NewsBite

Philosophy

Advertisement
Melbourne Grammar vice-captain Ryan Mooney excelled in one of the more uncommon VCE subjects.

‘Why not study maths or something?’ The students acing VCE’s oddball subjects

And what exactly is sociology, anyway? We asked some of Victoria’s top students to explain.

  • Caroline Schelle

Latest

Dionne Gain

What if there was a way to measure someone’s contempt? Now there is

This useful tool might save your family Christmas, and possibly the world.

  • Julia Baird

How you vote now comes down to one variable above all

Electoral allegiances have changed so much, poll watchers have had to come up with new names for political brands. So, do you vote GAL or TAN?

  • Ross Gittins
South African philosopher David Benatar believes it is morally wrong to bring babies into the world.

Why the Banksy of the philosophy world wants to stop you having babies

No one knows what David Benatar looks like, but his anti-natalist philosophy prompts strong reactions as does his argument that boys and men also are victims of sexism.

  • Andrew Taylor
dd

Pop star, philosopher, poet: Taylor Swift is shaking up how we think

The singer’s great works have many similarities with the most revered thinkers and authors in history, becoming a fixture of courses at Australia’s top universities in the process.

  • Jordan Baker

An Auschwitz survivor, an Aussie newsletter, an Irish poet: How I found hope in 2023

In times like these, poets and philosophers provide better reason for ‘stubborn optimism’ than politicians.

  • David Leser
Advertisement
Stoic at Work by Annie Lawson, illustrations by Oslo Davis.

Your survival guide to office parties, snippy colleagues and major suck-ups

Ancient wisdom for managing the work silly season? You bet. Follow these rules to get through the summer unscathed (and generally improve your lot at work).

  • Annie Lawson
Father Burnheim, 39, rector of St. John’s College, Sydney University, 1966.

The ex-priest who helped settle a 30-year Sydney University feud

Former priest John Burnheim led the “radicals” at Sydney University when war broke out in the philosophy department.

  • Paul Crittenden
When Greta Thunberg famously addressed the UN, she spoke to a sense of nihilism and showed that for her and the countless young people she inspires, it doesn’t need to be a destructive force.

‘New nihilism’: How Gen Z is embracing a life of futility and meaninglessness

Rather than joining a push towards individualist thinking that’s always asking, “What’s in it for me?“, Gen Z are taking the opportunity to challenge the status quo altogether.

  • Wendy Syfret
Socrates was concerned that writing for damage discourse.

Socrates railed against the advent of writing – AI might have terrified him

From Socrates believing writing would bring about mass forgetfulness and ignorance, to the Catholic Church warning against the printing press, humanity’s great strides have always had their detractors.

  • John Weldon

Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/topic/philosophy-1n4q