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Books > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy
The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "God's Politics"
reinvigorates America's hope for the future, offering a roadmap to
rediscover the nation's moral center and providing the inspiration
and a concrete plan to change today's politics.
SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER 'The most important book of the
year' Daily Mail The brilliant and provocative new book from one of
the world's foremost political writers 'The anti-Western
revisionists have been out in force in recent years. It is high
time that we revise them in turn...' In The War on the West,
international bestselling author Douglas Murray asks: if the
history of humankind is one of slavery, conquest, prejudice,
genocide and exploitation, why are only Western nations taking the
blame for it? It's become perfectly acceptable to celebrate the
contributions of non-Western cultures, but discussing their flaws
and crimes is called hate speech. What's more it has become
acceptable to discuss the flaws and crimes of Western culture, but
celebrating their contributions is also called hate speech. Some of
this is a much-needed reckoning; however, some is part of a larger
international attack on reason, democracy, science, progress and
the citizens of the West by dishonest scholars, hatemongers,
hostile nations and human-rights abusers hoping to distract from
their ongoing villainy. In The War on the West, Douglas Murray
shows the ways in which many well-meaning people have been lured
into polarisation by lies, and shows how far the world's most
crucial political debates have been hijacked across Europe and
America. Propelled by an incisive deconstruction of inconsistent
arguments and hypocritical activism, The War on the West is an
essential and urgent polemic that cements Murray's status as one of
the world's foremost political writers.
Best known for his groundbreaking and influential work in Buddhist
philosophy, Mark Siderits is the pioneer of "fusion" or "confluence
philosophy", a boldly systematic approach to doing philosophy
premised on the idea that rational reconstruction of positions in
one tradition in light of another can sometimes help address
perennial problems and often lead to new and valuable insights.
Exemplifying the many virtues of the confluence approach, this
collection of essays covers all core areas of Buddhist philosophy,
as well as topics and disputes in contemporary Western philosophy
relevant to its study. They consider in particular the ways in
which questions concerning personal identity figure in debates
about agency, cognition, causality, ontological foundations,
foundational truths, and moral cultivation. Most of these essays
engage Siderits' work directly, building on his pathbreaking ideas
and interpretations. Many deal with issues that have become a
common staple in philosophical engagements with traditions outside
the West. Their variety and breadth bear testimony to the legacy of
Siderits' impact in shaping the contemporary conversation in
Buddhist philosophy and its reverberations in mainstream
philosophy, giving readers a clear sense of the remarkable scope of
his work.
Is it ever morally wrong to enjoy fantasizing about immoral things?
Many video games allow players to commit numerous violent and
immoral acts. But, should players worry about the morality of their
virtual actions? A common argument is that games offer merely the
virtual representation of violence. No one is actually harmed by
committing a violent act in a game. So, it cannot be morally wrong
to perform such acts. While this is an intuitive argument, it does
not resolve the issue. Focusing on why individual players are
motivated to entertain immoral and violent fantasies, Video Games,
Violence, and the Ethics of Fantasy advances debates about the
ethical criticism of art, not only by shining light on the
interesting and under-examined case of virtual fantasies, but also
by its novel application of a virtue ethical account. Video games
are works of fiction that enable players to entertain a fantasy.
So, a full understanding of the ethical criticism of video games
must focus attention on why individual players are motivated to
entertain immoral and violent fantasies. Video Games, Violence, and
the Ethics of Fantasy engages with debates and critical discussions
of games in both the popular media and recent work in philosophy,
psychology, media studies, and game studies.
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