Thoughtful essays on the history, significance, and pleasures of whiskeyEveryone becomes a philosopher with a drink in hand, but Whiskey & Philosophy takes this natural pairing to a new level. It explores a range of philosophical topics related to whiskey through engaging reflections written by philosophers, whiskey writers, and others.You will learn things that are both practical (how do tasting notes vary across guides and whiskey brands?) and th...

A provocative philosophical investigation into the ethics of torture, The War on Terror, and making tough choices in exceptional circumstances.The general consensus among philosophers is that the use of torture is never justified. In Terrorism, Ticking Time-Bombs, and Torture, Fritz Allhoff demonstrates the weakness of the case against torture; while allowing that torture constitutes a moral wrong, he nevertheless argues that, in exceptional cases, it repr...

This book is a collection of original, interdisciplinary essays on the topic of medical error. Given the complexities of understanding, preventing, and responding to medical error in ethically responsible ways, the scope of the book is fairly broad. The contributors include top scholars and practitioners working in bioethics, communication, law, medicine and philosophy. Their contributions examine preventable causes of medical error, disproportionate impacts of errors on vulnerable populat...

Philosophical and ethical discussions of warfare are often tied to emerging technologies and techniques. Today we are presented with what many believe is a radical shift in the nature of war-the realization of conflict in the cyber-realm, the so-called "fifth domain" of warfare. Does an aggressive act in the cyber-realm constitute an act of war? If so, what rules should govern such warfare? Are the standard theories of just war capable of analyzing and assessing this mode of conflict? Thes...

Interest in NFIB v. Sebelius has been extraordinarily high, from as soon as the legislation was passed, through lower court rulings, the Supreme Court’s grant of certiorari, and the decision itself, both for its substantive holdings and the purported behind-the-scene dynamics. Legal blogs exploded with analysis, bioethicists opined on our collective responsibilities, and philosophers tackled concepts like ‘coercion’ and the activity/inactivity distinction. This volume aims to brin...

This new Handbook offers a comprehensive overview of contemporary extensions and alternatives to the just war tradition in the field of the ethics of war.The modern history of just war has typically assumed the primacy of four particular elements: jus ad bellum, jus in bello, the state actor, and the solider. This book will put these four elements under close scrutiny, and will explore how they fare given the following challenges:• What role do the traditi...

The bicycle has been described as the most perfect of human inventions and its ability to inspire cannot be underrated after all, Einstein claimed that the theory of relativity came to him whilst cycling. And so bicycling and philosophy create the perfect tandem; both teach us to confront realities about the world and ourselves, and to pursue lofty ideals. Investigating the connections between the intellectual and physical sides of cycling, this book rides over important philosophical terr...

Everyone becomes a philosopher with a drink in hand, but Whiskey and Philosophy takes this natural pairing to a new level. From the first reference to Scotch in 1494 in the records of King James IV of Scotland to Hillary Clinton tossing back that famous shot of Crown Royal during the 2008 campaign, this spirited book captures the history of whiskey, its various forms, and its associated philosophical issues through engaging and accessible reflections written by philosophers, academics, jou...

Some wise men, a stable, a few sheep, and a young virgin giving birth to the mortal son of a prefect God: Christmas is one of Christianitys holiest days, and yet it is also a major pagan festival, a secular, cultural celebration, and a commercial event of epic proportions. As consumerism runs rife, have we lost sight of its very essence? Is celebrating Christmas really a good idea? From elves and Ebenezer Scrooge, to the culture wars and virgin birth, Christmas - Philosophy for Everyone un...

A hazy student phase? A harmless way to relax? An effective form of pain relief? Or a dangerous and addictive narcotic? The debate on the status and legality of cannabis continues to rage on. Here, personal anecdotes, combined with academic and scientific reports, wrestle with some of the fascinating issues associated with cannabis use. In these pages, philosophers, psychologists and medical experts (some of whom may even enjoy the occasional spliff) try to understand: What exactly does it...

They terrify us, and yet we love to read about them, to watch films about them, and some even fantasize about meeting them; this is the horror-pleasure reaction to serial killers whose gruesome acts hold a deep and disturbing lure. Serial Killers - Philosophy for Everyone offers a philosophical examination of real and fictional serial killers, and investigates our profound intrigue with serial-murderers. Authors from various academic fields, as well as true crime writers and police officer...

Love it or loathe it, pornography is as old as human civilization itself. Ancient humans were drawing porn on their cave walls long before it flourished under the Greeks and Romans. With the age of the internet, it has now reached epic proportions. This anthology takes the ever-controversial discussion of pornography out of solely academic circles; it expands the questions about porn that academics might tackle and opens the conversation to those who know it bestthe creators and users of p...