- Paperback: 176 pages
- Publisher: Phoenix; New Ed edition (16 Sep 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0753817950
- ISBN-13: 978-0753817957
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 1.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 692,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Xmas Files: The Philosophy of Christmas
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Review
"Not just about Christmas. It is also a concise primer to some of the main issues in religious and moral philosophy, wrapped up in a seasonal context." (THE HERALD )
"As Law reassesses the meanings behind the season, he does his damnedest to make the whole terrain accessible to the non-philosophy student." (THE LIST )
"For the clever one in the family." (BELFAST TELEGRAPH ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"As Law reassesses the meanings behind the season, he does his damnedest to make the whole terrain accessible to the non-philosophy student." (THE LIST )
"For the clever one in the family." (BELFAST TELEGRAPH ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
THE HERALD
"Not just about Christmas. It is also a concise primer to some of the main issues in religious and moral philosophy, wrapped up in a seasonal context."
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
As the Christmas season approaches, we are reminded to think of others, and to put their interests before our own, at least momentarily. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
As the Christmas season approaches, we are reminded to think of others, and to put their interests before our own, at least momentarily. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A satisfying seasonal stroll through an assortment of philosophical conundrums. The varied traditions of Christmas, both secular and religious, are taken as a starting point to uncover a series of surprisingly deep moral questions. These range from how charitable should we be (much more) to whether we should eat turkeys (probably not). Hobbes, Hume, Mill, Kant, Pascal, Wittgenstein and others are drawn into the debate, but the tone is kept light and accessible by Christmas-themed examples and stories. Religious aspects are handled particularly deftly, the author taking a sceptical/humanistic but sympathetic approach to the meanings given to peace, faith, miracles, tradition and God. Will at least liven up your after-dinner family arguments and probably leave you eager to explore the issues more.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was already a big fan of Law's books (especially The Philosophy Gym)and this didn't disappoint. The Xmas Files is very entertaining. It also gets you thinking about the kind of stuff that usually just passes us by. All fourteen chapters are short, breezy reads. Some are intended as bit of fun, like "The Santa Claus puzzle" in which Law appears to prove that Santa exists. But others, despite the wry humour, are surprisingly illuminating (especially "wrapping the presents" which really made me think). Some are even touching ("Christmas card kitsch"). Law may be cashing in on the Xmas theme, but make no mistake this is a genuinely insightful book written by a real philosopher.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This isn't quite your usual light-hearted stocking-filler. At first I wondered if I'd made a mistake in buying it, but the initial 'heaviness' wears off and you can get quite interested.
For example :
* by considering what to do about an unwanted gift, you get to consider the views of Kant & Mill.
* whether there is a God, and whether God is Good or Evil, takes us through the thoughts of Hume.
* Peace on Earth and whether War is Just brings us to St Thomas Aquinas.
The role of Tradition and Religious Faiths bring us to a close with a very thoughtful discussion on whether we've lost our sense of Community, and whether Christmas should be used by all, non-Christian as well as Christian, as one of the few remaining common Traditions to bring us back together.
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