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62Review essay : Hilary Putnam, words and life, ed. James Conant (cambridge, ma: Harvard university press, 1994Philosophy and Social Criticism 24 (1): 103-108. 1998.
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66How not to accuse someone of prejudiceThink 14 (41): 21-29. 2015.In discussions of racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice, two kinds of fallacious reasoning sometimes appear: the and the. The first fallacy treats someone's subjective response to a comment as sufficient evidence of prejudice or insensitivity. This fails to acknowledge that the reasonableness of the response is always an open question. The second fallacy involves dismissing what people accused of prejudice say in their defence on the grounds that the privileged always speak that way. This…Read more
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36Thinking Through Philosophy: An IntroductionCambridge University Press. 2000.Chris Horner and Emrys Westacott present a clear and accessible introduction to some of the central problems of philosophy through challenging and stimulating the reader to think beyond the conventional answers to fundamental questions. No previous knowledge is assumed, and in lively and provocative chapters the authors invite the reader to explore questions about the nature of science, religion, ethics, politics, art, the mind, the self, knowledge and truth. Each chapter includes inset boxes pr…Read more
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55The Rights and Wrongs of RudenessInternational Journal of Applied Philosophy 20 (1): 1-22. 2006.Rudeness is normally viewed as a moral failing, but there are times when it is excusable or even justified. In this article I propose a definition of the concept that helps us ascertain whether, why, and to what extent a rude action is blameworthy or excusable. I consider the most common sorts of circumstance in which rudeness is morally acceptable, and I argue that the perceived increase in rudeness is, in large part, a consequence of our living in a dynamic society where egalitarian attitudes …Read more
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65Depths of the mundaneThe Philosophers' Magazine 49 (49): 89-92. 2010.Why eschew luxury? The traditional arguments for frugality typically focus on what is good for the individual. Some see frugality as morally valuable because it tends to be associated with other virtues such as wisdom, honesty, or sincerity. Some find the natural, uncluttered, focused character of a simple lifestyle aesthetically appealing. The most common argument, though, is that simple living is the surest route – some even say the only route – to happiness.
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26Some Objections to an Objectivist Conception of Intrinsic ValueSouthwest Philosophy Review 10 (1): 177-186. 1994.
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36On the Motivations for RelativismCogito 12 (3): 217-222. 1998.This article considers four reasons why a cognitive relativist might have for embracing relativism even while denying that as a theoretical position it is true in a non-relative sense.
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104. “That’s not funny—that’s sick!”In The Virtues of Our Vices: A Modest Defense of Gossip, Rudeness, and Other Bad Habits, Princeton University Press. pp. 162-214
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Metaphysics |
Normative Ethics |
Areas of Interest
Applied Ethics |
19th Century Philosophy |
Philosophy, General Works |