The Star Wars films continue to revolutionize science fiction, creating new standards for cinematographic excellence, and permeating popular culture around the world. The films feature many complex themes ranging from good versus evil and moral development and corruption to religious faith and pragmatism, forgiveness and redemption, and many others. The essays in this volume tackle the philosophical questions from these blockbuster films including: Was Anakin predestined to fall to the Dark Side? Are the Jedi truly role models of moral virtue? Why would the citizens and protectors of a democratic Republic allow it to descend into a tyrannical empire? Is Yoda a peaceful Zen master or a great warrior, or both? Why is there both a light and a dark side of the Force? Star Wars and Philosophy ponders the depths of these subjects and asks what it truly means to be mindful of the "living force."

For a human being to exist, does it require an immaterial mind, a physical body, a functioning brain, a soul? Is there a shared nature common to all human beings? What essential qualities might define this nature? These questions are among the most widely discussed topics in the history of philosophy and remain subjects of perennial interest and controversy. The Nature of Human Persons offers a metaphysical investigation of the composition of the human essence. Jason Eberl also considers the criterion of identity for a developing human being—that is, what is required for a human being to continue existing as a person despite undergoing physical and psychological changes over time? Eberl places Thomas Aquinas’s account of human nature into direct comparison with several prominent contemporary theories: substance dualism, emergentism, animalism, constitutionalism, four-dimensionalism, and embodied mind theory. These theories inform conclusions regarding when human beings first come into existence (at conception, during gestation, or after birth), how we ought to define death for human beings, and whether (and if so how) human beings may survive death. Ultimately, The Nature of Human Persons argues that the Thomistic account of human nature addresses the matters of human nature and survival more holistically than other theories and offers a cohesive portrait of one’s continued existence from conception through life to death and beyond.

Alongside a revival of interest in Thomas Aquinas' thought (Thomism) in philosophy, this book reveals its contemporary relevance when addressing certain complex, morally difficult, issues in bioethics.

The Routledge Guidebook to Aquinas' Summa Theologiae introduces readers to a work which represents the pinnacle of medieval Western scholarship. Outlining the main arguments Aquinas utilizes to support his conclusions on various philosophical questions, this clear and comprehensive guide explores the historical context in which Aquinas wrote and provides a critical discussion of the topics outlined in the text including theology, metaphysics, epistemology, psychology, ethics, and political theory. This guidebook is essential reading for anyone seeking an understanding of this highly influential work in the history of philosophy.

Not only is Radiohead the most innovative and influential rock bandit's also the most philosophically and culturally relevant. Since the 1993 breakthrough hit ""Creep,"" the band keeps on making waves, with its view of the Bush presidency (Hail to the Thief), its anti-corporatism, its ecologically conscious road tours, its videos, and its decision to sell In Rainbows online at a 'pay whatever you want' price. Composed by a team of Radiohead fans who also think for a living, Radiohead and Philosophy is packet like a crushed tin box with insights into the meaning and implications of Radiohead's work. Paranoid or not, you'll understand Radiohead better than any android. ""Can a rock band still matter? Can it be a positive force in a postmodern world? For millions, Radiohead can, and these thought-provoking essays address how and why Radiohead makes a difference by working at the margins of popular culture.""

Un acercamiento singular y único a Star Wars, que analiza la filosofía secreta que se esconde detrás del mítico universo creado por George Lucas. Debes desaprender aquello que has aprendido. Que la sabiduría te acompañe. Star Wars y la filosofía presenta una recopilación de originales artículos firmados por las mentes más brillantes de la galaxia, explorando el lado más oscuro y profundo de Star Wars y de todos sus universos expandidos, ofreciendo nuevas aproximaciones a temas tan familiares como el origen de la Fuerza, el papel de la mujer en la serie y un largo etcétera. El libro examina a nivel filosófico el impacto de Star Wars en el mundo real y la importancia de la serie como artefacto de la cultura popular, el legado de Joseph Campbell en la mítica fundación de la serie, creando una armazón para comprender qué hay de «canónico» en Star Wars, y dando a los fans una serie de razones que ayudan a comprender de una vez por todas que Han disparó primero. Reseñas: «La filosofía oculta del universo de Star Wars.» Fantasticplasticmag «Una guía original e idónea tanto para los neófitos de este universo como para los fans.» The perks of being more than a reader

Discussions concerning whether there is a natural right to health care may occur in various forms, resulting in policy recommendations for how to implement any such right in a given society. But health care policies may be judged by international standards including the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The rights enumerated in the UDHR are grounded in traditions of moral theory, a philosophical analysis of which is necessary in order to adjudicate the value of specific policies designed to enshrine rights such as a right to health care. We begin with an overview of the drafting of the UDHR and highlight the primary influence of natural law theory in validating the rights contained therein. We then provide an explication of natural law theory by reference to the writings of Thomas Aquinas, as well as elucidate the complementary “capabilities approach” of Martha Nussbaum. We conclude that a right to health care ought to be guaranteed by the state.