This engaging collection of recent essays reveals how a professorial career involves not only pursuit of a scholarly discipline but also such unwelcome features as the tribulations of graduate school, the trials of teaching, and the tensions that develop from membership in a department. The author, who enjoyed a distinguished career as a professor of philosophy and senior university administrator, draws on his extensive experience to offer candid advice about handling the frustrations of academic life. Combining philosophical principles, practical concerns, and personal observations, this book serves as a reliable guide for both new and veteran academics as well as for anyone seeking to understand the inner workings of colleges and universities.

This engaging collection of recent essays reveals how a professorial career involves not only pursuit of a scholarly discipline but also such unwelcome features as the tribulations of graduate school, the trials of teaching, and the tensions that develop from membership in a department. The author, who enjoyed a distinguished career as a professor of philosophy and senior university administrator, draws on his extensive experience to offer candid advice about handling the frustrations of academic life. Combining philosophical principles, practical concerns, and personal observations, this book serves as a reliable guide for both new and veteran academics as well as for anyone seeking to understand the inner workings of colleges and universities.

This anthology is intended to be used in Political Philosophy courses. It focuses on contemporary political problems, and it is intended to be paired with any of the numerous readers which are dedicated to the history of political philosophy. History, theory, and political problems are the three pillars of the political philosophy course. However, while the anthologies on the history of political philosophy are numerous, there are relatively few sources (and even fewer single sources) that focus on contemporary political problems. This book fills that gap, with the leading contemporary positions on school vouchers, government support for the arts, pornography, same sex marriage, drug legalization, gun control, terrorism, torture, capital punishment, affirmative action, Immigration, and the environment.

Philosophy of education is a study both of the aims of education and the most appropriate means of achieving those aims. This volume contains substantial selections from those works widely regarded as central to the development of the field. These are the "essential texts" that lay the foundation for further study. The text is historically organized, moving from classical thought (Plato, Aristotle), through the medieval period (Augustine), to modern perspectives (Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft), and twentieth-century thinkers (Whitehead, Dewey). Each selection is followed by an extended interpretative essay in which a noted authority of our time highlights essential points from the readings and places them in a wider context.
Exhibiting both breadth and depth, this text is ideal as a reader for courses in philosophy of education, foundations of education, and the history of ideas.

Moving beyond the work of Rawls and his critics, this concise collection contains critical essays in contemporary political philosophy. All have been chosen for their importance and accessibility, and some have been edited by their authors for inclusion in this work. Political Philosophy in the Twenty-First Century covers five main topics: equality, justice, liberty, democracy, and human rights. To assist readers, the editors have also provided section introduction and study questions as well as an overall introduction explaining the background to contemporary work in political philosophy. Beginning where most other anthologies in political philosophy conclude, this book can be used alone or in conjunction with any collection of historical sources.

Thinking about Logic is an accessible and thought-provoking collection of classic articles in the philosophy of logic. An ideal companion to any formal logic course or textbook, this volume illuminates how logic relates to perennial philosophical issues about knowledge, meaning, rationality, and reality. The editors have selected each essay for its brevity, clarity, and impact and have included insightful introductions and discussion questions. The puzzles raised will help readers acquire a more thorough understanding of fundamental logic concepts and a firmer command of the connections between formal logic and other areas of philosophical study: epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, and metaphysics.

Contents:
Acknowledgements Introduction Steven M. Chan I. Individuals, groups, and discrimination 1. Discrimination and morally relevant characteristics James W. Nickel 2. Inverse discrimination J.L. Cowan 3. Reparations to wronged groups Michael D Bayles 4. Reverse discrimination and contemporary justice Paul W. Taylor 5. Reverse discrimination William A. Nunn III 6. Should reparations be to individuals or groups? James W. Nickel 7. Reparations to individuals or groups? Alan H. Goldman 8. What's wrong with discrimination? Paul Woodruff
II. Justice and Compensation 9. Prefential hiring Judith Jarvis Thomson 10. Prefential hiring: A reply to Judith Jarvis Thomson Robert Simon 11. Justifying reverse discrimination in employment George Sher 12. Prefential hiring and compensation Robert K. Fullinwider 13. Compensatory justice: The question of costs Robert Amadur III. The Bakke cas 14. Who are equals? Carl Cohen 15. Are quotas unfair? Ronald Dworkin 16. What did Bakke really decide? Ronald Dworkin Equality, diversity, and good faith Carl Cohen IV. Diveristy 18. In defence of affirmative action Bartara R. Bergmann 19. The role model argument and faculty diversity Anita L. Allen 20. Proportional representation of women and minorities Celia Wolf-Devine 21. 'The Meaning of "Merit"' William G. Bowen and Derek Bok 22. 'The Meaning of "Merit"': A reply to Bowen and Bok Stephan Thernstrom and Abigain Thernstrom 23. Diversity George Sher V. Preference or impartiality? 27. In favor of affirmative action Tom L. Beauchamp 28. Reverse discrimination Sidney Hook Epilogue A. Three puzzles concerning affirmative action Steven M. Cahn B. Making affirmative action work The Chronicle of HIgher Education About the authors Bibliographical note Acknowledgements

Contents:
Acknowledgements Introduction Steven M. Chan I. Individuals, groups, and discrimination 1. Discrimination and morally relevant characteristics James W. Nickel 2. Inverse discrimination J.L. Cowan 3. Reparations to wronged groups Michael D Bayles 4. Reverse discrimination and contemporary justice Paul W. Taylor 5. Reverse discrimination William A. Nunn III 6. Should reparations be to individuals or groups? James W. Nickel 7. Reparations to individuals or groups? Alan H. Goldman 8. What's wrong with discrimination? Paul Woodruff
II. Justice and Compensation 9. Prefential hiring Judith Jarvis Thomson 10. Prefential hiring: A reply to Judith Jarvis Thomson Robert Simon 11. Justifying reverse discrimination in employment George Sher 12. Prefential hiring and compensation Robert K. Fullinwider 13. Compensatory justice: The question of costs Robert Amadur III. The Bakke cas 14. Who are equals? Carl Cohen 15. Are quotas unfair? Ronald Dworkin 16. What did Bakke really decide? Ronald Dworkin Equality, diversity, and good faith Carl Cohen IV. Diveristy 18. In defence of affirmative action Bartara R. Bergmann 19. The role model argument and faculty diversity Anita L. Allen 20. Proportional representation of women and minorities Celia Wolf-Devine 21. 'The Meaning of "Merit"' William G. Bowen and Derek Bok 22. 'The Meaning of "Merit"': A reply to Bowen and Bok Stephan Thernstrom and Abigain Thernstrom 23. Diversity George Sher V. Preference or impartiality? 27. In favor of affirmative action Tom L. Beauchamp 28. Reverse discrimination Sidney Hook Epilogue A. Three puzzles concerning affirmative action Steven M. Cahn B. Making affirmative action work The Chronicle of HIgher Education About the authors Bibliographical note Acknowledgements

This highly anticipated anthology, compiled by noted author and scholar Steven Cahn, presents the seven major works central to any introductory philosophy course in their entirety. Each work has had a profound influence on philosophical thought, and the authors are generally regarded as among the worlds greatest philosophers. Seven Masterpieces in Philosophy features the most well-respected and admired translations, and offers introductions and annotations by Steven Cahn. Anyone seeking to understand the challenges of philosophy could hardly do better than concentrate attention on these seven masterpieces. A great alternative to larger tomes, this book allows the instructor to supplement these works with additional materials of their choosing.

Some students find philosophy engrossing; others are merely bewildered. How can professors meet the challenge of teaching introductory-level philosophy so that their students, regardless of initial incentive or skill, come to understand and even enjoy the subject? For nearly a decade, renowned philosopher and teacher Steven M. Cahn offered doctoral students a fourteen-week, credit-bearing course to prepare them to teach undergraduates. At schools where these instructors were appointed, department chairs reported a dramatic increase in student interest. In this book, Cahn captures the essence of that course. Yet many of the topics he discusses concern all faculty, regardless of subject: a teacher's responsibilities, the keys to effective instruction, the proper approach to term papers, examinations, and grades; and suggestions for how administrators should demonstrate that they take teaching seriously. Such matters are covered in the first seven chapters and in the final, fourteenth chapter. The intermediate six chapters focus on teaching introductory philosophy and, in particular, on critical thinking, free will, philosophy of religion, ethics, and political philosophy. Cahn's writing is lucid and lively, using vivid examples and avoiding educational jargon. In sum, this book is not only a guide on how to inspire students but also an inspiration for teachers themselves.

This anthology is intended to be used in Political Philosophy courses. It focuses on contemporary political problems, and it is intended to be paired with any of the numerous readers which are dedicated to the history of political philosophy. History, theory, and political problems are the three pillars of the political philosophy course. However, while the anthologies on the history of political philosophy are numerous, there are relatively few sources (and even fewer single sources) that focus on contemporary political problems. This book fills that gap, with the leading contemporary positions on school vouchers, government support for the arts, pornography, same sex marriage, drug legalization, gun control, terrorism, torture, capital punishment, affirmative action, Immigration, and the environment.

This highly anticipated anthology, compiled by noted author and scholar Steven Cahn, presents the seven major works central to any introductory philosophy course in their entirety. Each work has had a profound influence on philosophical thought, and the authors are generally regarded as among the world's greatest philosophers. "Seven Masterpieces in Philosophy "features the most well-respected and admired translations, and offers introductions and annotations by Steven Cahn. Anyone seeking to understand the challenges of philosophy could hardly do better than concentrate attention on these seven masterpieces, presented here in this accessible and very affordable volume. A great alternative to larger, more expensive tomes, this book allows the instructor to supplement these works with additional materials of their choosing.

The Eighth Edition of Steven M. Cahn's Classics of Western Philosophy offers the same exacting standard of editing and translation that made earlier editions of this anthology the most highly valued and widely used volume of its kind. But the Eighth Edition offers exciting new content as well: Plato's Laches (complete), new selections from Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (on courage), Descartes' Discourse on Method (complete), all previously omitted sections of Berkeley's A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge , Kant's Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics (complete). These additions-with no offsetting deletion of content of the Seventh Edition-yield an anthology of unrivaled versatility, the only one to offer the complete texts of: both Descartes' Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy , both Berkeley's A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous , Kant's Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics and selections from the Critique of Pure Reason .

An incisive compendium of philosophical literature on privacy, part of the acclaimed Wiley-Blackwell Readings in Philosophy series Companies collect and share much of your daily life, from your location and search history, to your likes, habits, and relationships. As more and more of our personal data is collected, analyzed, and distributed, we need to think carefully about what we might be losing when we give up our privacy. Privacy is a thought-provoking collection of philosophical essays on privacy, offering deep insights into the nature of privacy, its value, and the consequences of its loss. Bringing together both classic and contemporary work, this timely volume explores the theories, issues, debates, and applications of the philosophical study of privacy. The essays address concealment and exposure, the liberal value of privacy, privacy in social media, privacy rights and public information, privacy and the limits of law, and more. Highlights the work of emerging thinkers and leaders in the subject Presents work from philosophers such as Judith Jarvis Thomson, Ruth Gavison, Thomas Scanlon, W. A. Parent, and Thomas Nagel Explores privacy in contexts including governance, law, ethics, political philosophy, and public policy Discusses data collection, online tracking, digital surveillance, and other contemporary privacy issues Edited by award-winning privacy specialist Carissa Veliz and renowned philosopher and author Steven Cahn, Privacy is a must-read anthology for philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, and advanced undergraduate and graduate students taking courses on digital and applied ethics, philosophy, media studies, communications, computer science, engineering, and sociology.

Some students find philosophy engrossing; others are merely bewildered. How can professors meet the challenge of teaching introductory-level philosophy so that their students, regardless of initial incentive or skill, come to understand and even enjoy the subject? For nearly a decade, renowned philosopher and teacher Steven M. Cahn offered doctoral students a fourteen-week, credit-bearing course to prepare them to teach undergraduates. At schools where these instructors were appointed, department chairs reported a dramatic increase in student interest. In this book, Cahn captures the essence of that course. Yet many of the topics he discusses concern all faculty, regardless of subject: a teacher's responsibilities, the keys to effective instruction, the proper approach to term papers, examinations, and grades; and suggestions for how administrators should demonstrate that they take teaching seriously. Such matters are covered in the first seven chapters and in the final, fourteenth chapter. The intermediate six chapters focus on teaching introductory philosophy and, in particular, on critical thinking, free will, philosophy of religion, ethics, and political philosophy. Cahn's writing is lucid and lively, using vivid examples and avoiding educational jargon. In sum, this book is not only a guide on how to inspire students but also an inspiration for teachers themselves.

The Meaning of Life is the preeminent anthology on the topic. Featuring twenty-five insightful selections by prominent philosophers, it serves as an ideal core text for courses on the meaning of life and introduction to philosophy courses where the topic is emphasized. In Part I the articles defend the view that without faith in God, life has no meaning or purpose. In Part II the selections oppose this claim, defending instead a nontheistic, humanistic alternative-that life can have meaning even in the absence of theistic commitment. In Part III the readings address whether the question of the meaning of life is itself meaningful. A new Part IV on the end of life raises issues about how understanding death affects our understanding of the meaning of life.

""Thinking about Logic"" is an accessible and thought-provoking collection of classic articles in the philosophy of logic. An ideal companion to any formal logic course or textbook, this volume illuminates how logic relates to perennial philosophical issues about knowledge, meaning, rationality, and reality. The editors have selected each essay for its brevity, clarity, and impact and have included insightful introductions and discussion questions. The puzzles raised will help readers acquire a more thorough understanding of fundamental logic concepts and a firmer command of the connections between formal logic and other areas of philosophical study: epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, and metaphysics.

This new, complete translation of Immanuel Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals provides the most accessible version of this challenging foundational work in moral philosophy. Calling on the insights of a team of noted scholar-teachers, The Annotated Kant renders the text as clearly as possible, supplementing it with an inviting introduction, clarifying running commentary, and a helpful glossary. Annotations are presented on facing pages to provide support for readers and room for their note-taking. Remaining true to the intricacies of the original German text, this presentation of Kant's masterpiece enables all to appreciate the powerful vision it offers.

How should we evaluate the success of each person's life? Countering the prevalent philosophical perspective on the subject, Steven M. Cahn and Christine Vitrano defend the view that our well-being is dependent not on particular activities, accomplishments, or awards but on finding personal satisfaction while treating others with due concern. The authors suggest that moral behavior is not necessary for happiness and does not ensure it. Yet they also argue that morality and happiness are needed for living well, and together suffice to achieve that goal. Cahn and Vitrano link their position to elements within both the Hellenistic and Hebraic traditions, in particular the views of Epicurus and lessons found in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Written in an accessible style and illustrated with incisive vignettes drawn from history, literature, films, and everyday life, Happiness and Goodness is a compelling work of philosophy for anyone who seeks to understand the nature of a good life.

Philosophical Adventures is an accessible, engaging introduction to philosophical issues falling under six broad themes: reasoning, free will, religious belief, ethics, well-being, and society. Each topic is thoughtfully introduced and discussed in a way that is easily intelligible and relatable yet philosophically rigorous. Steven M. Cahn's clear style and vivid examples provide a welcoming path to these often-difficult issues, encouraging readers to begin their own philosophical adventures. Key Features An unusually clear and accessible introduction to many of the central topics of philosophy. Vivid examples are used to illustrate key points. Addresses a number of engaging issues that are relevant inside and outside of academia, such as the possibility of free will, religious belief with and without God, and democracy vs. its alternatives. Written by one of the discipline's pre-eminent teachers, author of numerous widely-used textbooks.

Immanuel Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals is widely regarded as one of the most influential works in the history of moral philosophy. Indeed, any student of ethics will soon encounter a translation of the book, although trying to read it is likely to cause bewilderment. What, one may ask, is Kant trying to say? This book provides the answers. Here, seven highly regarded teachers and scholars of Kant's ethics offer remarkably clear explanations of the most important concepts in the Groundwork: the good will, happiness, duty, hypothetical and categorical imperatives, the Formula of Universal Law, the Formula of Humanity, and freedom.Contents: Preface The Good Will, Nataliya Palatnik Happiness, Anne Margaret Baxley Duty, Laura Papish Imperatives, Tamar Schapiro The Formula of Universal Law, Kyla Ebels-Duggan The Formula of Humanity, Japa Pallikkathayil Freedom, Lucy Allais About the Contributors Index.

The Eighth Edition of Steven M. Cahn's Classics of Western Philosophy offers the same exacting standard of editing and translation that made earlier editions of this anthology the most highly valued and widely used volume of its kind. But the Eighth Edition offers exciting new content as well: Plato's Laches (complete), new selections from Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (on courage), Descartes' Discourse on Method (complete), all previously omitted sections of Berkeley's A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge , Kant's Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics (complete). These additions-with no offsetting deletion of content of the Seventh Edition-yield an anthology of unrivaled versatility, the only one to offer the complete texts of: both Descartes' Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy , both Berkeley's A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous , Kant's Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics and selections from the Critique of Pure Reason .

Moving beyond the work of Rawls and his critics, this concise collection contains critical essays in contemporary political philosophy. All have been chosen for their importance and accessibility, and some have been edited by their authors for inclusion in this work. "Political Philosophy in the Twenty-First Century" covers five main topics: equality, justice, liberty, democracy, and human rights. To assist readers, the editors have also provided section introduction and study questions as well as an overall introduction explaining the background to contemporary work in political philosophy. Beginning where most other anthologies in political philosophy conclude, this book can be used alone or in conjunction with any collection of historical sources.

Philosophy of education is a study both of the aims of education and the most appropriate means of achieving those aims. This volume contains substantial selections from those works widely regarded as central to the development of the field. These are the "essential texts" that lay the foundation for further study. The text is historically organized, moving from classical thought (Plato, Aristotle), through the medieval period (Augustine), to modern perspectives (Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft), and twentieth-century thinkers (Whitehead, Dewey). Each selection is followed by an extended interpretative essay in which a noted authority of our time highlights essential points from the readings and places them in a wider context.
Exhibiting both breadth and depth, this text is ideal as a reader for courses in philosophy of education, foundations of education, and the history of ideas.

In these essays, 24 of our most celebrated professors of philosophy address the problem of how to teach philosophy today: how to make philosophy interesting and relevant; how to bring classic texts to life; how to serve all students; and how to align philosophy with more "practical" pursuits. Selected and introduced by three leaders in the world of philosophical education, the insights contained in this inspiring collection illuminate the challenges and possibilities of teaching the academy's oldest discipline.