Topics

The Anthropocene Era The Anthropocene is a proposed term to describe this period in the Earth's history where human activity has a significant… Renewal If life is a highway, then maybe you need a rest stop! Let's take a moment to stop and reflect… Happiness We all want it but can you define what it is? And how do you pursue happiness? Is happiness so… Capitalism vs. Democratic Socialism As Winston Churchill said of democracy, we could say that capitalism is the worst economic system, except for all the… Economic Systems Economic systems organize how resources get allocated: who will be wealthy, who will be poor, and who gets to make… Transhumanism and the Ethics of Engineering Ourselves Transhumanism is a philosophical movement that advocates for the transformation of humans both physically and intellectually via technology that might… China's Social Credit System The Chinese government has begun rolling out a set of reputation-tracking technologies called the Social Credit System. It uses high-tech… The Boundaries of Speech and Civility Calm, rational, and fairminded consideration of all viewpoints is a core principle of critical thinking, but are there some ideas… Culture, Patriotism and Nationalism Name any nation, and you immediately imagine what makes it unique: the distinct food, dress, practices, art and architecture of… Vision, Values & Self-Image Developing strong vision and values is fundamental to maintaining objectivity and sharp critical thinking skills because they form the foundation… Automated Perspectives The internet gives us access to more information than past generations could have ever dreamed, but has left us struggling… Is Religion Still Relevant? Christopher Hitchens said that religion was our first attempt to make sense of the world. It was the best we… The Crisis of Masculinity Manosphere, toxic masculinity, incel, red pill, niceguy, mansplaining, soyboy, testosterone poisoning, white knight - these colourful words keep boiling up… The Question of Abortion Abortion has long been a mainstay of Canadian law, and has generally had wide acceptance among Canadians - a 2001… Democracy Under Threat Though far from perfect, and often criticized, democracy is the best system we have for maintaining functional, effective governments that… How Selfish Should We Be? We are privileged to live in a country where we have freedom, abundant food and affordable medical care. If you… Finding Yourself Whenever you feel lonely, uncertain or unappreciated, you're sure to meet someone who will tell you that the answer to… The Expanding Circle of Empathy The Expanding Circle is an idea (and book) by ethical philosopher Peter Singer. It's an imaginary circle that includes all… Gun Control Pro-gun advocates argue that many firearms are used responsibly in sports like hunting and marksmanship, and that guns are required… Everyday Ethics A contemporary ethical person should think about practical concerns like their impact on the environment, their voting patterns, and the… Extinction Rebellion and Climate Activism Extinction Rebellion is a global network of climate activists whose protests have shut down highways, bridges and subways in major… How Do We Gain Knowledge and Beliefs? Misinformation, propaganda and fake news don't spread themselves. If we have a problem of misinformation in the world, it means… Art and Celebrity Crimes Celebrities capture our attention and admiration. For good or bad, we look to them to set trends, to be our… Tolerance and Religious Indoctrination Religion occupies a special place in our culture as one of the few domains where indoctrination is widely accepted. It… Useful Lies When you went to school you learned that the primary colors are red, yellow and blue, that atoms are tiny… Euthanasia Proponents of euthanasia argue that it is part of a person's right to self-determination and that it can be a… Do the ends justify the means? It's tempting to believe that your ends can justify your means. We care about the result of our actions, and… Should there be Billionaires? Should a person be entitled to keep whatever money they earn, or do the wealthy have a responsibility to pay… Universal Basic Income Universal Basic Income or UBI is a program that provides regular sums of money to all citizens (or all adult… Should We Try To Change Minds? Dale Carnegie said that "there is only one way under high heaven to get the best of an argument -… The Limits of Rationality Rationality means that your beliefs conform with your reasons to believe. It has gifted us many shiny and wonderful things… Technocracy What if we had a political system where government positions were given out on grounds of merit, and decisions were… How to Give Back in Life? What are we here for? How do we find our purpose in life and achieve fulfillment? What is the best… Ecomodernism Ecomodernism is a philosophy that believes that technology and consumption are the tools with which to repair our damage to… What I Believe by Bertrand Russell What I Believe is ranked as one of the most articulate and notorious examples of Russell's arguments for atheism. The… Your Impact Living in the world today, it's easy to feel insignificant. As we become more connected and aware of news from… The QAnon Conspiracy Theory QAnon adherents believe that this Satanist pedophile ring has operated for a long time, and that Donald Trump launched his… Advancements in Pseudointellectualism Pseudointellectualism means fake intellectualism; it means that someone is not only spreading lies, but that the lies appear more "intelligent"… What Are Your Terminal Values? Values are the things that you hold to be important in life, but there are some things that we value… Public Policy vs. Personal Values Do you feel that the government represents you? Or do you feel like you are choosing the lesser of evils… Journalism in Crisis Journalism is struggling to adapt to a world where news organizations must maintain high standards while competing with social media.… How Do You Know? The study of knowledge and how to achieve accuracy in understanding the world is called epistemology, and a basic course… Artificial Intelligence in the Home We love the convenience of AI but what are the risks? Exposing our home to the internet can make it… Birds Aren't Real Birds Aren't Real is a satirical conspiracy theory that claims the U.S. government exterminated all birds starting in 1959 and… Making Friends and Being a Good Friend Remember when you were a child and making friends was easy? Why did it become so hard now that we've… Rebel News, "I won't call it a media organization" Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has criticized Rebel News for spreading misinformation and disinformation and for sowing division among Canadians, and… Truth and Reconciliation In 2008, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was launched to document the history and impact of the residential… Finding Yourself "Who am I and what's the point of me?" It's a question that great philosophers have pondered for thousands of… Dealing with Family Family are The people that you're required to love due to the accidental circumstances of your birth, or in a… The Housing Crisis Housing is recognized as one of the three essentials of life, along with food and video streaming services. But this… Whistleblowers Whistle blowing is risky business. In corporate situations you risk losing your job and destroying your career. In government you… Disinformation Campaigns The word disinformation refers to myths and falsehoods that are spread with the intention of sowing distraction, confusion and chaos.… Voluntourism International volunteering or "voluntourism" is an industry that has sprung up to serve a market of well-intentioned and idealistic people… Protests as Seen in the Media How would you rate the quality of reporting that recent protests have received? How would you rate your own performance… Comedy and Politics Humor and politics have always gone hand-in-hand. Even in ancient times, it was understood that jokes could convey underlying truth,… Reason & Rationality You should be rational! You should be reasonable. You should DEMOLISH your ideological opponents with FACTS and LOGIC! Or should… Antinatalism Antinatalism is the belief that it's wrong to have children. Some antinatalists believe that life carries the certainty of suffering… Right & Wrong If you've ever studied ethics then you probably learned about theories like utilitarianism, virtue ethics or deontology. How do you… What is Love? Love is blind but it conquers all. It's a many-splendored thing and if you believe in it, then let it… Porn Let's talk about the effects that porn has on users, and the ethics of producing and distributing porn where the… The Woke Is wokeness a new problem, or is this the same argument that humanity has always held between progressives who want… Food Ethics Are you vegetarian or vegan? Are you opposed to restricting animal products? Do you think about the environment or the… How It's Made - The Ethics of Producing What We Buy Since the industrial revolution, we've seen an increase in wealth, health and quality of life beyond anything that was imaginable… Ethical Thought Experiments Thought experiments are a way to test and query your intuitive thinking. They are the bread and butter of philosophy… New Year's Resolutions What is your New Year's resolution? How will you achieve it? Or are you one of those cynical kill-joys who… Reckoning With Colonialism Colonialism is the practice of taking political control over another country, occupying it with settlers and exploiting it economically. What… The Value of Human Life When we must choose between saving and ending different lives, how do weigh the value or merits of one person… Divided by Language: The Politics of Words How do words get twisted for political ends? What are the pitfalls of language? How can we become better political… Postmodern Life Let's talk about the world that we all live in. Do you find it difficult? How do you cope with…