[The Basics 01] • Philosophy · The Basics by Warburton, Nigel -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Preface Introduction Philosophy and its history Why study philosophy? Is philosophy difficult? The limits of what philosophy can do How to use this book Further reading Internet resources 1 God

The Design Argument Criticisms of the Design Argument The Fine Tuning Argument Criticism of the Fine Tuning Argument The First Cause Argument Criticisms of the First Cause Argument The Ontological Argument Criticisms of the Ontological Argument Knowledge, proof, and the existence of God The Problem of Evil Attempted solutions to the Problem of Evil The Free Will Defence Criticisms of the Free Will Defence The Argument from Miracles Hume on miracles The Gambler’s Argument: Pascal’s Wager Criticisms of the Gambler’s Argument Non-realism about God Criticisms of non-realism about God Faith Death Criticism of Epicurus Would immortality be tedious? Criticism of the tedium of immortality Conclusion Further reading

2 Right and wrong

Duty-based theories Christian ethics Criticisms of Christian ethics Kantian ethics Criticisms of Kantian ethics Consequentialism Utilitarianism Criticisms of utilitarianism Negative utilitarianism Criticism of negative utilitarianism Rule utilitarianism Virtue theory Criticisms of virtue theory Applied ethics Ethics and meta-ethics Naturalism Criticisms of naturalism Moral relativism Criticisms of moral relativism Emotivism Criticisms of emotivism Conclusion Further reading

3 Animals

Animal suffering Criticism of animal suffering view Criticism of Descartes on animal pain Speciesism Arguments for speciesism Anti-speciesism Criticism of anti-speciesism Do animals have rights? Criticism of animal rights Indirect duties to animals Criticism of indirect duty view Conclusion Further reading

4 Politics

Equality Equal distribution of money Criticisms of equal distribution of money Equal opportunity in employment Reverse discrimination Criticisms of reverse discrimination Political equality: democracy Direct democracy Representative democracy Criticisms of democracy Freedom Negative freedom Criticisms of negative freedom Positive freedom Freedom of speech Criticisms of Mill on free speech Removing freedom: punishment Punishment as retribution Criticisms of retributivism Deterrence Criticisms of deterrence Protection of society Criticisms of protection of society Reform Criticisms of reform Civil disobedience Criticisms of civil disobedience Conclusion Further reading

5 Appearance and reality

Common-sense realism Scepticism about the evidence of the senses The Illusion Argument Criticisms of the Illusion Argument Could I be dreaming? Hallucination Memory and logic I think therefore I am Criticism of the Cogito Representative realism Criticisms of representative realism Idealism Criticisms of idealism Phenomenalism Criticisms of phenomenalism Causal realism Criticisms of causal realism Conclusion Further reading

6 Science

The simple view of scientific method Criticisms of the simple view The Problem of Induction Attempted solutions to the Problem of Induction Falsificationism: conjecture and refutation Criticisms of falsificationism Scientism Criticism of scientism Conclusion Further reading

7 Mind

Philosophy of mind and psychology The Mind/Body Problem Zombies Dualism Criticisms of dualism Dualism without interaction Physicalism Type-identity theory Criticisms of type-identity theory Token-identity theory Criticisms of token-identity theory Behaviourism Criticisms of behaviourism Functionalism Criticism of functionalism Other Minds The Argument from Analogy Criticisms of the Argument from Analogy Conclusion Further reading

8 Art

Can art be defined? The family resemblance view Criticisms of the family resemblance view The significant form theory Criticisms of the significant form theory The idealist theory Criticisms of the idealist theory The institutional theory Criticisms of the institutional theory Art and evolution Criticism of evolutionary art theory Art criticism Anti-intentionalism Criticisms of anti-intentionalism Performance, interpretation, authenticity Historical authenticity in performance Criticisms of historical authenticity in performance Forgeries and artistic value Conclusion Further reading Index