About the author

Burton Porter

Burton Porter earned his Ph.D. at St. Andrews University (Scotland), which included graduate studies at Oxford University. He has been on the faculty at several institutions including Drexel University, Russell Sage College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Maryland (European Division). At present, he teaches philosophy at Western New England University.Dr. Porter writes both academic and fiction works, and has published a number of books as well as papers and reviews. Among his recent book publications are: Finding Your Own Philosophy of Life, Algora (2016); The Age of Disinformation: A Contempt for Truth; Authenticity; Forbidden Knowledge; African Metaphor; The Good Life: Options In Ethics; The Great Perhaps: God as a Question; What the Tortoise Taught Us; and Philosophy Through Film.He received the award of Outstanding Educator of America, and the Faculty Research Award at Western New England University. He lives outside Amherst. MA with his wife, Barbara, and has a son, Mark, a daughter, Ans, and a stepdaughter, Sarah. His interests range from philosophy to music to literature.

Finding Your Own Philosophy of Life

Name: Finding Your Own Philosophy of Life
Brand: Burton Porter
SKU: finding-your-own-philosophy-of-life
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Categories: PhilosophyAuthor: Burton Porter SKU: finding-your-own-philosophy-of-life Category: Philosophy Author: Burton Porter

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What do you think and why do you think so? What's the philosophy behind your basic choices and actions? This book will challenge you to think clearly and deeply about the ideas you cherish. Ultimately, the aim is for you to find a personal direction for your life, one that is informed by the thoughts of philosophers for the past 2,000 years.

About the Book

We will explore how to develop a clear mind, what is the nature of human nature, how to trust what we think we know, and whether there is a God who governs our existence. We will examine whether we are wholly conditioned by society or make free decisions; if art is a matter of taste or if there's good taste and bad taste; and if we have a spiritual self hidden within our physical body. We will also examine whether moral values are invented or discovered, the best form of government, and whether life ends at the grave or persists throughout eternity.The book will challenge you to judge the various answers to these questions that have been proposed by profound thinkers, and in the light of these, to find your own philosophy of life. The ongoing question is how best to live.

Table content

Chapter 1. Thinking StraightÃ?Â 'What Is Truth?' retorted PilateÃ?Â Relevant Facts and Plausible InterpretationsÃ?Â Avoiding the PitfallsChapter 2. Human Nature: Are We Beastlier Than Any Beast?Ã?Â Historical Notions of Human NatureÃ?Â The Depravity of ManÃ?Â Basic Decency and GoodnessÃ?Â The Caring GeneChapter 3. Acquiring Knowledge: Should We Lose Our Minds and Come To Our Senses?Ã?Â Seeing Is BelievingÃ?Â The Empiricism of David HumeÃ?Â Hume may not be right, but on empiricist grounds it is hard to refute the notion that causation is a mistake.Ã?Â Keeping Our Wits About UsÃ?Â The Rationalism of RenÃ?Â© DescartesChapter 4. The Existence of God: Are We Here By Chance Or By Design?Ã?Â Does God Exist?Ã?Â The Cosmological ArgumentÃ?Â Earthly Design Implies a Divine DesignerÃ?Â Can We Reconcile Human Suffering and Divine Love?Chapter 5. The Fair Distribution of Wealth: Freedom vs. EqualityÃ?Â Does Economic Inequality Indicate an Unfair System?Ã?Â The Forces Opposing Equal OpportunityÃ?Â The Consequences of InequalityÃ?Â A Suggested SolutionChapter 6. Nature Times Nurture Equals Behavior: Do We Ever Make a Free Choice?Ã?Â Our Fate Is SealedÃ?Â Causal DeterminismÃ?Â The Hidden Fracture LinesChapter 7. Honesty and Integrity: Should Truthfulness Depend Upon the Situation?Ã?Â HonestyÃ?Â Ã?Â Self-DeceptionÃ?Â Lies in PoliticsÃ?Â The Level of RhetoricChapter 8. Good Taste and Bad Taste: Is Beauty In the Eye of the Beholder?Ã?Â Distinctions In AestheticsÃ?Â Good Art As Faithful RepresentationÃ?Â The Standard of Significant FormÃ?Â Emotive ExpressionChapter 9. Business is Business: Do Capitalists Have a Social Responsibility?Ã?Â The Causes of the Near MeltdownÃ?Â The Dark Side of CapitalismÃ?Â A Fair Profit and Just CompensationChapter 10. Persons As Matter In Motion: Is There a Ghost In the Machine?Ã?Â The Self in Time and SpaceÃ?Â