Back Issues
Issue 52
August/September 2005
EDITORIAL
Empathy & Imagination
by Rick Lewis
NEWS
EMPATHY
The Paradox of Empathy
Ramsey McNabb on knowing how other people feel.
Physicalism & Empathetic Understanding 
Michael Philips argues that the possibility of empathy is incompatible with the idea that the world is physical through and through.
Hacking the Brain
Could advances in technology soon give us perfect knowledge of other minds? Bora Dogan investigates.
Schopenhauer’s Compassionate Morality
Tim Madigan on the curmudgeon who preached compassion.
OTHER ARTICLES
How To Be Much Cleverer Than All Your Friends (so they really hate you)
Part II: Being a Superbeing. Study Bayes, says Mike Alder. Cont. from Issue 51.
Can Mythology Save the Miraculous?
Stephen Anderson argues that religion isn’t simply a system of profound myths – it relies on making factual claims which are really true.
Willing Slaves
by Richard Taylor
The Philosophy of John Lennon
What is it like to be a Beatle? Gary Tillery argues that Lennon’s pronouncements, both cynical and idealistic, reveal a sincere and original thinker.
The Bush Disjunction
Paul Keeling on speech acts louder than words.
Ricoeur’s Negotiated Settlements
Fred Dallmayr on the conciliatory and original Paul Ricoeur, who died in May.
An Aesthetic Justification of Travel
Lindsay Oishi thinks you should travel to celebrate a particular object of art.
CROSSWORD
Crossword
The sixth philosophical brain-twister from the ever-inspired Deiradiotes.
COLUMNS
Dear Socrates
Our celebrity columnist answers readers’ questions.
Moral Moments: Showdown
by Joel Marks
LETTERS
Opinions on The Liar Paradox, Neuroses and Fallacies, Research Strategies, and more...
LEARNING & TEACHING
A Practical Role for Philosophy
Peter Bowden argues that it is not a choice between education or training: both are needed, and across every discipline. The problem is that the sciences are providing education as well as training, but that the departments of philosophy are not providing the training.
BOOKS
The Oxford Handbook of Aesthetics
Peter Rickman is inspired with beautiful thoughts by the Oxford Handbook of Aesthetics.
Blackwell Companion to the Philosophy of Education
John Mann finds his encounter with a Blackwell Companion most educational.
The Schopenhauer Cure by Irvin Yalom
Andrew Barley enters group therapy with Irvin Yalom.
History of Islamic Philosophy by I.M.N. Al-Jubouri
Antony Flew notices a new book on Islamic Philosophy.
FILMS
Bright Leaves
Thomas Wartenberg thinks about how real life keeps on breaking through as he watches Bright Leaves.
GAMES
Philosophy: The Video Game
Shannon Kincaid test drives.
POETRY
The Philosopher’s Cellphone
by Mark Silcox