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Michael Wreen [82]Michael J. Wreen [18]MichaelJ Wreen [1]Michael Joseph Wreen [1]
  1.  94
    What Is Moral Relativism?Michael Wreen - 2018 - Philosophy 93 (3):337-354.
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  2.  71
    In Defense of Speciesism.Michael Wreen - unknown
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  3.  57
    Omnipotence.Michael Wreen - 2018 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 84 (2):205-221.
    If asked to define ‘omnipotence,’ the man on the street would probably say that it’s the ability to do anything. That’s about it, he’d think; nothing more needs be said. Philosophers are never so easily satisfied. They take it as matter of professional duty to find serious problems in important concepts, and to suggest that the concept be rejected or that solutions are at hand. This paper falls into the latter camp. Beginning with a relatively simple definition of ‘omnipotence,’ increasingly (...)
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  4.  34
    Look, Ma! No Frans!Michael J. Wreen - 1994 - Pragmatics and Cognition 2 (2):285-306.
    This paper criticizes the pragma-dialectical conception of a fallacy, according to which a fallacy is an argumentative speech act which violates one or more of the rules of 'rational discussion'. That conception is found to be neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for committing a fallacy. It is also found wanting in several other respects.
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  5.  70
    Moral Relativism and Majority Rule.Michael Wreen - 2019 - Metaphilosophy 50 (3):361-376.
    A number of arguments against relativism are based on the concept of majority rule. Since, the arguments allege, on relativism moral truth is founded on majority opinion, relativism entails that (a) moral progress and reform are impossible, (b) propaganda, advertising, brainwashing, and high birth rates turn mistaken moral judgments into correct ones, (c) moral horrors, if enough people believe them acceptable, are not moral horrors at all, (d) finding out what’s right and what’s wrong is extremely easy, (e) moral reasoning (...)
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  6. Admit No Force But Argument.Michael Wreen - 1988 - Informal Logic 10 (2).
  7.  37
    How Tolerant Must a Relativist Be?Michael Wreen - forthcoming - Public Affairs Quarterly.
  8. Forgery.Michael Wreen - 2002 - Canadian Journal of Philosophy 32 (2):143 - 166.
    Still, in this paper I’m not going to be laudatory, enthusiastic, or appreciative, but instead address the distinctly philosophical question of what a forgery is—investigate the concept of a forgery, as philosophers used to say, and sometimes still do. Only after that question and a few others have been answered should we ask the question that everyone wants to ask straight off: What, if anything, is aesthetically wrong with a forgery? Interesting as that question is, space limitations prevent me from (...)
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  9. Jealousy.Michael J. Wreen - 1989 - Noûs 23 (5):635-652.
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  10. Knockdown Arguments.Michael Wreen - 1995 - Informal Logic 17 (3):316-336.
    Two brainless curs, Alan Brinton and Douglas Walton, have recently had the impudence to suggest that several of my views on argumentum ad baculum are mistaken. While hardship and toil await them in this life and eternal damnation in the next, punishment begins with this paper. In it, I clarify my position, defend my views, and critique their arguments. Last, I argue ad baculum against both of them, threatening both with the loss of reputation, employment, and respect unless they repudiate (...)
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  11. Existence as a Property.Michael Wreen - 2017 - Acta Analytica 32 (3):297-312.
    This paper is a defense of the view that existence is a property. Since the view is still a minority one, a fair amount of space is allotted to defending it against objections and counter-arguments. Positive arguments aren’t lacking, however, and emerge in the course of the discussion. Not all of the many positive or negative arguments which follow are wholly original—a fact to be expected in this context—but a fair number are, and both sorts of argument are seamlessly interwoven (...)
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  12. The definition of euthanasia.Michael Wreen - 1988 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 48 (4):637-653.
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  13. Relativism, Absolutism, and Tolerance.Hye-Kyung Kim & Michael Wreen - 2003 - Metaphilosophy 34 (4):447-459.
    A common view is that relativism requires tolerance. We argue that there is no deductive relation between relativism and tolerance, but also that relativism is not incompatible with tolerance. Next we note that there is no standard inductive relation between relativism and tolerance—no inductive enumeration, argument to the best explanation, or causal argument links the two. Two inductive arguments of a different sort that link them are then exposed and criticized at length. The first considers relativism from the objective point (...)
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  14.  29
    Abortion and Infanticide.Michael Wreen - 1989 - Noûs 23 (5):690-696.
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  15.  51
    May the force be with you.Michael J. Wreen - 1988 - Argumentation 2 (4):425-440.
    This paper is a critical assessment of argumentum ad baculum, or appeal to force. Its principal contention is that, contrary to common opinion, there is no general fallacy of ad baculum. Most real-life ad baculums are, in fact, fairly strong. A basic logical form for reconstructed ad baculums is proposed, and a number of heterodoxical conclusions are also advanced and argued for. They include that ad baculum is not necessarily a prudential argument, that ad baculum need not involve force, violence, (...)
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  16. A P.S. on B.S.: Some Remarks on Humbug and Bullshit.Michael Wreen - 2013 - Metaphilosophy 44 (1-2):105-115.
    While lies have attracted philosophical attention since antiquity, phenomena in the near area have generated considerably less interest. Lately, however, Max Black and Harry Frankfurt have visited a close relative: humbug or bullshit, as it's either more politely or more rudely called. In this article their views on humbug and bullshit are exposed, explained, critiqued, and, ultimately, rejected. An alternative view is then proposed and defended.
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  17. Kant's Philosophy of Religion Reconsidered.Philip J. Rossi & Michael J. Wreen (eds.) - 1991 - Indiana University Press.
    "The essays, both philosophical and historical, demonstrate the continuing significance of a neglected aspect of Kant’s thought."—Religious Studies Review Challenging the traditional view that Kant's account of religion was peripheral to his thinking, these essays demonstrate the centrality of religion to Kant's critical philosophy. Contributors are Sharon Anderson-Gold, Leslie A. Mulholland, Anthony N. Perovich, Jr., Philip J. Rossi, Joseph Runzo, Denis Savage, Walter Sparn, Burkhard Tuschling, Nicholas P. Wolterstorff, and Allen W. Wood.
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  18.  40
    Light from Darkness, From Ignorance Knowledge.Michael Wreen - 1989 - Dialectica 43 (4):299-314.
    SummaryThis paper is a critical examination of argumentum ad ignorantiam, or arguing from ignorance. Ad ignorantiam is regarded as a fallacy, and certainly no route to knowledge, by most philosophers. However, case studies of ad ignorantiam are almost non‐existent, and theoretical discussions few in number. Thus this paper begins with a number of case studies. From them some morals are drawn. The morals concern the interpretation and evaluation of arguments in general and the nature and epistemic value of ad ignorantiam (...)
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  19. Goodman on forgery.Michael Wreen - 1983 - Philosophical Quarterly 33 (133):340-353.
  20. Once is not enough?Michael Wreen - 1990 - British Journal of Aesthetics 30 (2):149-158.
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  21. Abortion and pregnancy due to rape.Michael Wreen - 1992 - Philosophia 21 (3-4):201-220.
  22.  26
    My Kind of Person.Michael Wreen - 1986 - Between the Species 2 (1):9.
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  23.  26
    Berkeley's Master Argument.Michael Wreen - 2024 - Think 23 (66):21-26.
    One of Berkeley's best-known arguments for the view that there are no material objects is the so-called Master Argument. There are several good critical discussions of it. That invites the question: is there anything new to say? Well, it will be argued, there are a few things to say. First, although refutations by logical analogy have been advanced against the Master Argument, the strongest such refutation, one which demonstrates its incoherence, has not been. It is here. Second, there are few (...)
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  24. Abortion: The extreme liberal position.Michael Wreen - 1987 - Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 12 (3):241-265.
    Discussions regarding abortion are often misguided and confused. This paper critically examines the extreme liberal view, which argues that neither the fetus, at any stage of development, nor the young infant has a right to life. It focuses on the general argumentative strategy employed by a number of philosophers in arriving at an extreme liberal view. An evaluative critique of an extreme liberal view is offered as a step toward clarifying and expanding upon the abortion debate. Keywords: abortion, personhood, speciesism, (...)
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  25.  30
    A Bolt of Fear.Michael J. Wreen - 1989 - Philosophy and Rhetoric 22 (2):131 - 140.
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  26.  24
    Absent Thee from Fallacy a While?Michael J. Wreen - 1997 - Philosophy and Rhetoric 30 (4):351 - 366.
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  27.  49
    Breathing a little life into a distinction.Michael Wreen - 1984 - Philosophical Studies 46 (3):395 - 402.
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  28.  32
    The definition of death.Michael J. Wreen - 1987 - Public Affairs Quarterly 1 (4):87-99.
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  29.  77
    The standing is slippery.Michael J. Wreen - 2004 - Philosophy 79 (4):553-572.
    This paper is a critical examination of the so-called slippery slope argument for the conservative position on abortion. The argument was discussed in the philosophic literature some time back, but has since fallen into disfavor. The argument is first exposed and a general objection to it is advanced, then rebutted. Rosalind Hursthouse's more detailed and stronger objection is next aired, but also found less than convincing. In the course of discussing her objection, the correct form of the argument is identified, (...)
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  30.  53
    Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus.Michael Wreen - 1987 - Informal Logic 9 (1):31-39.
  31.  52
    Relativism and Comparative Moral Judgments.Michael Wreen - 2017 - International Journal of Applied Philosophy 31 (1):105-111.
    On relativism, it has been argued, certain comparative moral judgments are impossible. Judgments which compare two moral codes, judgments which compare one’s own moral code with another, judgments which, on the basis of a comparison with one’s own code, condemn specific moral practices permitted or required by other codes, judgments which speak of moral progress or reform—all are nonsensical or impossible, the argument alleges. Although commonly conflated, arguments for these distinct but related theses are first distinguished, then exposed, and last (...)
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  32. The Ontology of Intellectual Property.Michael Wreen - 2010 - The Monist 93 (3):433-449.
  33.  36
    Relativism and Intracultural Conflict.Michael Wreen - 2023 - Acta Analytica 38 (3):537-549.
    A number of arguments against moral relativism are based on the reality of intracultural conflict or the related possibility of sliding down a slippery slope and out the door of morality altogether. The first batch of arguments draws upon the evident fact that cultures are not unitary or homogenous but contain subgroups at odds with each other. The second batch is based on the claim that if moral truth is relativized to a culture, consistency demands that it eventually be relativized (...)
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  34. A Second Form of Argument from Analogy.Michael J. Wreen - 2007 - Theoria 73 (3):221-239.
    One form of argument from analogy is identified and Stephen Barker's remarks about a second kind of argument from analogy, non-inductive (and non-deductive) argument from analogy, are used as a springboard to identify a second form. That form is then refined, explained, exemplified, and related to the first form. It is argued that there is a spectrum of different forms of argument from analogy, with the two forms identified being end points on the spectrum. Except in terms of form, however, (...)
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  35.  86
    What’s Really Wrong with Adultery.Michael J. Wreen - 1986 - International Journal of Applied Philosophy 3 (2):45-49.
  36.  62
    Two 'By' Ways.Michael Wreen - 1987 - Analysis 47 (2):120 - 124.
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  37.  50
    The Definition of Suicide.Michael Wreen - 1988 - Social Theory and Practice 14 (1):1-23.
  38. Counterfeit Coins and Forged Paintings: Caveat Emptor.Michael Wreen - 1980 - Analysis 40 (3):146 - 151.
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  39. Proper names and the necessity of identity statements.Michael Wreen - 1998 - Synthese 114 (2):319-335.
    An identity statement flanked on both sides with proper names is necessarily true, Saul Kripke thinks, if it's true at all. Thus, contrary to the received view – or at least what was, prior to Kripke, the received view – a statement like(A) Hesperus is Phosphorus.
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  40. Nihilism, relativism, and Engelhardt.Michael Wreen - 1998 - Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 19 (1):73-88.
    This paper is a critical analysis of Tristram Engelhardt''s attempts to avoid unrestricted nihilism and relativism. The focus of attention is his recent book, The Foundations of Bioethics (Oxford University Press, 1996). No substantive or content-full bioethics (e.g., that of Roman Catholicism or the Samurai) has an intersubjectively verifiable and universally binding foundation, Engelhardt thinks, for unaided secular reason cannot show that any particular substantive morality (or moral code) is correct. He thus seems to be committed to either nihilism or (...)
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  41.  47
    Existence as a Perfection.Michael Wreen - 2017 - History of Philosophy & Logical Analysis 20 (1):161-172.
    This paper is a defense of the view that existence is a perfection. Anselm’s First Ontological Argument is referred to throughout. Two major objections are advanced: the ‘perfect island’ objection and the ‘perfect devil’ objection. A rebuttal of both, based on Anselm’s reply to Gaunilo, is tendered, but itself faces a major objection. Two lines of defense against this objection are possible. The first is sympathetically explained but it is argued that it ultimately fails. The second, which focuses on the (...)
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  42.  33
    My Senses Couldn’t Always Deceive Me.Michael Wreen - 2021 - Philosophia 50 (1):353-360.
    Gilbert Ryle and a number of other philosophers have argued that Descartes’ claim his senses could always deceive him is false. Ryle’s argument is the well-known ‘counterfeit coins’ argument. A similar argument, featuring forged paintings, has been advanced by Jay Rosenberg. Both Ryle’s and Rosenberg’s arguments are refutations by logical analogy. In this paper, their arguments are exposed and reconstructed, and it is shown and how and why their refutations by logical analogy fail. It is then noted that, even so, (...)
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  43.  8
    Ae Pitson.Pj Crittenden & Michael Wreen - 1985 - International Philosophical Quarterly 25 (1).
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  44.  16
    Tolle Lege: Essays on Augustine & on Medieval Philosophy in Honor of Roland J. Teske.Richard C. Taylor David Twetten & Michael Wreen (eds.) - 2011 - Marquette University Press.
    With his clear and accessible prose, impeccable scholarship, and balanced Judgment, Roland Teske, SJ, has been an influential and important voice in Medieval philosophy for more than thirty years. This volume, in his honour, brings together more than a dozen essays on central metaphysical and theological themes in Augustine and other medieval thinkers. The authors, listed below, are noted scholars who draw upon Teskes work, reflect on it, go beyond it, and at times even disagree with it, but always in (...)
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  45.  41
    Jump with common spirits: Is an ad populum argument fallacious?Michael Wreen - 1993 - Metaphilosophy 24 (1-2):61-75.
  46.  20
    American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 662.Richard C. Taylor, David Twetten & Michael Wreen - 2011 - American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 85 (4).
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  47.  13
    Tolle Lege: Essays on Augustine and on Medieval Philosophy in Honor of Roland J. Teske, Sj.Roland J. Teske, Richard C. Taylor, David Twetten & Michael J. Wreen (eds.) - 2011 - Marquette University Press.
    With his clear and accessible prose, impeccable scholarship, and balanced Judgment, Roland Teske, SJ, has been an influential and important voice in Medieval philosophy for more than thirty years. This volume, in his honour, brings together more than a dozen essays on central metaphysical and theological themes in Augustine and other medieval thinkers. The authors, listed below, are noted scholars who draw upon Teskes work, reflect on it, go beyond it, and at times even disagree with it, but always in (...)
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  48.  46
    A Feeling Disputation.Michael J. Wreen - 1997 - Dialogue 36 (4):787-.
    This, the latest volume in The Douglas Walton Encyclopedia of Argumentation—well, it's starting to look like that, anyway—is primarily concerned with four purported fallacies that involve an appeal to emotion: ad populum, ad misericordiam, ad baculum, and ad hominem. In very rough outline, the layout of the book is this. After some preliminary remarks about the four fallacies in the first chapter, and some remarks about the theoretical framework he will be working with in the second, Walton devotes a chapter (...)
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  49. Arguments from Ignorance and the Presumption of Innocence.Michael Wreen - 2003 - Logique Et Analyse 46.
     
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  50.  31
    Act Identity, Referential Opacity, And Leibniz's Law.Michael Wreen - 1984 - Philosophical Inquiry 6 (2):144-148.
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