Too Weird to Believe, Too Plausible to Deny by Sosis, Cliff;

Short description:

Anyone new to philosophy soon encounters new ideas that challenge their hidden biases and cherished beliefs, or are at odds with common sense and tradition. Yet, these philosophical ideas are backed by strong arguments, arguments so strong that it’s difficult to identify what is wrong with them.

Long description:

Anyone new to philosophy soon encounters new ideas that challenge their hidden biases and cherished beliefs, or are at odds with common sense and tradition. Yet, these philosophical ideas are backed by strong arguments, arguments so strong that it’s difficult to identify what is wrong with them. Too Weird to Believe, Too Plausible to Deny: Mind-Blowing Philosophical Ideas explores these strange yet cogent ideas in 29 short, clear chapters written by some of the best philosophers alive today.

Some of these ideas include:

• Nobody should reproduce.


• You are not responsible for your actions.


• Consciousness is in everything, everywhere.


• Your property doesn’t really belong to you.


• Absolutely anything can be art.


• Biases are morally good and help us understand reality.


• We can’t know what scientific facts are correct.


• Having a disability can be good for you.


• You should never ever lie, even to save a life.


• You have no moral duty to obey the law.


• You don’t exist because there is no self.

Each chapter starts with a seemingly counterintuitive philosophical conclusion and a simple, accurate description of the underlying argument supporting the conclusion, including historical and cultural context. This is followed by an outline of objections for the purposes of conversation and debate, and a discussion of the implications of the idea, or how it may relate to the reader’s interests and attitudes. Each chapter closes with suggested readings and a list of references for readers who want to learn more about the idea.

“A mind-bending collection of brief, plausible arguments for a wide variety of unusual philosophical views, by an impressive range of contributors. If it doesn't rouse you from your dogmatic slumbers, you must be deeply asleep. It will inspire you to rethink the reasons behind your implicit "common sense" assumptions about ethics and the nature of reality.”

-- Eric Schwitzgebel, Professor of Philosophy at UC Riverside, USA.

“Finally, we have an introductory reader with a distinctively 21st-century orientation towards philosophy. These original essays are about timeless questions, like what counts as art, how to be happy, and what kinds of beings are conscious, and timely questions like the ethics of polyamory, or whether to have children in today’s world. Written by provocateurs who want us to radically revise our preconceptions, or defend them, this is philosophy at its best and most engaging.”

-- Barry Lam, Professor of Philosophy at UC Riverside, USA. Host and Producer of Hi-Phi Nation podcast.

“Each of the essays in this highly readable collection argues for a conclusion that takes us beyond the comforts of common sense. Although the essays are all written by contemporary philosophers, the style they adopt, no doubt due to the editor, is vividly accessible, delightfully jargon-free and engaging. Even if you reject their conclusions, their arguments will force you to work hard in your rejection, deepening your perspective on your own convictions. A brilliant celebration of philosophical courage and the unfamiliar places that reason can take us when we refuse to look away.”

-- Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away.

“One of the most enjoyable and thought-provoking philosophy books of recent times. Too Weird to Believe gathers some of the most radical philosophical ideas ever, each defended by contemporary philosophers with careful, intelligent, and easy to understand arguments. If you want to be challenged, and have your mind blown, make sure you get a copy.”

-- Philip Goff, Professor of Philosophy, Durham University, UK.

“Clifford Sosis has put together a wonderful anthology consisting of first-rate philosophers arguing effectively against things most of us are inclined to believe. If you are naturally disagreeable, uncooperative, and skeptical of everything that makes organized society possible, this book can be your bible. If you teach philosophy, it can make a wonderful book for a wide variety of courses, from introductory classes to graduate seminars.”

-- John Perry, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Stanford and UC Riverside, USA.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Too Weird to Believe, Too Plausible to Deny  Part 1: What Should We Do?  1. Having a Disability Can Be Good for You  2. Lying Is Always Wrong  3. Not Being An Evil Bastard Is Hard  4. Polyamory Is Not Cheating  5. There’s No Duty to Obey the Law  6. More Lives Better Than Good Lives  7. We Should Not Reproduce  8. Taxes Aren’t Just Theft, They’re Much Worse  9. Your Property Isn’t Really Yours  10. Ignorance Is the Foundation of Justice  11. Freedom Without Alternatives  12. We’re Not Responsible  13. It's Your Fault You’re Not Happy  14. More Than One True Morality  15. Moral Facts Are Magic Tricks  Part 2: What Is True?  16.  Bias Is Good  17.  Against Doing Your Own Research  18.  Anything Can Be Art  19.  Sex Is Socially Constructed  20.  Conscious Intelligent Robots Are Virtually Inevitable  21.  Consciousness Is Everywhere  22.  Consciousness Is Not What It Seems  23.  There’s No Self  24.  The Past and Future Are as Real as Now  25.  We Can't Know If Scientific Theories Are Correct  26.  The World Is Almost Certainly Not the Way It Seems  27.  Reality Doesn’t Matter  28.  Should You Believe Nothing?  29.  Nothingness: The Contradiction at the Ground of Reality