William C. Gentry was both an academic philosopher, perfectly willing to engage in the philosophical 'conversations' of the written word and, more importantly, a true philosopher, in the Platonic and Socratic style. Engaging with those around him in discourse, in live conversations, which are the vehicle of actual philosophical inquiry and discovery. These essays are the product of those conversations. Gentry's thoughts consisted of investigations into the deepest and most profound questions of human nature, ethics, and knowledge. This volume is a tribute both to his role as a teacher and philosopher. As a teacher, friend, and colleague, Gentry was the epitome of the philosopher: questioning, exploring, critiquing, discovering.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Part 1 Preface
Chapter 2 Philosophy: What's It All About?
Chapter 3 Philosophy or Bumper Stickers?
Chapter 4 Philosophy and Fundamentalism: Teaching Bible-belted Students
Chapter 5 Ethical Decision Making
Chapter 6 Questions on Ethical Decision Making
Chapter 7 A Critique of Pojman's View of the Grounding Moral Norms
Chapter 8 Some Reflections on Perspectivism, Relativism, and Truth
Chapter 9 Making Critical Choices
Chapter 10 An Alternative to Moral Logic, or "Gentry's Alternative"
Chapter 11 In Defense of a Reasoned Ethical Egoism
Chapter 12 A Modest Defense of Altruism
Chapter 13 A Modest Defense of Ethical Objectivism and Absolutism
Chapter 14 The Morality of Using Surplus Human Embryos in Stem-Cell Research
Chapter 15 More on Ethical Relativism and Ethical Absolutism
Chapter 16 Two Concepts of Freedom
Chapter 17 A Case for Determinism
Chapter 18 Pythagoras and the Mystery Cults
Chapter 19 The Homeric Worldview
Chapter 20 Plato's Three Faculties: Notes on the Republic
Chapter 21 Introduction to the Middle Ages
Chapter 22 St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109 CE)
Chapter 23 Introduction to the Renaissance
Chapter 24 The Mind/Body Problem
Chapter 25 The Romantic Movement and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778 CE)
Chapter 26 The Difference between Philosophy and Religion
Chapter 27 On Defining Religion
Chapter 28 The Problem of Evil for the Theist
Chapter 29 Comments on Process Theology
Chapter 30 What's in a Name?
Chapter 31 A Charge
Chapter 32 Veterans' Day, 1987
Chapter 33 After the Tornado (1997)
Chapter 34 The House that Bill Built
Chapter 35 A Friend, Colleague, and Mentor
Chapter 36 A Remembrance of Bill
Chapter 37 Henderson's Renaissance Man
Chapter 38 My Dr. Gentry
Chapter 39 A Gentleman and a Scholar
Chapter 40 A Great Man and Friend
Chapter 41 Swinging from the Flagpole
Chapter 42 A Fragment of the Philosopher
Chapter 43 Wonderful Memories
Part 44 Endnotes
Part 45 Bibliography
Part 46 Index
