Consider Philosophy

Dr. Bruce N. Waller is Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Youngstown State University. He received his Ph.D. in 1979 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His other works include Consider Ethics: Theory, Readings, and Contemporary Issues, Critical Thinking: Consider the Verdict, You Decide! Current Debates in Criminal Justice, You Decide! Current Debates in Contemporary Moral Problems, You Decide! Current Debates in Introductory Philosophy, You Decide! Current Debates in Ethics, and Coffee and Philosophy: A Conversational Introduction to Philosophy with Readings.

It is not overloaded and excessive, nor is it superficial and "dumbed down." It contains important primary readings, helpful "questions for thought," and a useful glossary at the end of each chapter.—Professor Robert Gall, West Liberty State College  Wide-ranging, engaging, clear, comprehensible, geared toward students learning how to think philosophically rather than just understand or recite philosophical arguments.—Professor Julinna Oxley, Coastal Carolina University  Its got broad topical and historical coverage and it's organized well for semester teaching.—Professor Sean Stidd, Wayne State University  “The strength of the book is its straightforward writing style that doesn’t complicate things too much for intro students, and the questions for reflection that are at the end of the chapters. These are the kinds of questions my students could write an essay on instead of writing a paper.” — Julinna Oxley, Coastal Carolina University   “The text seems to strike the right balance in terms of the amount of material covered. It is not overloaded and excessive, nor is it superficial and "dumbed down." It contains important primary readings, helpful "questions for thought," and a useful glossary at the end of each chapter.” — Robert Gall, West Liberty State College  “The questions at the end of each chapter are great. They are not just questions of what was stated in the chapter, but are straightforward, compelling questions or thought experiments that students at any level could understand and attempt to answer. I also like the quotes in the boxes, which were from a wide variety of sources, including history and culture. These are useful and interesting without distracting from the main line of argument or questions being raised. The writing is also clear and straightforward, without too much complexity.” — Julinna Oxley, Coastal Carolina University   “The writing style is very clear and straightforward. This is great. The level is appropriate for students and is not so long-winded. (I think they would not complain about Waller’s writing.) Also, the examples used to introduce the topics at the beginning of each chapter are great. He also guides the reader through how to think of the issues, and doesn’t just try to explain things. Focus on determinism. Now that helps the student focus on the topic at hand which may be hard for them to do.” — Julinna Oxley, Coastal Carolina University  “I very much like the author’s writing style and his introduction to key issues in philosophy. He makes complicated issues interesting and accessible and he locates them within a broader social perspective that includes historical facts, religious pressures, and political conditions. This would be a very welcome addition to my teaching introduction to philosophy.” — Jennifer Lackey, Northwestern University

• Table of ContentsChapter One:  Thinking Critically and Cordially About Philosophy What is Philosophy?Thinking Critically and Playing FairDeductive and Inductive ArgumentsThinking Critically and CooperativelyIrrelevant Reason FallacyAd Hominem ArgumentsStrawman FallacyAppeal to AuthorityReadingsPlato, ApologyBertrand Russell, The Value of PhilosophyExercisesAdditional Reading                  Chapter Two:  Philosophical Questions About ReligionConceptions of GodArguments for the Existence of GodThe Cosmological ArgumentThe Ontological ArgumentThe Argument from DesignThe Intuitive ArgumentPascal’s WagerThe Problem of EvilOckham’s RazorDo Science and Religion Occupy Different Spheres?ReadingsFrom Genesis and ExodusSpinoza, from A Theologico-Political TreatiseAristotle, from The MetaphysicsSt. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (The Five Ways)Leibniz, from TheodicyStephen Gould, “Non-Overlapping Magisteria”Richard Dawkins,  “You Can’t Have it Both Ways: Irreconcilable Differences?”ExercisesAdditional Reading  Chapter Three:  What Can We Know?SkepticismDescartesCertaintyDescartes and ReasonDescartes’ Method of DoubtI Think, Therefore I ExistThe Lasting Influence of DescartesReadingsDescartes, Meditations, 1 and 2Wittgenstein, from On CertaintyExercisesAdditional Reading  Chapter Four:  Rationalism, Empiricism, KantRationalismGod said, Let Newton BeEmpiricismJohn LockeDavid HumeImmanuel KantReadingsDavid Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, sections 2 and 12Immanuel Kant, from Prolegomena to any Future MetaphysicsExercisesAdditional Reading  Chapter Five:  Contemporary EpistemologyPermanence and ChangeEvolutionDarwinPragmatismReadingsWilliam James, from PragmatismBertrand Russell, “Transatlantic Truth”John Dewey, from Reconstruction in PhilosophyExercisesAdditional Reading  Chapter Six:  What Is the Mind?Mechanism and the MindDescartes and Mind-Body DualismAdvantages of Mind-Body DualismProblems for Mind-Body Dualism InteractionismPreestablished HarmonyOccasionalismIdealismMaterialismDual-Aspect TheoryFunctionalismEpiphenomenalismConsciousnessReadingsDescartes, Meditations, 6Daniel Dennett, “Where Am I?”Thomas Nagel, “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?”ExercisesAdditional Reading             Chapter Seven: Personal IdentityPractical Implications of Personal IdentityPhysical IdentitySouls and Personal IdentityMemory and IdentityScience Fiction and Personal Identity ProblemsBeyond Personal IdentityStrains on Our Ordinary Concept of Personal IdentityIdentity and the OneThe Narrative Account of Personal IdentityNarrative TruthOur Modular BrainNarrative AccountabilityReadingsJohn Locke, from Essay Concerning Human UnderstandingDavid Hume, from A Treatise of Human NatureDerek Parfit, from Reasons and PersonsAlasdair MacIntyre, from After VirtueExercisesAdditional Reading  Chapter Eight: Fatalism, Determinism, Free WillFatalismFatalism and DeterminismDeterminismReactions to DeterminismReadingsLorenzo de Valla, “Dialogue on Free Will   Martin Luther, from Bondage of the WillDavid Hume, Enquiry Concerning the Human Understanding ExercisesAdditional Reading  Chapter 9: Is Free Will Compatible With Determinism?Does Determinism Destroy Creativity?Does Determinism Destroy Free Will?Hard DeterminismSoft Determinism (Compatibilism)Hume’s CompatibilismHierarchical CompatibilismChallenges to Hierarchical CompatibilismRationalist CompatibilismReadingsWilliam James, from PragmatismHarry G. Frankfurt, “Freedom of Will and the Concept of a Person”Susan Wolf, “Asymmetrical Freedom”ExercisesAdditional Reading  Chapter 10: Are We Morally Responsible?Libertarian Free WillWhat About Moral Responsibility?Strong Feelings and Moral ResponsibilityReadingsGiovanni Pico della Mirandola, “Oration on the Dignity of Man”C. A. Campbell, from On Selfhood and GodhoodThomas Nagel, “Moral Luck”Daniel Dennett, from Elbow RoomBruce N. Waller, “Uneven Starts and Just Deserts”ExercisesAdditional Reading  Chapter 11: Ethics: Reason and EmotionKantian Rationalist EthicsUtilitarian EthicsCriticisms of UtilitarianismReadingsDavid Hume, from A Treatise of Human NatureImmanuel Kant, from Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of MoralsJonathan Bennett, “The Conscience of Huckleberry Finn”John Stuart Mill, from UtilitarianismExercisesAdditional Reading  Chapter 12:  Ethical TheoriesDivine Command Theory of EthicsRelativismEgoismSocial Contract EthicsCare EthicsReadingsJames Rachels, “God and Human Attitudes”George N. Schlesinger, from New Perspectives on Old-Time ReligionElvin Hatch, “The Good Side of Relativism”Thomas Hobbes, LeviathanJean Hampton,“Two Faces of Contractarian Thought”Annette Baier,“What Do Women Want in a Moral Theory?”ExercisesAdditional Reading  Chapter 13:  Are There Objective Ethical Truths?IntuitionismVirtue EthicsEthical NonobjectivismThe Argument from DiversityThe Argument from QueernessContemporary Moral RealismReadingsW. D. Ross, from The Right and the GoodAristotle, from Nicomachean EthicsJ. L. Mackie, from Ethics: Inventing Right and WrongMichael Smith, “Realism”Richard Rorty, from Philosophy and Social HopeExercisesAdditional Reading  Chapter 14: Political PhilosophyJustification of GovernmentThe Social ContractObeying or Disobeying the LawLiberal and ConservativePositive and Negative LibertyReadingsJean-Jacques Rousseau, from “The Origin of Inequality”Henry David Thoreau, from “Resistance to Civil Government”John Stuart Mill, from On LibertyEric Mack, "Liberty and Justice"Hugh LaFollette, "Why Libertarianism Is Mistaken"ExercisesAdditional Reading