Joel Kupperman's Books

Theories of Human Nature

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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Theories of Human Nature

By: Joel J. Kupperman

Questions for Further Consideration and Recommended Further Reading, which follow each relevant chapter, encourage readers to think further and to craft their own perspectives.

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212

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Hackett Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1603844546

ISBN 13

9781603844543

Classic Asian Philosophy

A Guide to the Essential Texts

By: Joel Kupperman

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Classic Asian Philosophy

A Guide to the Essential Texts

By: Joel Kupperman

This is a second, revised edition of Kupperman's introduction to Asian philosophy via its canonical texts. Ranging from the Upanishads to the Bhagavad Gita, through Confucius to Zen Buddhism, Kupperman walks students through the most important texts of Asian philosophy, conveying the vitality and appeal of the works, and explaining their philosophical roots. This second edition includes revisions and updates throughout the text, clarifying where necessary, and a brand new chapter on al-Arabi's The Bezels of Wisdom, a classic of Islamic Sufism. Classic Asian Philosophy is a highly useful aid to students in philosophy, religion, or Asian studies courses who are studying these fascinating bust complex texts, as well as laypersons or specialists in other areas who need assistance in understanding them."--Page 4 de la couverture.

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210

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Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0195189817

ISBN 13

9780195189810

Classic Asian Philosophy

A Guide to the Essential Texts

By: Joel Kupperman

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Classic Asian Philosophy

A Guide to the Essential Texts

By: Joel Kupperman

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210

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Oxford University Press

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ISBN 10

0195189817

ISBN 13

9780195189810

Learning from Asian Philosophy

By: Joel Kupperman

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Learning from Asian Philosophy

By: Joel Kupperman

Showing how philosophical topics can benefit from interaction with Asian philosophy, this text explores: the formation of the self as an ethical problem; the fluidity of the self; the ethical nature of choice; the scope and demands of ethics. Kupperman shows how six important philosophical topics of current interest can benefit from interaction with Asian philosophy. The topics are: the formation of the self as an ethical problem, the fluidity of the self, the ethcial nature of choice, the scope of ethics, the demands of ethics, and the nature of philosophy as an enterprise. For each of these topics he introduces the relevant Asian sources and shows how new consideration of them can enrich oru understanding of the very range and scope of ethical concern, and enhance our own ability to describe and account for importnat features of human life. In so doing, he builds a bridge acrss two important disciplines.

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217

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Oxford University Press, USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

019512832X

ISBN 13

9780195128321

Ethics and Qualities of Life

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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Ethics and Qualities of Life

By: Joel J. Kupperman

Ethics and Qualities of Life looks at what enters into ethical judgment and choice. Interpretation of a case and of what the options are is always a factor, as is a sense of the possible values at stake. Intuitions also enter in, but often are unreliable. For a long time it seemed only fair that oldest sons inherited, and struck few people as unfair that women were not allowed to attend universities. A moral judgment is putatively part of a moral order in a society that any reasonable person would accept. But what counts as "reasonable" is generally contestable. The unreliability of intuitions leads naturally to ethical theory. Kantian, contractualist, and consequentialist theories all have some important truth in them, but not the whole truth. Contractualism lacks the resources required for a fully determinate account of what counts as "reasonable". Broad general rules are important to Kant and are at the center of everyday morality. But can Kantian ethics explain why they have to have this central role? Our evolving social contract now contains elements (e.g. the rejection of racism and sexism) that once would have seemed counter-intuitive to most people. But could consequentialists have predicted with entire confidence the consequences of social changes that we now think were desirable? The last part of this book contains a double argument. One is that ethical theory is employed by humans in a state of semi-ignorance of relevant factors, grasping at likely truths and evolved intuitions. The other is that consequentialist considerations have a major role at the fundamental level, but much more in justification or criticism than in ethical discovery.

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207

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Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0198042124

ISBN 13

9780198042129

Six Myths about the Good Life

Thinking about What Has Value

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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Six Myths about the Good Life

Thinking about What Has Value

By: Joel J. Kupperman

Six Myths about the Good Life focuses on the values that are worth aiming for in our lives, a topic central to what has been called Philosophy of Life. We all have ideas about the good life. We think that pleasure makes life better. We want to be happy. We think that achievements make a difference. There is something to all these ideas, but if taken simply and generally they all miss out on something. Six Myths about the Good Life explores what they miss and, in the process, gives a sense of what a good life can be.

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170

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Hackett Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1603840605

ISBN 13

9781603840606

The Foundations of Morality

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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The Foundations of Morality

By: Joel J. Kupperman

Originally published in 1983, this book maintains that the content and character of morality can be understood if it is regarded as a useful societal tool, whose central purposes include the prevention of harm and promotion of security for members of society. At the foundation is the general superiority of policies and attitudes that have good consequences. The book argues that ethics is ‘cognitive’ and explores the kinds of ethical knowledge and the ways in which ethical claims can be challenged and justified.

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Page Count

241

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1000071693

ISBN 13

9781000071696

Value-- and what Follows

By: Joel Kupperman

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Value-- and what Follows

By: Joel Kupperman

How can we know what is worth seeking or avoiding in life? Is there anything to know? If so, is it in some sense personal? This fresh and engaging work by noted philosopher Joel Kupperman addresses these questions as it examines the epistemology of value. Kupperman looks first at how judgments of values manifest themselves, whether there can be evidence for them, and whether a realistic account is appropriate. Focusing on emotional states, he rejects the notion that there is one primary value, arguing instead for a pluralistic understanding of value. He contends that value is strongly contextual; the value of a particular set of experiences in one's life can depend heavily on how they fit in with or provide contrast to other elements. Kupperman argues both for a realistic account of value--some things really do have a value about which we can have reasonable confidence--and for skepticism about how much we can actually know about value. The study moves on to explore the relations between judgments of value, and moral or social policy decisions of how we should behave. Acknowledging strong objections to the attempt by any group to impose its vision of a good life in a pluralistic society, Kupperman nevertheless argues that proper attention to value leads to perfectionism in social policy. Emphasizing the importance of detail in ethics, he focuses on variations among cases, and examines the weight cultural values can have in the social policy of a liberal society. Going further than previous works in determining what counts as evidence for a judgment of value, this book fills a substantial gap in the literature of ethical philosophy. Tackling difficult issues in an accessible manner, it will interest philosophers and students of ethics, epistemology, and social theory.

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177

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Oxford University Press, USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0195123484

ISBN 13

9780195123487

Character

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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Character

By: Joel J. Kupperman

We often speak of a person's character--good or bad, strong or weak--and think of it as a guide to how that person will behave in a given situation. Oddly, however, philosophers writing about ethics have had virtually nothing to say about the role of character in ethical behavior. What is character? How does it relate to having a self, or to the process of moral decision? Are we responsible for our characters? Character answers these questions, and goes on to examine the place of character in ethical philosophy. Both the Kantian and utilitarian traditions, Kupperman argues, have largely ignored the ways in which decisions are integrated over time, and instead provide a "snapshot" model of moral decision. Kupperman demonstrates the deficiencies of a number of classic and contemporary ethical theories that do not take account of the idea of character, and offers his own character-based theory. Along the way he touches on such subjects as personal identity, the importance of happiness, moral education, and the definition of a valuable life.

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202

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Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0195357183

ISBN 13

9780195357189

Ethical Knowledge

By: Kupperman, Joel J

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Ethical Knowledge

By: Kupperman, Joel J

First published in 2002. This is Volume VIII of the Library Psychology 12 volume series. The philosophical problem addressed by this book is perhaps the one most relevant to the life of the average unphilosophical man. It can be argued that every man assumes a solution in his life. Much of the first half of this book is historical or exploratory. The second half is highly analytical, examining the relations between ethical claims and other kinds of claims that generally are accorded cognitive status. This is designed to be work of a kind with which advanced students in philosophy are most familiar.

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168

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Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1317852702

ISBN 13

9781317852704

Fight Back

Tackling Terrorism, Liddy Style

By: G. Gordon Liddy,James G. Liddy,Joel D. Selanikio,J. Michael Barrett

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Fight Back

Tackling Terrorism, Liddy Style

By: G. Gordon Liddy,James G. Liddy,Joel D. Selanikio,J. Michael Barrett

G. Gordon Liddy has never shrunk from a fight, and in this book he offers individuals and businesses a clear-eyed, proactive, and deeply informed approach to combating criminal and terrorist threats. Backed by advice from three seasoned professionals who offer military, medical, and personal security perspectives, Liddy addresses: -How and why terrorists select targets--and how to minimize your chances of becoming one -Assessing your personal and workplace risks: Do you have a plan to protect yourself? Your employees? Your infrastructure? -Using defensive landscaping and antiterrorism architecture: how to protect against intruders, truck bombs, and other potential attacks -How to survive a kidnapping and hostage situation -Countering chemical, biological, and weapons attacks: An Emergency Response Handbook Fight Back is an essential book for everyone concerned about home and workplace safety.

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Page Count

333

Publisher

Macmillan + ORM

Published Date

ISBN 10

1466829958

ISBN 13

9781466829954

Character

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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Character

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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202

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Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0195357183

ISBN 13

9780195357189

Complicity

How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery

By: Anne Farrow,Joel Lang,Jenifer Frank

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Complicity

How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery

By: Anne Farrow,Joel Lang,Jenifer Frank

A startling and superbly researched book demythologizing the North’s role in American slavery “The hardest question is what to do when human rights give way to profits. . . . Complicity is a story of the skeletons that remain in this nation’s closet.”—San Francisco Chronicle The North’s profit from—indeed, dependence on—slavery has mostly been a shameful and well-kept secret . . . until now. Complicity reveals the cruel truth about the lucrative Triangle Trade of molasses, rum, and slaves that linked the North to the West Indies and Africa. It also discloses the reality of Northern empires built on tainted profits—run, in some cases, by abolitionists—and exposes the thousand-acre plantations that existed in towns such as Salem, Connecticut. Here, too, are eye-opening accounts of the individuals who profited directly from slavery far from the Mason-Dixon line. Culled from long-ignored documents and reports—and bolstered by rarely seen photos, publications, maps, and period drawings—Complicity is a fascinating and sobering work that actually does what so many books pretend to do: shed light on America’s past.

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304

Publisher

Ballantine Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0307414795

ISBN 13

9780307414793

Ought Implies Kant

A Reply to the Consequentialist Critique

By: Joel Marks

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Ought Implies Kant

A Reply to the Consequentialist Critique

By: Joel Marks

Ought Implies Kant offers an original defense of the ethical theory of Immanuel Kant, and develops an extension of that theoryOs account of moral duty to include direct duties to nonhuman animals. The discussion centers on a critical examination of consequentialism, the view that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined solely by its consequences. Kantianism, by contrast, claims that the core of ethics is to treat all persons_or, in Joel MarksOs view, all living beings_as ends-in-themselves. The consequentialist criterion would seem to permit, indeed require, violating the dignity of persons (not to mention the dignity of other animals) if this would result in a better outcome. This volume treats the consequentialist challenge to Kantian ethics in several novel ways. To begin with, the utilitarian version of consequentialism is delineated and defended by means of a conceptual device dubbed by the author as the Consequentialist Continuum. Marks then provides an exhaustive and definitive exposition of the relatively neglected Epistemic Objection to utilitarianism. While acknowledging the intuitive appeal of utilitarianismOs core conviction_that we should always do what is for the best_Marks argues that this is an impossible injunction to fulfill, or even to attempt to fulfill, because all of the relevant results of our actions can never be known. Kantianism is then introduced as a viable alternative account of our ethical obligations. Marks argues that Kantianism is well within the scope of normal human competence and conforms equally well to our ethical intuitions once the theoryOs proper interpretation is appreciated. However, KantOs own version must be extended to accommodate the rightful moral consideration we owe to nonhuman animals. Finally, Marks employs the notion of a Consequentialist Illusion to explain utilitarianismOs hold on our moral intuitions, while developing a form of Consequentialist Kantianism to address them. An original and penetrating examination of a central debate in moral philosophy, this book will be of interest to philosophical ethicists, upper-level and graduate philosophy students, and the intellectual reading public.

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133

Publisher

Lexington Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0739133527

ISBN 13

9780739133521

Family Matters

An Ernest "Sparky" Hemingway Mystery

By: Joel Rosenberg

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Family Matters

An Ernest "Sparky" Hemingway Mystery

By: Joel Rosenberg

When aging, balding, copyeditor Ernest "Sparky" Hemmingway (no relation) got a call from Tenishia, the daughter of his late Vietnam buddy George Washington (also no relation), he was faced with a choice: head out to Minneapolis to help her out of a jam or hang up the phone. He made the decision to help and it changed his life. Along with his old army buddy Doc Holiday (you guessed it-no relation) Sparky faced down the bad guys and found out who caused Washington's death. Sparky chooses to give Tenishia a shot at a normal life and takes her back to the little North Dakota town of Hardwoods, filled with decidedly odd folks who just do what they have to in order to get along-a place where everybody knows everybody's else secrets but pretends they don't. When he begins the unenviable task of rearing an almost grown inner-city teenager, many in the town think he's nuts. But this girl isn't just anybody, and the bonds-and promises-made in war sometimes last even longer than a man's life. Just when Sparky thinks he's got the hang of his new lifestyle, he gets roped into becoming a deputy sheriff and runs smack dab into a political wrangle over the possible building of a major trauma center in the town. The hospital could be just the thing to save a sleepy little hamlet that loses farm kids every year to the big cities. But Hardwoods isn't the only town that is vying for the honor, and where people's jobs and lives are at stake, is there any doubt that a dead body or two will join the party any minute?

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328

Publisher

Macmillan

Published Date

ISBN 10

0765304996

ISBN 13

9780765304995

Ethics Without Morals

In Defence of Amorality

By: Joel Marks

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Ethics Without Morals

In Defence of Amorality

By: Joel Marks

In this volume, Marks offers a defense of amorality as both philosophically justified and practicably livable. In so doing, the book marks a radical departure from both the new atheism and the mainstream of modern ethical philosophy. While in synch with their underlying aim of grounding human existence in a naturalistic metaphysics, the book takes both to task for maintaining a complacent embrace of morality. Marks advocates wiping the slate clean of outdated connotations by replacing the language of morality with a language of desire. The book begins with an analysis of what morality is and then argues that the concept is not instantiated in reality. Following this, the question of belief in morality is addressed: How would human life be affected if we accepted that morality does not exist? Marks argues that at the very least, a moralist would have little to complain about in an amoral world, and at best we might hope for a world that was more to our liking overall. An extended look at the human encounter with nonhuman animals serves as an illustration of amorality's potential to make both theoretical and practical headway in resolving heretofore intractable ethical problems.

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147

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

041563556X

ISBN 13

9780415635561

Inequity and Intervention

The Federal Budget and Central America

By: Joshua Cohen,Joel Rogers

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Inequity and Intervention

The Federal Budget and Central America

By: Joshua Cohen,Joel Rogers

An invaluable pamphlet on U.S. foreign policy in Central America.

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South End Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

089608325X

ISBN 13

9780896083257

Moral Moments

By: Joel Marks

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Moral Moments

By: Joel Marks

Against the social scientific spirit of the age, the author defends a distinct role for ethics in decision-making. Central themes of the book are:--ethics is not subjective--ethics has relevance to business and the professions as well as to everyday life--there is no more practical question we can ask than, "What is ethics?" Book jacket.

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University Press of America

Published Date

ISBN 10

0761818022

ISBN 13

9780761818021

Reason and Ethics

The Case Against Objective Value

By: Joel Marks

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Reason and Ethics

The Case Against Objective Value

By: Joel Marks

Reason and Ethics defends the theoretical claim that all values are subjective and the practical claim that human affairs can be conducted fruitfully in full awareness of this. Joel Marks goes beyond his previous work defending moral skepticism to question the existence of all objective values. This leads him to suggest a novel answer to the Companions in Guilt argument that the denial of morality would mean relinquishing rationality as well. Marks disarms the argument by conceding the irreality of both morality and logic, but is still able to rescue rationality while dispensing with morality on pragmatic grounds. He then offers a positive account of how life may be lived productively without recourse to attributions and assertions of right and wrong, good and bad, and even truth and falsity. Written in an accessible and engaging style, Reason and Ethics will be of interest to scholars and students working in metaethics as well as to the generally intellectually curious.

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192

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1000198162

ISBN 13

9781000198164

Hard Atheism and the Ethics of Desire

An Alternative to Morality

By: Joel Marks

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Hard Atheism and the Ethics of Desire

An Alternative to Morality

By: Joel Marks

This book challenges the widespread assumption that the ethical life and society must be moral in any objective sense. In his previous works, Marks has rejected both the existence of such a morality and the need to maintain verbal, attitudinal, practical, and institutional remnants of belief in it. This book develops these ideas further, with emphasis on constructing a positive alternative. Calling it “desirism”, Marks illustrates what life and the world would be like if we lived in accordance with our rational desires rather than the dictates of any actual or pretend morality, neither overlaying our desires with moral sanction nor attempting to override them with moral strictures. Hard Atheism and the Ethics of Desire also argues that atheism thereby becomes more plausible than the so-called New Atheism that attempts to give up God and yet retain morality.

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209

Publisher

Springer

Published Date

ISBN 10

3319437992

ISBN 13

9783319437996

Theories of Human Nature and Human Nature: A Reader

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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Theories of Human Nature and Human Nature: A Reader

By: Joel J. Kupperman

Now available together as a set for a discounted price: Theories of Human Nature, with, Human Nature: A Reader, by Joel J. Kupperman.

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456

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Hackett Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1603849440

ISBN 13

9781603849449

Value-- and what Follows

By: Joel Kupperman

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Value-- and what Follows

By: Joel Kupperman

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177

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Oxford University Press, USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0195123484

ISBN 13

9780195123487

Six Myths about the Good Life

Thinking about What Has Value

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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Six Myths about the Good Life

Thinking about What Has Value

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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170

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Hackett Publishing

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ISBN 10

1603840605

ISBN 13

9781603840606

Learning from Asian Philosophy

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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Learning from Asian Philosophy

By: Joel J. Kupperman

In an attempt to bridge the vast divide between classical Asian thought and contemporary Western philosophy, Joel J. Kupperman finds that the two traditions do not, by and large, supply different answers to the same questions. Rather, each tradition is searching for answers to their own set of questions--mapping out distinct philosophical investigations. In this groundbreaking book, Kupperman argues that the foundational Indian and Chinese texts include lines of thought that can enrich current philosophical practice, and in some cases provide uniquely sophisticated insights. Special attention is given to the ethical issues of formation and fluidity of self, the nature and possibilities of choice, the compartmentalization of life implicit in some ethical systems, the variations of ethical demands from person to person, and the nature of philosophy itself as a communicative activity. This study will provide a wealth of information for philosophers seeking a closer knowledge of Asian philosophy and general readers with an interest in Eastern thought.

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217

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Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0198029411

ISBN 13

9780198029410

Theories of Human Nature and Human Nature: A Reader

By: Joel J. Kupperman

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Theories of Human Nature and Human Nature: A Reader

By: Joel J. Kupperman

Now available together as a set for a discounted price: Theories of Human Nature, with, Human Nature: A Reader, by Joel J. Kupperman.

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456

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Hackett Publishing

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ISBN 10

1603849440

ISBN 13

9781603849449

Ethics and Qualities of Life

By: Joel Kupperman

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Ethics and Qualities of Life

By: Joel Kupperman

Ethics and Qualities of Life avoids over-simple, decontextualized accounts of ethical judgment and choice. Ethical theories evolve and can incorporate elements of seeming rivals. A case is made for assigning consequentialism a major role in justification or criticism of a moral order, but not in ethical discovery.

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