50 Philosophy YouTube Shorts Ideas That Get Views (2026)

Philosophy Shorts succeed because they challenge how viewers see the world. A well-presented thought experiment or ethical dilemma creates cognitive engagement that leads to comments, debates, and shares.

Philosophy content also has exceptional comment engagement. Unlike content people passively consume, philosophical questions demand a response. This comment-heavy engagement signals the algorithm to push content to wider audiences.

Thought Experiments (1-10)
1. "The trolley problem — what would you actually do?" — Classic ethical dilemma
2. "The ship of Theseus: are you still you?" — Identity paradox
3. "Plato's Cave: are we living in a simulation?" — Reality questioning
4. "The Experience Machine: would you plug in?" — Nozick's pleasure thought experiment
5. "The Chinese Room: can AI truly think?" — Consciousness question
6. "Schrödinger's cat: alive and dead at the same time" — Quantum philosophy
7. "The veil of ignorance: how to design a fair society" — Rawls justice theory
8. "The monkey and the typewriter: infinity and probability" — Infinite possibilities
9. "The grandfather paradox of time travel" — Logical impossibility
10. "Mary's Room: can you learn color without seeing it?" — Knowledge argument

Existentialism & Meaning (11-20)
11. "Nietzsche's 'God is dead' doesn't mean what you think" — Context and meaning
12. "Sartre on why you're condemned to be free" — Radical freedom
13. "Camus and the absurd: finding meaning in a meaningless world" — Absurdism
14. "Kierkegaard's leap of faith explained" — Choosing belief
15. "Heidegger on why thinking about death makes life meaningful" — Being-toward-death
16. "Why Dostoevsky said 'without God, everything is permitted'" — Moral foundations
17. "The existential crisis explained in 30 seconds" — What triggers it and what to do
18. "Simone de Beauvoir on freedom and responsibility" — Feminist existentialism
19. "Viktor Frankl: how to find meaning in suffering" — Logotherapy
20. "The myth of Sisyphus: why Camus said 'imagine Sisyphus happy'" — Embracing the absurd

Ethics & Morality (21-30)
21. "Is it ever right to lie? Kant vs. Mill" — Deontology vs. utilitarianism
22. "The ethics of eating meat in 30 seconds" — Singer's argument
23. "Do we have free will? The 3 main positions" — Determinism, libertarianism, compatibilism
24. "The prisoner's dilemma and why cooperation is rational" — Game theory ethics
25. "Is ignorance bliss? The philosophy of knowledge" — Epistemic responsibility
26. "The paradox of tolerance: should we tolerate intolerance?" — Popper's framework
27. "Machiavelli's 'the ends justify the means' in modern politics" — Consequentialism
28. "The ethics of AI: should machines make moral decisions?" — Applied ethics
29. "Why Socrates chose death over exile" — Principled living
30. "The moral weight of inaction vs. action" — Omission and commission

Mind & Reality (31-40)
31. "Descartes' 'I think therefore I am' and why it matters" — Epistemic foundation
32. "Are we living in a simulation? The philosophical argument" — Bostrom's simulation theory
33. "What is consciousness? Philosophy's hardest problem" — The hard problem
34. "The brain in a vat: how do you know anything is real?" — Skepticism
35. "Do colors look the same to everyone?" — Qualia and subjective experience
36. "Wittgenstein on the limits of language" — What can't be said
37. "The philosophy of time: is the past real?" — Presentism vs. eternalism
38. "Leibniz's 'best of all possible worlds'" — Optimism philosophy
39. "The philosophy of identity: what makes you, you?" — Personal identity problem
40. "Berkeley's 'to be is to be perceived'" — Idealism philosophy

Philosophy in Daily Life (41-50)
41. "The philosophy behind minimalism" — Less is more reasoning
42. "Why philosophers say you should embrace boredom" — Attention and meaning
43. "The hedonic treadmill: why more stuff won't make you happy" — Adaptation theory
44. "The philosophy of forgiveness" — Letting go for yourself
45. "Why Aristotle said 'we are what we repeatedly do'" — Virtue ethics
46. "The paradox of choice: too many options make you unhappy" — Schwartz's argument
47. "Pascal's Wager: the gambler's argument for belief" — Risk-based reasoning
48. "The Socratic method: how to think more clearly" — Question-based thinking
49. "Epicurus on pleasure: it's not what you think" — Simple pleasures philosophy
50. "The examined life: why Socrates said the unexamined life isn't worth living" — Self-reflection

Philosophy Shorts need to be intellectually stimulating yet accessible:

1. Enter the philosophical concept — FluxNote generates a clear, engaging script
2. AI makes it accessible — Hook, simplified explanation, and thought-provoking question
3. Choose a thoughtful voiceover — Measured, intelligent delivery suits philosophy
4. Use clean, minimal subtitles — Elegant presentation matches the intellectual tone
5. Export and share — Mind-expanding philosophy Short ready in minutes

- End with a question — Philosophy Shorts should make viewers THINK, not just consume
- Use thought experiments — Interactive dilemmas drive the most comments
- Make it relevant — Connect Aristotle to modern dating, Nietzsche to social media
- Avoid academic jargon — Accessible language reaches the widest audience
- Create debate-worthy content — Ethical dilemmas drive comment engagement
- Use moody aesthetics — Dark, thoughtful visuals match the philosophical tone