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Best Philosophy & ethics videos, as recommended on Hacker News

91 videos about philosophy & ethics that Hacker News commenters keep recommending, mentioned between 2009 and 2026. Mostly talk, explainer, interview. Channels that come up most: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, TED, Talks at Google, Vsauce. Sorted by how consistently HN recommended them over the years.

The most recommended is Dominion (2018) - full documentary [Official]: HN commenters push it, often forcefully, as the video to watch to see what factory farming really involves, and some say it changed their diet.

• documentaryDominion (2018) - full documentary [Official]Farm Transparency Project · 10 HN recommenders · 2019–2024
• lectureJustice: What's The Right Thing To Do? Episode 01 "THE MORAL SIDE OF MURDER"Harvard University · 11 HN recommenders · 2013–2025
• explainerWe Were Taught to Call Death a BlessingCGP Grey · 12 HN recommenders · 2018–2025
• documentaryAlain de Botton: Status AnxietyAlain de Botton · 4 HN recommenders · 2015–2026
• explainerMusic and Life - Alan Wattsseandulac · 11 HN recommenders · 2010–2022
• otherThe Egg - A Short StoryKurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 7 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• explainerThe Machinery Of Freedom: Illustrated summarybitbutter · 4 HN recommenders · 2012–2020
• lectureEp. 1 - Awakening from the Meaning Crisis - IntroductionJohn Vervaeke’s Lectern · 6 HN recommenders · 2019–2022
• talkToward Rational, Authentic Food Choices | Melanie Joy | TEDxMünchenTEDx Talks · 3 HN recommenders · 2015–2023
• otherCarl Sagan - Pale Blue Dotcarlsagandotcom · 5 HN recommenders · 2011–2026
• interviewDebate Noam Chomsky & Michel Foucault - On human nature [Subtitled]withDefiance · 6 HN recommenders · 2015–2026
• explainerOptimistic NihilismKurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 5 HN recommenders · 2018–2022
• explainerDo Chairs Exist?Vsauce · 6 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• lectureCollege Lecture Series - Neil Postman - "The Surrender of Culture to Technology"College of DuPage · 5 HN recommenders · 2014–2025
• explainerA Selfish Argument for Making the World a Better Place – Egoistic AltruismKurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 4 HN recommenders · 2018–2025
• interviewRichard Feynman on PseudoscienceJacob Edward · 5 HN recommenders · 2016–2026
• lectureMarcus Aurelius' Meditations: The Stoic IdealMichael Sugrue · 4 HN recommenders · 2022–2025
• talkThis Is Water by David Foster Wallace Full SpeechJoe Mita · 5 HN recommenders · 2015–2022
• explainerWhy Age? Should We End Aging Forever?Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 4 HN recommenders · 2018–2023
• lectureIf Brains are Computers, Who Designs the Software? - with Daniel DennettThe Royal Institution · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2024
• interviewSlavoj Žižek + Paul Holdengräber "Surveillance and whistleblowers" - International Authors' StageDet Kgl. Bibliotek · 3 HN recommenders · 2014–2016
• commentaryI'm Allowed to Rob You!Larken Rose · 4 HN recommenders · 2013–2017
• talkTerence Mckenna - Culture is your operating systemDani Dögenigt · 1 HN recommender · 2009–2023
• talkInformation, Evolution, and intelligent Design - With Daniel DennettThe Royal Institution · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2024
• comedyBill Hicks - It's Just A RideBill Hicks · 3 HN recommenders · 2016–2025
• interviewRichard Feynman Magnetsnebulajr · 4 HN recommenders · 2014–2026
• commentarySlavoj Žižek on "They Live" (The Pervert's Guide to Ideology)Christian G · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
• talkTHIS IS WATER! by David Foster WallaceThe Actualization Agent · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• interviewThe Concept of Language (Noam Chomsky)UW Video · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2024
• talkRSA ANIMATE: First as Tragedy, Then as FarceRoyal Society of Arts · 3 HN recommenders · 2011–2022
• talkAndreessen's Corollary: Ethical Dilemmas in Software Engineering - Bryan Cantrill | Craft 2019CraftHub Events · 3 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• documentaryThe Trolley Problem in Real LifeVsauce · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2026
• talkJailbreaking the Simulation with George Hotz | SXSW 2019SXSW · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• comedy07/27/1978lasagnacat · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2026
• talkThe psychology of evil | Philip ZimbardoTED · 2 HN recommenders · 2012–2024
• talkViolence | Slavoj Žižek | Talks at GoogleTalks at Google · 4 HN recommenders · 2010–2022
• explainerHauntology, Lost Futures and 80s NostalgiaJonas Čeika - CCK Philosophy · 3 HN recommenders · 2019–2026
• lectureOODA Loop & Evolutionary Epistemology of John Boyd by Chuck Spinney52 Living Ideas · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• interviewPeter Thiel on “The Straussian Moment”Hoover Institution · 3 HN recommenders · 2019–2021
• talkJoscha: From Computation to Consciousness (31c3)Joscha Bach · 3 HN recommenders · 2016–2019
• talkBrave New World vs Nineteen Eighty-Four featuring Adam Gopnik and Will SelfIntelligence Squared · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2022
• interviewThe War on Sensemaking, Daniel SchmachtenbergerRebel Wisdom · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2023
• lectureNoam Chomsky - "The machine, the ghost, and the limits of understanding"Andy80o · 2 HN recommenders · 2013–2022
• lecturePeter Singer - ordinary people are evilJeffrey Kaplan · 2 HN recommenders · 2023–2026
• commentaryGeographical limit between Balkan and Central Europekunc · 2 HN recommenders · 2017–2025
• talkBest Speech You Will Ever Hear - Gary YourofskyTheAnimalHolocaust · 1 HN recommender · 2012–2016
• talkDavid Deutsch: A new way to explain explanationTED · 2 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• talkDavid Deutsch on OptimismRoyal Society of Arts · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2022
• explainerTwo Monkeys Were Paid Unequally: Excerpt from Frans de Waal's TED TalkTED Blog Video · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2024
• interviewA Conversation with Bertrand Russell (1952)Manufacturing Intellect · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2026
• lectureIdentity After Authenticity: Abigail Thorn's ProfileCarefree Wandering · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2022
• otherR. P. Feynman on the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.x1x2x3ct · 2 HN recommenders · 2010–2014
• explainerWhy ChatGPT Can't Draw a Full Glass of WineAlex O'Connor · 2 HN recommenders · 2025–2025
• lectureRick Roderick on Baudrillard - Fatal Strategies [full length]The Partially Examined Life · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• interviewSir Roger Penrose & William Lane Craig • The Universe: How did it get here & why are we part of it?Premier Unbelievable? · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
• commentaryThe Problem With Human RightsJonas Čeika - CCK Philosophy · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• explainerPHILOSOPHY - Michel FoucaultThe School of Life · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2021
• talkSam Harris - Death and the Present MomentAtheist Foundation of Australia Inc · 2 HN recommenders · 2012–2017
• otherCharlie Chaplin - Final Speech from The Great DictatorCharlie Chaplin · 2 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• explainerWhy Meat is the Best Worst Thing in the World 🍔Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2021
• lectureRichard Feynman on hungry philosophers (or do we see objects or only their light)Zero · 2 HN recommenders · 2012–2021
• otherDavid Foster Wallace reads "Consider the Lobster" (on the 2003 Maine Lobster Festival)Manufacturing Intellect · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2020
• interviewAldous Huxley interviewed by Mike Wallace : 1958 (Full)someoddstuff · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• talkThe Secret Reason We Eat Meat - Dr. Melanie JoyBeyond Carnism · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2023
• lectureSwami Sarvapriyananda at IITK - "Who Am I?" according to Mandukya Upanishad-Part 1Vivekananda Samiti, IIT Kanpur · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2022
• explainerIs Your Red The Same as My Red?Vsauce · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2024
• talkThe illusion of consciousness | Dan DennettTED · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• explainerPHILOSOPHY - Albert CamusThe School of Life · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2022
• explainerHumanity was born way ahead of its time. The reason is grabby aliens.Rational Animations · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2022
• explainerWhy Teleportation Would Kill YouCGP Grey · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2020
• interviewNick Bostrom - The Simulation Argument (Full)Science, Technology & the Future · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2019
• talkConsciousness in Artificial Intelligence | John Searle | Talks at GoogleTalks at Google · 2 HN recommenders · 2015–2017
• explainerWhy You Will Marry the Wrong PersonThe School of Life · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2025
• interviewGregory Chaitin - Is Mathematics Invented or Discovered?Closer To Truth · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2021
• talkYou Have No Idea How Wrong You AreSisyphusRedeemed · 1 HN recommender · 2013–2026
• commentaryWhy Libertarianism Is So DangerousSchool Sucks · 1 HN recommender · 2013–2021
• commentaryNoam Chomsky - Freedom of Speech for Views You Don't LikeChomsky's Philosophy · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2021
• commentaryJordan Peterson | ContraPointsContraPoints · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2021
• talkIntuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking | Daniel Dennett | Talks at GoogleTalks at Google · 1 HN recommender · 2013–2024
• explainerDoes the Past Still Exist?Sabine Hossenfelder · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2023
• explainerThe Last Human – A Glimpse Into The Far FutureKurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2023
• talkA kinder, gentler philosophy of success | Alain de BottonTED · 1 HN recommender · 2009–2021
• talkAntifragille: Things That Gain from Disorder | Nassim Nicholas Taleb | Talks at GoogleTalks at Google · 1 HN recommender · 2013–2023
• commentarySlavoj Žižek | Why Be Happy When You Could Be Interesting? | Big ThinkBig Think · 1 HN recommender · 2014–2023
• commentaryData | Philosophy TubePhilosophy Tube · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2024
• commentaryMilton Friedman justifies not recalling the ford pintoRepublicansSuckDlCK · 1 HN recommender · 2015–2019
• otherMarxism: Zizek/Peterson: Official VideoJordan B Peterson · 1 HN recommender · 2019–2021
• interviewRichard Wolff: Marxism and Communism | Lex Fridman Podcast #295Lex Fridman · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2023
• comedyZizek on toiletsDiego Cumplido · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2026
• talkIs the Universe a Simulation? | 2016 Isaac Asimov Memorial DebateAmerican Museum of Natural History · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2020
• explainerBonhoeffer‘s Theory of StupiditySprouts · 1 HN recommender · 2021–2026