•  7
    The Essential Leviathan: A Modernized Edition (edited book)
    Hackett Publishing Company. 2016.
    This edition of _Leviathan_ is intended to provide the reader with a modestly abridged text that is straightforward and accessible, while preserving Hobbes' main lines of argument and of thought. It is meant for those who wish to focus primarily on the philosophical aspects of the work, apart from its stylish but often daunting early modern prose. The editors have updated language, style, punctuation, and grammar throughout. Very long, complicated sentences have been broken into two or more sent…Read more
  •  1
    A Response to Critics
    Florida Philosophical Review 14 (1): 64-68. 2014.
    As both commentators have noted, American Philosophy: The Basics contains an expanded conception of American philosophy and, in addition, it is a challenge to the very conception of what philosophy is. The traditional categories such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and other areas of philosophical inquiry are the primary divisions in each chapter of the book, but that is perhaps the point at which nothing is quite the same. The themes of the book are the practical applications of philosoph…Read more
  •  1
    Gratitude, Disability, and Philosophy
    Florida Philosophical Review 13 (1): 1-13. 2013.
    In this presidential address, the author argues that being disabled is being a “misfit,” and that being a philosopher is often considered to be something like a disability, rendering philosophy, and philosophers, misfits as well. But not all disabilities are negative, and there are even cases in which disability can be something for which the disabled person and others can be grateful. Comparing her own physical disability that renders her a “misfit” to philosophy as a misfit discipline, the aut…Read more
  • The Sovereign as Agent in Hobbes' Political Theory
    Dissertation, University of South Florida. 1995.
    In contrast to most interpretations of Hobbes, I suggest that his discussion of conditions in the state of nature would lead to the institution of limited sovereignty. I argue that individuals in the state of nature as Hobbes describes them are capable of distinguishing and rationally choosing between types of contracts and would choose an open-ended but limited contract for governmental services managed by what R.H. Coase calls an "agent." ;Hobbes holds that the sovereign must be absolute due t…Read more
  •  18
    _American Philosophy: The Basics_ introduces the history of American thought from early Calvinists to the New England Transcendentalists and from contract theory to contemporary African American philosophy. The key question it asks is: what it is that makes American Philosophy unique? This lively and compelling book moves through key periods in the development of American thought from the founding fathers to the transcendentalists and pragmatists to contemporary social commentators. Readers are …Read more
  • Reconciling With Harm: An Alternative To Forgiveness And Revenge
    Florida Philosophical Review 10 (1): 88-111. 2010.
    With respect to wrongdoing and harm, most accounts of forgiveness focus on benefits of forgiving to the forgiver and others; some advocate vengeance against a wrongdoer; and others argue for reconciliation. However, forgiveness, revenge, and traditional reconciliation may be impossible, inappropriate, or morally undesirable in cases in which people suffer from wounds and scars not healed by time that can and do alter irrevocably one’s ability to make choices, take actions, or enjoy life fully. I…Read more
  •  11
    _Asking Good Questions_ moves beyond a traditional discussion of ethical theory, focusing on how educators can use these important frameworks to facilitate critical thinking about real-life ethical dilemmas. In this way, authors Nancy Stanlick and Michael Strawser offer students a theoretical tool kit for creatively addressing issues that influence their own environments. This text begins with a discussion of key ethical theorists and then guides the reader through a series of original case stud…Read more
  •  47
    Understanding Digital Ethics: Cases and Contexts
    with Jonathan Beever and Rudy McDaniel
    Routledge. 2019.
    Given the rapid changes in technology and the growing use of electronic media there is a need for better understanding the ethical and social implications of digital media. The effects of digital media have significant ethical implications which are easy to overlook, given the embeddedness of the digital in our everyday lives. _Understanding Digital Ethics_ offers a philosophically grounded consideration of digital ethics and: Defines and critically evaluates the impact of digital ethics on soci…Read more
  •  58
    Individual-Centered Collaborative Research
    Teaching Philosophy 30 (1): 85-110. 2007.
    A method of assigning, assessing, and utilizing individual-centered collaborative research groups enhances student learning, addresses problems of academic integrity such as plagiarism and free-riding in groups, and incorporates the insights of recent literature on the value of collaboration between and among philosophers and scientists. The method stresses the value of collaborative research while maintaining appropriate focus on individual contributions to avoid problems normally encountered i…Read more