Philosophy Here and Now Powerful Ideas in Everyday Life

Preface

Chapter 1: Philosophy and You
1.1 Philosophy: The Quest for Understanding
1.2 Socrates and the Examined Life
1.3 Thinking Philosophically
Reivew notes
Key Terms
Argument Exercises
Narrative: Plato, The Trial and Death of Socrates
Probing Questions
For Further Reading

Chapter 2: God and Religion
2.1 Overview: God and Philosophy
2.2 Arguments for the Existence of God
2.3 God and the Problem of Evil
2.4 Theism and Religious Experience
2.5 Belief Without Reason
2.6 Eastern Religions
Review Notes
Key Terms
Fiction: Arthur C. Clarke, "The Star"
Probing Questions
For Further Reading

Chapter 3: Morality and the Moral Life
3.1 Overview: Ethics and the Moral Domain
3.2 Moral Relativism
3.3 Morality Based on Consequences
3.4 Morality Based on Duty and Rights
3.5 Morality Based on Prima Facie Principles
3.6 Morality Based on Character
3.7 Feminist Ethics and the Ethics of Care
3.8 Albert Camus: An Existentialist Voice
3.9 Confucianism
Review Notes
Key Terms
Fiction: Ursula K. Le Guin, "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"
Probing Questions
For Further Reading

Chapter 4: Mind and Body
4.1 Overview: The Mind-Body Problem
4.2 Substance Dualism
4.3 Mind-Body Identity
4.4 The Mind as Software
4.5 The Mind as Properties
Review Notes
Key Terms
Fiction: Terry Bisson, "They're Made Out of Meat"
Probing Questions
For Further Reading

Chapter 5: Free Will and Determinism
5.1 Overview: The Free Will Problem
5.2 Determinism and Indeterminism
5.3 Compatibilism
5.4 Libertarianism
5.5 Sartre's Profound Freedom
Review Notes
Key Terms
Fiction: Thomas D. Davis, "A Little Omniscience Goes a Long Way"
Probing Questions
For Further Readings

Chapter 6: Knowledge and Skepticism
6.1 Overview: The Problem of Knowledge
6.2 The Rationalist Road
6.3 The Empiricist Turn
6.4 The Kantian Compromise
6.5 A Feminist Perspective on Knowledge
Review Notes
Key Terms
Fiction: Lewis Carroll, "Through the Looking-Glass"
Probing Questions
For Further Reading

Chapter 7: Aesthetics
7.1 Overview: Philosophy of Beauty
7.2 What is Art?
7.3 Aesthetic Value
7.4 Plato, Aristotle, and Hume
Review Notes
Key Terms
Fiction: Edgar Allan Poe, "The Oval Portrait"
Probing Questions
For Further Reading

Chapter 8: The Just Society
8.1 Overview: Justice and Political Philosophy
8.2 Plato's Theory: Justice as Merit
8.3 Social Contract Theories
8.4 Socialist Theories
8.5 Feminism and Social Justice
Review Notes
Key Terms
Fiction: William Golding, "Lord of the Flies"
Probing Questions
For Further Reading

Chapter 9: The Meaning of Life
9.1 Overview: Philosophy and the Meaning of Life
9.2 Pessimism: Life Has No Meaning
9.3 Optimism: Life Can Have Meaning
Review Notes
Fiction: Voltaire, "The Good Brahmin"
Probing Questions
For Further Reading

Notes
Glossary
Credits
Index of Marginal Quotations
General Index