Core Beliefs

Philosophy of Life

Existentialism

Life has no inherent meaning; individuals must create purpose through their own choices and actions.

Absurdism

The conflict between the human desire for meaning and the universe's indifference is resolved by embracing the absurd.

Nihilism

Life lacks intrinsic meaning, value, or purpose, and traditional structures are baseless.

Stoicism

Happiness comes from mastering emotions, accepting what cannot be controlled, and focusing on what can.

Hedonism

The pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain are the primary goals of life.

Eudaimonism

True happiness is achieved through cultivating virtues and living according to reason.

Epicureanism

Pleasure is the goal of life, achieved through moderation, knowledge, and avoiding pain.

Utilitarianism

Actions are morally right if they maximize happiness or pleasure for the greatest number of people.

Humanism

Ethical and fulfilling lives can be led through reason, compassion, and dignity without relying on religion.

Transcendentalism

True meaning is found in spiritual experiences and nature, beyond the material world.

Optimism

The world is generally positive, and one should maintain hope and confidence in the future.

Pessimism

Life is fundamentally flawed and filled with suffering and disappointment.

Pragmatism

The value of ideas and actions lies in their practical benefits and consequences.

Altruism

The highest fulfillment comes from selflessly serving others.

Libertarianism (Ethical)

Life's purpose is achieved through individual freedom and autonomy, with minimal external interference.

Absurd Heroism

Although life is meaningless and absurd, one can find purpose through a defiant embrace of life and persistence in the face of futility.

Buddhism (Philosophy)

Life is a cycle of suffering caused by desire, and the path to enlightenment is through detachment, mindfulness, and ethical living.

Taoism

Life is best lived in harmony with the Tao (the way of nature), embracing simplicity, spontaneity, and non-resistance to the natural flow of events.

Confucianism

The best life is achieved through moral development, social harmony, respect for tradition, and fulfilling one’s role in society.

Skepticism

Life’s meaning cannot be definitively known, and one should approach claims of truth or purpose with doubt and critical thinking.

Objectivism

Life’s purpose is to pursue one’s own happiness through rational self-interest, with moral principles based on objective reality and reason.

Relativism

Meaning and morality are not absolute, but are shaped by cultural, societal, or individual perspectives.

Perennialism

All spiritual and philosophical traditions share a common truth, and seeking this wisdom is life's purpose.

Naturalism

Life is explained by natural processes, without supernatural influence, and meaning is found through the understanding of nature and the universe.

Existential Humanism

Humans are free and responsible for creating their own meaning, and ethical living is guided by reason, compassion, and the rejection of unjust authorities.

Philosophy of Mind

Dualism

The mind and body are different in nature, and mental phenomena are non-physical.

Property Dualism

Mental properties are non-physical but emerge from physical substances, and consciousness cannot be reduced to brain processes.

Substance Dualism

Mind and body are different in nature and composed of different substances.

Monism

Reality is fundamentally composed of a single substance or principle, with both mind and body being aspects of the same underlying reality.

Idealism

Reality is fundamentally mental; physical objects exist only as perceptions, and the mind creates or shapes the physical world.

Reductive Physicalism

Mental states can be fully explained by physical processes, and the mind is identical to the brain.

Non-Reductive Physicalism

Mental states depend on but are not reducible to physical states, and consciousness arises from but is not identical to brain states.

Eliminative Materialism

Common-sense mental states like beliefs and desires do not exist.

Emergentism

Consciousness arises from complex physical systems but is not reducible to them, and mental properties emerge when physical systems reach a certain level of complexity.

Biological Naturalism

Similar to Emergentism in that consciousness arises from complex processes, but it specifically asserts that consciousness can only emerge from biological processes in the brain, ruling out the possibility of artificial consciousness.

Panpsychism

Consciousness is a fundamental aspect of all matter, and even the simplest particles possess some form of consciousness.

Epiphenomenalism

Mental events are caused by physical events but have no causal effects on the physical world, and consciousness is a byproduct of brain activity with no influence on physical behavior.

Psychophysical Parallelism

Mental and physical events run in parallel but do not causally interact, with mental processes mirroring physical ones without directly influencing them.

Quantum Mind

Consciousness arises from quantum processes within the brain, and understanding quantum mechanics is key to explaining the mind.

Occasionalism

God is the only true cause, and all interactions between mind and body are illusions, with God directly intervening to coordinate mental and physical events.

Integrated Information Theory

Consciousness is based on the amount of integrated information in a system, with higher levels of integration corresponding to higher levels of consciousness.

Global Workspace Theory

Consciousness arises from information being globally broadcasted to different parts of the brain, allowing it to be shared and integrated across various systems.

Functionalism

Mental states are defined by their functional roles, not by their physical makeup, and a mental state is characterized by what it does rather than what it is made of.

Methodological Behaviorism

Psychology should only study observable behavior, not internal mental states.

Radical Behaviorism

Mental states do not exist independently of behavior, and all behavior is the result of environmental conditioning.

Philosophy of Will

Libertarian Free Will

Humans have genuine free will, meaning individuals are free to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or divine intervention.

Compatibilism

Free will is compatible with determinism, meaning that individuals can make free choices even if these choices are determined by prior causes.

Determinism

All events, including human actions, are determined by external causes.

Hard Determinism

Free will does not exist, and human actions are fully determined by external factors such as genetics, environment, and physical laws.

Soft Determinism

Human behavior is determined by prior causes, but free will can still exist in a limited sense, allowing for moral responsibility.

Indeterminism

Not all events are determined by preceding causes, and random or probabilistic factors play a role in the unfolding of events, allowing for free will.

Voluntarism

The will is the most fundamental aspect of human experience, taking precedence over intellect and emotions in determining actions.

Schopenhauer's Will

The will is a blind, irrational force that drives all human actions and underlies all of reality; human freedom is limited by this will.

Nietzsche's Will to Power

The driving force behind human behavior is the will to power, a fundamental instinct to assert and enhance one's strength and influence over oneself and the world.

Kantian Free Will

Free will is possible because humans are rational agents capable of acting according to moral laws they give to themselves, independent of external determinants.

Existentialist Free Will

Human beings have radical freedom and are responsible for creating their own essence through their choices, despite external conditions.

Moral Responsibility and Free Will

Free will is necessary for moral responsibility, meaning individuals are accountable for their actions because they freely choose them.

Divine Will

Human will is subject to the will of a divine being, and freedom consists in aligning human desires and actions with divine will.

Psychological Determinism

Human actions are determined by internal psychological factors, such as unconscious desires and drives, leaving little room for free will.

Fatalism

All events, including human choices, are predetermined and inevitable, meaning free will is illusory, and humans cannot change their fate.

Pessimistic Voluntarism

The human will is ultimately a source of suffering, as desires can never be fully satisfied, leading to frustration and existential despair.

Will to Meaning (Logotherapy)

Humans are driven by the will to find meaning in life, and this pursuit of meaning, rather than power or pleasure, is the primary motivating force.

Free Will Skepticism

Free will is an illusion, and humans do not have true freedom over their actions or decisions, which are shaped by biological, social, and psychological influences.

Hegelian Will

The individual will is part of a larger rational process in which freedom is realized through the development of ethical life and the state.

Pragmatic Will

The will is best understood as a tool for solving practical problems, with free will being meaningful only insofar as it allows for effective action.

Will to Pleasure

Humans are motivated primarily by the desire to experience pleasure and avoid pain, with free will serving to fulfill these desires.

Biological Determinism

Human will and behavior are determined by biological factors such as genetics and evolutionary pressures, leaving little to no room for free will.

Rationality

Effective Altruism

Philanthropic efforts should be guided by reason and evidence to maximize the positive impact of charitable actions.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Decisions in business, politics, and personal life should be based on empirical data and statistical analysis rather than intuition or tradition.

Rationalist Movement

Beliefs and actions should be determined through a rigorous application of logic and evidence, with an emphasis on reducing cognitive biases and irrational thinking.

Bayesian Epistemology

Belief updates should follow Bayesian reasoning, where probabilities are assigned to hypotheses and updated as new evidence becomes available.

AI Alignment

Efforts to ensure that artificial intelligence systems are designed and programmed to act in accordance with human values and long-term interests, based on rational and ethical considerations.

Longtermism

Decisions should be made with the long-term future of humanity in mind, considering the potential impact on future generations over short-term gains.

Moral Realism

Objective moral facts exist independently of human beliefs, and rational inquiry can discover these facts.

Quantified Self

Personal decisions about health, fitness, and well-being should be based on data gathered from self-tracking devices and software, leading to more rational and optimized life choices.

Predictive Processing

The brain is fundamentally a prediction machine, constantly generating models of the world and updating them based on sensory input, offering a rational framework for understanding perception and cognition.

Moral Uncertainty

Ethical decision-making should account for uncertainty in moral theories, and rational approaches should be used to weigh different ethical frameworks against each other.

Epistemic Vigilance

Individuals should maintain high standards for evaluating the credibility of information sources, applying skepticism and reason to avoid being misled by misinformation or faulty logic.

Digital Minimalism

Technology use should be minimized and streamlined to maximize well-being and focus, based on a rational assessment of its benefits and harms.

Simulation Hypothesis

It is rational to consider the possibility that our reality could be a sophisticated simulation created by advanced technology.

Effective Governance

Political decisions should be made based on empirical evidence, cost-benefit analyses, and rational deliberation to optimize societal outcomes.

Post-Rationalism

While reason and logic are important, human cognition also involves emotion, culture, and intuition, which should be integrated with rationalist principles for a more holistic understanding.

Eating habits

Veganism

Animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs, should not be consumed due to ethical, environmental, or health concerns.

Vegetarianism

Meat, fish, and poultry should be excluded from the diet, while dairy products and eggs are acceptable, for ethical, health, or environmental reasons.

Paleo Diet

The diet should consist primarily of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits, while processed foods and grains should be excluded, following the presumed diet of early humans.

Keto Diet

A high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet is the best way to shift the body towards burning fat for energy, leading to weight loss and improved metabolic health.

Intermittent Fasting

Eating should be restricted to specific time windows or fasting periods to promote weight loss, metabolic health, and longevity.

Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet

Unprocessed or minimally processed plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, should be the foundation of the diet, while animal products and processed foods should be avoided.

Omnivorism

A balanced diet that includes both plant and animal products is the most natural and healthy way to obtain a wide range of nutrients.

Locavorism

Food should be sourced locally to reduce the environmental impact of transportation and to support local farmers and economies.

Flexitarianism

A primarily plant-based diet, with occasional consumption of meat and animal products, is the best balance for health, environmental sustainability, and ethics.

Raw Food Diet

Uncooked, unprocessed foods, especially organic ones, are healthier because they retain more nutrients than cooked foods.

Fruitarianism

The diet should consist mainly of fruits, nuts, and seeds, excluding most other foods, as part of a spiritual, ethical, or health-driven lifestyle.

Carnivorism

Only animal products should be consumed, excluding all plant-based foods, as this diet is believed to be healthier and more natural.

Mindful Eating

Eating should be done with full awareness of the taste, texture, and sensations of food, with the goal of eating in response to hunger and not external cues.

Slow Food Movement

Food should be regionally-sourced, traditional, and sustainably produced, and meals should be enjoyed slowly, opposing the fast food culture.

Zero Waste Diet

The diet should minimize food waste by using all parts of ingredients, reducing packaging, and prioritizing sustainable and environmentally friendly sourcing.

Clean Eating

Only whole, unprocessed foods should be consumed, avoiding artificial ingredients, added sugars, and heavily processed products.

Ayurvedic Diet

Food choices should be tailored to an individual's body type (dosha) according to ancient Indian Ayurvedic principles to maintain health and balance.

Mediterranean Diet

The diet should be based on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, olive oil, and moderate amounts of fish and wine, following the traditional eating habits of Mediterranean cultures.

Gluten-Free Diet

Gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, and rye should be excluded from the diet, particularly for those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

High-Protein Diet

A diet high in protein, including lean meats, eggs, and legumes, is essential for supporting muscle growth, weight loss, or athletic performance.