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The Philosophers’

Magazine

98 Mulgrave Road, Sutton, Surrey SM2 6LZ

United Kingdom Tel: 020 8643 1504 Fax: 0709 237 6412 editor@philosophers.co.uk www.philosophers.co.uk

Philosophers’ The

Magazine issue nineteen • summer 2002

Editor Julian Baggini

Editor, New Media

Jeremy Stangroom

Contributing Editors Susan Dwyer, Simon Eassom, Peter Fosl, Michael LaBossiere, Jeff Mason, Christian Perring

Reviews Editor Jonathan Derbyshire

Subscriptions UK: 01442 879097 North America: 1 800 444 2419

See page 10 for full details

Contributors Francis Akpata, Peter Cave, Ruth Chadwick, Joseph Chandler, John Cottingham, Steve Deery, Jonathan Derbyshire, Simon Eassom, Natasha Gilbert, Wendy Grossman, Salam Hawa, Mathew Iredale, Sue Johnson, Aaaron Lambert, Tim LeBon, Lou Marinoff, Michael Martin, Jeff Mason, Lyn May, Scott O’Reilly, Gregory E Pence, Massimo Pigliucci, Christian Perring, Michael Proudfoot, Nigel Warburton, Julia Wood.

Illustrations Felix Bennett (cover), Shaun Williams

Graphics Jerry Bird, Pipo di Bressana

With Thanks to Susannah Gill, Lori Fells, Kathryn Knisley, The Rainnies, Pam Swope

Distribution by (UK) Central Books, 99 Wallis Road, London E9 5LN Tel: 020 8986 4854 (North America) Ingram Periodicals Inc., 1240 Heil Quaker Blvd., La Vergne, TN 37086-7000 Tel: (615) 793 5522 (North America) Ubiquity Distributors Inc., 607 Degraw Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 Tel: (718) 875 5491

Printed by Warwick Printing, Theatre Street, Warwick

Contributors Notes Contact the editor for further information or to submit ideas. Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts.

© 2002, The Philosophers’ Magazine

All views expressed in The Philosophers’ Magazine represent those of the authors of each article and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or publishers.

contents ews and Features 6 NEWS HOUND Philosophers in government, Gadamer’s death and more

17 ATHEISM v. AGNOSTICISM Michael Martin Should non-believers do more than just suspend belief in God?

9 MEDIA WATCH Philosophy and philosophers in the mass media

11 IN THE FRAME TPM writers How philosophers are portrayed in the movies

13 ROOM FOR A VIEW Joseph Chandler Inside the quirky world of Amsterdam’s philosopher’s hotel Essays 15 GREEN PERIL Greg Pence Are ecowarriors no more than misguided vandals?

Head and breakfast, p13

All in your genes? p20

20 NATURE v. NURTURE Massimo Pigliucci How philosophers need to catch up with scientists

Discussion 23 DEBATE: WHO CAN COUNSEL? Lou Marinoff and Christian Perring Can philosophical counselling respond to its critics?

27 DISCOURSE: AN AGE OF UNREASON? Jonathan Derbyshire Nigel Warburton and Stephen Law consider society’s rationality deficit

ISSN 1354-814X

ThePhilosophers’Magazine/Summer 2002