“The richness an enshrined contradiction gives to a belief system and world cannot be understated.”

Philosophically rich worlds are endless engines for character motivation and conflict. At each level of a society, at each scale of a society, there is room for the interaction and clashing of different philosophies and moralities. A world, a country, a nation, a religion, a tribe, a village, a school, a language, a family. All can have different philosophies in conflict with one another; in gossip, in politics, in debate, in war. They can be incoherent, incomplete, messy, and personal. So much richness can be built for your worlds, without saying anything about the world itself.

I wrote this article for Worldbuilding Magazine‘s special on ‘Philosophy & Intellectual Pursuits.’ You can read the rest of the issue here: https://www.worldbuildingmagazine.com/2024/12/philosophy/