Unthinkable

Unthinkable: We should think more about the consequences of actions and less about perceived character flaws in others

Unthinkable: Socrates said immorality is the result of ignorance - Trump is proof of that

Unthinkable: Various philosophers advocate ‘attaining a deep awareness of death’s possibility at any moment’

Unthinkable: There may be lessons from Northern Ireland in responding to the horrors of the Middle East

Unthinkable: Ireland has been transformed economically, but the sense that everything could go pear-shaped overnight remains

Unthinkable: Philosopher David Berman claims to have unearthed ‘evidence’ for believing in an afterlife

Unthinkable: Psychoanalysis suggests each one of us has a ‘death drive’, calling us to self-destruction

Unthinkable: As technology advances, the risk of drawing over-simplistic conclusions from statistics will grow

TikTok star Garron Noone has proved his own thesis correct – it’s impossible to say anything ‘useful’ on social media

Unthinkable: How fair are the State exams if some students can buy an advantage in the form of specialised tuition?

Unthinkable: Asking whether we have lost something from our lapsed Catholicism is not about rushing back to the past. It’s about facing the future with greater self-awareness

Unthinkable: Donald Trump is on a crusade to unwind the ‘woke’ agenda, but that does not mean the question of inclusivity is solved

Unthinkable: Three steps for decluttering your mind

You don’t need to be a feminist to take issue with the stranglehold of the wellness industry

Unthinkable: Ireland should talk more about Jesus – and I say that as an atheist

Unthinkable: Meta’s stance on fact-checking resembles a philosophical position known as ‘epistemological anarchy’

Unthinkable: Irish economic policy was once framed as ‘Boston or Berlin’ – our options today are much starker

Unthinkable: Preserving only that which is joyful is philosophically problematic

Children are led to believe ‘that their worth is tied to proving that they are exceptional’

Unthinkable: The ideas of Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein on language and reality surface in Intermezzo, and the relationship between the two philosophers mirrors that of Rooney’s two principal characters, brothers Peter and Ivan

Unthinkable: For the seasan that’s in it, we’ve gone for a philosophical Christmas carol

Unthinkable: English philosopher and author Simon Critchley suggests we can learn to enjoy ‘idiot glee’ from medieval Christianity

Unthinkable: Was the general election a victory for ‘grown ups’ or a defeat for idealism?

Unthinkable: Regulating generative AI is important in its own right, but it’s also a dummy run for the existential threat of artificial general intelligence. This will go beyond mimicking human intelligence to conquering it

Unthinkable: In the case of voting, the critical question is not the “mom litmus test” but the “child, or future citizen, litmus test”

Unthinkable: Looking for the meaning of life? You may be sitting on the answer

Unthinkable: Ahead of International Men’s Day, it’s clear many young men are not in a happy place

The best way to stay sane this week is, as Marcus Aurelius recommended, to extend more generosity to other people’s crazy

Five arguments can be put forward in defence of economic inequality

Unthinkable: Philosopher and author Sophie Grace Chappell believes ideology is the wrong starting point for public discussion

Unthinkable: Should pigs have a voice but not ants? Should XL Bully dogs have a voice on whether or not they should be banned?

Unthinkable: Politicians who tell lies have an advantage because of what psychologists call the ‘false consensus effect’

Praying can allow people to vocalise suppressed emotions or fears, and several studies indicate health benefits

Unthinkable: Always treat humanity not as a means but as an end, said the philosopher Immanuel Kant

Rite & Reason: Melody and lyrics come to the musician in mysterious ways. And sometimes the humble pie of criticism can fuel great artistic triumph

Unthinkable: The ‘evil twin’ of the placebo effect could shed light on why people say consuming the news makes them feel worse

Unthinkable: ‘Leisure’ has replaced ‘rest’ in our capitalist society. Even burnout is being monetised

Unthinkable: People are panicking, theorising and condemning on social media in every imaginable direction. But it’s all right not to have a view on everything all the time. In fact, it’s healthy

Unthinkable: Here’s a three-step programme to deal with cruel comments about your appearance

Kerry writer John Moriarty, who died in 2007, called for ‘the abandonment of the western way of life’