Stephen Law
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Stephen Law is a philosopher who teaches at Heythrop College in the University of London. He also edits the journal THINK [1], a source of philosophy aimed at the general public, affiliated with The Royal Institute of Philosophy. Law currently lives in Oxford, England, with his wife and two daughters.
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[edit] Academic history
Stephen Law attended Long Road Sixth Form College, in Cambridge, England. However, having been "asked to leave", he began his working life as a postman. At 24 he successfully managed to persuade City University in London to accept him for the BSc in Philosophy, despite his lack of A levels. There he managed to achieve a first class honours, allowing him to move onto Trinity College, Oxford to read for a B.Phil in Philosophy. He was also a Junior Research Fellow at The Queen's College, Oxford for three years, where he obtained a doctorate in Philosophy.
[edit] The Philosophy Gym
Law's book, The Philosophy Gym, is an introduction to philosophical thinking aimed at adults. It covers twenty-five philosophical questions, chosen for their relevance to today's society. The book aims for accessibility. This is often done, as in "What's wrong with gay sex?", by putting the question into a theatrical script.
[edit] Chapter list
- 1. Where did the universe come from?
- 2. What is wrong with gay sex?
- 3. Brain - snatched (discussion of metaphysical issues of knowledge of the external world, and Déscartes' 'Cogito Ergo Sum' (I think therefore I am))
- 4. Is time travel possible?
- 5. Into the lair of the relativist (a look at and analysis of relativist claims, mainly ethical relativity)
- 6. Could a machine think?
- 7. Does god exist?
- 8. The strange case of the rational dentist (a look at specific knowledge of other minds and the extent to which we may have knowledge of them)
- 9. But is it art?
- 10. Can we have morality without god and religion?
- 11. Is creationism scientific?
- 12. Designer babies... (a look at the case for designer babies)
- 13. The consciousness conundrum (a look at the debated nature of consciousness)
- 14. Why expect the sun to rise tomorrow? (an examination of Hume's problem of induction)
- 15. Do we ever deserve to be punished?
- 16. The meaning mystery (an examination of linguistics and the ways in which language may have meaning)
- 17. Killing Mary to save Jodie (a discussion of utilitarianism and the nature of ethics)
- 18. The strange realm of numbers (discussion of the nature of mathematics)
- 19. What is knowledge?
- 20. Is morality like a pair of spectacles (a look at subjectivism amongst other things)
- 21. Should you be eating that (a look at the case for vegetarianism)
- 22. Brain transplants, teleportation and the puzzle of personal identity
- 23. Miracles and the supernatural
- 24. How to spot eight everyday reasoning errors
- 25. Seven paradoxes
[edit] The War For Children's Minds
Law's The War For Children's Minds is a discussion on the various newly erupted forces, including popular right-wing tabloids, as well as George Bush and Tony Blair, which both attack enlightenment thinking, and call for a return to authoritarian and religious tradition as opposed to leftism and liberal parenting. Law aims to re-evaluate the liberal approach to morality, and attack authoritarian rhetoric head-on, calling for children to be educated in ethics grounded in philosophy and the values of the enlightenment. The aim of the book is to expose the flaws in arguments calling for a return to authoritarian moral education, as well as to show that not all moral viewpoints are equal. It's fundamental focus is on a defense of a rationally considered life, and a related attack on authoritarian systems of government; as well as authoritarian parental styles.
[edit] General release books
- ISBN 1-84255-053-5 The Philosophy Files 1
- ISBN 1-84255-525-1 The Philosophy Files 2
- ISBN 1-84255-062-4 The Outer Limits: More Mysteries from the Philosophy Files
- ISBN 0-7472-3271-7 The Philosophy Gym
- ISBN 0-297-84722-8 The XMas Files
- ISBN 0-415-37855-9 The War For Children's Minds
- ISBN 1-40531-763-9 Philosophy (Eyewitness Companion Guides)
[edit] External links
- Official Site
- "What is wrong with gay sex?" - a chapter from 'The Philosophy Gym'
- Natural Born Philosophers - an article on the natural philosophical inquisitiveness of children by Law
- Sleight of hand with 'Faith' - an article on flawed 'faith-defending' arguments by Law
