Waxing Philosophical in a Viral World

Thorn’s “Philosophy Tube” channel is one of the most-watched channels dedicated to the subject, with over 1.1 million subscribers. She launched it in 2012, when university tuition fees went up in the U.K. The idea? To make the philosophy she was studying at the University of St. Andrews available to all. A trained actress, she uses costumes and props in her delivery. Her videos have recently explored different thoughts on vaccines, Islamophobia and transhumanism. In January 2021, Thorn came out as a trans woman.

In many ways, Žižek is the philosopher who helped the millennial generation find their critical voice. Today his philosophy of a chaotic, upside-down and confused world is practically outdated for newer, Gen Z thinking. However, the Instagram account of the high priest of chaos perfectly reflects his philosophy: Posts appear without curation or reason. His text pieces on “anti-vaxxers” and videos on love, marriage and the war in Ukraine contain both seriousness and humor. In fact, he often argues that humor is an important vehicle for communicating serious thought.

Is there anything of philosophical worth you can express in 280 characters or less? Well, the art of the aphorism — a short saying that communicates a general truth — has been in vogue at least since ancient Greece. Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche also put this method to good use. Kate Manne, an associate professor at Cornell University, has taken that philosophic tradition to Twitter. Her tweets cover issues from feminism to the negative toll social media can take on mental health.

YouTube has a wealth of philosophy, including Bryan Magee’s BBC Series, along with YaleCourses. But for one of the most brilliant attempts to communicate philosophy in a limited time constraint, simply search “Three Minute Philosophy.” Created by Australian writer Shane Peter Davis when he was pursuing a philosophy degree, this animated series is filled with jokes, colourful language and serious philosophical ideas. Davis’ work takes you on a journey from Heraclitus through Kant and is, in many ways, pure #TikTokphilosophy before TikTok was even imagined.

Instagram is filled with philosophy memes, along with pictures of famous philosophers and their aphorisms. But perhaps the two most famous contemporary thinkers other than Žižek on the platform are Cornel West and Jordan Peterson. Despite warning people that social media can destroy mental health, Peterson has managed to draw 3.8 million followers. West, on the other hand, scatters his account with soulful thought, music and samples of eloquence that lead to his written work. Meanwhile, the most underutilized philosopher Instagram account may be that of Kwame Anthony Appiah, whose pictures of fruit and ducks fail to reflect his rich ideas.

There are plenty of philosophy podcasts around. But for one of the truly great attempts to communicate and discuss philosophical ideas, Philosophy Bites is a must-listen. Started by philosophers Nigel Warburton and David Edmonds in 2007, this remarkable set of interviews covers a huge swath of philosophy. Starting with Simon Blackburn discussing Plato’s Cave, it goes right up to a discussion by Congressman Ro Khanna on his book “Dignity in a Digital Age.” With hundreds of episodes, this series may expand your consciousness.

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Philosopher Bernard Williams’ book “Truth and Truthfulness,” published in 2002, expressed thoughts far advanced for their time. Williams argued that the internet had the potential to construct “meeting places for the free and unstructured exchange of messages which bear a variety of claims, fancies, and suspicions — entertaining, superstitious, scandalous, or malign.” He recognized how “the chances that many of these messages will be true are low.” The internet had the potential, he argued, to create cyber “villages” that were more of an echo chamber than a real village, where you were “forced to listen to some people who had different opinions.”

One of the world’s most revered philosophers, Nussbaum argued more than a decade ago that the internet could escalate the objectification of women and also insulate its users from real-world responsibility. “But it was only on Twitter! I didn’t really mean it,” is something many people use as an excuse for abusive tweets. Nussbaum argues that actions on the internet do have very real consequences. And as she said in 2011, the “problem is it stays around forever,” never fully releasing the victim from the abuse.

One person trying to “fix” the internet is Congressman Khanna. He acknowledges that the #metoo movement and #blacklivesmatter would not have happened without it. But he insists social media companies must think about their obligations to democracy and not simply their profits. Khanna suggests that algorithms could be adapted to expose people to different views. Aside from his concerns about the internet's structure, he also emphasizes the importance of how we conduct ourselves online. After all, treating people with courtesy in everyday life should extend to our interactions online. Khanna has also proposed an Internet Bill of Rights, which focuses on net neutrality, protecting citizens from warrantless government mass surveillance and providing consumers with more control over their personal data.

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