Topic Guide
Explore the fundamental questions of existence
The four pillars of existence and experience: Cosmos. Life. Consciousness. Meaning.
Pillars
Themes
Topics & Series
Cosmic Fundamentals
- What's Fundamental in the Cosmos? (Part 1)
- What's Fundamental in the Cosmos? (Part 2)
- What is the Theory of Everything?
- Are there Extra Dimensions?
- How is the Cosmos Constructed?
- How Do You Make a Cosmos?
- How do Particles Explain the Cosmos?
- Why do we Search for Symmetry?
- What can't be Predicted in Physics?
Deep Discovery in Science
- What are Breakthroughs in Science? (Part 1)
- What are Breakthroughs in Science? (Part 2)
- What are Breakthroughs in Science? (Part 3)
- How do Scientific Breakthroughs Happen? (Part 1)
- How Do Scientific Breakthroughs Happen? (Part 2)
- How Do Scientific Breakthroughs Happen? (Part 3)
- What are Breakthroughs in Physics? (Part 1)
- What are Breakthroughs in Physics? (Part 2)
- Women in Philosophy and Physics/Cosmology
Quantum Theory
- Why is the Quantum So Strange?
- Why is the Quantum so Mysterious?
- What Does Quantum Theory Mean?
- Many Worlds of Quantum Theory
- Why is Quantum Gravity Key?
- Why is Quantum Gravity So Significant?
- What are Observers?
- Physics of the Observer
- Physics of What Happens
- Events in Quantum Mechanics and Relativity
- What is Quantum Cosmology?
- Quantum Mechanics Experiments
Mathematics as Fundamental?
- Is Mathematics Invented or Discovered?
- Is Mathematics Eternal? (Part 1)
- Is Mathematics Eternal? (Part 2)
- What are Breakthroughs in Mathematics? (Part 2)
- What are Breakthroughs in Mathematics? (Part 1)
- How is Mathematics Truth and Beauty? (Part 1)
- How is Mathematics Truth and Beauty? (Part 2)
- How is Mathematics Truth and Beauty? (Part 3)
- Why the ‘Unreasonable Effectiveness’ of Mathematics? (Part 1)
- Why the ‘Unreasonable Effectiveness’ of Mathematics? (Part 2)
- What's the Deep Meaning of Probability? (Part 1)
- Why the ‘Unreasonable Effectiveness’ of Mathematics? (Part 3)
- What's the Deep Meaning of Probability? (Part 2)
- What's the Deep Meaning of Probability? (Part 3)
- Why Do Power Laws Work so Widely? (Part 1)
- Why Do Power Laws Work so Widely? (Part 2)
Fine-Tuning of the Universe?
- Physics of Fine-Tuning
- Fine-Tuning in Cosmology
- Philosophy of Fine-Tuning (Part 1)
- Philosophy of Fine-Tuning (Part 2)
- Fallacies of Fine-Tuning
- The Anthropic Principle: Meaning & Significance
- Why a Fine-Tuned Universe?
- What does a Fine-Tuned Universe Mean?
- Why Cosmic Fine-tuning Demands Explanation
- Why Fine-tuning Seems Designed
Breakthroughs in Science
- What are Breakthroughs in Science? (Part 1)
- What are Breakthroughs in Science? (Part 2)
- What are Breakthroughs in Science? (Part 3)
- How do Scientific Breakthroughs Happen? (Part 1)
- How Do Scientific Breakthroughs Happen? (Part 2)
- How Do Scientific Breakthroughs Happen? (Part 3)
- What are Breakthroughs in Physics? (Part 1)
- What are Breakthroughs in Physics? (Part 2)
Breakthroughs in Mathematics
- What are Breakthroughs in Mathematics? (Part 2)
- What are Breakthroughs in Mathematics? (Part 1)
- How is Mathematics Truth and Beauty? (Part 1)
- How is Mathematics Truth and Beauty? (Part 2)
- How is Mathematics Truth and Beauty? (Part 3)
- Why the ‘Unreasonable Effectiveness’ of Mathematics? (Part 1)
- Why the ‘Unreasonable Effectiveness’ of Mathematics? (Part 2)
- What's the Deep Meaning of Probability? (Part 1)
- Why the ‘Unreasonable Effectiveness’ of Mathematics? (Part 3)
- What's the Deep Meaning of Probability? (Part 2)
- Why Do Power Laws Work so Widely? (Part 1)
- Why Do Power Laws Work so Widely? (Part 2)
The Mystery of Existence
- Asking Ultimate Questions
- What are the Ultimate Questions of Nature?
- What are the Ultimate Questions of All Reality?
- Ultimate Questions: Do They Evolve?
- What is Ultimate Reality? (Part 1)
- What is Ultimate Reality? (Part 2)
- Why Philosophy of Science? (Part I)
- Why Philosophy of Science? (Part II)
- Philosophy of Physics and Cosmology
- Philosophy of Cosmology
The Mystery of Laws & Cosmos
- What is the Origin of the Laws of Nature?
- Where Do the Laws of Nature Come From?
- Which Laws of Nature are Fundamental?
- Are the Laws of Nature Always Constant?
- Why the Cosmos? (Part 1)
- Why the Cosmos? (Part 2)
- Does the Cosmos have a Reason?
- Does Cosmology Provide Meaning?
- What are the Implications of Cosmology?
- How Much More to Physical Reality?
- Does Physical Reality Go Beyond?
- What are Possible Worlds? (Part 1)
Metaphysics of Cosmos
- How does Metaphysics Reveal Reality?
- Can Metaphysics Discover Surprises?
- How does Philosophy Illuminate the Physical World? (Part 1)
- How does Philosophy Illuminate the Physical World? (Part 2)
- What is Causation?
- What Things are Real?
- What Things Really Exist?
- What Are the Things of Existence?
- All Reality Consists of What Things?
- What Exists? (Part 1)
- What Exists? (Part 2)
- What Exists? (Part 3)
Why Anything at All?
- The Mystery of Existence (Part 1)
- The Mystery of Existence (Part 2)
- Why is There 'Something' Rather Than 'Nothing'? (Part 1)
- Why There is 'Something' Rather than 'Nothing'? (Part 2)
- Why Not Nothing? (Part 1)
- Why Not Nothing? (Part 2)
- Why is There Anything at All? (Part 1)
- Why Is There Anything At All? (Part 2)
- Why Is There Anything At All? (Part 3)
- Why Is There Anything At All? (Part 4)
Why Philosophy of Biology?
- What is Philosophy of Biology?
- Why Philosophy of Biology? (Part I)
- Why Philosophy of Biology? (Part II)
- Why Philosophy of Biology? (Part III)
- Philosophy of Life, Biological Thinking, & Theories (Part I)
- Philosophy of Life, Biological Thinking, & Theories (Part II)
- Philosophy of Life, Biological Thinking, & Theories (Part III)
- Philosophy of Biological Information (Part II)
- Philosophy of Biological Information (Part I)
- Philosophy of Molecular Biology & Genes (Part I)
- Philosophy of Molecular Biology & Genes (Part II)
- Philosophy of Reductionism & Emergence (Part II)
- Philosophy of Reductionism & Emergence (Part I)
- Philosophy of Reductionism & Emergence (Part III)
- Philosophy of Ecology & the Environment
- What are Breakthroughs in Biology? (Part I)
- What are Breakthroughs in Biology? (Part II)
Philosophy of Evolutionary Biology
- Philosophy of Evolutionary Biology (Part I)
- Philosophy of Evolutionary Biology (Part II)
- Philosophy of Species & Individuals (Part I)
- Philosophy of Species & Individuals (Part II)
- Philosophy of Function, Fitness, Adaptation
- Philosophy of Units/Levels of Natural Selection (Part I)
- Philosophy of Units / Levels of Natural Selection (Part II)
- Philosophy of Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo)
- Philosophy of Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (Part I)
- Philosophy of Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (Part II)
- Can Mathematics Elucidate Evolution?
Human Nature & Uniqueness
- Philosophy of Human Nature & Uniqueness (Part I)
- Philosophy of Human Nature & Uniqueness (Part II)
- Philosophy of Communications & Language
- Philosophy of Evolutionary Cognition, Emotion, Consciousness (Part I)
- Philosophy of Evolutionary Cognition, Emotion, Consciousness (Part II)
- Philosophy of Biological Altruism & Morality (Part I)
- Philosophy of Biological Altruism & Morality (Part II)
Brain Structure and Function
- What are Brains?
- How are Brains Structured?
- What do Brains Do?
- How do Brains Function?
- How do Brains Act?
- How do Human Brains Work?
- How do Human Brains Function? (Part 1)
- How do Human Brains Function? (Part 2)
- How do Human Brains Think and Feel?
- When Brains Go Bad (Part 1)
- When Brains Go Bad (Part 2)
- Can the Mind Heal the Body?
- Transhuman Brains?
Brain Explains Mind?
- Can Brain Explain Mind?
- Does Brain Make Mind?
- Does Brain Make Mind? (Part 2)
- How Brain Makes Mind?
- How are Brains Conscious?
- What Makes Brains Conscious?
- Are Brain and Mind the Same Thing?
- What's the Stuff of Mind and Brain?
- How Brain Scientists Think About Consciousness
- Neuroaesthetics: How the Brain Explains Art
- Aesthetics: Physics and Neuroscience
Consciousness as All Physical?
- Is Consciousness Entirely Physical?
- Anything Non-physical about the Mind?
- Does Consciousness Defeat Materialism? (Part 1)
- Does Consciousness Defeat Materialism? (Part 2)
- Quantum Physics of Consciousness
- Can Consciousness be Non-Biological? (Part 1)
- Can Consciousness be Non-Biological? (Part 2)
- Physics of Consciousness
Mystery of Consciousness
- What Is Consciousness? (Part 1)
- What Is Consciousness? (Part 2)
- What is Consciousness? (Part 3)
- What is Consciousness? (Part 4)
- What is Consciousness? (Part 5)
- Is Consciousness an Illusion? (Part 1)
- Is Consciousness an Illusion? (Part 2)
- Why is Consciousness so Mysterious?
- Why is Consciousness So Baffling? (Part I)
- Why is Consciousness So Baffling? (Part II)
- Is Consciousness Fundamental?
- Is Consciousness Irreducible?
- Is Consciousness an Ultimate Fact?
- What's the Essence of Consciousness?
- What's the Meaning of Consciousness?
- Toward a Science of Consciousness
- Is Consciousness Unified?
- What is Panpsychism?
Purpose of Consciousness?
- Does Consciousness have Purpose?
- Does Human Consciousness have Special Purpose?
- Is the Universe Fine-Tuned for Consciousness?
- Must the Universe Contain Consciousness?
- Does Consciousness Lead to God?
- Theological Anthropology: What is Human Mind?
- Consciousness and Spirituality
- Why Explore Cosmos and Consciousness?
- Can We Explain Cosmos and Consciousness?
- Does Consciousness Cause the Cosmos?
- Is Consciousness Ultimate Reality?
Mind, Art, Transcendence
- Mind, Art, Transcendence (Part 1)
- Mind, Art, Transcendence (Part 2)
- What Makes Art Transcendent? (Part 1)
- What Makes Art Transcendent? (Part 2)
- What Makes Music Transcendent?
- What Makes Texts and Spaces Sacred?
- How Art Affects the Self (Part 1)
- How Art Affects the Self (Part 2)
- Toward a Cognitive Science of Transcendence (Part 1)
- Toward a Cognitive Science of Transcendence (Part 2)
- Can Art Harmonize Diverse Religions?
- Toward a Cognitive Science of Aesthetics (Part 1)
- Toward a Cognitive Science of Aesthetics (Part 2)
- How Art Probes Mind (Part 1)
- How Art Probes Mind (Part 2)
- Can Art Affect Morality? (Part 1)
- Can Art Affect Morality? (Part 2)
- Can Art Affect Belief Systems? (Part 1)
- Can Art Affect Belief Systems? (Part 2)
- Mind, Art, Transcendence: Reflections (Part 1)
- Mind, Art, Transcendence: Reflections (Part 2)
Philosophy and Analytic Theology
- Why Study Theology?
- Analytic Theology
- Systematic Theology
- Jesus as God
- What is the Christian Incarnation?
- Is God Incarnate in All That Is?
- Christology and Science?
- Why the Christian Incarnation?
- Why is Sin?
- How Does Salvation Work?
- How Does Atonement Work?
- New Perspectives on Paul
- Challenging Theological Doctrines
How Philosophy Informs Religion
- Does Philosophy Inform Religion?
- Does Philosophy Illuminate Religion?
- Can Philosophy of Religion Find God?
- Philosophy of the Bible
- Can the Bible Address Philosophical Questions?
- Is Theism Coherent?
- What are Possible Worlds? (Part 2)
- Is This the Best of All Possible Worlds?
- Can Metaphysics Discern God? (Part 1)
- Can Metaphysics Discern God? (Part 2)
- What is Perfect Being Theology? (Part I)
- What is Perfect Being Theology? (Part II)
- Did God Create Abstract Objects?
- What is Virtue in a Theistic World?
- Art and the Philosophy of Religion
- Women in Philosophy of Religion
Eastern Traditions and the Big Questions
- Existence and Attributes of Foundational Reality (Part I)
- Existence and Attributes of Foundational Reality (Part II)
- The Nature of the Human Person (Part I)
- The Nature of the Human Person (Part II)
- Morality, Prescriptive Behavior, Evil, Suffering (Part II)
- Morality, Prescriptive Behavior, Evil, Suffering (Part I)
- Metaphysics: Essence and Existence (Part I)
- Metaphysics: Essence and Existence (Part II)
- Eschatology: The Ultimate Future (Part I)
- Eschatology: The Ultimate Future (Part II)
Global Philosophy of Religion
- Inner Life, Contemplative Practices (Part I)
- Inner Life, Contemplative Practices (Part II)
- God / Deities as Ultimate (Part III)
- Consciousness as Ultimate (Part I)
- Consciousness as Ultimate (Part II)
- World, Value, Reality (Part I)
- World, Value, Reality (Part II)
- World, Value, Reality (Part III)
- Science & Religion (Part I)
- Science & Religion (Part II)
- God / Deities as Ultimate (Part I)
- Person, Self, Soul, Spirit (Part I)
- Person, Self, Soul, Spirit (Part II)
- Death, Life After Death, Reincarnation (Part I)
- Person, Self, Soul, Spirit (Part III)
- Evil & Suffering, Morality & Ethics (Part I)
- Evil & Suffering, Morality & Ethics (Part II)
- Death, Life After Death, Reincarnation (Part II)
- Fundamental Reality: Essence & Existence (Part I)
- Eschatology: The World to Come (Part II)
- Death, Life After Death, Reincarnation (Part III)
- Fundamental Reality: Essence & Existence (Part II)
- Fundamental Reality: Essence & Existence (Part III)
- Eschatology: The World to Come (Part I)
Philosophical Arguments For God
- Arguing God from Design?
- Arguing God from Teleology?
- Arguing God from Order and Purpose?
- Arguing God from First Cause?
- Arguing God from Causation?
- Arguing God from Being?
- Arguing God from Pure Existence?
- Arguing God from Natural Theology?
- Arguing God with Analytic Philosophy?
- Arguing God with Unusual Reasons?
- Diverse Arguments for God?
Arguments Against God
- Fallacies in Arguing for God?
- Fallacies in Proving God Exists?
- Arguments Against God?
- Arguments Contra God?
- Arguments for Atheism?
- Atheism's Best Arguments? (Part 1)
- Atheism's Best Arguments? (Part 2)
- Atheism's Arguments Against God
- Is Atheism a New Faith?
- Arguments for Agnosticism?
- Does Evil Disprove God? (Part II)
- Does Evil Disprove God?
- Does Evil Refute God's Existence?
- Does Evil Abolish God?
- Can God Face Up To Evil?
- Would Intelligent Aliens Undermine God?
- Would Sentient Aliens Demoralize Religion?