Philosophy

Both western and eastern religions assert that the world is a just place, whether that is made possible by God, or through the subtle workings of the Law of Karma. In contrast, from an atheists perspective, the universe is at best an amoral place. Bad things happen to good people and vice versa; morality is only enforced, if at all, by humans, not God; morality a muddled mosaic of meaning undermined by mortality.

This philosophical question is a form of the Cosmological Argument or First Cause Argument. The question is whether it makes sense that the universe "came into existence from nothing". Modern physics suggests that the notion of time, and hence cause and effect, break down at the time of the big bang, rendering the intuitive demand for a "first cause" meaningless.

The laws of physics are foundational to all of science, describing with mathematics the basic ways in which the physical world behaves. Although physics doesn't provide the simplest explanation for everything - we need fields such as biology to explain emergent phenomena like life - it does require all explanations of the world to be compatible with physics. In contrast, some religious thinkers believe that this compatibility is impossible in explaining humanistic concepts such as free will.

Capitalism is an economic system where wealth is privatized, that is, controlled by individuals. It stands in contrast to socialism, where wealth is controlled by the government. Western economies are said to be capitalist systems, though in reality they are a blend of capitalist and socialist systems, where the left and right wing advocate socialist vs. capitalistic leaning economic policies respectively.

Censorship limits the freedom of speech and expression, typically by the government, for purported social good. In its most extreme form, it is illegal for people to question the leaders and ideology of the society they live in.

Modern civilization has only emerged over the last few thousand years. Our successes have been accompanied by risks. Our population growth has also damaged our environment, and our wondrous technology has also created terrible weapons. Cynics suggest that the very engine of our success will likely be humanity's doom.

Politicians are notorious for their spin, lies, and hypocrisy, frequently making their profession distasteful to the people they represent. However, while truthfulness is generally regarded as an admirable quality in our friends and family members, is it rational to want this quality in our leaders?

A democracy is a type of government where political power is shared by allowing each citizen to vote. Proponents have various arguments in support of democracy, perhaps the most common being that is affords its citizens the most freedom. Its critics tend to believe that the average citizen is unqualified to vote.

Cryonics is the preservation of an animal by cooling with the hope that future medical advances can revive that animal. Modern cryonics make use of cryopreservatives to minimize cellular damage caused by freezing, particularly to the brain. Advocates of the procedure typically believe that so long as the critical structure of the brain is preserved, a person could one day be brought back to life.

Information-theoretic death is defined as the moment when the neural structures in your brain are destroyed. At that point, it becomes theoretically impossible to bring a person back to life. Some philosophers and scientists regard this as a more real interpretation of death than legal death.

Consciousness, or our awareness of ourselves and the world around us, is central to our existence. Fascinatingly, it is also notoriously difficult to define. Is it unique to humans or other living creatures, or could robots one day have it to?

The philosophical zombie is a hypothetical person whose behavior is indistinguishable from an ordinary person, but who lacks conscious experience. The zombie might say "the strawberry is red" but they would not experience the qualia of red, that is, the sensation of red. Some philosophers allege that the theoretical possibility of such a zombie undermines physicalism.

Euthanasia is the act of mercifully ending someone's life, such as a terminally ill patient. It can be voluntary (where the patient gives consent) or involuntary (where the patient is unable to communicate). It can also be via action (e.g. a drug overdose) or inaction (cutting off life support). Euthanasia also encompasses assisted suicide, where a physician enables the patient to perform the act.