TST: New Content – FAQs
Philosophy
FAQ
Does TST Philosophy handle facticity?
Life is lived inside circumstances, but not all circumstances ask the same thing from us.
Fri 2 Oct 2026
(3 days ago)
Updated 3 days ago.
Philosophy
FAQ
What does it mean to have honor?
Honor is virtue.
An honorable act is a virtuous one. Being honorable means habitually acting with virtue.
Fri 2 Oct 2026
(3 days ago)
Updated 3 days ago.
Philosophy
FAQ
What is the difference between Stalinesque and Orwellian propaganda?
Propaganda versus Reality
To think well, protect your mind from both kinds of propaganda: false stories designed to shape your first impression and rewritten stories designed to replace what you already know.
Fri 2 Oct 2026
(3 days ago)
Updated 3 days ago.
PRESTWOOD COLUMN
01 Oct 2026
Debut
Philosophy
FAQ
When does persuasion become manipulation?
Persuasion over manipulation
Persuasion respects agency; manipulation tries to take control of it.
Thu 1 Oct 2026
(4 days ago)
Updated 1 week ago.
PRESTWOOD COLUMN
01 Oct 2026
Debut
Critical Thinking
FAQ
How can you tell when a debate has stopped being productive?
Exit Arguments with Honor
Take control of disagreement by recognizing when a debate is no longer productive and exiting before frustration turns into anger.
Thu 1 Oct 2026
(4 days ago)
Updated 1 week ago.
PRESTWOOD COLUMN
01 Oct 2026
Debut
History
FAQ
What is the history of debate?
Good debate focuses on truth.
A thinking person understands that good debate finds a way to test ideas, expose weaknesses, clarify differences, and move everyone a little closer to truth.
Thu 1 Oct 2026
(4 days ago)
Updated 1 week ago.
PRESTWOOD COLUMN
01 Oct 2026
Science
FAQ
Do facts actually change minds?
Facts Without the Fight
Take control of debate by correcting the claim without turning the person into the target. Focus attention on what is true, not on proving the other person wrong.
Sun 27 Sep 2026
(1 week ago)
Updated 1 week ago.
Philosophy
FAQ
Is TST Philosophy monistic?
Ultimate Reality
TST Philosophy is monistic about established reality but explorative agnostic about reality beyond what has been established.
Sun 27 Sep 2026
(1 week ago)
Updated 1 week ago.
Science
FAQ
Can AI have a normative aim?
AI Normative Aims
AI agents can pursue normative aims at different levels. Higher-level directives can guide and constrain the smaller aims they pursue.
Sat 26 Sep 2026
(1 week ago)
Updated 1 week ago.
Science
FAQ
Does AI already possess physical agency?
Direct Physical Agency
Direct physical agency is the ability of an agent to act directly on the material world through a body or other physical system.
Sat 26 Sep 2026
(1 week ago)
Updated 1 week ago.
Critical Thinking
FAQ
When is an idea a direct or indirect description of reality?
Direct and Indirect Ideas
Empirical ideas point directly at the material world. Rational ideas reach it indirectly through abstraction, relationships, and layers of thought.
Wed 23 Sep 2026
(2 weeks ago)
Updated 2 weeks ago.
Critical Thinking
FAQ
Is math always rational?
Math and Idea Categories
Math itself is rational, but a statement using math can be empirical, rational, or irrational depending on what the full claim is describing.
Wed 23 Sep 2026
(2 weeks ago)
Updated 2 weeks ago.