This column is not for cynics: In praise of political innocence
Unthinkable: Was the general election a victory for ‘grown ups’ or a defeat for idealism?
Unthinkable coumns by Joe Humphreys
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’
Unthinkable: Technology is throwing up new moral dilemmas - “screen studies” may help us to answer them
Edmund Burke is associated with conservatism but his political outlook is more radical than he is given credit for
There are 193 nation states in the world, with Palestine waiting to become the 194th
Unthinkable: Karl Marx and Herbert Marcuse could help treat your anxiety
Concerns are being raised about ‘conceptual inflation’ whereby ‘use of a term expands too much relative to its meaning’
Unthinkable: Procreating to ‘save the West’ is probably a bad idea, but what’s a good reason to have children?
Unthinkable: The only known photograph of such a sign is from an unknown source
Unthinkable: Individuals and society at large need a coherent storyline to give us hope for the future
‘Because structural injustices are beyond our control it is wrong to blame ordinary people for them,’ argues political philosopher Maeve McKeown
Unthinkable: It’s worth learning to spot linguistic devices to avoid plain speech, which can have real impacts on Irish society
Unthinkable: Killing of the Russian opposition leader shames all of us who merely ‘fornicate and read the papers’
Unthinkable: Powerful organisations may be trying to ‘suppress emotions that threaten capitalism’
Unthinkable: Changing morals may explain differences between age groups on the Israel-Palestine conflict
We can’t be sure technology is making people less empathetic, but the signs are not good
Unthinkable: Philosopher Iris Murdoch provides us with a model of love that is both highly demanding and devilishly complex
Unthinkable: No idea? Don't worry. There's a toolkit for that
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Full general election coverage including analysis and results for all 43 constituencies
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices