A Philosophical Life The Collected Essays of

Socrates said that true philosophy could not be written down because it dies, lying sterile and static on the page. True philosophy takes place in conversation. Twentieth-century academic philosophy strays very much from this ancient insight and admonition and survives mainly through the journals, essays, books, and other written materials scrutinized by student and colleague alike. William C. Gentry was both an academic philosopher, perfectly willing to engage in the philosophical "conversations" of the written word and, more importantly, a true philosopher, in the Platonic and Socratic style. Engaging with those around him in discourse, in live conversations, which are the vehicle of actual philosophical inquiry and discovery. These essays are the product of those conversations. Gentry's thoughts consisted of investigations into the deepest and most profound questions of human nature, ethics, and knowledge. This volume is a tribute to his role as both a teacher and philosopher. As a teacher, friend, and colleague, Gentry was the epitome of the philosopher: questioning, exploring, critiquing, discovering. Book jacket.

Preface	p. v
Philosophy: What's It All About?	p. 1
Philosophy or Bumper Stickers	p. 5
Philosophy and Fundamentalism: Teaching Bible-Belted Students	p. 13
Ethical Decision Making	p. 21
Questions on Ethical Decision Making	p. 27
A Critique of Pojman's View of the Grounding of Moral Norms	p. 33
Some Reflections on Perspectivism, Relativism, and Truth	p. 35
Making Critical Choices	p. 41
An Alternative to Moral Logic, or "Gentry's Alternative"	p. 45
In Defense of a Reasoned Ethical Egoism	p. 49
A Modest Defense of Altruism	p. 51
A Modest Defense of Ethical Objectivism and Absolutism	p. 53
The Morality of Using Surplus Human Embryos in Stem-Cell Research	p. 57
More on Ethical Relativism and Ethical Absolutism	p. 71
Two Concepts of Freedom	p. 73
A Case for Determinism	p. 75
Pythagoras and the Mystery Cults	p. 77
The Homeric Worldview	p. 81
Plato's Three Faculties: Notes on the Republic	p. 87
Introduction to the Middle Ages	p. 89
St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109 CE)	p. 93
Introduction to the Renaissance	p. 97
The Mind/Body Problem	p. 103
The Romantic Movement and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778 CE)	p. 105
The Difference between Philosophy and Religion	p. 109
On Defining Religion	p. 111
The Problem of Evil for the Theist	p. 113
Comments on Process Theology	p. 119
What's in a Name?	p. 123
A Charge	p. 125
Veterans' Day, 1987	p. 127
After the Tornado (1997)	p. 131
The House that Bill Built	p. 137
A Friend, Colleague, and Mentor	p. 141
A Remembrance of Bill	p. 143
Henderson's Renaissance Man	p. 145
My Dr. Gentry	p. 149
A Gentleman and a Scholar	p. 153
A Great Man and Friend	p. 155
Swinging from the Flagpole	p. 157
A Fragment of the Philosopher	p. 159
Wonderful Memories	p. 163
Endnotes	p. 165
Bibliography	p. 169
Index	p. 171
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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A Philosophical Life The Collected Essays of William C. Gentry

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