Philosophy

Philosophy articles provide deep reflection and analysis on public life, values, ethics, morals, human nature, and the philosophical foundations of liberty, freedom, and society — challenging technocratic trends, institutional failures, and threats to authentic humanity.

We examine critical themes such as AI and totalitarianism, Neuralink-style control, post-pandemic moral recovery, church closures, enlightenment critiques, sovereignty vs. state power, arrogance in governance, and pathways to reclaim personal dignity, truth, and human-centered philosophy.

All philosophy articles from Brownstone Institute are translated into multiple languages to support global readers, foster international dialogue on ethics and liberty, and promote thoughtful reform worldwide.

death in a nutshell

The Boy Who Trapped Death in a Nut

By / / / 9 minute read / Articles
SHARE | PRINT | EMAIL

Life is a messy, risky, and at times lethal adventure, and while it’s perfectly acceptable and in fact compassionate to try to lower this risk to some extent, a complete elimination of all risk would create a dull, lifeless world devoid of conviviality and meaning. The people of Jack’s town are willing to accept some level of pain, sadness and suffering in order to reap the concomitant rewards that come with living life to the fullest.

The Boy Who Trapped Death in a Nut Continue Reading

Fear of Covid is the opiate of the people. 

Fear of Covid Is the Opiate of the People

By / / , / 8 minute read / Articles
SHARE | PRINT | EMAIL

Like any old school respiratory virus, this one made us feel lousy, albeit with a different constellation of symptoms. We handled it the same way as other viral illnesses: we drank extra water, took some home remedies, and tried to get some extra sleep. A few years ago, no one made a big deal about, or needed to categorize, being sick like this. People rode it out. No one cared what you had. Or didn’t have.

Fear of Covid Is the Opiate of the People Continue Reading

freedom slipped

Forty Years of Freedom Slipped Away So Quickly 

By / / , , / 10 minute read / Articles
SHARE | PRINT | EMAIL

We dare not relent lest the despotism we experienced only very recently be repeated and entrenched. We know now that it can happen, and that there is nothing inevitable about genuine progress. Our job now is to regroup and recommit to living free lives, never again believing that there are magical forces at work in the world that make our role as thinkers and doers unnecessary. 

Forty Years of Freedom Slipped Away So Quickly  Continue Reading

expert

Time to Trust Your Inner Expert 

By / / / 9 minute read / Articles
SHARE | PRINT | EMAIL

The problem in our current world is that “experts” demand our behaviors conform to their self-proclaimed expert prognostications, for which they are never held responsible in any way. No costs to those predicting the future are associated with prognostication errors. All costs of future-telling errors are borne by not-prognosticators. Those costs are borne by the people, by society, by the economy, all too often by children, etc. The rest of us bear the costs.

Time to Trust Your Inner Expert  Continue Reading

plan a or plan b

Plan A or Plan B?

By / / , / 5 minute read / Articles
SHARE | PRINT | EMAIL

My Plan A, in the event of unsavoury political developments unfolding, such as it was, involved writing letters of protest to politicians and others. It wasn’t really a plan, more of a reaction, and an orthodox one at that. In any event, it was a pathetic failure. It didn’t even give me the illusory comfort of a response, let alone a tangible improvement.

Plan A or Plan B? Continue Reading

De Las Casas

De Las Casas and the 500-Year Struggle for Liberty 

By / / , / 9 minute read / Articles
SHARE | PRINT | EMAIL

In the end, the truths that De Las Casas preached did prevail but the human project is always at risk of going backwards in time. We know this now better than many previous generations, simply because we’ve been witness to such horrible abuses over these last three years. Human sacrifice is clearly not vanquished from the earth; it only takes a different form today that it did 500 years ago. 

De Las Casas and the 500-Year Struggle for Liberty  Continue Reading

recovery

How Long Is the Road to Recovery?

By / / , / 3 minute read / Articles
SHARE | PRINT | EMAIL

We may eventually get out of the Covid panic. But as long as the soil is fertile; as long as we do not question, do not doubt, but blindly believe and obey, the sword of mass panic, and all the damage done by it, still hangs over our heads. We have to rid ourselves of this threat. What is at stake is freedom and democracy.

How Long Is the Road to Recovery? Continue Reading

progress

Are We at the End of Progress?

By / / , / 21 minute read / Articles
SHARE | PRINT | EMAIL

All those dreaming of control like to believe that they should rule the world in order to save it from some great danger. At the end of the day, this is simply a selfish fascist fantasy. The West is now encumbered by huge layers of parasites whose living is made out of exaggerating fears and stealing from people under the guise of saving them. The EU Commission is a particularly glaring example of such a group, but they are everywhere today: people just trying to make a buck, but costing their society dearly.

Are We at the End of Progress? Continue Reading

talking about vaccine

Why I’m No Longer Talking to People About the Vaccine

By / / , / 4 minute read / Articles
SHARE | PRINT | EMAIL

As citizens, concerned citizens, we engage in debate not to hear ourselves talk, but to convince others of the truth of what we claim. What is supposed to happen, in a debate, ideally speaking, is that the person who makes the best and most convincing argument carries the day. What that means in everyday language is that if I best you in a debate, you change your mind. The same goes for me. Evidence changes people’s minds. 

Why I’m No Longer Talking to People About the Vaccine Continue Reading

Join the Brownstone Community
Get our FREE Journal Newsletter