Philosophy on Tap Pint-Sized Puzzles for the Pub Philosopher

by Lawrence, Matt

• ISBN13: 9781444336405
• ISBN10: 1444336401
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-04-18
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

When beer starts to flow, philosophical discussions naturally follow. Philosophy on Tap takes pub philosophy to the next level, pairing 48 of life's greatest philosophical questions with 48 of the world's best beers. Features a unique presentation of philosophical puzzles, paradoxes, and debates by considering 48 of lifes biggest questions in the context of 48 distinctive beers from around the world Provides a highly engaging and sociable approach to the classic philosophical problems as well as a unique look at the conundrums that directly affect the beer drinker Combines a philosopher's insights with thematic humor and trivia to explore issues such as free will, God's existence, the nature of the soul, time travel, the aesthetics of taste, the role of beer in the good life, and the infamous "beer goggles" paradox For beer drinkers who enjoy philosophy, philosophers who enjoy beer, and anyone who has ever pondered the meaning of life over a pint of ale

Author Biography

Matt Lawrence is Professor of Philosophy at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, California. He is the author of Like a Splinter in Your Mind: The Philosophy Behind the Matrix Trilogy (Blackwell, 2004).

Table of Contents

Preface: A funny thing happened on the way to the monastery	p. xi
Personal Acknowledgments	p. xvii
Acknowledgments	p. xviii
Transporter Troubles	p. 1
Shall we beam up another round?
Pint of the Puzzle: Guinness Extra Stout
Zeno's Hand to Mouth Paradox	p. 5
How does the glass ever reach your mouth?
Pint of the Puzzle: Weihenstephan Original Lager
If a Pint Spills in the Forest…	p. 10
If no one is there to hear it, would it still make a sound?
Pint of the Puzzle: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
The Beer Goggles Paradox	p. 14
Is beauty in the eye of the beerholder?
Pint of the Puzzle: Flying Dog Horn Dog Barleywine
Pascal's Wager	p. 19
Would you dare bet against God?
Pint of the Puzzle: Harp Irish Lager
The Experience Machine	p. 23
Would you choose the ultimate life of pleasure?
Pint of the Puzzle: Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Lucretius' Spear	p. 28
Is there a pub at the end of the universe?
Pint of the Puzzle: Unibroue La Fin du Monde
The Omnipotence Dilemma	p. 33
Can God make a keg so big that He himself can't lift it?
Pint of the Puzzle: Belhaven Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
What Mary Didn't Know About Lager	p. 36
Can she know its taste without having a sense of taste?
Pint of the Puzzle: Foster's Lager
Malcolm X and the Whites Only Bar	p. 40
What is race?
Pint of the Puzzle: Avery's White Rascal Ale
Untangling Taste	p. 44
Are some beers truly better than others?
Pint of the Puzzle: Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale
The Foreknowledge Paradox	p. 50
If God always knew which beer you'd order, are you still free?
Pint of the Puzzle: Aktien's Hell Lager
The Buddha's Missing Self	p. 54
Are you the same person now as when you took your first sip?
Pint of the Puzzle: Kingfisher Premium Lager
The Blind Men and the Black and Tan	p. 59
Could all the major religions be true?
Pint of the Puzzle: Bass Ale
Liar's Paradox	p. 65
Can you discern the truth?
Pint of the Puzzle: Roy Pitz Truly Honest Ale
Paley's Cask	p. 69
Is there an intelligent designer?
Pint of the Puzzle: Newcastle Brown Ale
Chuang Tzu's Butterfly	p. 74
Could you be dreaming at this very moment?
Pint of the Puzzle: Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti
Descartes' Doubt	p. 78
What do you know with absolute certainty?
Pint of the Puzzle: Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre
God's Command	p. 83
Can saying make it so?
Pint of the Puzzle: Shmaltz He'brew Origin Pomegranate Ale
Mill's Drunkard	p. 87
Are intellectual pleasures better than bodily pleasures?
Pint of the Puzzle: Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout
The Myth of Gyges	p. 91
Who finished the pitcher?! Are we all just selfish?
Pint of the Puzzle: Mythos Greek Lager
Laplace's Superscientist	p. 95
Is your next round totally predictable?
Pint of the Puzzle: Surprise Me
Gaunilo's Perfect Ale	p. 99
If it were truly perfect, wouldn't it have to exist?
Pint of the Puzzle: Chimay Bleue ôGrande Réserveö
The Problem of Moral Truth	p. 103
Are moral beliefs ever true?
Pint of the Puzzle: Wasatch Polygamy Porter
How to Sew on a Soul	p. 107
Where do I attach my inner taster?
Pint of the Puzzle: Rogue Dead Guy Ale
Plato's Forms	p. 112
Are you tapping into a perfect world?
Pint of the Puzzle: High and Mighty Purity of Essence Lager
Realizing Nirvana	p. 116
Are you ready to be enlightened?
Pint of the Puzzle: Lhasa Beer of Tibet
The Problem of Evil	p. 121
If God exists, then why are there bad beers?
Pint of the Puzzle: Victory HopDevil IPA
Time's Conundrum	p. 125
Does time exist? What about happy hour?
Pint of the Puzzle: La Trappe Quadrupel
Time Travel Paradoxes	p. 130
Is time travel possible? And if so, can I brew the world's first beer?
Pint of the Puzzle: Kronenbourg 1664
Hitler's Hefeweizen	p. 136
Would you poison Hitler's pint?
Pint of the Puzzle: Hofbräu Hefeweizen
The Zen Koan	p. 141
What is the sound of one glass clinking?
Pint of the Puzzle: Sapporo Premium Lager
Sex and Sensibility	p. 146
Are men and women from different morality planets?
Pint of the Puzzle: His: Anchor Steam; Hers: Chardonnay
Socrates' Virtue	p. 150
Can you knowingly do wrong?
Pint of the Puzzle: Blue Point Hoptical Illusion
Nature Calls	p. 154
Are human beings inherently good or evil?
Pint of the Puzzle: Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale OR Arrogant Bastard Ale
Nietzsche's Eternal Recurrence	p. 159
Would you choose that beer all over again? And again? And…
Pint of the Puzzle: North Coast Brother Thelonious Abbey Ale
The Most Interesting Man and the Firing Line	p. 164
Does it matter who pulls the trigger?
Pint of the Puzzle: Dos Equis Ambar
Turing's Tasting Machine	p. 169
Could a computer judge beer?
Pint of the Puzzle: Fuller's London Pride
Singer's Pond	p. 174
What do we owe to others? Should we buy them a round?
Pint of the Puzzle: Yuengling Traditional Lager
The Wisest One of All	p. 179
Can ignorance be wisdom?
Pint of the Puzzle: Elysian The Wise ESB
Enter the Matrix	p. 182
Is your pilsner merely electrical signals in your brain?
Pint of the Puzzle: Moonlight Brewing Reality Czech Pilsner
A Case of Bad Faith	p. 187
Are you responsible for everything you do?
Pint of the Puzzle: Fantôme Pissenlit Saison
Cask and Cleaver	p. 191
Are you a speciesist?
Pint of the Puzzle: Laughing Dog Alpha Dog Imperial IPA
Flirting with Disaster	p. 195
When does flirtation become harassment?
Pint of the Puzzle: St. Pauli Girl Lager
Fear of Zombies	p. 200
Are you tasting what I'm tasting?
Are you tasting anything at all?
Pint of the Puzzle: Alesmith Old Numbskull Barleywine
Lao Tzu's Empty Mug	p. 204
What good is emptiness?
Pint of the Puzzle: Tsingtao Lager
Beer and the Meaning of Life	p. 209
Does life have meaning? Does it mean that I should have another beer?
Pint of the Puzzle: Deschutes The Abyss Imperial Stout
The Case for Temperance	p. 213
To drink or not to drink? That is the question.
Pint of the Puzzle: O'Doul's Original Premium Non-alcoholic Beer
Notes	p. 218
Glossary of Beer and Philosophical Terms	p. 229
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