We will explore how to develop a clear mind, what is the nature of human nature, how to trust what we think we know, and whether there is a God who governs our existence. We will examine whether we are wholly conditioned by society or make free...

We will explore how to develop a clear mind, what is the nature of human nature, how to trust what we think we know, and whether there is a God who governs our existence. We will examine whether we are wholly conditioned by society or make free decisions; if art is a matter of taste or if there's good taste and bad taste; and if we have a spiritual self hidden within our physical body. We will also examine whether moral values are invented or discovered, the best form of government, and whether life ends at the grave or persists throughout eternity.The book will challenge you to judge the various answers to these questions that have been proposed by profound thinkers, and in the light of these, to find your own philosophy of life. The ongoing question is how best to live.

Chapter 1. Thinking Straight �  'What Is Truth?'� retorted Pilate �  Relevant Facts and Plausible Interpretations �  Avoiding the Pitfalls Chapter 2. Human Nature: Are We Beastlier

Chapter 1. Thinking Straight �  'What Is Truth?'� retorted Pilate �  Relevant Facts and Plausible Interpretations �  Avoiding the Pitfalls Chapter 2. Human Nature: Are We Beastlier Than Any Beast? �  Historical Notions of Human Nature �  The Depravity of Man �  Basic Decency and Goodness �  The Caring Gene Chapter 3. Acquiring Knowledge: Should We Lose Our Minds and Come To Our Senses? �  Seeing Is Believing �  The Empiricism of David Hume �  Hume may not be right, but on empiricist grounds it is hard to refute the notion that causation is a mistake. �  Keeping Our Wits About Us �  The Rationalism of Ren�© Descartes Chapter 4. The Existence of God: Are We Here By Chance Or By Design? �  Does God Exist? �  The Cosmological Argument �  Earthly Design Implies a Divine Designer �  Can We Reconcile Human Suffering and Divine Love? Chapter 5. The Fair Distribution of Wealth: Freedom vs. Equality �  Does Economic Inequality Indicate an Unfair System? �  The Forces Opposing Equal Opportunity �  The Consequences of Inequality �  A Suggested Solution Chapter 6. Nature Times Nurture Equals Behavior: Do We Ever Make a Free Choice? �  Our Fate Is Sealed �  Causal Determinism �  The Hidden Fracture Lines Chapter 7. Honesty and Integrity: Should Truthfulness Depend Upon the Situation? �  Honesty � �  Self-Deception �  Lies in Politics �  The Level of Rhetoric Chapter 8. Good Taste and Bad Taste: Is Beauty In the Eye of the Beholder? �  Distinctions In Aesthetics �  Good Art As Faithful Representation �  The Standard of Significant Form �  Emotive Expression Chapter 9. Business is Business: Do Capitalists Have a Social Responsibility? �  The Causes of the Near Meltdown �  The Dark Side of Capitalism �  A Fair Profit and Just Compensation Chapter 10. Persons As Matter In Motion: Is There a Ghost In the Machine? �  The Self in Time and Space �