Serial Killers - Philosophy for Everyone

EditorS. Waller is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Montana State University Bozeman. Her areas of research are philosophy of neurology, philosophy of cognitive ethology (especially dolphins, wolves, and coyotes), and philosophy of mind, specifically the parts of the mind we disavow. Series EditorFritz Allhoff is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University’s Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. In addition to editing the Philosophy for Everyone series, Allhoff is the volume editor or co-editor for several titles, including Wine & Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007), Whiskey & Philosophy (with Marcus P. Adams, Wiley, 2009), and Food & Philosophy (with Dave Monroe, Wiley-Blackwell, 2007).

"I found this book enlightening in many ways and on some things I'm not going to make too many mistakes if I use such people in any of my stories. I should also point out that none of the material is too graphic and centres mostly on what makes serial killers tick even if there is no precise pattern." (SFCrowsnest.co.uk, 1 April 2011) "If you're a Dexter fan looking for someplace to start in learning about real-life serial killers, this is a solid and fairly complete volume to start with. At a slim 248 pages, it's also ideal for those who don't have the time to invest in a larger volume. As the title of the series implies, this really is a book that's accessible to everyone." (Digital Air Waves, November 2010)"There is very little to complain about here. The language used is simple and it certainly leaves the reader with plenty of food for thought." (Curious Book Fan, November 2010)"One thing I can say about this book, is it stays in your head, at least parts of it. Weeks after reading Serial Killers, Philosophy for Everyone, I still can't help but come back to the section concerning Dexter and how peoples outlook on a serial killer changes based on what they know of a serial killers background and family life. The book is definitely a conversation starter, having many since adding it to my coffee table books. You can always tell whose interested and who tries to pretend they don't see it." (Gatekeeper Chronicles blog, November 2010)

• Foreword viiiJohn M. DorisAcknowledgments xiS. WallerIntroduction: Meditations on Murder, or What is so Philosophical about Serial Killers? 1S. Waller and William E. DealPart I I THINK THEREFORE I KILL: The Philosophical Musings of Serial Killers 151 Man is the Most Dangerous Animal of All: A Philosophical Gaze into the Writings of the Zodiac Killer 17Andrew M. Winters2 A Philosophy of Serial Killing: Sade, Nietzsche, and Brady at the Gates of Janus 29David Schmid3 The Situation of the Jury: Attribution Bias in the Trials of Accused Serial Killers 41Mark AlfanoPart II Can You Blame Them? Ethics, Evil, And Serial Killing 514 Serial Killers as Practical Moral Skeptics: A Historical Survey with Interviews 53Amanda Howard5 Are Psychopathic Serial Killers Evil? Are They Blameworthy for What They Do? 66Manuel Vargas6 Sympathy for the Devil: Can a Serial Killer Ever Be Good? 78Matthew BrophyPart III DANGEROUS INFATUATIONS: The Public Fascination with Serial Killers 917 The Allure of the Serial Killer 93Eric Dietrich and Tara Fox Hall8 Dexter’s Dark World: The Serial Killer as Superhero 103Susan AmperPart IV A EULOGY FOR EMOTION: The Lack of Empathy and the Urge to Kill 1159 Killing with Kindness: Nature, Nurture, and the Female Serial Killer 117Elizabeth Schechter and Harold Schechter10 It Puts the Lotion in the Basket: The Language of Psychopathy 129Chris Keegan11 Are Serial Killers Cold-Blooded Killers? 141Andrew TerjesenPart V Creepy Cognition: Talking and Thinking About Serial Killers 15312 The Serial Killer was (Cognitively) Framed 155William E. Deal13 Wolves and Widows: Naming, Metaphor, and the Language of Serial Murder 166Wendy M. Zirngibl14 An Arresting Conversation: Police Philosophize about the Armed and Dangerous 178S. Waller (with Diane Amarillas and Karen Kos)Part VI Psycho-ology: Killer Mindsets and Meditations on Murder 18915 Psychopathy and Will to Power: Ted Bundy and Dennis Rader 191Richard M. Gray16 The Thread of Death, or the Compulsion to Kill 206J. S. PivenA Solemn Afterword: A Message from the Victim’s Network 218Mary MillerA Timeline of Serial Killers 222Amanda HowardNotes on Contributors 226