Using the rule of law as its main theme, this text shows how abstract questions and concepts of legal philosophy are connected to concrete legal,... political, and social issues. The text addresses several modern controversies and challenges students to consider both sides of an argument, using sound, reasoned thinking.

Arguing about Law introduces philosophy of law in an accessible and engaging way. The reader covers a wide range of topics, from general jurisprudence,... law, the state and the individual, to topics in normative legal theory, as well as the theoretical foundations of public and private law. In addition to including many classics, Arguing About Law also includes both non-traditional selections and discussion of timely topical issues like the legal dimension of the war on terror. The editors provide lucid introductions to each section in which they give an overview of the debate and outline the arguments of the papers, helping the student get to grips with both the classic and core arguments and emerging debates in: the nature of law legality and morality the rule of law the duty to obey the law legal enforcement of sexual morality the nature of rights rights in an age of terror constitutional theory tort theory.  Arguing About Law is an inventive and stimulating reader for students new to philosophy of law, legal theory and jurisprudence.

Arguing about Metaethics collects together some of the most exciting contemporary work in metaethics in one handy volume. In it, many of the most... influential philosophers in the field discuss key questions in metaethics: Do moral properties exist? If they do, how do they fit into the world as science conceives it? If they don’t exist, then how should we understand moral thought and language? What is the relation between moral judgement and motivation? As well as these questions, this volume discusses a wide range of issues including moral objectivity, truth and moral judgements, moral psychology, thick evaluative concepts and moral relativism. The editors provide lucid introductions to each of the eleven themed sections in which they show how the debate lies and outline the arguments of the papers. Arguing about Metaethics is an ideal resource text for students at upper undergraduate or postgraduate level.  

Arguing about Metaphysics is a wide-ranging anthology that introduces students to one of the most fundamental areas of philosophy. It covers core topics... in metaphysics such as personal identity, the nature of being, time, and the concept of freedom. The volume contains scholarly articles by Quine, Lewis, van Inwagen and Pereboom, as well short works of science fiction that illustrate key ideas in metaphysics. The volume is divided into five parts, helping the student get to grips with classic and core arguments and emerging debates in: - On What There Is - Time and Time Travel - Change and Identity - Freedom - Worlds and Worldmaking Michael C. Rea provides lucid introductions to each section, giving an overview of the debate and outlining the arguments of each sections readings. Arguing About Metaphysics is a comprehensive and engaging reader for students who are new to philosophy.

Arguing About Political Philosophy is an engaging survey of political philosophy perfect for beginning and advanced undergraduates. Selections cover... classic philosophical sources such as Rousseau and Locke, as well as contemporary writers such as Nozick and Dworkin. In addition, this text includes a number of readings drawn from economics, literature, and sociology which serve to introduce philosophical questions about politics in a novel and intriguing way. As well as standard topics such as political authority and distributive justice, special attention is given to global issues which have become especially pressing in recent years, such as the right of individuals or groups to secede, the nature of global distributive justice, the morality of immigration, and the moral status of war and terrorism.   The volume is divided into 3 parts–Foundational Concepts; Government, the Economy and Morality; and Global Justice–helping the student get to grips with classic and core arguments and emerging debates in: political authority rights justice political economy property rights distributive justice freedom equality immigration war, humanitarianism, torture. Matt Zwolinski provides lucid and engaging introductions to each section, giving an overview of the debate and outlining the arguments of each section’s readings. Arguing About Political Philosophy is an exciting introduction for students new to political philosophy.

Arguing About Religion is an ideal collection for students interested in contemporary philosophy of religion and related disciplines. This volume brings... together primary readings from over 40 of the world’s leading philosophers of religion, covering a broad range of issues. Set alongside these works of academic philosophy are excerpts from controversial popular works by Daniel Dennett and Richard Dawkins, in order to introduce the philosophical issues in a way that demonstrates their relevance to everyday life and sets them in the context of contemporary cultural discourse. The volume is divided into 6 parts, helping the student get to grips with classic and core arguments. Topics covered include: methodological issues in philosophy of religion God’s nature and existence evil and divine hiddenness providence and interaction the afterlife religion and contemporary life Featuring lucid general and section introductions and a glossary by volume editor Kevin Timpe, Arguing About Religion is an ideal starting point for students coming to philosophy of religion for the first time.

Arguing About Science is an outstanding, engaging introduction to the essential topics in philosophy of science, edited by two leading experts in the... field. This exciting and innovative anthology contains a selection of classic and contemporary readings that examine a broad range of issues, from classic problems such as scientific reasoning; causation; and scientific realism, to more recent topics such as science and race; forensic science; and the scientific status of medicine. The editors bring together some of the most influential contributions of famous philosophers in the field, including John Stuart Mill and Karl Popper, as well as more recent extracts from philosophers and scientists such as Ian Hacking, Stephen Jay Gould, Bas van Fraassen, Nancy Cartwright, and John Worrall. The anthology is organised into nine clear sections: science, non science and pseudo-science race, gender and science scientific reasoning scientific explanation laws and causation science and medicine probability and forensic science risk, uncertainty and science policy scientific realism and anti-realism. The articles chosen are clear, interesting, and free from unnecessary jargon. The editors provide lucid introductions to each section in which they provide an overview of the debate, as well as suggestions for further reading.

Arguing About the Mind is an accessible, engaging introduction to the core questions in the philosophy of mind. This collection offers a selection of... thought-provoking articles that examine a broad range of issues from the mind and body relation to animal and artificial intelligence. Topics addressed include:  the problem of consciousness the nature of the mind the relationship between the mind, body and world the notion of selfhood pathologies and behavioural problems animal, machine and extra-terrestrial intelligence. The editors provide lucid introductions to each section, give an overview of the debate and outline the arguments of the papers. An original and stimulating reader, Arguing About the Mind is ideal for students new to the philosophy of mind.

Michael Walzer is one of the world’s most eminent philosophers on the subject of war and ethics. Now, for the first time since his classic Just and... Unjust Wars was published almost three decades ago, this volume brings together his most provocative arguments about contemporary military conflicts and the ethical issues they raise.The essays in the book are divided into three sections. The first deals with issues such as humanitarian intervention, emergency ethics, and terrorism. The second consists of Walzer’s responses to particular wars, including the first Gulf War, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. And the third presents an essay in which Walzer imagines a future in which war might play a less significant part in our lives. In his introduction, Walzer reveals how his thinking has changed over time.Written during a period of intense debate over the proper use of armed force, this book gets to the heart of difficult problems and argues persuasively for a moral perspective on war.

Arguing Across the Disciplines is the only text of its kind, combining instruction in argumentation with writing across the disciplines through... discussion of a diverse selection of classic and contemporary arguments in a wide range of disciplines.

A refreshing fusion of interpersonal human relations and argumentation! This clear and engaging volume is unique because of its dual focus. On the one... hand, the purpose is to instruct on the methods of argumentation theory. This represents a set of principles, methods, and strategies of argument that have evolved from the time of Ancient Greece. On the other hand, the intent is to teach human relations in argumentative situations, specifically, how to manage interpersonal relations during arguments. Books on argumentation and debate have tended to say little about how arguing can affect the relationship one has with an adversary. How do you prevent harm to a valued friendship, for instance? Moreover, books on interpersonal communication have had little to say about arguing. Instead, the emphasis is on achieving satisfying relations with others. The author shows that recent research makes it clear that argumentation and interpersonal communication are complementary areas of communication. Arguing constructively in informal interpersonal and small group contexts is a skill that can bring about good outcomes. Interpersonal communication instruction on building and maintaining satisfying relations with other people is lacking if it does not deal with how to do this while arguing, especially since argumentative communication probably will occur throughout a relationship. This book has been written to correct what has been perhaps too narrow a focus in the areas of argumentation and interpersonal communication.

This remarkakble collection of writings provides a wide diversity of answers to one of today's most emotionally charged questions. Spanning the whole... political spectrum and covering issues from jobs and the economy to race and culture, it includes the strong opinions of writers and critics from Toni Morrison to Francis Fukuyama.

Apocalyptic expectations of Armageddon and a New Age have been a fixture of the American cultural landscape for centuries. With the approach of the year... 2000, such millennial visions seem once again to be increasing in popularity. Stephen O'Leary sheds new light on the age-old phenomenon of the End of the Age by proposing a rhetorical explanation for the appeal of millennialism. Using examples of apocalyptic argument from ancient to modern times, O'Leary identifies the recurring patterns in apocalyptic texts and movements and shows how and why the Christian Apocalypse has been used to support a variety of political stances and programs. The book concludes with a critical review of the recent appearances of doomsday scenarios in our politics and culture, and a meditation on the significance of the Apocalypse in the nuclear age. Arguing the Apocalypse is the most thorough examination of its subject to date: a study of a neglected chapter of our religious and cultural history, a guide to the politics of Armageddon, and a map of millennial consciousness.

Jihad, with its many terrifying associations, is a term widely used today, though its meaning is poorly grasped. Few people understand the... circumstances requiring a jihad, or "holy" war, or how Islamic militants justify their violent actions within the framework of the religious tradition of Islam. How Islam, with more than one billion followers, interprets jihad and establishes its precepts has become a critical issue for both the Muslim and the non-Muslim world. John Kelsay's timely and important work focuses on jihad of the sword in Islamic thought, history, and culture. Making use of original sources, Kelsay delves into the tradition of shari'a--Islamic jurisprudence and reasoning--and shows how it defines jihad as the Islamic analogue of the Western "just" war. He traces the arguments of thinkers over the centuries who have debated the legitimacy of war through appeals to shari'a reasoning. He brings us up to the present and demonstrates how contemporary Muslims across the political spectrum continue this quest for a realistic ethics of war within the Islamic tradition. Arguing the Just War in Islam provides a systematic account of how Islam's central texts interpret jihad, guiding us through the historical precedents and Qur'anic sources upon which today's claims to doctrinal truth and legitimate authority are made. In illuminating the broad spectrum of Islam's moral considerations of the just war, Kelsay helps Muslims and non-Muslims alike make sense of the possibilities for future war and peace.