350+ Silly & Important Philosophical Questions

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Ridiculous & random questions to challenge your thinking
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You might think philosophy is a dry subject, but that’s where you’d be wrong! Fun, silly, and thought-provoking philosophical questions like “How do you know you’re not dreaming?” or “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” are guaranteed to get your mind whirring and maybe even keep you up at night! Looking for more funny philosophical conundrums? Check out our list of philosophical questions about life , the universe , and, well, everything else!

Funniest Philosophical Questions

  • What is the difference between living and being alive?
  • Where is the line between insanity and creativity?
  • If a rabbit’s foot is so lucky, what happened to the rabbit?
  • Can you be truly altruistic if helping others makes you feel good?
  • Is it OK to do something “wrong” if nobody ever finds out about it?
Section 1 of 9:

Funny Philosophical Questions about Life and Existence

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  1. Life and existence are…well, really freaking weird. We don’t fully understand why we’re here or how (will we ever?). These thought-provoking and funny questions about the nature of existence and the meaning of life are sure to give you and your friends plenty to talk about for a loooooong time:
    • What is the difference between living and being alive?
    • Does nature shape our personalities more than nurture?
    • To what extent do you shape your own destiny, and how much is down to fate? [1]
    • Do thoughts have a pattern?
    • What is the purpose of existence?
    • What is true happiness?
    • What things hold you back from doing the things that you really want to?
    • Can memories be erased?
    • Does awareness of consciousness have benefits?
    • How do you know that your experience of consciousness is the same as other people's experience of consciousness?
    • What makes you, you?
    • If someone’s personality changes, does that mean they have also changed?
    • What is the truth?
    • What is reality?
    • What are dreams and why do we have them?
    • How does one find purpose in life?
    • What do people strive for after enlightenment?
    • Where is the line between insanity and creativity?
    • Can we have happiness without sadness?
    • How do you know your perceptions are real?
    • What is infinity?
    • Where were people before they were born?
    • Does the Law of Attraction exist?
    • Can we choose our emotions, or do they happen to us?
    • Why do we do things we do not like to do?
    • Are we the biggest threat to humanity?
    • What happens after we die?
    • Is death a new beginning?
    • Do we have a soul?
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Section 2 of 9:

Funny Philosophical Questions about Morality and Ethics

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  1. Right and wrong aren’t always black and white—which these questions prove! Prepare to be stumped by queries like, “Who defines good and evil?” and “Would you sacrifice yourself to save someone else?” Check out more ethical and moral conundrums below:
    • How should people live their lives?
    • Is religion conceptualized by one's own belief system?
    • Will the world be a better place if caste and religion cease to exist?
    • Who defines good and evil?
    • Do atheists make their own gods?
    • When babies are born, are they good?
    • If someone breaks the law to save a life, are they a criminal or a hero?
    • Does living your life for others make your life have meaning?
    • If lying is wrong, are white lies okay?
    • Is there ever a justifiable reason to kill someone?
    • Under what circumstances would you sacrifice yourself to save someone else?
    • Can religious beliefs affect scientific thinking?
    • If kindness is free, why isn’t everyone kind?
    • Can you be truly altruistic if helping others makes you feel good?
    • Why is beauty associated with morality?
    • Can people change?
    • If judgment is for God, why do we pass judgment?
    • Is it ethical to punish someone for a thought they didn’t act on?
    • Who decides what morality is?
    • Why do we respect the dead more than the living?
    • Is it better to hurt someone with honesty or comfort them with a lie?
    • Is it ethical to use people’s data without their knowledge if it helps society?
    • Is it OK to do something “wrong” if nobody ever finds out about it?
    • Does God have supreme power?
    • Does belief make God exist?
    • Does sound happen if nothing is present to hear it?
    • Can greed ever be a virtue?
    • Why does God not intervene when evil takes root in people?
    • Would you kill 10 people to save 100? [2]
    • What role does honor play in today's society?
    • If animals have rights, is it immoral to eat them?
    • Is it wrong to purchase fast fashion, rapidly produced clothing that uses manufacturing methods that negatively impact the environment and exploit workers (like Shein or Cider )?
    • Can you be loyal to one person and still be fair to others?
    • Should morality be based on outcomes or intentions?
    • Is it more important to be liked or respected?
    • If you had to choose between saving a person or a thousand animals, which is more moral?
    • Do the intentions behind your actions matter more than the consequences of your actions?
    • Is it ethical to force someone to do good against their will?
    • Does the path to salvation lie within us?
    • What's more important: doing the right thing or doing things right?
    • Is it ethical to euthanize animals to prevent their suffering?
    • If everyone cheated on a test, would it still be considered cheating?
    • Is there a perfect life?
    • Is it better to save one loved one or five strangers?
    • If revenge feels good, does that make it right?
    • Why do we strive for perfection if it is not attainable?
    • Hungry for more ethical conundrums? Check out our ultimate list of complex moral and ethical dilemmas —and tell us how you’d react in each situation by responding to our polls!
Section 3 of 9:

Funny Philosophical Questions about Relationships and Love

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  1. What is love? (Baby, don’t hurt me!) Seriously, though, what is love, and how do you know when you’ve found true love? Can life be meaningful without friends? Can you have love without trust? These questions about love and relationships are sure to give you and your friends or partner something to talk about for hours:
    • Is trust more important than love?
    • Is true beauty subjective or objective?
    • What makes a good friend?
    • Can life be meaningful without friends?
    • What is true love?
    • How do you know you are loved?
    • Is loving yourself selfish?
    • Is an understanding of pain necessary to appreciate love?
    • If you can’t love yourself, can you love someone else?
    • Is it essential to have a friendship with your partner?
    • Does love feel different to different people?
    • Can love exist without understanding?
    • Is it better to be loved and not understood or understood and not loved?
    • Is jealousy proof of love or insecurity?
    • Does love necessitate action, or can it exist simply as a feeling?
    • Is love a choice, a feeling, or a chemical reaction?
    • If absence makes the heart grow fonder, why do long-distance relationships fail?
    • How do you know if you love someone enough to marry them?
    • Does being loved by more people correlate to a person’s value?
    • To love someone well, do you need to show them love in their preferred love language , or can you love them the way you naturally show love?
    • What one piece of advice would you offer to a newborn infant?
    • Can love survive without trust?
    • Can you love someone and still betray them?
    • Can you love someone without liking them?
    • If love is blind, why do we care about appearances?
    • Can you truly love someone if you don’t respect them?
    • Can you forgive someone you love for betraying you?
    • Can you be happy in love without being happy with yourself?
    • If love isn’t supposed to hurt, why does heartbreak exist?
    • Is unrequited love truly love, or just obsession?
    • Can you be in love with the idea of someone rather than the person?
    • If love is unconditional, why do breakups happen?
    • Can love at first sight be real, or is it just attraction?
    • Why do people chase love when it often causes pain?
    • If love requires effort, is it truly natural?
    • Can you fall in love with someone who doesn’t share your values?
    • Is loving someone the same as being in love with them?
    • Is love more about giving or receiving?
    • Can a relationship survive without compromise?
    • If love is patient and kind, why does it hurt so much?
    • Is it possible to truly know someone completely?
    • Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?
    • Can love be selfish and selfless at the same time?
    • Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never talked to?
    • If love is universal, why is it so complicated?
    • Is it easier to love or be loved? [3]
    • Can love exist without boundaries?
    • Can love ever truly be unconditional?
    • Is it possible to stop loving someone you’ve loved deeply?
    • Do we love ourselves more in the virtual world and less in the real world?
    • If you have to ask if it’s love, is it really love?
    • Are soulmates real?
    • If love is infinite, why do we limit it to one partner?
    • Is love stronger than fear, or does fear protect love?
    • Can you miss someone you’ve never met?
    • If loving someone means letting them go, why do we hold on?
    • If you can fall in love, can you also fall out of love by accident?
    • Is it possible to love two people equally?
    • Can soulmates exist if divorce rates are so high?
    • Do you make your own decisions, or let others make them for you?
    • Can you forgive someone without excusing their actions?
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Section 4 of 9:

Funny Philosophical Questions about Knowledge and Learning

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  1. Consider these philosophical questions about education and intelligence. What does it mean to be “educated,” anyway? Is intelligence more important than wisdom? These questions pertaining to learning and knowledge are sure to broaden your mind a little!
    • What is education? [4]
    • What's more important for a better world—intelligence or wisdom?
    • Are highly intelligent people less happy than individuals with average intelligence?
    • Is it worse to fail at something or never attempt it in the first place?
    • Can you learn something you don’t want to know?
    • Is ignorance a valid excuse for rudeness?
    • If you forget what you learned, did you truly learn it?
    • Is there such a thing as useless knowledge?
    • How do we know what words mean?
    • If you teach a robot to learn, who’s the teacher?
    • Can you know everything about nothing?
    • If the more you know, the less you understand, should we stop learning?
    • Should full access to the internet be a fundamental right?
    • If knowledge is power, why isn’t everyone powerful?
    • Can you know something without understanding it?
    • Can you unlearn something you’ve learned?
    • Can you ever truly know yourself?
    • If you can learn from failure, is failure actually success?
    • Is memorizing facts the same as gaining knowledge?
    • Can you be smart without being wise?
    • Is knowledge more valuable than creativity?
    • If history repeats itself, why study it?
    • Can you learn from someone who knows less than you?
    • If a question has no answer, is it still worth asking?
    • If everyone has the same information, why do opinions differ?
    • Can you measure intelligence without comparing it?
    • Can learning ever be effortless?
    • Can you be knowledgeable but lack common sense?
    • If experience is the best teacher, why do we have schools?
    • Is wisdom just knowledge with age?
    • Is learning a lifelong journey or a destination?
    • Can learning ever be purely objective?
    • If children are naturally curious, why do they lose interest in school?
    • Should certain books be censored or banned? Why or why not?
    • Is education a privilege or a right?
    • If knowledge is free, why is education expensive?
    • Why is wisdom often associated with age?
    • If we can find out almost anything by looking it up on the internet, do we still need schools?
    • If curiosity killed the cat, should we still encourage it?
    • Can knowledge exist without language?
    • Can ignorance truly be bliss?
    • If you know something but can’t explain it, do you really know it?
    • If knowledge has no limits, can ignorance be infinite?
    • Is learning more valuable than remembering?
    • Can you teach someone who doesn’t want to learn?
    • Will artificial intelligence help increase human lifespans in the future?
    • Can artificial intelligence ever surpass human curiosity?
    • Can a person be "educated" without a formal education?
    • Do knowledge and understanding make you content and happy as a person?
Section 5 of 9:

Funny Philosophical Questions about Society and Culture

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  1. These queries about society will have you scratching your head. Is it always good to have endless choices? Do we control technology, or is it controlling us? There may not be easy answers for these questions, but asking them is sure to provoke some thought about the way society is set up and how we navigate the world.
    • What is culture?
    • How does culture form?
    • Does the culture you were raised in impact your outlook on life?
    • Does an ideal government exist?
    • How involved should governments be in caring for the individuals in their country?
    • What makes a person a person?
    • Should we limit the amount of money people can earn and save to avoid an unequal distribution of wealth? https://parade.com/1185047/marynliles/philosophical-questions
    • Are we losing our right to privacy?
    • What is the extent of freedom human beings should have?
    • Is it morally wrong to abstain from voting?
    • What is the difference between a human right and a privilege?
    • What makes a good leader?
    • Is war ever necessary or even reasonable?
    • Can morality change with culture, or is it universal?
    • If people are spreading misinformation, should they still be allowed to continue? Who decides what “misinformation” is?
    • Isn't one person's terrorist another person's freedom fighter?
    • If two people’s opinions differ, how should they resolve their differences?
    • Why do people fear losing things that they do not even have yet?
    • If money cannot buy happiness, can you ever be truly happy with no money?
    • Is humanity doomed to head in a destructive direction?
    • Why is wisdom often associated with age?
    • Will a curb on buying guns and arms reduce the number of shooting sprees in the world?
    • Do guns protect or kill people?
    • Are there limitations on free speech?
    • Does understanding philosophy lead to progress?
    • What is “progress”?
    • Is the internet good, bad, or neutral?
    • What exactly is self-esteem and where does it come from?
    • Is race a social construct or a biological category?
    • Will racism ever cease to exist?
    • What about sexism?
    • Should women’s rights be a priority to men? Why or why not?
    • Is a family still relevant in the modern world?
    • If all the currencies in the world did not have monetary value, would our world be a much better place?
    • Is there a difference between fair trade and free trade? What is it and which is of greater importance?
    • Is the way we compensate people for their jobs ideal, or should we have some way of ensuring that people are paid appropriately?
    • Does the English language make us feel superior to other countries?
    • Is torture ever justified?
    • What is the meaning of rich and poor in the modern world?
    • Why do we throw away food when we know people are dying of hunger?
    • Which is more important, justice or mercy?
    • Is the preservation of a country's culture a good reason for limiting immigration?
    • Is it always good to have choices?
    • Do we control technology or is it controlling us?
    • If you could choose just one thing to change about the world, what would it be?
    • Do we change when we have power?
    • Will technological advances wipe out humanity?
    • When you are driving and see one shoe on the side of the road, what do you think happened to the other one?
    • Will stricter laws make a better world?
    • Since the birth rate is down in the United States, should people be required to have at least one child?
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Section 6 of 9:

Funny Philosophical Questions about the Universe and Science

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  1. There’s still a lot we don’t know about the universe, space, and physics. Can something come from nothing? Do aliens exist? You may not be able to answer all of these philosophical questions, but they’re guaranteed to generate interesting discussion:
    • Can something come from nothing?
    • Why does the universe exist instead of nothing?
    • If black holes suck in light, can they ever be illuminated?
    • If gravity keeps us grounded, why don’t we feel its pull?
    • If the universe is infinite, does it mean there’s an infinite number of “you” out there?
    • If parallel universes exist, do they also have parallel yous?
    • Is it possible time is being altered right now? [5]
    • Why does time only move forward?
    • Will it ever be possible to travel through time? Space?
    • Is there a species more advanced than humans in the universe?
    • Is the Big Bang theory the universe’s biggest joke?
    • If space is a vacuum, what’s stopping it from being sucked away?
    • Can the future affect the past, or only the present?
    • If we discovered aliens, would they have their own science?
    • Could life on other planets be more advanced than ours?
    • Why does the universe seem orderly despite its chaos?
    • If time travel were possible, why haven’t we met future humans?
    • If humans are stardust, does that make us shining stars?
    • Can two objects occupy the same space at the same time?
    • If energy cannot be created or destroyed, where did it come from?
    • If we ever find the edge of the universe, what’s beyond it?
    • Can a particle exist in two places at once?
    • Why is the speed of light the fastest anything can travel?
    • Is the theory of evolution still evolving?
    • If we colonize Mars, will Earthlings and Martians be rivals?
    • Are we living in a hologram created by another dimension?
    • If the universe started with a bang, what caused it to bang?
    • Is math the true language of the universe?
    • Could black holes be portals to another universe?
    • If space and time are linked, can we untangle them?
    • If everything in the universe has a cause, what caused the universe?
    • If we can’t see dark matter, how do we know it exists?
    • Is the universe expanding into something or nothing?
    • Is infinity a number, a concept, or both?
    • Is there a limit to human knowledge about the universe?
    • Can science explain love, or is it purely chemical?
    • If time had a beginning, can it have an end?
    • Why do we search for life on other planets when we struggle to save life on ours?
    • Is the multiverse just a theory or reality we haven’t proven?
    • Can light be both a particle and a wave, or is it just confused?
    • Why do we assume life elsewhere needs water to survive?
    • If the laws of physics are universal, who wrote the laws?
    • Can science explain why we dream?
    • Are humans unique in the universe, or are we just average?
    • If the universe is mostly empty, why does it seem so full of possibilities?
    • Is consciousness the universe trying to understand itself?
    • Can artificial intelligence ever be considered alive?
    • If the universe is random, why do we see patterns in it?
    • Is there an end to human curiosity about the cosmos?
    • If stars die, can the universe itself die?
    • What are numbers?
    • Could we ever run out of questions about the universe?
    • Is the universe a simulation, and if so, who’s playing the game?
Section 7 of 9:

Funny Philosophical Shower Thoughts

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  1. These silly questions might not be deep, but they’ll still make you think! Ever pause and wonder, “If a ghost can walk through a wall, wouldn't it fall through the floor?” or “When a bald man gets a driver's license, what's listed on it as his hair color?” These ridiculous (but thought-provoking!) shower thought -esque questions will give you something to mull over in your down time:
    • When a bald man gets a driver's license, what's listed on it as his hair color?
    • If all the world's a stage, who's out there in the audience?
    • If nothing can stick to Teflon, then how does Teflon stick to the pan? [6]
    • If the phrase “time is money” is true, does that make ATMs time machines?
    • If a pilot flies at the speed of sound, can he still hear his iPod?
    • Why do we call the most popular pencil #2?
    • If “practice makes perfect,” but “nobody's perfect,” why should we practice?
    • Some say that “ignorance is bliss,” so why aren't more people happy?
    • In the Cinderella story, why would her shoe fall off if it fit perfectly?
    • If you find a turtle without its shell, would you say it's homeless or naked?
    • At a restaurant, if you're waiting for a waiter to arrive at your table, doesn't that make you the waiter?
    • Why do people drive on parkways and park on driveways?
    • When you're open-minded, can your brain fall out?
    • If a ghost can walk through a wall, wouldn't it fall through the floor?
    • If a crime fighter fights crime, and a firefighter fights fire, what does a freedom fighter fight?
    • When a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
    • Why do you have to stop in a “drive-thru”?
    • Can you be both careful and carefree?
    • If the universe has no end, what goes beyond the “edge of the universe”?
    • If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
    • If a structure has already been constructed, why do we call it a building and not a built?
    • Got your own shower thoughts you want to share? Check out our forum on shower thoughts to chat with other wikiHow users!
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Section 8 of 9:

Funny Philosophical Questions for Kids

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  1. Philosophy isn’t just for adults—children have a lot to learn from it, too! These kid-friendly philosophical questions are great for the whole family.
    • If a rabbit’s feet are lucky, what happened to the rabbit?
    • If aliens exist, what would they look like?
    • Can vegetables feel pain? How do you know?
    • Are animals conscious? How about insects? Plants?
    • Does expecting the unexpected make the unexpected the expected?
    • Would Lightning McQueen buy car insurance or life insurance?
    • Is cereal soup?
    • Can you imagine what it’s like to be a dog? A cat? An octopus? A strawberry?
    • If a deaf man burps in the woods, and nobody is around to hear it, did it make a sound?
    • If it's true that “actions speak louder than words,” is a mime deafening? [7]
    • What makes something funny?
    • What is the purpose of humor?
    • If you drop soap on the floor, is the floor clean or the soap dirty?
    • What color are mirrors?
    • Can inanimate objects be either bad or good?
    • Do animals talk about us the way we talk about them? [8]
    • Is water wet?
    • Are hot dogs tacos?
    • Why are towels considered dirty when you get out of the shower clean?
    • How do you know you are not just in a VR computer game?
    • Does the sun have a mother? [9]
    • Red paper under a blue light appears black. Is the paper still red?
    • If 2 mind readers read each other's minds, whose mind are they really reading?
    • If time travel is possible, would we have met time travelers already?
    • Do things only exist when you’re looking at them?
    • Are you dreaming right now? How do you know?
    • If you could see into the future, would you want to know what happens?
    • Is it possible to think of nothing?
    • Do you think music is a universal language?
    • What makes a good friend?
    • Can one person really change the world?
    • What would a time machine look like?
    • Why do humans wear clothes, but no other species do?
    • Do animals feel love?
    • Do memories exist even if you forget them?
    • Why do some people feel scared while watching a horror movie even though they know it is not real?
    • Are you lucky? Does luck exist?
    • If immortality were possible, would you want to be immortal?
    • Are clowns scary or funny? Is it possible to be both?
    • If I try to fail, but succeed, which one did I do?
    • If you were born with a different name, would you have a different personality?
    • Can computers experience consciousness?
    • Can animals understand English?
    • Do animals like being kept as pets?
    • What came first? The chicken or the egg?
Section 9 of 9:

When to Ask Funny Philosophical Questions

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  1. 1
    Get some fun discussion going at your next party or event. These thought-provoking philosophical queries are the perfect way to foster lively conversation (and maybe some debates!) at a social gathering.
  2. 2
    Break the ice at your next office meeting by posing a philosophical conundrum. Work meetings don’t have to be dull! Opening a meeting with a fun and compelling philosophical question like, “Can artificial intelligence ever be considered alive?” or “Do multiverses exist?” is a great way to get everyone loosened up and ready to participate in conversation.
  3. 3
    If you’re a teacher, posing these questions in class can foster lively debate. Not only are these philosophical questions great icebreakers on the first day of school, they’re also perfect for helping students learn how to debate respectfully and consider alternative perspectives they may not otherwise have thought of. [10]
    • You might even consider assigning specific perspectives to different students and having them argue their side in front of the class.
    • Or, break students up into groups and assign each group a different question, and require them to debate their opinions together and see if they can come to a consensus.
  4. 4
    Ask these questions on a first date to break the ice—and see how compatible you are. These questions aren’t just fun and interesting—you can also learn a lot about who someone is and what they value based on their answers to questions like, “Do you have to love yourself before you can love someone else?” or “Who defines good and evil?” This makes them great questions to ask on a first date : they’ll get the conversation flowing, but they’ll also give you insight into how your date views the world.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://parade.com/1185047/marynliles/philosophical-questions/#philosophical-questions-that-are-intellectual
      2. ↑ https://parade.com/1185047/marynliles/philosophical-questions/
      3. ↑ https://parade.com/1185047/marynliles/philosophical-questions/
      4. ↑ https://parade.com/1185047/marynliles/philosophical-questions/
      5. ↑ https://parade.com/1185047/marynliles/philosophical-questions/
      6. ↑ https://www.happierhuman.com/funny-philosophical-questions-wa2/
      7. ↑ https://www.happierhuman.com/funny-philosophical-questions-wa2/
      8. ↑ https://lithub.com/kids-are-actually-really-funny-wise-weird-and-philosophical/
      9. ↑ https://lithub.com/kids-are-actually-really-funny-wise-weird-and-philosophical/
      1. ↑ https://www.weareteachers.com/high-school-debate-topics/

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