Serial Killers - Philosophy for Everyone (eBook)

Editor S. Waller is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Montana State University Bozeman. Her areas of research are philosophy of neurology, philosophy of cognitive ethology (especially dolphins, wolves, and coyotes), and philosophy of mind, specifically the parts of the mind we disavow. Series Editor Fritz Allhoff is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at Western Michigan University, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University's Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. In addition to editing the Philosophy for Everyone series, Allhoff is the volume editor or co-editor for several titles, including Wine & Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007), Whiskey & Philosophy (with Marcus P. Adams, Wiley, 2009), and Food & Philosophy (with Dave Monroe, Wiley-Blackwell, 2007).

Foreword viii
John M. Doris

Acknowledgments xi
S. Waller

Introduction: Meditations on Murder, or What is so Philosophical about Serial Killers? 1
S. Waller and William E. Deal

Part I I THINK THEREFORE I KILL: The Philosophical Musings of Serial Killers 15

1 Man is the Most Dangerous Animal of All: A Philosophical Gaze into the Writings of the Zodiac Killer 17
Andrew M. Winters

2 A Philosophy of Serial Killing: Sade, Nietzsche, and Brady at the Gates of Janus 29
David Schmid

3 The Situation of the Jury: Attribution Bias in the Trials of Accused Serial Killers 41
Mark Alfano

Part II Can You Blame Them? Ethics, Evil, And Serial Killing 51

4 Serial Killers as Practical Moral Skeptics: A Historical Survey with Interviews 53
Amanda Howard

5 Are Psychopathic Serial Killers Evil? Are They Blameworthy for What They Do? 66
Manuel Vargas

6 Sympathy for the Devil: Can a Serial Killer Ever Be Good? 78
Matthew Brophy

Part III DANGEROUS INFATUATIONS: The Public Fascination with Serial Killers 91

7 The Allure of the Serial Killer 93
Eric Dietrich and Tara Fox Hall

8 Dexter's Dark World: The Serial Killer as Superhero 103
Susan Amper

Part IV A EULOGY FOR EMOTION: The Lack of Empathy and the Urge to Kill 115

9 Killing with Kindness: Nature, Nurture, and the Female Serial Killer 117
Elizabeth Schechter and Harold Schechter

10 It Puts the Lotion in the Basket: The Language of Psychopathy 129
Chris Keegan

11 Are Serial Killers Cold-Blooded Killers? 141
Andrew Terjesen

Part V Creepy Cognition: Talking and Thinking About Serial Killers 153

12 The Serial Killer was (Cognitively) Framed 155
William E. Deal

13 Wolves and Widows: Naming, Metaphor, and the Language of Serial Murder 166
Wendy M. Zirngibl

14 An Arresting Conversation: Police Philosophize about the Armed and Dangerous 178
S. Waller (with Diane Amarillas and Karen Kos)

Part VI Psycho-ology: Killer Mindsets and Meditations on Murder 189

15 Psychopathy and Will to Power: Ted Bundy and Dennis Rader 191
Richard M. Gray

16 The Thread of Death, or the Compulsion to Kill 206
J. S. Piven

A Solemn Afterword: A Message from the Victim's Network 218
Mary Miller

A Timeline of Serial Killers 222
Amanda Howard

Notes on Contributors 226

"I found this book enlightening in many ways and on some things I'm
not going to make too many mistakes if I use such people in any of
my stories. I should also point out that none of the material is
too graphic and centres mostly on what makes serial killers tick
even if there is no precise pattern." (SFCrowsnest.co.uk, 1 April
2011)



"If you're a Dexter fan looking for someplace to start in
learning about real-life serial killers, this is a solid and fairly
complete volume to start with. At a slim 248 pages, it's also ideal
for those who don't have the time to invest in a larger volume. As
the title of the series implies, this really is a book that's
accessible to everyone." (Digital Air Waves, November
2010)

"There is very little to complain about here. The language used
is simple and it certainly leaves the reader with plenty of food
for thought." (Curious Book Fan, November 2010)

"One thing I can say about this book, is it stays in your head,
at least parts of it. Weeks after reading Serial Killers,
Philosophy for Everyone, I still can't help but come back to the
section concerning Dexter and how peoples outlook on a serial
killer changes based on what they know of a serial killers
background and family life. The book is definitely a conversation
starter, having many since adding it to my coffee table books. You
can always tell whose interested and who tries to pretend they
don't see it." (Gatekeeper Chronicles blog, November
2010)

"This pathbreaking volume deepens our understanding of human
nature by exploring its most chilling aberrations. Each
essay bring brutality to bear on enduring topics in philosophy,
including questions such as: Do serial killers have free will? Are
they morally responsible? Do descriptions of extreme violence evoke
emotions that cloud our judgment? And, why are we so captivated by
the macabre? At last, a book that goes beyond the gory
details and investigates what murder means."

--Jesse Prinz, Distinguished Professor, City University of
New York