Ataraxia

Ghosting

What Homer Can Teach Us About Ghosting

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on August 6, 2026

Why does being ghosted hurt so much? Homer and the Mahabharata point to a timeless answer, hidden in the faithfulness of two dogs.

Why does being ghosted hurt so much? Homer and the Mahabharata point to a timeless answer, hidden in the faithfulness of two dogs.

Identity

What's the Odyssey Really About?

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on July 31, 2026

The Odyssey is far more than the story of a man trying to get home.

The Odyssey is far more than the story of a man trying to get home.

Persuasion

Why Intelligent People Fall for Bad Arguments

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on July 20, 2026

Why do we fall for bad arguments? Ancient Greek philosophy reveals why persuasion often triumphs over truth.

Why do we fall for bad arguments? Ancient Greek philosophy reveals why persuasion often triumphs over truth.

Memory

Why We Weep for Odysseus' Dog

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on July 14, 2026

The Odyssey's most moving scene reveals why recognition, memory, and home lie at the heart of the human experience.

The Odyssey's most moving scene reveals why recognition, memory, and home lie at the heart of the human experience.

Memory

Why Odysseus Still Speaks to Us

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on July 10, 2026

Why the Odyssey remains one of humanity's greatest stories: a timeless meditation on identity, belonging, and the journey home.

Why the Odyssey remains one of humanity's greatest stories: a timeless meditation on identity, belonging, and the journey home.

Relationships

Why Modern Connection Feels Strangely Empty

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on July 6, 2026

We’ve never been more connected, yet many interactions feel strangely empty—abundant contact, but no real encounter between minds.

We’ve never been more connected, yet many interactions feel strangely empty—abundant contact, but no real encounter between minds.

Relationships

Romantic Love Has Become Our New Religion

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on June 28, 2026

Modern romance has taken over the traditional role of religion. Here's what this remarkable shift reveals about the true meaning of love.

Modern romance has taken over the traditional role of religion. Here's what this remarkable shift reveals about the true meaning of love.

Relationships

Crossing Boundaries: A Cultural History of the Kiss

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on June 25, 2026

Kissing is neither universal nor timeless. Its history offers surprising insights into intimacy, culture, and human connection.

Kissing is neither universal nor timeless. Its history offers surprising insights into intimacy, culture, and human connection.

Artificial Intelligence

The Long Decentering: From Copernicus to AI

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on June 19, 2026

How humanity learned it was not the center of everything.

How humanity learned it was not the center of everything.

Philosophy

Kant’s Revolution in Human Thought

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on June 16, 2026

Since Copernicus, nothing has done more to upend our understanding of the world than Kant’s idea that the human mind actively structures our experience of reality.

Since Copernicus, nothing has done more to upend our understanding of the world than Kant’s idea that the human mind actively structures our experience of reality.

Ethics and Morality

The One Problem With Kantian Ethics

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on June 13, 2026

Kant’s Categorical Imperative may be a good rule of thumb, but some reinterpretation may be in order.

Kant’s Categorical Imperative may be a good rule of thumb, but some reinterpretation may be in order.

Philosophy

What Did All Enlightenment Thinkers Have In Common?

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on June 11, 2026

Commitment to reason shaped the era’s legacy and modern democracy.

Commitment to reason shaped the era’s legacy and modern democracy.

Friends

How Friendship Transformed Kant’s Life

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on June 8, 2026

Kant’s Philosophy of Friendship, and How it Differed from Aristotle’s.

Kant’s Philosophy of Friendship, and How it Differed from Aristotle’s.

Philosophy

Are Space and Time All In the Mind?

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on June 5, 2026

Immanuel Kant on the perception of space and time.

Immanuel Kant on the perception of space and time.

Philosophy

When Is It Moral To Have Sex?

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on June 1, 2026

An introduction to Kant's Categorical Imperative.

An introduction to Kant's Categorical Imperative.

Unconscious

Three or One or None? A Short History of the "Soul"

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on May 30, 2026

How humans understood their own consciousness and their relationship with the rest of the natural world.

How humans understood their own consciousness and their relationship with the rest of the natural world.

Philosophy

Why Does the World Exist?

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on May 27, 2026

Both ancient philosophy and modern physics help us solve the mystery of existence.

Both ancient philosophy and modern physics help us solve the mystery of existence.

Philosophy

Why the World Must Contain Evil

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on May 25, 2026

The Theodicy. Gottfried Leibniz’s answer to the problem of evil.

The Theodicy. Gottfried Leibniz’s answer to the problem of evil.

Philosophy

Nietzsche, the Madman, and Modernity’s Void

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on May 23, 2026

Humanity has not yet dealt with the implications of the Scientific Revolution.

Humanity has not yet dealt with the implications of the Scientific Revolution.

Philosophy

Nietzsche’s Ethics: Master vs Slave Morality

Neel Burton M.A., M.D. on May 20, 2026

Understanding Nietzsche's master vs slave morality.

Understanding Nietzsche's master vs slave morality.