The Philosophy of Crime

For true crime addicts, an exploration of the philosophical and ethical questions surrounding famous crimes and their perpetrators, the death penalty, and more. 

Investigative journalist, author, and podcaster James Renner tackles the biggest questions behind our obsession with true crime—why is true crime so popular, is it ethical for journalists to cover true crime, how can lawyers defend guilty people, why does the United States still have the death penalty, and many more—and looks to classical philosophy for answers. As readers learn about the details of famous crimes, they also discover the ideas of philosophers like Aristotle, Nietzsche, and Michele Foucault that elucidate the deeper meanings behind the cases. Based on episodes of Renner’s popular podcast of the same name, the book expands on the subjects introduced in the podcast to get to the heart of deeper philosophical questions, including the nature of truth, morality and ethics, the self and the other, consciousness, the human tendency toward goodness, and more. New subjects exclusive to the book include guardian angels and crime scenes, psychopaths and the bicameral mind, and the boogeyman effect.

Drawing on real-world cases of murder and mayhem like Son of Sam, Maura Murrey, Ted Bundy, and Adam Lanza, to lesser known but equally fascinating crimes from ages past, the book provides new insights and stories that will engage the most ardent true crime reader, as well as the armchair philosopher.

Praise for the author's previous books:

“Renner . . . is just plain fun to read. . . . He’s also shamelessly entertaining.” —Marilyn Stasio, New York Times, about True Crime Addict

“An entrancing, brilliant next step for fans of the podcast Serial, Netflix’s Making a Murderer, and other true crime cases.” —Library Journal, about True Crime Addict

“Punctuated by moments of desperate tenderness, this unusually demanding and grim tale provokes troubling reflections on guilt and innocence, good and evil, revenge and redemption.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review), about The Man from Primrose Lane

“Packed with thrills.” —Publishers Weekly, about The Great Forgetting

“A tale you won’t forget.” —New York Post, about The Great Forgetting