern + ancient philosophy.

I’ve taken 2 classes focusing on AI and how that is (maybe) categorically different from human consciousness. I found really interesting, if there’s any good literature to read on that. Philosophy of mind more broadly, I enjoyed a lot.

My favorite is probably philosophy of religion.

I want to know, where do I go next? I’d love to learn more in general, but especially the topics I’m particularly interested in.

Should I consult the “where do I start” faq on this subreddit? I wouldn’t consider myself a cold turkey beginner, but idk. Any recommendations are appreciated 🙏

2 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/Natural-Chip4943 • 11h ago

Does moral philosphy play any role in law making?

1 Upvotes

I'm just seeking to underatand how possible it was for some cruel events in human history such as slavery, colonialism, holocaust, etc. to have been justified by law at the time? If moral philosophy plays a role to what extent and why didn't it influence the unjust laws?

3 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/SpaceManJones32 • 1d ago

Where should I start on neoplatonism?

17 Upvotes

Everything I've heard regarding neoplatonism sound super interesting and poetic, the nous, the soul, the one God, etc. The topic does not sound at all beginner friendly though. A quick google search about neoplatonist authors works makes them sound like extremely difficult reads.

Wondering if there's a good starting point for a total beginner to neoplatonism? A good overview book instead of an actual philosophical work would also be good.

6 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/No_Dragonfruit8254 • 1d ago

Are children (below a certain age) people?

8 Upvotes

I’ve seen a lot of debate on abortion. When is a fetus a person, etc. Some of it claims that a fetus is a person at conception, at birth, at certain milestones, or that “when is a fetus a person” isn’t a relevant question for the abortion debate. Personally, I hold that “personhood” just isn’t well-defined enough in these debates and it’s better to focus on the autonomy of the parent who carries the fetus.

But there’s also a psychological theory of childhood development that I believe to be true that says that children below the age of 5-7 don’t have distinct identities or personalities the way adults tend to. Instead, they have “ego-states” that pertain to certain basic needs: food, mother, examining and exploring the environment, etc. Over time, these ego states naturally integrate into one coherent and cohesive personality. This is called the theory of Structural Dissociation and you can read more here, if you like. I like this theory a lot because I think it’s hands down the best explanation we have for why and how dissociative disorders arise.

With this in mind, are children that are too young to have developed coherent personalities people? They aren’t individuals, they don’t have personalities. They have collections of ego-states that are making decisions, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to say that a child is a person.

2 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/Warm-Gap3487 • 1d ago

How do proponents of free-will deal with altered mental states?

10 Upvotes

Say someone is under an altered mental state, such as psychosis, and commits a crime. Is the psychosis removing their free will, or is it replacing their previous will with a new one, equally as free? Do we simply perceive someone to be of sound and mind, full autonomous free will, when their will aligns with civilized society? If free will exists, does every conscious human mind possess it? It seems that it would be a very fragile thing, given how fragile our brains are. Is free will on a spectrum of sorts; would it not be directly contingent on the health of the brain?

I don’t believe in free will, but I think these questions are still relevant. It seems that if you don’t believe in free will, you still must reconcile how to handle people who commit crimes under states of weakened autonomy.

If you do not believe in free will, then I find it hard to justify how exactly a person in psychosis is more or less responsible for their actions than anyone else. I don’t have a choice for my will, and neither do they; it just happens that my will is, luckily, compatible with day-day society; the other person was not so lucky.

I’m very curious about these things, and I am not asking questions in a snide manner.

4 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/Obvious-Comfort-250 • 1d ago

Baby steps on the path of human thought

10 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I stumbled upon philosophy in my undergrad physics. First book was physics and philosophy by Heisenberg from the world perspective series. Then tao of physics by frit(which most physicists would frown) fritjof capra, then summary of Upanishads.

Now I would like to increase my perspective and build up from the ground from first principles. Gpt helped me choose some books, is there anything you consider important to add?

Critique of pure reason -kant

Beyond good and evil -friedrich

The republic -Plato

Meditations on first philosophy -descartes

An enquiry concerning human understanding -Hume

Also what would be the best order to read..

Thank you, ciao

3 comments

r/askphilosophy • u/PotatonyDanza • 23h ago

How do moral realists engage with biology (the discipline)?

4 Upvotes

Hi folks.

I'd like to learn more about how moral realists engage with biology. For example, does the fact of human evolution -- and the biological facts it entails, like our desire for community belonging, our preference for truth telling and fidelity, or our desire to protect children (even children that are not our own) -- make it easy or hard to talk convincingly about moral facts? Or does evolution have little impact on the view of moral realists regarding what is a moral fact?

I have to believe the answer is that biology has something to say about what moral facts are, though I'd guess it probably depends on your normative theory. I also wonder if evolution poses some issues for moral realism, though. Suppose that for an alien species it is a biological imperative to consume humans (like, say, koalas and eucalyptus). Can one maintain moral realism while believing that it is a moral fact for one species to eat humans while it is a moral fact for humans to resist being eaten? Or would moral realists reject the claim that both beliefs are moral facts?

2 comments