Only Slate Plus members can gift Slate stories. Become a member to share 10 free articles a month. Picture the following situation: You are taking a freshman-level philosophy class in college, and ...

You’re probably familiar with the dilemma, a favorite of silent films and freshman philosophy courses: A train hurtles along a track, its freight cars rattling ominously in the wind. Up ahead, a ...

Leave aside whether it's offensive to reduce the value of human suffering to a bowl of candy. The now-notorious Trump campaign Skittles meme is actually a reworking of the most famous thought ...