Christmas - Philosophy for Everyone Better Than a Lump of Coal
by Allhoff, Fritz; Lowe, Scott C.; Nissenbaum, StephenEdition: 1st
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2010-09-20
Publisher(s): Wiley-Blackwell
Other versions by this Author
List Price: $21.28
Buy New
Usually Ships in 3-4 Business Days
$21.26
Rent Textbook
Select for Price
Used Textbook
We're Sorry
Sold Out
eTextbook
We're Sorry
Not Available
How Marketplace Works:
- This item is offered by an independent seller and not shipped from our warehouse
- Item details like edition and cover design may differ from our description; see seller's comments before ordering.
- Sellers much confirm and ship within two business days; otherwise, the order will be cancelled and refunded.
- Marketplace purchases cannot be returned to eCampus.com. Contact the seller directly for inquiries; if no response within two days, contact customer service.
- Additional shipping costs apply to Marketplace purchases. Review shipping costs at checkout.
Summary
From Santa, elves and Ebenezer Scrooge, to the culture wars and virgin birth, Christmas - Philosophy for Everyone explores a host of philosophical issues raised by the practices and beliefs surrounding Christmas. Offers thoughtful and humorous philosophical insights into the most widely celebrated holiday in the Western world Contributions come from a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy, theology, religious studies, English literature, cognitive science and moral psychology The essays cover a wide range of Christmas themes, from a defence of the miracle of the virgin birth to the relevance of Christmas to atheists and pagans
Author Biography
Scott C. Lowe is Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Fritzallhoff is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University's Center for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics.
Table of Contents
| Foreword: Joining the Manger to the Sleigh? | p. x |
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| Christmas: In the Beginning | p. 9 |
| Jesus, Mary, and Hume: On the Possibility of the Virgin Birth | p. 11 |
| The Virgin Birth: Authentic Christmas Magic | p. 24 |
| Putting the "Yule" Back in "Yuletide" | p. 36 |
| Is Celebrating Christmas Really a Good Idea? | p. 47 |
| Armed for the War on Christmas | p. 49 |
| Christmas Mythologies: Sacred and Secular | p. 59 |
| The Significance of Christmas for Liberal Multiculturalism | p. 70 |
| Crummy Commercials and BB Guns: Son-of-a-Bitch Consumerism in a Christmas Classic | p. 80 |
| Santa: A Deeper Look | p. 91 |
| The Mind of Santa Claus and the Metaphors He Lives By | p. 93 |
| Making a List, Checking It Twice: The Santa Claus Surveillance System | p. 104 |
| You'd Better Watch Out... | p. 114 |
| Santa's Sweatshop: Elf Exploitation for Christmas | p. 125 |
| The Morality of Christmas | p. 137 |
| Against the Santa Claus Lie: The Truth We Should Tell Our Children | p. 139 |
| Lying to Children about Santa: Why It's Just Not Wrong | p. 151 |
| Putting Claus Back into Christmas | p. 161 |
| Scrooge Learns it All in One Night: Happiness and the Virtues of Christmas | p. 172 |
| Christmas Through Others' Eyes | p. 183 |
| Holly Jolly Atheists: A Naturalistic Justification for Christmas | p. 185 |
| Heaven, Hecate, and Hallmark: Christmas in Hindsight | p. 197 |
| Festivus and the Need for Seasonal Absurdity | p. 208 |
| Common Claus: Santa as Cross-Cultural Connection | p. 219 |
| Afterword | p. 231 |
| Notes on Contributors | p. 234 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
An electronic version of this book is available through VitalSource.
This book is viewable on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and most smartphones.
By purchasing, you will be able to view this book online, as well as download it, for the chosen number of days.
Digital License
You are licensing a digital product for a set duration. Durations are set forth in the product description, with "Lifetime" typically meaning five (5) years of online access and permanent download to a supported device. All licenses are non-transferable.
More details can be found here.
A downloadable version of this book is available through the eCampus Reader or compatible Adobe readers.
Applications are available on iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and Windows Mobile platforms.
Please view the compatibility matrix prior to purchase.