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71Dialogue between a Priest and a Dying ManPhilosophy and Theology 12 (2): 341-358. 2000.The Marquis de Sade’s complete “Dialogue between a Priest and a Dying Man” is here rendered in English. It is accompanied by both a brief biography of Sade and a short history. A few words of introduction and on the appropriateness of the dialogue for the undergraduate classroom precede the English translation.
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59Infinity in DescartesPhilosophical Inquiry 17 (3-4): 23-38. 1995.The role of "infinite" (opposed to "indefinite") in Descartes philosophy. The character of being infinite is reserved for God alone, while extension and mathematics are strictly indefinitely large. The paper presents possible reasons behind this distinction.
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47Collective imaginings: Spinoza, past and present (review)Australasian Journal of Philosophy 79 (3). 2001.Book Information Collective Imaginings: Spinoza, Past and Present. By Moira Gatens and Genevieve Lloyd. Routledge. London and New York. 1999. Pp. vi + 169. Paperback, US$20.99, £12.00
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47Compatibilism In the First CritiqueIdealistic Studies 24 (2): 111-122. 1994.The claim that we have free will is so important to Kant that many of his commentators suggest that the entire structure and machinery of his Critique of Pure Reason is constructed solely for the purpose of sheltering free will from the devastating effects it suffers from empiricism. Indeed, Kant himself, in a famous line in the preface, tells us, “I have therefore found it necessary to deny knowledge, in order to make room for faith” [Bxxx]. The question of whether people are free willed or det…Read more
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46Review of Charlie Huenemann (ed.), Interpreting Spinoza: Critical Essays (review)Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews 2008 (7). 2008.
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38Author Q & AThe Philosophers' Magazine 61 (61): 125-126. 2013.Interview with Michael Bruce and Steven Barbone, editors of Just the Arguments.
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37Schlick On AestheticsIndian Philosophical Quarterly 24 (1): 105-113. 1997.Review of Mortiz Schlick's "Basic Problems of Aesthetics in the Light of Evolutionary Theory" and "On the Meaning of Life." From these, the paper suggests an aesthetic theory that describes art-making as play. This theory may be useful to identify artworks from non-artworks.
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37Bad Arguments: 100 of the Most Important Fallacies in Western Philosophy (edited book)Wiley-Blackwell. 2018.100+ logical, both formal and informal, fallacies explained and illustrated by important and famous arguments made in the history of philosophy.
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32Not Just “An Unmitigated and Seemingly Unmotivated Disaster”International Philosophical Quarterly 57 (3): 305-313. 2017.Much ink has been spilled over the so-called problem of the “eternity of the mind” in Spinoza’s Ethics, where he writes: “Nevertheless, we feel and experience that we are eternal.” The line is striking by what it seems to assert, namely, that we are eternal, but it is yet more striking if we are attentive to Spinoza’s word choices. If Spinoza had written instead that we know or understand (even if by experience) that we are eternal, the issue might be more easily resolved. But what can it mean t…Read more
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31Inspiration and Technique: Ancient to Modern Views on Beauty and Art edited by roe, john and michele stanco (review)Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 69 (3): 338-340. 2011.
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26Plato on the BeautifulLyceum 5 (2): 67-80. 1993.Examination of the concept of "beauty" as found across Plato's works. What is beautiful may well be what substantiates sophysune, a concept that refers to orderliness and measure.
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25Inneity in Descartes' regulaeTijdschrift Voor Filosofie 57 (2). 1995.This essay explores the question of a possible difference between innate and implanted ideas in the Regulae ad directionem ingentii. I maintain that, in this work, in order to avoid metaphysical difficulties in his account of error, Descartes introduces intothe mind an implanted ability which, while allowing for universal science, does not inherently rely on external objects for verification. Such a solution suspends metaphysicsin favor of epistemology
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23The Letters (edited book)Hackett Publishing Company. 1995.Samuel Shirley's splendid new translation, with critical annotation reflecting research of the last half-century, is the only edition of the complete text of Spinoza's correspondence available in English. An historical-philosophical Introduction, detailed annotation, a chronology, and a bibliography are also included.
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18Spinoza on Community, Affectivity, and Life ValuesDissertation, Marquette University. 1997.Spinoza's ethics is founded on the idea that we are egoists who should do nothing but search our own advantage , but that in doing so, this is when we are most virtuous, most moral, and most social . Community, taken in any sense stronger than a mere collection of things, only occurs, then, when each is drawn to seek his self-interest. ;Spinoza would hold that no study of ethics can be done in a metaphysical vacuum . To discuss the ethics of an individual existing in community, one must first ad…Read more
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13The Problem of EvilIn Michael Bruce & Steven Barbone (eds.), Just the Arguments, Wiley‐blackwell. 2011-09-16.
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12Just the Arguments: 100 of the Most Important Arguments in Western Philosophy (edited book)Wiley-Blackwell. 2011._Does the existence of evil call into doubt the existence of God? Show me the argument._ Philosophy starts with questions, but attempts at answers are just as important, and these answers require reasoned argument. Cutting through dense philosophical prose, 100 famous and influential arguments are presented in their essence, with premises, conclusions and logical form plainly identified. Key quotations provide a sense of style and approach. _Just the Arguments_ is an invaluable one-stop argument…Read more
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12Introduction: Show Me the ArgumentsIn Michael Bruce Steven Barbone (ed.), Just the Arguments: 100 of the Most Important Arguments in Western Philosophy, Wiley-blackwell. pp. 1-6. 2011.Introduction to edited volume, Just the Arguments: 100 of the Most Important Arguments in Western Philosophy.
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11The Principles of Cartesian Philosophy: And, Metaphysical Thoughts (edited book)Hackett Publishing. 1998.Samuel Shirley's translations of Baruch Spinoza's Principles of Cartesian Philosophy and Metaphysical Thoughts along with commentary, introduction, and analytic tables.
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11The problem of evilIn Michael Bruce & Steven Barbone (eds.), Just the Arguments: 100 of the Most Important Arguments in Western Philosophy, Wiley-blackwell. pp. 35-7. 2011.This short chapter evaluates the logic of Epicurus' argument that considers the problem of evil (how could an all powerful, all knowing, and all good God permit the existence of evil?) It is part of larger set of evaluations of famous arguments presented in the history of philosophy.
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10Introduction: Show me the ArgumentsIn Michael Bruce & Steven Barbone (eds.), Just the Arguments, Wiley‐blackwell. 2011-09-16.This chapter contains sections titled: Philosophy of Religion Metaphysics Epistemology Ethics Philosophy of Mind Science and Language How to Use This Book.
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9El número en AgustínAugustinus 44 (172-175): 35-49. 1999.This article, translated by Jose ARNOZ, examines the role of number in Augustine's philosophy. While the analysis focuses on the sixth book of De musica and the second book of De libero arbitrio, it does include some of Augustine's other works. I argue that number plays many roles for Augustine including forming notions of ordinary arithmetic, describing meter and rhythm, but most importantly, forming every created object. As a result, every created thing has within it a residual number which co…Read more
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9Irrelevant ConclusionIn Robert Arp, Steven Barbone & Michael Bruce (eds.), Bad Arguments, Wiley. 2018-05-09.This chapter focuses on one of the common fallacies in Western philosophy called 'irrelevant conclusion'. The fallacy of irrelevant conclusion, also known as the ignoratio elenchi (“ignorance of the proof”) fallacy, is, in effect, the parent of all other fallacies since every fallacy yields a conclusion that even if it be true is not related – that is, is irrelevant – to the premises of the argument. Arguments that commit the irrelevant conclusion fallacy all end with a conclusion that is not re…Read more
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9What counts as an Individual for Spinoza?In Olli Koistinen & J. I. Biro (eds.), Spinoza: Metaphysical Themes, Oxford University Press. pp. 89-112. 2002.Very close analysis of Baruch Spinoza's wording in describing individuals rather than things. Individuals, but not collections such as a political state or club, each have their own specific conatus, or essence. Collectivities, like nations or institutions, fail to meet this necessary condition of individuation.
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8AccidentIn Robert Arp, Steven Barbone & Michael Bruce (eds.), Bad Arguments, Wiley. 2018-05-09.This chapter focuses on one of the common fallacies in Western philosophy called ‘accident’. This fallacy often occurs when people let their attention become distracted by factors, which may be true, other than those relevant in an argument. While the fallacy of accident is an informal fallacy, people can imagine that it has something like this as a form: General principle or rule X applies across the board; particular case x is an example of X; and thus X applies to x. One way to detect or to a…Read more
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6Converse AccidentIn Robert Arp, Steven Barbone & Michael Bruce (eds.), Bad Arguments, Wiley. 2018-05-09.This chapter focuses on one of the common fallacies in Western philosophy called “converse accident (CA)”. The fallacy of CA occurs in much the same way as the fallacy of hasty generalization. Not unlike its other related fallacy, accident, which applies a general principle to a particular case to which it does not apply, CA instead generalizes over some cases, or even over one particular case, to make a more sweeping conclusion. This fallacious way of thinking is especially noxious since it oft…Read more
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3Spinoza and cognitivism: A critiqueStudia Spinozana: An International and Interdisciplinary Series 8 223-230. 1992.
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17th/18th Century Philosophy |
Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy |
History of Western Philosophy, Misc |