Rules about sexuality, written and unwritten, have existed in every culture as have disagreements over what is and isn't acceptable. Must morally permissible sex have only one function? Must it be heterosexual? Must it occur within the confines of the institution of marriage? Must it be accompanied by requisite emotions such as love and intimacy?

Addressing questions of sexuality that philosophers have pondered for centuries, Raymond Belliotti covers a myriad of issues, including the origin of gender and reproductive roles, the function of morally permissible sex, heterosexuality and...

When Raymond Belliotti was twelve, he stole from a local merchant. After making restitution and apologies, he was faced with his mother's Italian-American pride and wrath--he had besmirched the family name, reinforced stereotypical criminal images of Italian-Americans, and repaid the sacrifices of his parents and grandparents with disgrace. The message was clear--his self-indulgent greed had taken down an entire family network. But later that night his mother symbolically welcomed him back into the fold by baking his favorite cookies. The family survived and he never stole again.

In...

Entering the perennial debate about the role and definition of law, this book presents a critical survey of a number of philosophical approaches to law and judicial decision-making. Confronting the conflicting orientations represented by legal formalism and legal realism, it discusses the relationship between law and society.

This book places Machiavelli in historical context but argues that his understanding of moral conflicts is well ahead of his time. Instead of arguing for the autonomy of politics, as is commonly supposed, Machiavelli grapples with the special problems of role-differentiated morality, where the duties of public office often conflict with the demands of conventional morality.

Raymond Angelo Belliotti's Roman Philosophy and the Good Life provides an accessible picture of these major philosophical influences in Rome and details the crucial role they played during times of major social upheaval. Belliotti demonstrates the contemporary relevance of some of the philosophical issues faced by the Romans, and offers ways in which today's society can learn from the Romans in our attempt to create meaningful lives.

Raymond Angelo Belliotti's Roman Philosophy and the Good Life provides an accessible picture of these major philosophical influences in Rome and details the crucial role they played during times of major social upheaval. Belliotti demonstrates the contemporary relevance of some of the philosophical issues faced by the Romans, and offers ways in which today's society can learn from the Romans in our attempt to create meaningful lives.

Dante's Deadly Sins is a unique study of the moral philosophy behind Dante's master work that considers the Commedia as he intended, namely, as a practical guide to moral betterment. Focusing on Inferno and Purgatorio, Belliotti examines the puzzles and paradoxes of Dante's moral assumptions, his treatment of the 7 deadly sins, and how 10 of his most powerful moral lessons anticipate modern existentialism.

• Analyzes the moral philosophy underpinning one of the greatest works of world culture
• Summarizes the Inferno and Purgatorio,...

Frequently understood in simplistic and often highly negative terms, the concept of power has proven to be both uncommonly intriguing and maddeningly elusive. In Power, Raymond Angelo Belliotti begins by fashioning a general definition of power that is refined enough to capture the numerous types of power in all their multifaceted complexity. He then proceeds in a series of discrete yet thematically connected meditations to explore the meaning of power in ancient, modern, and contemporary thought. In grappling with the critical questions surrounding the accumulation, distribution, and...