The Mystery of Skepticism: New Explorations represents the cutting-edge of research on underexplored skeptical challenges, dimensions of the skeptical problematic, and responses to various kinds of skepticism. The thirteen newly commissioned essays, edited by Kevin McCain and Ted Poston, demonstrate that despite its long history philosophical reflection on skepticism and the challenges it poses is alive and well. The essays in The Mystery of Skepticism enhance our understanding of skepticism by breathing new life into old debates and sparking new ones. The Mystery of Skepticism will shape discussions of skepticism for years to come.

Epistemological questions about the significance of disagreement have advanced alongside broader developments in social epistemology concerning testimony, the nature of expertise and epistemic authority, the role of institutions, group belief, and epistemic injustice, among others. During this period, related issues in the epistemology of religion have re-emerged as worthy of new consideration, and available to be situated with new conceptual tools. Does disagreement between, and within, religions challenge the rationality of religious commitment? How should religious adherents think about exclusivist, inclusivist, and pluralist frameworks as applied to religious truth, or to matters of salvation or redemption or liberation? This volume explores many of these issues at the intersection of the epistemology of disagreement and religious epistemology. It engages in careful reflection on religious diversity and disagreement, offering ways to balance epistemic humility with personal conviction. Recognizing the place of religious differences in our social lives, it provides renewed efforts at how best to think about truths concerning religion.

Chapter I: Montaigne -- chapter II: Peter Ramus -- chapter III: Charron -- chapter IV: Sanchez -- chapter V: La Mothe-Le-Vayer -- chapter VI: Pascal -- Index to literary references -- Index to subjects

Traveling with Skeptics is the much anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed book, Traveling with Philosophes. However, due to the authors honest and straightforward portrayal of the people of France, he has incurred the wrath and condemnation of the French literary and intellectual establishment, with many persons voicing harsh opinions as regards this unique and insightful work. Insignificant writers cannot be crushed, they lie too flat beneath the foot. Honore de Balzac The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe. Clearly, this most presumptuous writer believes in nothing. Gustave Flaubert Since a person is never happy except at the price of some ignorance, this writer must be the happiest man in the world. Anatole France As soon as he ceased to be mad he became merely stupid. As soon as he ceased to be stupid he became merely this writer. Marcel Proust This author should be deconstructed with the aid of a guillotine. Jacques Derrida There is but one truly philosophical problem, and that is this authors suicide or murder. Albert Camus If Hell is other people, then this writer can go to Hell. Jean-Paul Sartre

This book delves into the captivating and unsolved murder case of six-year-old beauty pageant contestant JonBenét Ramsey. From the initial discovery of the crime scene to the subsequent media frenzy, the case took the nation by storm. The author explores the flaws and controversies surrounding the investigation, highlighting unsolved evidence and the intricate details of the case. Examining the Ramsey family dynamics and the suspicions and allegations that arose, the book raises unanswered questions about their involvement. It also delves into the role of the beauty pageant industry, exploring its impact on JonBenét and the media exploitation that followed. The book presents various theories and speculations, including the intruder theory and the potential involvement of the Ramsey family. It discusses reopened investigations and the enduring legacy of the case on society, leading to legal changes and the rise of the true crime industry. Addressing themes such as forensic evidence, criminal psychology, and the role of media in the investigation, the book explores the intricate psychology of beauty pageants and their impact on child development. It delves into the unsolved evidence, the influence of forensic science, and the ongoing fascination with the case in true crime culture. Throughout the book, the author highlights the continuing mystique surrounding the case, including its influence on popular culture, conspiracy theories, and the unresolved legacy of intrigue. Ultimately, this book provides a comprehensive exploration of a case that has captivated the nation and continues to spark curiosity.

Western civilization was for centuries held together by the glue of Christianity, the religion founded upon the teachings and actions of Jesus -- to the extent that it may be possible to infer them from the written record. This book has grown out of the conviction that the methods of history in particular and of the sciences secondarily have not been applied forcefully enough to an investigation of Jesus. We will scrutinize this written record and see how much we actually know.This book is in part a confession - a literary genre that goes back to Augustine, bishop of Hippo in North Africa and Catholic saint. Yet my agenda differs from his. Augustine lived at a time when the Christian Church was beginning to flex its muscles and make bold claims. Today we live in the twilight of the gods, to borrow the title of one of Friedrich Nietzsche's last works. Religion as a general construct peaked long ago, probably before the Enlightenment, and is now in retreat. This period of decline and demise makes essential at long last a realistic treatment of Jesus of Nazareth.As an Italian by birth and upbringing, the author was early baptized into the Catholic Church. Then, his mother died at age 43. He was 15 years old himself, at the time, and didn't know how to reconcile the notion of a good, just, loving God with such a tragedy.Seeking to know whether the Jesus of the written records can withstand the scrutiny of the sciences and history, he eventually found what is the most probative way of examining Jesus, a task that forms the core of this book. A very long time ago, humans had little more than faith to guide them. Chris does not write for that mindset but aims to entertain other methods of understanding what we call reality, with the sciences, philosophy, and history as our guides. He hopes that their rigor will appeal to those who remain intellectually curious and open-minded.

Explore new approaches to the Psalms of Solomon The Psalms of Solomon: Texts, Contexts, and Intertexts explores a unique pseudepigraphal document that bears witness to the 63 BCE Roman conquest of Jerusalem. Essays address a variety of themes, notably their political, social, religious, and historical contexts, through the lens of anthropology of religion, cognitive science, socioeconomic theory, and more. Contributors include Kenneth Atkinson, Eberhard Bons, Johanna Erzberger, Angela Kim Harkins, G. Anthony Keddie, Patrick Pouchelle, Stefan Schreiber, Shani Tzoref, and Rodney A. Werline.