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42The Fragility of CivilityDialogue and Universalism 23 (3): 109-122. 2013.This paper explores civility as a virtue for individuals within the sphere of civil society. Civil society is conceived as consisting of voluntary associations regulated by persuasion, praise, and shame. The virtue of civility is a key value for members of the associations of civil society. The paper considers circumstances in which institutions of civil society breakdown and in which unscrupulous and un-civil operators take advantage of more civil members. While admitting that civility is a fra…Read more
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24Twenty Years of Philosophy in the Contemporary WorldPhilosophy in the Contemporary World 20 (2): 87-101. 2013.
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24Toward an Ethics of TimePhilosophy in the Contemporary World 7 (2-3): 33-41. 2000.This essay does not argue for any specific conception of time as ethically superior or significant, but argues that the conception of time we choose from among possible such conceptions has ethical consequences.
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28Transformative Pacifism in Theory and Practice: Gandhi, Buber, and the Dream of a Great and Lasting PeaceDialogue and Universalism 26 (4): 133-148. 2016.Pacifists imagine a “great peace,” to borrow a phrase from Martin Buber. This great peace will uphold justice and respect for humanity. It will not efface difference or negate liberty and identity. The great peace will be a space in which genuine dialogue can flourish—in which we can encounter one another as persons, listen to one another, embrace our common humanity, and acknowledge our differences. The great peace is much more than the absence of war. It is holistic, organic, dialogical, and t…Read more
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79Radical forgiveness and human justiceHeythrop Journal 53 (3): 494-506. 2012.The most substantial source for thinking about forgiveness is Christian ethics. Some Christians offer forgiveness even for atrocities in the absence of repentance and reparations. The paper critically examines Christian idealism about forgiveness, while looking beyond Christianity toward a humanistic approach that acknowledges the tragic conflict between forgiveness and justice. Christian forgiveness is part of a radical revaluation of values regarding the goods of this world, personal identity,…Read more
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10The Bush Doctrine, Democratization, and Humanitarian Intervention A Just War CritiqueTheoria 54 (114): 28-47. 2007.What has come to be known as ‘the Bush Doctrine’ is an idealistic approach to international relations that imagines a world transformed by the promise of democracy and that sees military force as an appropriate means to utilize in pursuit of this goal. The Bush Doctrine has been described in various ways. It has been called ‘democratic realism,’ ‘national security liberalism,’ ‘democratic globalism,’ and ‘messianic universalism’.1 Another common claim is that this view is ‘neoconservative’.2 In …Read more
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33Linguistic Nationalism and Linguistic Diversity in German IdealismEpoché: A Journal for the History of Philosophy 9 (1): 159-183. 2004.Hegel did not have an adequate appreciation of linguistic diversity. This lapse is linked to Hegel’s Eurocentric view of history and culture. Hegel’s view of language is considered within the context of Leibniz’s hope for a universal philosophical language, the metacritique of Kant, and Fichte’s linguistic nationalism. Hegel overcomes the sort of nationalism found in Fichte. And Hegel aspires toward the universal while recognizing the importance of concrete historical language. However, he does …Read more
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4The Peace of Nature and the Nature of Peace: Essays on Ecology, Nature, Nonviolence, and Peace (edited book)Brill | Rodopi. 2015.The _Peace of Nature and the Nature of Peace_ is a collection of philosophical essays that provides critical reflection on nonviolence, ecology, environmental ethics, and the philosophy of peace.
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45Toleration and the Limits of the Moral ImaginationPhilosophy in the Contemporary World 10 (2): 33-40. 2003.This essay discusses one source of toleration: a modest recognition of the limits of our ability to imagine the situation of the other. It further connects this with both respect for the autonomy of the other and the moral need to engage the other in dialogue. The conclusion is that toleration is important in light of the ubiquity of failures of the moral imagination. It considers several examples of the failure of the moral imagination, including a discussion of the Hindu practice of sati or wi…Read more
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19Sacrifice, Abandonment, and Historical NihilismJournal of the Philosophy of History 9 (1): 51-70. 2015.
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59The Bush Doctrine, Democratization, and Humanitarian Intervention
A Just War CritiqueTheoria 54 (114): 28-47. 2007.What has come to be known as ‘the Bush Doctrine’ is an idealistic approach to international relations that imagines a world transformed by the promise of democracy and that sees military force as an appropriate means to utilize in pursuit of this goal. The Bush Doctrine has been described in various ways. It has been called ‘democratic realism,’ ‘national security liberalism,’ ‘democratic globalism,’ and ‘messianic universalism’.1 Another common claim is that this view is ‘neoconservative’.2 In …Read more -
23Political Skepticism and Anarchist Themes in the American TraditionEuropean Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy 5 (2). 2013.This article describes a generally trend in American thought that is skeptical of social and political institutions. This trend can be described as a sort of philosophical anarchism. It develops out of pragmatist and skeptical criticism of absolutism in both philosophical and political systems. This paper traces this theme from its early roots in American Christian anarchism, through transcendentalists such as Emerson and Thoreau, and on to the work of William James and Jane Addams. It also outl…Read more
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2Sami Pihlström, Naturalizing the Transcendental: A Pragmatic View Reviewed byPhilosophy in Review 24 (6): 430-432. 2004.
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45Practical Pacifism,jus in bello, and citizen responsibilityEthical Perspectives 13 (4): 673-697. 2006.This article discusses how ordinary citizens might apply principles of jus in bello. It reaches a sceptical conclusion about citizens’ capacity to apply these principles and connects this with a practical approach to pacifism or, what might also be called, just-war pacifism.This discussion is oriented around events in the war in Iraq including the use of cluster bombs and the commission of war crimes. It uses these events to discuss the question of jus in bello and to also address the question o…Read more
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28The Irony of Political PhilosophyPhilosophy in the Contemporary World 5 (1): 11-19. 1998.Political philosophy is a paradoxical attempt to bring reason to bear upon a subject matter that is irrational. This problem has been side-stepped by many contemporary political thinkers. Political theorists like Iris Young, Michael Sandel, Jean Elshtain, Robert Bork, and Richard Peterson acknowledge that contemporary political life, with its lack of democratic participation and its undemocratic, bureaucratic institutions, is undergoing a legitimation crisis. These theorists offer philosophical …Read more
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133Stoic toleranceRes Publica 9 (2): 149-168. 2003.This article considers the virtue of tolerance as it is found in Epictetus and MarcusAurelius. It defines the virtue of tolerance and links it to the Stoic idea of proper control of the passions in pursuit of both self-sufficiency and justice. It argues that Stoic tolerance is neither complete in difference nor a species of relativism. Finally, it discusses connections between the moral virtue of Stoic tolerance and the idea of political toleration found in modern liberalism.
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12Page 21-36, Religion in Schools: Negotiating the New Commons by Michael D. Waggoner, 2013, reproduced by permission of Rowman & Littlefield https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781475801613/Religion-in-the-Public-Schools-Negotiating-the-New-Commons. All rights reserved. Please contact the publisher for permission to copy, distribute or reprint.
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Sami Pihlström, Naturalizing the Transcendental: A Pragmatic View (review)Philosophy in Review 24 430-432. 2004.
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18God, Reason, and EthicsPhilosophy in the Contemporary World 15 (2): 72-81. 2008.This paper examines the relation between ethics and religion in light of Ralph Ellis’ critique of religious fundamentalism. It argues against the recent revival of Divine Command ethics. It claims that love is in fact a central value and experience for the ethical life. But it maintains that Ralph Ellis’ humanistic approach to love is preferable to a religious approach. This argument is articulated with reference to theodicy and the problem of evil. The paper concludes that the condition of fini…Read more
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63Marcus Aurelius. A Guide for the Perplexed, by William O. StephensAncient Philosophy 34 (2): 458-462. 2014.
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39Moral Injury and Jus Ad BellumEssays in Philosophy 18 (2): 281-294. 2017.Although jus in bello violations create transgressive acts that cause moral injury, the primary consideration in thinking about moral injury should be jus ad bellum. If one is fighting in an ad bellum just war, then transgressive acts can be rationalized in a way that allows for consolation. But for morally sensitive combatants engaged in an ad bellum unjust war, consolation is more difficult since there is no way to justify or rationalize morally problematic deeds committed in defense of an unj…Read more
Areas of Specialization
Value Theory |
History of Western Philosophy |
Areas of Interest
Value Theory |
History of Western Philosophy |