Books by J. Jeremy Wisnewski

Wisnewski provides a concise introduction to Heidegger's work through the lens of his best-known book, Being and Time. This insightful, new text guides students through Heidegger's challenging ideas to help them understand his writings as a whole and his influence on modern thought.

Despite Victor Hugo's 19th-century proclamation that torture no longer exists, we still find it even now, even in those nations that claim to be paradigms of civility. Why is it that torture still exists in a world where it is routinely regarded as immoral? Is it possible to eliminate torture, and if so, how? What exactly does it mean to call something 'torture', and is it always morally reprehensible? Arguments in favour of torture abound, but in this important new book, J. Jeremy Wisnewski examines and explains the moral dimensions of this perennial practice, paying careful attention to what lessons torture can teach us about our own moral psychology. By systematically exposing the weaknesses of the dominant arguments for torture, drawing on resources in both analytic and continental philosophy and relevant empirical literature in psychology, Wisnewski aims to provide an over-arching account of torture: what it is, why it's wrong, and why even the most civilized people can nevertheless engage in it.

Offers an introduction to the philosophical debates surrounding torture. This book asks key questions in light of recent events such as the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib: What makes torture morally reprehensible? Are there any conditions under which torture is acceptable? And, what is it like to be tortured, and why do people engage in torture?

Argues that Wittgenstein, though himself often silent on particular ethical matters, gives us immense resources for understanding the aims appropriate to any philosophical ethics. This work re-examines some of the landmarks in the history of moral philosophy in order to cast contemporary ethical philosophy in a fresh light.