The evolution of cynicism

Free like a street dog: cynicism evolved from ‘dog philosophers’ such as Diogenes who rejected materialism and mannersBy Aeon VideoWatch at Aeon

1d

Natural and unnatural

‘Natural’ remedies are metaphysically inconsistent and unscientific. Yet they offer something that modern medicine cannotBy Alan Jay LevinovitzRead at Aeon

1d

Unreal city

The immersive exhibition populating London with surreal digital sculptures by Olafur Eliasson, KAWS, Cao Fei and moreBy Aeon VideoWatch at Aeon

2d

The wisdom of surrender

Samuel Beckett turned an obscure 17th-century Christian heresy into an artistic vision and an unusual personal philosophyBy Andy WimbushRead at Aeon

2d

Turn off the gaslight

The skilled manipulator casts a shadow of doubt over everything that you feel or think. Therapy can bring the daylight inBy Ramani DurvasulaRead at Aeon

5d

Kidnapper ants

How do ants that can’t chew their own food survive? They kidnap other ant species and commit them to a life of servitudeBy Aeon VideoWatch at Aeon

6d

The harms of gentrification

The exclusion of poorer people from their own neighbourhoods is not just a social problem but a philosophical oneBy Daniel PutnamRead at Aeon

6d

A concerto is a conversation

An intimate discussion between the pianist Kris Bowers and his grandfather Horace about ambition, race, success – and musicBy Aeon VideoWatch at Aeon

2w

Sheanderthal

Not all Neanderthals were ‘cavemen’: half were women. What can archaeologists tell us about how they lived?By Rebecca Wragg SykesRead at Aeon

2w

The peace of wild things

‘I come into the peace of wild things’ – how the poet Wendell Berry finds respite in the awesome now of natureBy Aeon VideoWatch at Aeon

2w