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4On Being Me: A Personal Invitation to Philosophy (review)The Philosophers' Magazine 90 129-130. 2020.
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9The Wisdom of Frugality: Why Less is More - More or LessPrinceton University Press. 2016.From Socrates to Thoreau, most philosophers, moralists, and religious leaders have seen frugality as a virtue and have associated simple living with wisdom, integrity, and happiness. But why? And are they right? Is a taste for luxury fundamentally misguided? If one has the means to be a spendthrift, is it foolish or reprehensible to be extravagant? In this book, Emrys Westacott examines why, for more than two millennia, so many philosophers and people with a reputation for wisdom have been advoc…Read more
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Relativism and the Critique of ReasonDissertation, The University of Texas at Austin. 1995.In this work I examine the nature of, the motivations for, and some important objections to a relativistic conception of truth and rationality. I define relativism, in its most general form, as consisting of two claims: the truth value of all judgements is relative to some particular standpoint; no standpoint is supremely privileged over all others. These theses constitute the doctrinal kernel of most forms of contemporary relativism, and understood properly, I argue, they represent a coherent p…Read more
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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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18Right on the money (review)The Philosophers' Magazine 65 125-126. 2014.Review of 'How much is enough?' by Robert and Edward Skidelsky
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72Interactive MeditationsTeaching Philosophy 25 (1): 41-52. 2002.This essay provides a number of interactive group activities that promote discussion of Descartes’ “Meditations” and “Discourse on Method”. The activities are suitable for small discussion groups (four of five students in each group) and supply students with well defined tasks rather than general questions. The activities consider a numerous topics in Descartes work, including (for example) how to defend the idea that reason should be the supreme epistemic authority, how Descartes distinguishes …Read more
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38The Virtues of Our Vices: A Modest Defense of Gossip, Rudeness, and Other Bad HabitsPrinceton University PressThe book contains chapters on rudeness, gossiping, snobbery, humour, and respect for beliefs.
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89The little thingsThe Philosophers' Magazine 26 20-21. 2004.This article argues that the supposedly small moral issues in everyday life are worthy of philosophical attention since they reveal much about character, values, and the complexity of moral judgements.
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43The Contemporary Relevance of Socrates' question to EuthyphroThink 2 (5): 69-72. 2003.Emrys Westacott explains one of the most famous and ubiquitous of all philosophical dilemmas
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48RelativismPhilosophy Now. 2001.An allegorical elucidation of cognitive relativism which compares our criteria for judging a belief rational or true to recipes for making bread.
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92Does Surveillance Make Us Morally Better?Philosophy Now 79 6-9. 2010.The article examines how surveillance may on the one hand discourage us from doing wrong while at the same time making us less moral in another sense, since it encourages us to avoid wrongdoing purely out of self-interest.
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16The Placebo EffectPhilosophy Now 55 50-54. 2006.A humorous short story about a company that tries marketing a placebo as a more expensive drug on the grounds that doing this will both maximize their profits and benefit the greatest number, since research shows the placebo to be highly effective if marketed as something else
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53The joy of living StoicallyThe Philosophers' Magazine 58 119-120. 2012.Review of William Irvine's 'A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy'
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16Depths of the mundaneThe Philosophers' Magazine 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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165. Why Should I Respect Your Stupid Opinion?In The Virtues of Our Vices: A Modest Defense of Gossip, Rudeness, and Other Bad Habits, Princeton University Press. pp. 215-260
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102. The Ethics of GossipingIn The Virtues of Our Vices: A Modest Defense of Gossip, Rudeness, and Other Bad Habits, Princeton University Press. pp. 53-99
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19Galahad vs OdysseusPhilosophy Now 90 20-25. 2012.The article identifies two basic views of cheating and gamesmanship in sport: the Galahadian view which sees such practices as fundamentally dishonourable; and the Odyssean view which sees them as legitimate strategies for winning. There are pragmatic arguments on both sides, but on balance the Galahadian perspective is preferable in most sports. A similar conflict of outlooks occurs in fields beyond sport also: e.g. over whether someone holding a bad mortgage should keep paying or default.
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121. The Rights and Wrongs of RudenessIn The Virtues of Our Vices: A Modest Defense of Gossip, Rudeness, and Other Bad Habits, Princeton University Press. pp. 13-52
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18Relativism, Truth, and Implicit CommitmentsInternational Studies in Philosophy 32 (2): 95-126. 2000.
Tinkertown, New York, United States of America
Areas of Specialization
Metaphysics |
Normative Ethics |
Areas of Interest
Applied Ethics |
19th Century Philosophy |
Philosophy, General Works |