What Is Utilitarianism? Pleasure, Pain, and the Greatest Good
A thorough guide to utilitarianism: Bentham's hedonic calculus, Mill's higher pleasures, act vs rule utilitarianism, Singer's preference...
April 2026
March 2025
What Is Conservatism?
Conservatism is a political tradition rooted in skepticism of radical change, reverence for inherited institutions, and the belief that accumulated...
February 2025
What Is Anarchism?
Anarchism is the political philosophy that hierarchical authority — the state, capitalism, organized religion — is coercive and unnecessary, and...
March 2024
What Is Power: The Sociology and Philosophy of Who Gets Their Way
Power in sociology and philosophy: Weber's authority types, Lukes' three faces, Foucault's relational power, soft power, and the neurological power...
What Is Justice: The Philosophy, Psychology, and Science of Fairness
What is justice? From Rawls' veil of ignorance to Nozick, Sen, and the psychology of fairness — a comprehensive guide to how philosophy and science...
December 2023
What Is Political Philosophy? Power, Justice, and the
Political philosophy asks what justifies state power, what justice requires, and how free societies should be organized. From Plato and Hobbes to Rawls, Nozick, and Habermas, here is a complete guide to the field.
August 2023
What Are Human Rights? Origins, Categories, and Why They Matter
Human rights are entitlements all people possess simply by being human - rights no government can legitimately deny.
April 2023
What Is Utilitarianism? Pleasure, Pain, and the Greatest
A thorough guide to utilitarianism: Bentham's hedonic calculus, Mill's higher pleasures, act vs rule utilitarianism, Singer's preference utilitarianism, effective altruism, and objections from Rawls, Williams, and Nozick.
December 2022
What Is Political Philosophy? Power, Justice, and the Legitimate State
Political philosophy asks what justifies state power, what justice requires, and how free societies should be organized.
May 2022
What Is Just War Theory?
A thorough guide to just war theory: from Cicero and Augustine through Aquinas and Grotius to Walzer's Just and Unjust Wars, humanitarian...