Free Will, Moral Responsibility, and the Desire to Be a God

Bruce N. Waller is retired professor of philosophy at Youngstown State University.

• AcknowledgmentsPrefaceChapter One: Apotheosis AspirationChapter Two: Promiscuous Teleology and Apotheosis AspirationChapter Three: The Self-Made ManChapter Four: Human Uniqueness, Miraculous Will Power, and Rational GodlinessChapter Five: The System of Apotheosis AspirationChapter Six: Reductio ad Absurdum Defenses of the Apotheosis Aspiration SystemChapter Seven: The Perils of Apotheosis AspirationChapter Eight: The Cure for Apotheosis AspirationBibliographyIndexAbout the Author

This brilliant, informed, and thoroughly entertaining book dissects our deep desire to be mini-gods capable of transcending our own circumstances, history, and shaped character. Skillfully weaving discussions of philosophy, psychology, history, and theology, Bruce Waller explains how the widespread and nonconscious desire to possess godlike powers functions as a kind of “dark matter” that binds together our pernicious system of moral responsibility and makes it difficult to challenge and hard to renounce. I recommend this book highly! It should be required reading for everyone interested in free will, moral responsibility, and the significant (and harmful) role apotheosis aspiration plays in our everyday thoughts and behaviors.