Roots: Daily Philosophy

Roots is a daily philosophy app for iOS and Android. Each day it offers one lesson of two to three minutes from a single thinker, made up of a clear explanation, a real situation where the idea applies and a question to reflect on. It is for people who want a few calm minutes of philosophy rather than a long reading list.

The catalogue covers more than 250 lessons from over 25 thinkers, from Socrates to Beauvoir, in six languages, grouped into more than 20 guided paths. After a few questions about how your mind feels, the app builds a path, such as Stoicism or Buddhism, in which each lesson builds on the one before. A home screen widget shows the day's idea, and it can be requested through Siri or found in Spotlight.

The lessons are written and edited by hand rather than generated, and the app avoids streaks, badges and pressure, so missing a day loses nothing. Lessons are free every day, with no card needed to start, and the website adds reference articles on what philosophy is and who the app is for.