Philosophy

Despite American political philosophy being preoccupied with the notion of democracy, African-Americans remained neglected even after the abolition of slavery. The civil rights struggle was headed by a black man, Dr. Du Bois – who believed in equality and justice for...

Individuals who consider the acts of their governments immoral should break those laws and disobey the orders of their states. Henry Thoreau was a transcendentalist who refused to pay taxes that supported slavery and the Mexican wars. He also opposed the use of force...

Feminism was a movement that originated in the second half of the 20th century. It was inspired by Simone De Beauvoir's observation that feminine traits were socially constructed. It challenged many aspects of society, such as the notion that women were inferior to...

In the face of increasingly effective and comprehensive scientific theories, the field of metaphysics and epistemology has gradually lost importance in contemporary philosophy. The emphasis in late twentieth-century philosophy has shifted to moral philosophy and...

When political philosophers reflected on the kinds of societies they would like to see, they often asked themselves whether existing social systems provide the best possible outcomes for citizens. The economy emerged from philosophy as well, while economists have...

Advances in medicine are often thought of as benefiting everyone, and there are plenty of examples where they do. However, some have caused problems - specifically concerning ethics. For instance, animal experimentation can cause huge amounts of suffering, whether...

Some philosophers throughout history, particularly in areas such as moral and political philosophy, recognize the importance of learning. Knowledge and its acquisition have also influenced the development and application of educational techniques, and those who...

From its ancient Greek origins, Western philosophy sought rational explanations for matters that previously were explained by religion. Alongside Christianity, there was an uneasy coexistence between reason and faith, as philosophy challenged church doctrine. However,...

Aesthetics The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of art and beauty, the arts, artistic values and criticism. Analytic philosophy An approach to philosophy based on logical analysis of statements and arguments to clarify their meaning and establish whether...