Philosophy

Environment

Reflections on the meaning of life from a dead salmon

I crouched by the banks of the Cedar River. The water was still and clear. The atmosphere was peaceful. And the air smelled like rotting flesh.

World

A woman takes a lead role in Confucian ceremonies, breaking a new path in South Korea

Women's equality has made slow progress in South Korea. Some South Koreans want to bring about change starting at the country's cultural roots by reinterpreting Confucius.

'Service is also action': An imam, a pastor, a rabbi and a philosopher on faith and radical change

Three faith leaders and a philosopher talk with KUOW's Ross Reynolds about service and responsibility as we face COVID-19, systemic racism, and economic catastrophe.

You’re compassionate, so why aren’t you helping homeless people? Shankar Vedantam explains

This is Shankar Vedantam’s interview with Kim Malcolm, which was so good we transcribed it (lightly edited for clarity).

History

We're All Gonna Live Forever! The Stories We Tell About Conquering Death

Last week, we spoke with psychologist Sheldon Solomon about the fear of death and how it shapes our actions. This week, we pivot from psychology and politics to religion and history as we explore how people have tried to resolve these fears. We talk with philosopher Stephen Cave about the ways we assure ourselves that death is not really the end.

Why this psychologist is bullish on human progress

As crazy as the world seems sometimes, author Steven Pinker argues our ancestors would most certainly envy us. From life expectancy and standards of...

What myths can tell us about a modern world awash in information

Human beings have depended on mythology since the beginning of our existence. Myths told us how the world began, how to understand its trials and...