Stanford University
Department of Philosophy
PhD, 1973
Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
Areas of Specialization
17th/18th Century Philosophy
  •  2
    Contemporary Empiricism in Perspective
    Philosophy in Context 2 (9999): 39-43. 1973.
  •  38
    Hume’ Passions: Direct and Indirect
    Hume Studies 26 (1): 77-86. 2000.
    Book II of the Treatise minutely anatomizes the passions Hume dubbed “indirect.” As the account of pride, humility, love, and hatred unfolds, principles are uncovered, causes are exhaustively examined, experiments carried out, difficulties presented and solved. The barrage of detailed description and theorizing threatens to overwhelm even the most devoted of readers. By contrast, Hume’s explicit treatment of the direct passions appears perfunctory. Indeed, Hume states: “None of the direct affect…Read more
  •  111
    References to strength of mind, a character trait implying “the prevalence of the calm passions above the violent”, occur in a number of important discussions of motivation in the Treatise and the Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals. Nevertheless, Hume says surprisingly little about what strength of mind is, or how it is achieved. This paper argues that Hume’s theory of the passions can provide an interesting and defensible account of strength of mind. The paper concludes with a brief co…Read more
  •  49
    Locke on Personal Identity
    Philosophy Research Archives 3 113-144. 1977.
    In this paper I offer an analysis, reconstruction and defense of Locke's account of personal identity. I begin with a detailed analysis of Locke's use of the term 'conscious' in its historical context. This term, which plays a central role in Locke's theory, had senses in the seventeenth century which it does not have today. In the light of this analysis, an interpretation of continuity of consciousness as the ancestral of memory is given. It is argued that this interpretation of Locke's theory …Read more
  •  107
    Putnam's Brains
    Analysis 44 (2): 59--61. 1984.
  •  1
  • The Connection Between Impressions and Ideas
    Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Supplementary Volume 11 (n/a): 9. 1985.
  •  26
    In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:55. FURTHER REMARKS ON THE CONSISTENCY OF HUME'S ACCOUNT OF THE SELF Philosophers no longer discuss Hume's account of the self solely in order to attack it. In separate comments prompted by my paper "Is Hume's Self Consistent?" Biro and Beauchamp join the camp of the defenders of Hume's view. As another member of this group, I share their desire to give a sympathetic interpretation of Hume's discussion of the self and personal identi…Read more
  •  30
    This chapter contains section titled: Introduction Background Central Philosophical Issues in Works on the Passions The Weakness of Reason “Reason Directs and the Affections Execute”19 Hume's Connection to the Earlier Literature Central Philosophical Issues regarding the Passions: Hume's Alternative Analyses Conclusion Notes References and further reading.
  •  67
    Character: A Humean Account
    History of Philosophy Quarterly 7 (2). 1990.
  •  8
    The Connection Between Impressions and Ideas
    Canadian Journal of Philosophy 15 (sup1): 9-19. 1985.
  •  71
    Hume's Passions: Direct and Indirect
    Hume Studies 26 (1): 77-86. 2000.
    Book II of the Treatise minutely anatomizes the passions Hume dubbed “indirect.” As the account of pride, humility, love, and hatred unfolds, principles are uncovered, causes are exhaustively examined, experiments carried out, difficulties presented and solved. The barrage of detailed description and theorizing threatens to overwhelm even the most devoted of readers. By contrast, Hume’s explicit treatment of the direct passions appears perfunctory. Indeed, Hume states: “None of the direct affect…Read more
  •  22
    Chisholm on indirect attribution
    Philosophical Studies 43 (3). 1983.
    In "the first person" chisholm argues that the primary form of belief is non-Propositional belief about oneself. Belief about others is essentially indirect, Mediated by the attribution of a property to oneself. In this paper I argue that chisholm's account cannot give a non-Circular explanation of various plausible examples of "de re" belief
  •  30
    The idea of the self in the evolution of Hume’s account of the passions
    Canadian Journal of Philosophy 42 (S1): 171-182. 2012.
    Terence Penelhum has written extensively about the role of the idea of the self in Hume's account of the emotional and moral life of persons. Penelhum fails to notice, however, a change that takes place in the way that the idea of the self functions in Hume's account of the passions as that account evolved after the Treatise. This paper charts part of that evolution, and reflects on its significance for Hume's moral psychology.
  • Passion and Artifice in Hume's Account of Superstition'
    In D. Z. Phillips & Timothy Tessin (eds.), Religion and Hume's Legacy, St. Martin's Press, Scholarly and Reference Division. pp. 171--84. 1999.
  •  5
    Hume and the problem of personal identity
    In David Fate Norton & Jacqueline Anne Taylor (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Hume, Cambridge University Press. 1993.