Back Issues
Issue 39
December 2002 / January 2003
EDITORIAL
Monkey Business
by Rick Lewis
NEWS
BUSINESS PAGES
Corporate Crises: a Philosophical Challenge
Alan Malachowski tries to unravel the philosophical mistakes which led to America's recent boardroom catastrophes.
Investment Sayings May Mislead You
Stephen Doty says that the accumulated folk wisdom of the investment community should be taken with a large pinch of salt.
Chomsky on Global Myths and Realities
We live in the era of the global free market. Or do we? And now that the Cold War is over, why are the arms manufacturers still looking so prosperous? Political theorist Noam Chomsky thinks he knows why, as Mike Fuller explains.
OTHER ARTICLES
The Nun's Priest's Tale
Les Reid on sex, freedom and literature.
Do Computers Have Syntax?
Michael Philips on the question of whether computers can think.
Life After Death
Reincarnation? Disembodied survival? Resurrection? Steve Stewart-Williams ponders the possible ways in which he could survive his own death, and decides that he doesn't have a ghost of a chance.
Is Homosexuality 'Bad Faith'?
Terri Murray says that Jean-Paul Sartre was simply wrong about gay people and self-deception.
Is a Philosophical Ethics Possible?
Richard Taylor explains how ethical reasoning is like travelling up an escalator, and describes the difficulties of choosing between competing systems of ethics.
The Poet's Metaphysical Role
Rilke thought that the point of poetry was to immortalize that which is transitory. Peter Rickman explains.
Omissions & Terrorism
Ted Honderich explains why he thinks that we in the West are partly to blame for the terrorist attack on September 11.
Using the F-Word in Philosophy Classes
Ellen Miller on the word which can generate so much instant hostility and misunderstanding.
Philosophy & Humour
Is there a possible world in which the great philosophers became successful standup comedians instead? No, there isn't, says Trevor Curnow - and he shows us why...
COLUMNS
Dear Socrates
Our celebrity columnist answers readers' questions.
Moral Moments: The Etiquette of Ethics
by Joel Marks
LETTERS
Opinions on Guns and Guardians, Faith and Certainty, Immoral Philosophers, Dying for One's Country, and more...
BOOKS
Roger Caldwell is provoked by Ralph Blumenau's new history of philosophy, Antony Flew scorns Lawrence Dawson's attack on Wittgenstein and Michael Boylan enjoys Raymond Pfeiffer's book on collective responsibility.
FILMS
This film column has been seized by Christian allegorists. Tom Wartenberg has been overthrown! (For now.) Meanwhile, here is Bill Murray's commentary on Lord of the Rings.
SHORT STORY
The Prime Directive
A short story about ethics and the Final Frontier, by Alister Browne.