Five Beginner-Friendly YouTube Channels to Help You Explore Challenging Philosophical Concepts

 by Amazing Izekor

Delving straight into lengthy and challenging philosophical discussions can be daunting, discouraging you from satiating your intellectual curiosity. Thanks to the internet, philosophy doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, the internet has created so many spaces to explore and familiarise yourself with complex ideas. In this article, I will be sharing five of my favourite, beginner-friendly Youtube channels that will assist you in learning more about your philosophical interests. 

1. CrashCourse 

This channel reminds me of another Youtube channel called Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell, which occasionally covers philosophical ideas, though their channel is largely concerned with scientific matters. The two are comparable in that they both use vibrant colours and a similar animation style in their highly visual videos. CrashCourse, specifically, is a really useful channel for a variety of subjects as they cover a diverse range of topics. Even if you are not very interested in philosophical matters, I would recommend subscribing to them because they are excellent at explaining unfamiliar material, particularly through the use of simple, accessible language combined with lots of humour. Only when it is required and applicable to the subject is sophisticated terminology used, and even then, it is always thoroughly explained and supported by examples to aid understanding. The aim of the channel is to briefly cover the fundamentals of a concept so their videos are typically only around 10 minutes long. However, you are introduced to a lot of ideas considering the length of the videos.

When I began my PRS A-Level last year, I studied the Latin phrase "cogito, ergo sum," which translates to "I think, therefore I am," and that is how I discovered the video you see above. It was a line that struck a chord with me and piqued my curiosity about French philosopher René Descartes, inspiring me to learn more about him. ‘Cogito, ergo sum’ was Descartes' foundational belief. As the “disbeliever of everything”, the only thing Descartes could ascertain was his existence as a thinking entity. His scepticism was in a class of its own, so much so that Cartesian scepticism was named after him. It expresses a universal doubt that characterises this form of scepticism. In the video, Cartesian scepticism is explained using a relatively modern example, the 1999 sci-fi action film, The Matrix. The main takeaway is that we should assume a sceptical view of the world around us. Assuming reality is an illusion, it is always preferable to choose the truth over willful ignorance or false comfort. The possibility of living in an illusory world gives rise to the idea of radical scepticism, which proffers the uncomfortable suggestion of global doubt: “If no one can be believed, then nothing can be known at all.” 

2. TED-Ed

TED-Ed is one that you are likely already familiar with. Again, this channel is a great resource for learning about a wide range of topics. From riddles (which I always get wrong) to quantum mechanics, they have it all. Although I am stumped every time I attempt to answer a moral quandary or engage in a thought experiment, I enjoy challenging myself nonetheless. Afterwards, I, in a sense, become Descartes, doubting everything I thought I knew. The intriguing questions they put in their videos’ thumbnails and titles frequently compel me to click on them. No clickbait is required, just attraction based on genuine interest. Each video on the channel often uses a different animation style, and they are always visually stunning. Also, the narrators frequently change from video to video, which adds to the novelty of their work and heightens viewer interest. They never fail to keep you engaged by posing thought-provoking questions such as, ‘Is life meaningless?’. As a French A-Level student, I was thrilled to see coverage of Albert Camus’ Philosophy of the Absurd because I had just started reading his most well-known novel, L’étranger (‘The Stranger’ in English). If watching longer, more in-depth videos is more your style, there are also the classic TED talks for you to dive into.

3. Pursuit of Wonder 

I initially got drawn towards Pursuit of Wonder because of shocking titles like “Be a Loser”. The titles may throw you off but they frequently offer helpful life advice. To quote one of the video’s most memorable lines, “there is great virtue and heroism in simply staying sane, kind, spending meaningful time with a few close loved ones and maintaining authenticity in one’s work and life”. It is a powerful message that provokes deep, internal reflection where the conclusion may be drawn that, an exciting life is not necessarily one in which we are always frantically doing things, but  is actually a life in which we are excited to be alive because it is one made of authenticity, self-reliance and continual adaptation toward who we are. These words of wisdom come from Robert Pantano, the man behind the channel, who not only shares his thoughts via the Youtube platform, but also in written form in his books. He is the author of The Art of Living A Meaningless Existence (no surprise that the title of the book drew me in) a book that I would absolutely recommend to anyone interested in learning a little bit about various philosophers throughout history, and not just Western philosophers. I appreciate Pantano’s inclusion of Eastern philosophers as it broadened my perspective on philosophy and allowed for the discovery of rather niche ideas that I might not have otherwise encountered. The Youtube channel’s name is certainly fitting; everytime I watch a video, I am inspired to keep driving forward in my pursuit of wonder.

4. Philosophy Vibe 

Don’t be fooled by this channel’s art style. Yes, it does look a little low budget and yes, some things in their videos looked like they were hurriedly created using MS paint, but the information they provide is definitely not low-budget, rushed or poorly created. In their defence, the art style has improved over the years and it reminds me a little of the old Bitmoji characters. Philosophy Vibe is a channel “dedicated to those on their fascinating journey through the complex world of Philosophy” (how perfectly appropriate for this article!) and I think it is a wonderful study tool. 

Currently, I am using the channel to help me absorb deterministic principles because that is what I am covering in class. The topic is a particularly interesting one, and recently it has made me overthink pretty much everything I do in my life, even the smallest of things. For example, why did I choose to wear my Christmas gnome socks to school in March instead of the standard black ones? Was that my determined fate? Potential answers to my questions are presented in the video and are excellently explained. Like the other channels I have recommended so far, their videos are visual, use lots of examples to elucidate concepts and explore a great number of different arguments that often go beyond some that are listed on my exam board specification. Regardless of whether you are taking a PRS A-Level, this channel is suited to anyone with a level of interest in philosophy. The concise and direct nature of the channel’s videos allows for the coverage of a considerable amount of content, relative to the length of the video. The format of their videos is also one to be complimented; there are often two characters, one explaining and the other, who assumes the role of the curious audience. Quite often and rather conveniently, the latter will pose the questions I ask in my head (in relation to the discussion) and the other character will provide a satisfactory response. 

After reading this article, perhaps you might check out Philosophy Vibe. Or, you might not. Perhaps that choice has already been made. 

5. Ben Wardle

Last, but not least, is Ben Wardle, a small(er) Youtuber who, funnily enough, I had come across previously for making comedic TikTok skits. He is a first class honours graduate in Religion, Philosophy and Ethics at King's College London. As well as being a notable online personality, Ben is also an author and teacher which comes as no surprise if you watch his videos. His bubbly personality just makes learning fun and it is glaringly apparent that he is passionate about education. Teaching just seems to be his talent. His channel is more so geared towards GCSE and A-Level PRS revision and exam preparation as there is specific concentration on topics from exam board specifications. However, you might still find him interesting to watch, even if you are not a PRS student, because you are delving into Philosophy as if you are being taught it in a classroom setting, making the information taught highly accessible. Ben really feels like a personal tutor, his powerpoints are great resources, and he offers super helpful revision and exam advice so, I would strongly recommend checking out his channel, especially if you are doing or plan on doing GCSE or A-Level PRS. His videos give you a flavour of what is to come and, even if he is teaching according to an exam board that the school does not use, the information tends to overlap and is often relevant and very similar to what you will actually be studying. Unlike the other channels aforementioned, his videos are very in depth, often lasting over an hour and occasionally almost 2 hours long, making for a thorough and comprehensive teaching of philosophical concepts.