Satan As A Moral Philosopher

Excerpt from Satan as a Moral Philosopher: With Other Essays and Sketches Some three years ago I put out a little volume entitled About Men and Things: Papers from my Study Table Drawer. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This collection brings together new papers addressing the philosophical challenges that the concept of a Devil presents, bringing philosophical rigor to treatments of the Devil. Contributors approach the idea of the Devil from a variety of philosophical traditions, methodologies, and styles, providing a comprehensive philosophical overview that contemplates the existence, nature, and purpose of the Devil. While some papers take a classical approach to the Devil, drawing on biblical exegesis, other contributors approach the topic of the Devil from epistemological, metaphysical, phenomenological, and ethical perspectives. This volume will be relevant to researchers and scholars interested in philosophical conceptions of the Devil and related areas, such as philosophers of religion, theologians, and scholars working in philosophical theology and demonology.

An approachable introductory text to the issue of evil and how it interfaces with one's faith, conscience, psychology and zeitgeist. An approachable introductory text to the issue of evil and how it interfaces with one's faith, conscience, psychology and zeitgeist. Hide synopsis

With the media bringing us constant tales of terrorism and violence, questions regarding the nature of evil are highly topical. Luke Russell explores the philosophical thinking and psychological evidence behind evil, alongside portrayals of fictional villains, considering why people are evil, and how it goes beyond the normal realms of what is bad.

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Introduction -- PART I Demons in Christianity -- 1 Augustine and Aquinas on the Demonic -- 2 The Demonic Body: Demonic Ontology and the Domicile of the Demons in Apuleius and Augustine -- 3 Christian Demonology: A New Philosophical Perspective -- 4 Women as "the Devil's Gateway": A Feminist Critique of Christian Demonology -- PART II Non-Christian Conceptions of Demons -- 5 Socrates's Demonic Sign (Daimonion Sēmeion) -- 6 The Ecological Demon: Silent Running and Interstellar -- 7 Demons of Seduction in Early Jewish Literature -- 8 The Jinn and the Shayātīn -- 9 Māra: Devā and Demon -- PART III Demons and Epistemological Issues -- 10 Justified Belief in the Existence of Demons Is Impossible -- 11 Esoteric Spirituality, Devils, and Demons: Introducing the Gnostic Vision of Modernity -- 12 Re-Enchantment and Contemporary Demonology -- PART IV Demons in Moral and Social Philosophy -- 13 Whedon's Demons: The Immorality of Moral Clarity and the Ethics of Moral Complexity -- 14 Modern Representations of Evil: Kant, Arendt, and the Devil in Goethe's Faust and Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita -- 15 The Politics of Possession: Reading King James's Daemonologie through the Lens of Mimetic Realism -- Notes on Contributors -- Bibliography -- Index

In The Devil and Philosophy, 34 philosophers explore questions about one of the most recognizable and influential characters (villains?) of all time. From Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion to Bram Stoker's Dracula to Darth Vader to Al Pacino's iconic performance in The Devil's Advocate, this book demonstrates that a little devil goes a long way. From humorous appearances, as in Kevin Smith's film Dogma and Chuck Palahniuk's novels Damned and its sequel Doomed, to more villanous appearances, such as Gabriel Byrne's cold outing as Satan in End of Days, The Devil in Philosophy proves that the Devil comes in many forms. Through the lenses of Jung, Kant, Kundera, Balkan, Plato, Bradwardine, Aristotle, Hume, Blackburn, Descartes, Lavey, Thoreau, and Aquinas, The Devil and Philosophy take a philosophical look at one of time's greatest characters. Are there any good arguments for the actual existence of the Devil? Does demonic evil thrive in Gotham City? Can humans really be accountable for all evil? Which truths about the Devil are actual facts? Is Milton correct, in that the Devil believes he is doing good?