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Outmatched. The Death Penalty Meets the Wisdom of Montaigne.
by Philip D. Hansten.
This is a book about the death penalty from a rational and philosophical perspective. It addresses several questions: is the US is unique in needing the death penalty when virtually all other developed countries have abolished it? Does the death penalty reduce the murder rate? Do we have adequate safeguards to prevent innocent people from being sentenced to death? Is the death penalty applied in an evenhanded manner, or is it unreasonably arbitrary? Finally, given all that is going badly in the world, why should we worry about something that affects so few people? We enlist the wisdom of Michel de Montaigne to help sort out these thorny problems. Available free on iBooks: Button below.
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Premature Factulation. The Ignorance of Certainty and the Ghost of Montaigne. by Philip D. Hansten.
This is a book about the ignorance of certainty. Drawing on the wisdom and profound humility of the brilliant 16th century French essayist Michel de Montaigne and other thinkers, this book explores the origins and manifestations of ignorant certainty. Why do we humans so vastly overestimate our understanding of the world? What human traits incline us to ignorant certainty? Why do leaders in government, business, economics, and even science so often lead us down the wrong paths? Finally, how can we counter the pernicious influence of Premature Factulation? Available on Amazon. Click button.
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