We in the West largely take Enlightened attitudes, in Kant's sense of ‘Enlightened’, particularly concerning religion, for granted. But within Arabic culture such attitudes are far from common, as Mona Abousenna points out.

Professor Mourad Wahba outlines how the philosophy of Averroes, who was an important influence on the Western Enlightenment, might now offer us a much needed ‘bridge’ with the Islamic world.

To what extent are philosophical questions and problems like other kinds of questions and problems, such as the those tackled by the physical sciences? Peter Hacker suggests that the problems of philosophy are conceptual, not factual, and that their solution or resolution is more a contribution to a particular form of understanding than to our knowledge of the world.

What is needed for a thriving democracy? And is it really what we want?

John Haigh provides us with some mind-expanding puzzles concerning probabilities.

The on-going debate over religious eduction in schools takes a new turn, with Brenda Watson arguing that atheism is just as much a ‘faith position’ as theism.

It is claimed that the universe appears to be fine-tuned so as to admit the development of life. In this article Rodney Holder examines the evidence for fine-tuning and the chief rival explanation to design, namely the existence of a ‘multiverse’.

Tibor Machan introduces an ancient and infernal puzzle.

Might viewing a violent horror film damage your moral compass? Daniel Sokol suggests that watching gratuitously violent imagery may be ‘bad for the soul’.

Mary Midgley asks, ‘What do we mean when we say that things are real or illusory?’

Peter Cave juggles sex and God, Wittgenstein and language, and Kant and his lemons, pointing to some irredeemably paradoxical and perilous aspects of erotic love.

Richard Jennings unpacks some of the complex ethical issues surrounding scientific research.

Ian Cutler introduces the history and philosophy of cynicism.

[T]rue cynics are often the kindest people, for they see the hollowness of life, and from the realization of that hollowness is generated a kind of cosmic pity. Raymond Federman

An exploration of the relationship between thought and language.

Some classic criticisms of utilitarianism explored.

Thinking Tools is a regular feature that introduces tips and pointers on thinking clearly and rigorously.