Existential Comics

13 Jan 2025 18:30

"But wait, you haven't listened to my argument yet about how the pit of despair decreases overall happiness!"

Existential Comics

06 Jan 2025 18:30

Cartesian incel: If your eyes have been deceived once (by a woman wearing makeup), then how can you ever trust your senses again?

Existential Comics

30 Dec 2024 18:30

Freud is funny because he only stole the bad ideas from Nietzsche.

Existential Comics

23 Dec 2024 23:30

Pretty self explanatory comic. "If I speak I am in big trouble", as they say.

Existential Comics

23 Dec 2024 23:30

Health Insurance Trolley - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

16 Dec 2024 19:30

The Philosophy Store - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

09 Dec 2024 18:30

Yes, some bankers are quite clever in their own way, but being willing to collapse the economy so you can buy a summer house is in fact very stupid.

Existential Comics

02 Dec 2024 18:30

Philosophers like Locke and Spinoza in the 17th century argued a lot about whether knowledge comes from rationalism (i.e. thinking about stuff) or empiricism (i.e. looking at stuff). Many took hard line stances that all knowledge comes essentially from only one of the two. It wasn't until philosophers like William James in the 19th century came along that people started to think of knowledge differently, in a more social way. James more or less held that knowledge is merely what works in the world, and progress comes from agreement among a community of thinkers as to what works.
This kind of thinking, along with the more scientific thinking which puts theories to direct testing, is somewhat similar to how sports like MMA changed martial arts by simply testing what actually worked in the real world (which happens to be conking people's heads together like coconuts).

Existential Comics

02 Dec 2024 18:30

Empiricism vs Rationalism: the Final Fight - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

25 Nov 2024 19:30

The Philosophy of Fire - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

18 Nov 2024 19:30

Philosophy in 5000 B.C. - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

11 Nov 2024 18:30

Bertrand Russell Files for Divorce - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

04 Nov 2024 19:30

Sometimes people talk about testing voters on their knowledge before allowing them to vote, but I think forcing them to read Rousseau last minute at gunpoint is just more in line with American Values.

Existential Comics

01 Nov 2024 23:30

"Oh and one more thing, if you do happen to write anything down, make sure to get my opinions on how loverboys are still hot even if they grow a beard, people in the future need to know."

Existential Comics

23 Sep 2024 18:30

The "Galileo Affair" was obviously a pretty funny situation in general. The Catholics were losing so much territory in Europe at that time to Protestantism (relax, it is only England) that they were extremely paranoid about even seemingly insignificant "heresies". Although it is a myth that Galileo was tortured for his views, or even excommunicated, he was condemned and imprisoned for teaching heliocentrism (although it was more like house arrest).
It's quite unclear why exactly it is heretical, of course, to say that the Earth orbits the Sun. The bible sort of suggests that the Sun goes around the Earth, but it isn't some kind of central point about the Earth being the center of the universe because God created Man as the center of all things, like some people seem to think. It's more like, the Bible mentions one time how the Sun stopped in the sky, and that sort of sounds like it means the Sun is moving around the Earth. Not only that, but the Bible probably only takes that view because the people who translated the Bible had that view from Ptolemy, so it isn't so much the Bible being overturned, but Ptolemy. When Copernicus himself presented his ideas to the Pope, a hundred or so years earlier, he was awarded with a gift! But like I said, the Church was very insecure at this time, so I guess they couldn't mess around.
This lead to some pretty funny situations, like some Catholic philosophers refusing to even look through Galileo's telescope, presumably because they were afraid they might themselves get convinced by the evidence, and then be holding heretical opinions. Not much of a philosopher, apparently.
The Pope had actually given Galileo direct permission to argue for heliocentrism, as long as he didn't take a position. Galileo, unfortunately, made the argument far too well, and it was obvious that he believed in heliocentrism. Like the comic suggests, it seems to me that anyone making this argument must have been convinced by Galileo, and therefore heretical themselves. Unfortunately Galileo didn’t take up this argument, and merely denied taking a side on the debate, and also that it wasn't heretical because the bible itself doesn't take sides on physics (two contradicting arguments at once Galileo, not great rhetoric!)
Probably my favorite fact though is that one of his punishments was having to recite seven psalms of penitence once per week, but his daughter Maria Celeste petitioned the Pope to have it count if she did the prayers for him. Presumably this freed up more of his time to...I don’t know, think up more heretical opinions, presumably?

Existential Comics

13 Jan 2025 18:30

Time Traveling Intellectuals - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

06 Jan 2025 18:30

Cartesian Pickup Advice - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

30 Dec 2024 18:30

Nietzsche Encounters the Abyss - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

23 Dec 2024 23:30

I heard all the big insurance companies were so afraid of copycats that they hardly denied any claims for the first few weeks, which makes this a legitmate trolley problem as more lives have probably already been saved than one.

Existential Comics

16 Dec 2024 19:30

"Can I speak with the manager?"
"Yes, this is Bertrand Russell."
"As a member of the set of all sets that do not contain themselves, and I demand..."

Existential Comics

09 Dec 2024 18:30

Juan Amiguet is a $100 patron on Patreon, if you want to give me a $100 a month you too can have cartoon Slavoj Zizek calling you and idiot. Buy now while the offer lasts!

Existential Comics

09 Dec 2024 18:30

Zizek Gets a Business Loan - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

02 Dec 2024 18:30

Pragmatists are well known for their ability to bully nerds, that's just a matter of historical record.

Existential Comics

25 Nov 2024 19:30

But at least he wasn't wrong. It's better to be on fire than to be wrong, when you think about it.

Existential Comics

18 Nov 2024 19:30

It could be worse though, imagine you were in a group of Theater Dorks and they were always trying to put on little skits and do improv to pass the time.

Existential Comics

11 Nov 2024 18:30

It's a mistake to ground your marriage in pure logic, you have to ground it in empiricism (looking hot).

Existential Comics

04 Nov 2024 19:30

For Rousseau, freedom wasn't just the ability to "do what you want" in a naive sense. Freedom meant obeying one's rationality, which ultimately involved adhering to the rules of a legitimate state, one in which the laws are created by the people themselves, i.e., a democracy. (Although most, if not all, democracies under capitalism might not qualify, given that laws don't necessarily apply equally to the rich and the poor, nor are they equally crafted by both groups.)
Rousseau believed participating in the creation of the laws governing the society in which you live was a crucial aspect of rationality and freedom. People who wish to live in society but do not want to participate in shaping its rules are, in essence, childishly rebelling by attempting to opt out of the social contract.
In other words, Pokémon Go to the Polls.

Existential Comics

04 Nov 2024 19:30

Forced to Be Free - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

01 Nov 2024 23:30

The Death of Socrates - Existential Comics

Existential Comics

23 Sep 2024 18:30

Wait a minute, this complaint comes from the Pope himself, who thought the argument was convincing, this goes deeper than we thought...