Humans are deeply convinced that there is something distinct about us as a species, but have never been able to agree on what it is. The first group of essays in this volume make a philosophical attempt at definition, while the second recognizes that we are what we do as well as what we say we are.

Are Americans less civil than they used to be? If so, is that a bad thing? Perhaps we are just learning to be more honest. And what does civility mean? Is it just good manners? It so, perhaps it is only the complaint of privileged classes, annoyed that taxi drivers are increasingly rude and that men no longer give up their seats to women on public transportation. Or is civility a question of morality? The philosopher Peter Bertocci once argued that promptness is a fundamental form of social justice.

In this lively conversation on an increasingly significant theme, major philosophers and...

In this lively conversation on an increasingly significant theme, major philosophers and religious scholars argue the issue on three levels. The first is manners: Henry Rosemont argues the Confucian case that manners are the substance of social relations, while Edwin Delattre and Adam Seligman believe that the issue is deeper than that; and the sociologist Alan Wolfe is persuaded that we are not less civil or ill-mannered than our predecessors. Secondly, as a social issue, James Schmidt, Lawrence Cahoone, and Adam Seligman turn to questions of structure and meaning in a civil society; Ninian...

This timely book brings together ten scholars in the varied fields of philosophy, theology, history, anthropology, and literature to reflect on the theme of courage. Contributors to this volume agree that courage is not just for the few or the dramatically heroic. While some of the authors do invoke awe-inspiring instances of death-defying courage, all recognize that courage is required of every one of us. The first section of Courage, entitled Courage in Philosophy and Literature, begins with William Desmond's exploration of the transcendent dimension of courage, which comes to us not from...

What does death really mean? Is there life after death? Is that idea even intelligible? Despite our constant confrontation with death there has been little serious philosophical reflection on the meaning of death and even less on the classical question of immortality. Popular books on death and dying abound, but they are largely manuals for dying with composure, or individual near death experiences of light at the end of the tunnel. This lively conversation includes various views on these matters, from John Lachs's gentle but firm insistence that the notion of immortality is philosophically...

The contrtibutors to this collection offer personal, philosophical and historical views on questions about death. Contributors include: John Lachs, Jurgen Moltmann, David Roochnik, Aaron Garrett, David Schmidtz, David Eckel, Brian Jorgensen, Rita Rouner, Peter Gomes and Wendy Doniger.

Volume 25 in the Boston University Studies in Philosophy and Religion series brings together distinguished scholars to reflect on the fascination and fear that humans inevitably experience when confronted with diverse religious beliefs and practices. Contributors argue that fear of the stranger and his or her religion can only be overcome through education, and they suggest ways in which we can better understand one another and the world in which we live. Part one of the collection, entitled Talking with Strangers, explores avenues for finding common ground between religious strangers. In...

Volume 25 in the Boston University Studies in Philosophy and Religion series brings together distinguished scholars to reflect on the fascination and fear that humans inevitably experience when confronted with diverse religious beliefs and practices. Contributors argue that fear of the stranger and his or her religion can only be overcome through education, and they suggest ways in which we can better understand one another and the world in which we live. Part one of the collection, entitled Talking with Strangers, explores avenues for finding common ground between religious strangers. In...

This text explores the notion that home is both a place and a condition of spirit. While a person may have a place that is home, he or she may also be nostalgic for an inner spiritual home, beyond human grasp. It combines autobiographical essays, with philosophical and religious explorations.