Beer and Philosophy The Unexamined Beer Isn't Worth Drinking

by Hales, Steven D.; Jackson, Michael C.

• ISBN13: 9781405154307
• ISBN10: 1405154306
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-11-19
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

From the dawn of civilization, human beings have bent elbows together to consume beer. The stonecutters and laborers who built the Egyptian pyramids did it - and even today, what is more thirst quenching than a good beer at the end of a hard day? Beer is the most democratic of all beverages, making it an excellent vehicle for examining everyday life.Beer & amp; Philosophy is written for beer lovers who want to think while they drink. It playfully explores a multitude of philosophical questions:What is the definition of an authentic beer and is its goodness context-dependent?Is it preferable to drink large quantities of Pabst Blue Ribbon or better to consume smaller amounts of Chimay Blue Grande R éserve?Can the existence of high quality brew be used to prove the theory of Intelligent Design?Author and beer aficionado Steven D. Hales presents an intriguing and often humorous argument for how complex philosophical concerns are intrinsically linked to something as prosaic as quaffing a pint with friends.

Author Biography

Steven D. Hales is Professor of Philosophy at Bloomsburg University. He received a PhD from Brown University and specializes in epistemology and metaphysics. A prolific writer, Hale was the 2006 recipient of the Bloomsburg University teaching award.

Table of Contents

Foreword: I Wink, Therefore I Am	p. vii
Editor's Introduction	p. 1
The Art of the Beer	p. 13
Thirst for Authenticity: An Aesthetics of the Brewer's Art	p. 15
The Beer Matrix: Reality vs Facsimile in Brewing	p. 31
The Truth about Beer	p. 44
Good Beer, or How to Properly Dispute Taste	p. 52
Quality, Schmality: Talking Naturally about the Aesthetics of Beer; or Why is American Beer So Lousy?	p. 65
Extreme Brewing in America	p. 83
The Ethics of Beer: Pleasures, Freedom, and Character	p. 95
Mill v. Miller, or Higher and Lower Pleasures	p. 97
Beer and Autonomy	p. 110
Another Pitcher? On Beer, Friendship, and Character	p. 123
The Metaphysics and Epistemology of Beer	p. 135
Beer and Gnosis: The Mead of Inspiration	p. 137
The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Beer	p. 148
What's a Beer Style?	p. 162
Beer in the History of Philosophy	p. 177
Drink on, the Jolly Prelate Cries	p. 179
Beer Goggles and Transcendental Idealism	p. 193
Beyond Grolsch and Orval: Beer, Intoxication, and Power in Nietzsche's Thought	p. 206
Your Thinking Companions on the Bar Stool next to You	p. 221
Index	p. 225
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.