Analytical philosophy and Logical Positivism Books

Book SynopsisDonald Davidson presents a new edition of the 1984 volume which set out his enormously influential philosophy of language. Inquiries into Truth and Interpretation has been a central point of reference and a focus of controversy in the subject ever since, and its influence has extended into linguistic theory, philosophy of mind, and epistemology. This new edition features an additional essay, previously uncollected.The central question which these essays address is what it is for words to mean what they do. Davidson argues that a philosophically instructive theory of meaning should acknowledge the holistic nature of linguistic understanding, in that it should provide an interpretation of all utterances, actual and potential, of a speaker or group of speakers; and that it should not rely upon the concepts it attempts to explain, in that it should be verifiable independently of knowledge of the detailed propositional attitudes of the speaker. Among the topics covered in the essays are theTrade ReviewDavidson, aside from being one of the most influential philosophers of the last century, shares with many of his generation a capacity to write intelligibly. * The Philosophers' Magazine *Table of Contents1. THEORIES OF MEANING AND LEARNABLE LANGUAGES (1965); 6. QUOTATION (1979); 9. RADICAL INTERPRETATION (1973); 13. ON THE VERY IDEA OF A CONCEPTUAL SCHEME (1974); 17. WHAT METAPHORS MEAN (1978)

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This classic collection of essays, first published in 1968, has had an enduring impact on academic and public debates about criminal responsibility and criminal punishment. Forty years on, its arguments are as powerful as ever. H.L.A. Hart offers an alternative to retributive thinking about criminal punishment that nevertheless preserves the central distinction between guilt and innocence. He also provides an account of criminal responsibility that links the distinction between guilt and innocence closely to the ideal of the rule of law, and thereby attempts to by-pass unnerving debates about free will and determinism. Always engaged with live issues of law and public policy, Hart makes difficult philosophical puzzles accessible and immediate to a wide range of readers.For this new edition, otherwise a reproduction of the original, John Gardner adds an introduction engaging critically with Hart''s arguments, and explaining the continuing importance of Hart''s ideas in spite of the inte

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Book SynopsisIn recent decades, the analysis of causal relations has become a topic of central importance in analytic philosophy. More recently, dispositional properties have also become objects of intense study. Both of these phenomena appear to be intimately related to counterfactual conditionals and other modal phenomena such as objective chance, but little work has been done to directly relate them. Dispositions and Causes contains ten essays by scholars working in both metaphysics and in philosophy of science, examining the relation between dispositional and causal concepts.Particular issues discussed include the possibility of reducing dispositions to causes, and vice versa; the possibility of a nominalist theory of causal powers; the attempt to reduce all metaphysical necessity to dispositional properties; the relationship between dispositions, causes, and laws of nature; the role of causal capacities in explaining the success of scientific inquiry; the grounding of dispositions and causes iTrade Reviewten authors tackle an impressively wide range of topics. * D. H. Mellor, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science *Table of Contents1. The metaphysics of dispositions and causes ; 2. Dispositions, causes, and reduction ; 3. Causal structuralism, dispositional actualism, and counterfactual conditionals ; 4. Leaving things to take their chances: Cause and disposition grounded in chance ; 5. Causal laws, policy predictions, and the need for genuine powers ; 6. How is scientific analysis possible? ; 7. Agent-causal power ; 8. Structural properties revisited ; 9. Causal nominalism ; 10. Why do the laws explain why? ; References

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Book SynopsisOne of the most important philosophers of recent times, Elizabeth Anscombe wrote books and articles on a wide range of topics, including the ground-breaking monograph Intention. Her work is original, challenging, often difficult, always insightful; but it has frequently been misunderstood, and its overall significance is still not fully appreciated. This book is the first major study of Anscombe''s philosophical oeuvre. In it, Roger Teichmann presents Anscombe''s main ideas, bringing out their interconnections, elaborating and discussing their implications, pointing out objections and difficulties, and aiming to give a unified overview of her philosophy. Many of Anscombe''s arguments are relevant to contemporary debates, as Teichmann shows, and on a number of topics what Anscombe has to say constitutes a powerful alternative to dominant or popular views. Among the writings discussed are Intention, ''Practical Inference'', ''Modern Moral Philosophy'', ''Rules, Rights and Promises'', ''OTrade Reviewlucid, insightful, and thoroughly well informed by a familiarity with Anscombe's daunting range of philosophical writings ... a worthy tribute to Anscombe's legacy. * Duncan Richter, International Journal of Philosophical Studies *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION

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Book SynopsisA collection of new essays by established scholars and younger practitioners exploring why analytic philosophy is now looking towards its history.Table of ContentsSeries Editor's Foreword Acknowledgements Notes on Contributors Introduction: Analytic Philosophy and Philosophical History; Erich H. Reck PART I: CASE STUDIES 1. Philosophy and the Tide of History: Bertrand Russell's Role in the Rise of Analytic Philosophy; Stewart Candlish 2. Taking the Measure of Carnap's Philosophical Engineering: Metalogic as Metrology; Alan Richardson 3. Quine and the Aufbau : The Possibility of Objective Knowledge; Peter Hylton 4. Ryle's Conceptual Cartography; Julia Tanney PART II: BROADER THEMES 5. Frege, Lotze, and Boole; Jeremy Heis 6. Frege or Dedekind? Towards a Reevalution of Their Legacies; Erich H. Reck 7. Psychology, Epistemology, and the Problem of the External World: Russell and Before; Gary Hatfield 8. C. I. Lewis and the Analyticity Debate; Thomas Baldwin PART III: METHODOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS 9. Analytic Philosophy and History of Philosophy: The Development of the Idea of Rational Reconstruction; Michael Beaney 10. History and the Future of Logical Empiricism; A. W. Carus 11. What is the Good of Philosophical History?; Michael Kremer 12. The Owl of Minerva: Is Analytic Philosophy Moribund?; Hans-Johann Glock Index

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Book SynopsisIn the early twentieth century, an apparently obscure philosophical debate took place between F.H. Bradley and Bertrand Russell. The outcome was momentous: the demise of British Idealism and the rise of analytic philosophy. Stewart Candlish examines afresh this formative period in twentieth-cenutry thought and comes to some surprising conclusions.Trade Review'What Candlish achieves is not only a detailed exploration of the philosophical dispute between Russell and Bradley (that is, between Analytical Philosophy and its immediate ancestor), but also an explanation of why that dispute is philosophically and historically significant. As such it is not only revealing about why Russell attached great importance to Bradley's criticisms; it is also compelling as a case for why those of us continuing to pursue the Russellian project have much to learn from revisiting the dispute.' - Graham Stevens, Department of Philosophy, University of Manchester 'Stewart Candlish's elegant, iconoclastic study of the Bradley/Russell dispute puts the arguments, the stakes, and the outcome into an entirely new perspective. It should be required reading for anyone even tempted by a Whiggish interpretation of the history of recent philosophy.' - James W. Allard, Department of History and Philosophy, Montana State University 'This excellent analysis of the dispute between Russell and Bradley makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of the origins of twentieth-century philosophy. Anchored in a detailed knowledge of the texts it advances beyond more simplistic versions of their disagreement to offer new and important analyses of the points at issue between these two great philosophers. It is a book that all subsequent scholars will need to take account of. The writing is as clear and precise as it is fluid and engaging.' - William Mander, Harris Manchester College, Oxford University 'Candlish offers an important contribution to the debate over British idealism and the origins of Analytic Philosophy, the clarity of which shows the benefits of teaching his material - a benefit which, he concedes, Bradley's obscure writings did not receive.' - Andy Hamilton, Durham University 'Stewart Candlish's book is to be warmly welcomed for its careful and instructive analyses Throughout the book, Candlish does a superb job in distinguishing what needs to be distinguished, in clarifying the philosophical problems, in charting the development of the relevant views of both Russell and Bradley, and in sorting out the confusions and misunderstandings on both sides.' Michael Beaney, Collingwood and British Idealism Studies 'This is a rich book...it is at once a valuable contribution to our understanding of the dispute between Russell and Bradley and to our understanding of the philosophical subject matter of that dispute.' - Jeff Speaks, Australian Journal of Philosophy 'Candlish's careful and insightful reexamination of a crucial episode in the early history of analytic philosophy is a very important addition to the existing literature on Bradley, Russell, and our recent past...It is highly recommended to anyone even slightly tempted by the idea that philosophy should leave its history behind.' - Internationale Zeitschrift fuer Philosophie '[a] thoughtful, careful, and gracefully written book.' - James Levine, Notre Dame Philosophical ReviewsTable of ContentsPreface The Stereotypical Picture of the Russell/Bradley Dispute Finding a Way into Bradley's Metaphysics Judgment Truth Grammar and Ontology Relations Decline and Fall Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSeries Editor's Foreword Preface Introduction 1. Judgement and the Emergence of Logical Realism in Britain 2. From Descriptive Psychology to Analytic Philosophy (1888-1899) 3. Psychologism and the Problem of Error (1899-1907) 4. Judgement, Propositional Attitudes and the Proposition (1908-1944) 5. Tropes and Predication Conclusion Bibliography IndexTrade Review“This book is one recent product of her work on this subject, which first saw light as a dissertation, then in a series of papers, and now appears in a revised and expanded version of her early work for the History of Analytic Philosophy series … . The perspective van der Schaar brings here is … a valuable addition to the detailed account of the early development of analytic philosophy at Cambridge.” (Consuelo Preti, Journal of the History of Analytical Philosophy, Vol. 4 (3), 2016)Table of ContentsSeries Editor's Foreword Preface Introduction 1. Judgement and the Emergence of Logical Realism in Britain 2. From Descriptive Psychology to Analytic Philosophy (1888-1899) 3. Psychologism and the Problem of Error (1899-1907) 4. Judgement, Propositional Attitudes and the Proposition (1908-1944) 5. Tropes and Predication Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisMetaethics occupies a central place in analytical philosophy, and the last forty years has seen an upsurge of interest in questions about the nature and practice of morality. This collection presents original and ground-breaking research on metaethical issues from some of the very best of a new generation of philosophers working in this field.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Series Editors' Preface Notes on Contributors Introduction; M.Brady Non-Naturalist Ethical Realism; W.Fitzpatrick Naturalistic Metaethics at Half Price; J.Gert In Defence of Moral Error Theory; J.Olson The Myth of Moral Fictionalism; T.Cuneo & S.Christy Metaethics and the Philosophy of Language; M.Chrisman How not to Avoid Wishful Thinking; M.Schroeder Internal Reasons and the Motivating Intuition; J.Markovits Beyond Wrong Reasons: The Buck-Passing Account of Value; U.Heuer A Wrong Turn to Reasons?; P.Väyrynen Shmagency Revisited; D.Enoch The Authority of Social Norms; N.Southwood Moral Epistemology; A.Hills Aesthetics, Objectivity and Particularism; S.Mckeever & M.Ridge Index

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Book SynopsisIn the early twentieth century, an apparently obscure philosophical debate took place between F.H. Bradley and Bertrand Russell. The outcome was momentous: the demise of British Idealism and the rise of analytic philosophy. Stewart Candlish examines afresh this formative period in twentieth-cenutry thought and comes to some surprising conclusions.Trade Review'What Candlish achieves is not only a detailed exploration of the philosophical dispute between Russell and Bradley (that is, between Analytical Philosophy and its immediate ancestor), but also an explanation of why that dispute is philosophically and historically significant. As such it is not only revealing about why Russell attached great importance to Bradley's criticisms; it is also compelling as a case for why those of us continuing to pursue the Russellian project have much to learn from revisiting the dispute.' - Graham Stevens, Department of Philosophy, University of Manchester 'Stewart Candlish's elegant, iconoclastic study of the Bradley/Russell dispute puts the arguments, the stakes, and the outcome into an entirely new perspective. It should be required reading for anyone even tempted by a Whiggish interpretation of the history of recent philosophy.' - James W. Allard, Department of History and Philosophy, Montana State University 'This excellent analysis of the dispute between Russell and Bradley makes a substantial contribution to our understanding of the origins of twentieth-century philosophy. Anchored in a detailed knowledge of the texts it advances beyond more simplistic versions of their disagreement to offer new and important analyses of the points at issue between these two great philosophers. It is a book that all subsequent scholars will need to take account of. The writing is as clear and precise as it is fluid and engaging.' - William Mander, Harris Manchester College, Oxford University 'Candlish offers an important contribution to the debate over British idealism and the origins of Analytic Philosophy, the clarity of which shows the benefits of teaching his material - a benefit which, he concedes, Bradley's obscure writings did not receive.' - Andy Hamilton, Durham University 'Stewart Candlish's book is to be warmly welcomed for its careful and instructive analyses Throughout the book, Candlish does a superb job in distinguishing what needs to be distinguished, in clarifying the philosophical problems, in charting the development of the relevant views of both Russell and Bradley, and in sorting out the confusions and misunderstandings on both sides.' Michael Beaney, Collingwood and British Idealism Studies 'This is a rich book...it is at once a valuable contribution to our understanding of the dispute between Russell and Bradley and to our understanding of the philosophical subject matter of that dispute.' - Jeff Speaks, Australian Journal of Philosophy 'Candlish's careful and insightful reexamination of a crucial episode in the early history of analytic philosophy is a very important addition to the existing literature on Bradley, Russell, and our recent past...It is highly recommended to anyone even slightly tempted by the idea that philosophy should leave its history behind.' - Internationale Zeitschrift fuer Philosophie '[a] thoughtful, careful, and gracefully written book.' - James Levine, Notre Dame Philosophical ReviewsTable of ContentsPreface The Stereotypical Picture of the Russell/Bradley Dispute Finding a Way into Bradley's Metaphysics Judgment Truth Grammar and Ontology Relations Decline and Fall Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis anthology focuses on the extraordinary contributions Wittgenstein made to several areas in the philosophy of psychology. Danièle Moyal-Sharrock translates papers by eminent French Wittgensteinians, and brings them together with more familiar specialists on Wittgenstein's philosophical psychology, revealing a surprising degree of consensus.Table of ContentsNotes on the Contributors List of Abbreviations of Works by Wittgenstein Introduction; D.Moyal-Sharrock Wittgenstein on Fear; J.V.Canfield Wittgensteinian Grammar & Philosophy of Mind; S.Chauvier The Importance of Being Thoughtful; L.Hertzberg Wittgenstein on 'experiencing meaning'; J.Bouveresse Revisiting 'The Unconscious'; J.Coulter & W.Sharrock Wittgenstein and the Foundations of Cognitive Psychology; R.Harré Dispositions or Capacities? Wittgenstein's Social Philosophy of Mind; C.Chauviré The Myth of the 'Outer': Wittgenstein's Redefinition of Subjectivity; S.Laugier Patterns in the Weave of Life: Wittgenstein's 'Lebensmuster'; J.Rosat Wittgenstein on 'The sort of explanation one longs for'; F.Cioffi Wittgenstein on Psychological Certainty; D.Moyal-Sharrock Criteria and Defeasibility: When Good Evidence is not Good Enough E.J.Loomis 'Tennis Without a Ball': Wittgenstein on 'Secondary Sense'; M.Hark The Cradle of Language: Making Sense of Bodily Connexions; S.J.Cowley Getting Clear About Perspicuous Representations: Wittgenstein, Baker & Fodor; D.D.Hutto

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Book SynopsisViolence and injustice are two major political problems facing the world today. Offering a fresh, innovative analysis of the concept of violence, this book presents an original insight into the nature of injustice. Addressing three key questions, it forces us to rethink the scope and aims of a theory of social justice.Trade Review'...the clear exposition of his liberal position makes this book a valuable contribution for political theorists trying to understand these critically important questions....In providing such a clear and thoughtful addition to this discussion, he has done a major service to contemporary political theory.' - Contemporary Political TheoryTable of ContentsIntroduction The Concept of Violence Violence and Integrity Violence by Omission Violence and Intentionality Four Faces of Violence Why is Violence Bad? Violence and Social Justice Exploitation, Injustice and Violence Violence for Justice Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis book collects the work of leading scholars on Alain Badiou and G.W.F. Hegel, creating a dialogue between, and a critical appraisal of, these two central figures in European philosophy.Trade ReviewThe essays in Jim Vernon and Antonio Calcagno's timely collection cover the multiple facets of Badiou's highly ambivalent rapport with Hegel's philosophy as it unfolds from the 1970s through today. . . .For those interested in Badiou and Badiou's relations with Hegel, Badiou and Hegel certainly is worth reading. It contains useful summaries and analyses of the place(s) of Hegel in the Badiouian oeuvre. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *This book contains the first exhaustive analysis of Badiou’s brilliant and surprising texts on Hegel. The essays include an excellent treatment of infinity in Badiou and Hegel that discusses precise mathematical ontology in a way that non-mathematicians can follow and participate in: this is the sort of Badiou scholarship we need. They also include theses on materiality and dialectic, subject and event, society and decision, art and politics, love and tragedy, and, of course, truth procedures. For its close readings of Badiou, and current approaches to Hegel, this collection is indispensible. What is especially good is that it forces readers to participate in controversial decisions, and raises the level at which these controversies will have to be pursued in the future. -- Jay Lampert, University of Guelph, Duquesne UniversityThis collection is a sustained and timely examination of the relationship between one of the foremost philosophers of the twenty-first century and one of the major thinkers of the nineteenth. Of equal use and importance to Badiou and Hegel scholars alike, these essays should provide the bedrock of any serious discussion of many key philosophical terms and approaches over the coming years. -- Nina PowerTable of Contents1. Measuring Up: Some Consequences of Badiou’s Confrontation with Hegel, A.J. Bartlett and Justin Clemens 2. The Good, the Bad and the Indeterminate: Hegel and Badiou on the Dialectics of the Infinite, Tzuchien Tho 3. Badiou contra Hegel: The Materialist Dialectic Against the Myth of the Whole, Adriel M. Trott 4. The Question of Art: Badiou and Hegel, Gabriel Riera 5. Badiou with Hegel: Preliminary Remarks on A(ny) Contemporary Reading of Hegel, Frank Ruda 6. The Biolinguistic Challenge to an Intrinsic Ontology, Norman Madarasz 7. Badiou and Hegel on Love and the Family, Jim Vernon 8. Fidelity to the Political Event: Hegel, Badiou, and the Return to the Same, Antonio Calcagno 9. Taming the Furies: Badiou and Hegel on The Eumenides, Alberto Toscano

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Book SynopsisThis book attempts to explicate and expand upon Frank Ramsey's notion of the realistic spirit. In so doing, it provides a systematic reading of his work, and demonstrates the extent of Ramsey's genius as evinced by both his responses to the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, and the impact he had on Wittgenstein's later philosophical insights.Trade Review“Methven’s book is a welcome contribution to the study of Ramsey’s philosophy. It contains a wealth of interesting analyses and sheds much light on Ramsey’s initial dependence on Wittgenstein’s Tractatus and how eventually he got beyond this. Methven’s book is probably the most thorough analysis ever published of Ramsey’s engagement with the Tractatus.” (Paolo Mancosu, Philosophia Mathematica, Vol. 29 (1), February, 2021)“This book is a welcome contribution to the history of analytic philosophy, a field that has been thriving in recent times. Obviously the author is very knowledgeable in the history of the analytic tradition. The book is written in a clear and concise style … . It is an excellent contribution to the history of analytic philosophy, and I recommend it to everyone interested in this field.” (Günther Eder, Mathematical Reviews, April, 2018)Table of ContentsTable Of Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction PART I: THE REALISTIC SPIRIT 1. The Realistic Spirit 1.1. Realism And The Realistic 1.2. Playing Not-Bridge 1.2.1. Three Contrasts 1.2.2. Playing And Contravention 1.2.3. The Comfort Of Pretence 1.2.4. Parsimony And Pretending 2. Empiricism, Solipsism And The Realistic 2.1. Empiricism And The Realistic 2.1.1. Berkeley, Russell, And The Language Of God 2.1.2. The Given 2.2. Solipsism And The Realistic 3. Pragmatism And The Realistic 3.1. Probability 3.1.1. Degrees Of Belief 3.1.2. Peirce And Probability 3.1.3. Rationality, Inquiry And Reasonableness 3.2. Truth 3.2.1. On Truth 3.2.2. Truth And Inquiry 3.3. Ramsey As Pragmatist PART II: MEANING 4. Ramsey And Wittgenstein: First Encounters 4.1. Pictures 4.1.1. Representation And Sense 4.1.2. Pictorial And Logical Form 4.2. Propositions 4.2.1. Type And Token 4.2.2. Truth And Meaning 5. The Mystical 5.1. Ramsey And The Mystical 5.1.1. Internal Properties 5.1.2. Making Clear 5.2. Ramsey And Nonsense 5.2.1. Existential Statements 5.2.2. Identity Statements 5.2.3. Logical And Semantic Properties 5.2.4. Mathematical Statements 5.2.5. Ramsey And Semantics 6. Truth And Meaning 6.1. Facts And Judgement 6.2. Judgement 6.2.1. Chicken Beliefs 6.2.2. Beliefs, Private States And Representation 6.3. Belief And Representation 6.3.1. Names, Objects And Antirealism 6.3.2. Mental Signs 6.3.3. Belief And Causation 6.3.4. Belief, Language And Forms Of Life 6.4. Objections 6.4.1. Judging Nonsense 6.4.2. What Is Squiggle? 6.4.3. Realism And The Realistic PART III: MATHEMATICS 7. The Foundation Of Mathematics 7.1. Tractarian Logicism 7.2. Identity In The Tractatus 7.2.1. Wittgenstein On Identity 7.2.2. The Tractarian Convention 7.3. Ramsey's Definition Of '=' 7.3.1. The Problem Of Essential Classes 7.3.2. Identity In Principia 7.3.3. Propositional Functions In Extension 7.3.4. What Could A PFE Be? 8. Logical Revolt 8.1. Ramsey And Hilbert 8.1.1. Generalisation 8.1.2. The -Operator 8.2. The Entscheidungsproblem 8.2.1. Decidability And The Logic Of The Tractatus PART IV: INFLUENCE 9. Generality, Rules And Normativity 9.1. Generality 9.1.1. Quantification In The Tractatus 9.1.2. Ramseys' Criticisms 9.1.3. Ramsey And The Infinite 9.1.4. Wittgenstein And The Infinite 9.2. Rules And Normativity 9.2.1. Philosophical Investigations 81 9.2.1. Rules And Games 9.2.3. Normativity References

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Book SynopsisIf the sentence my cat is on the mat' is true how does it get to be true? Sentences are made true by what exists. But what about claims such as There were dinosaurs?' and 2+2=4'. How do they get to be true? Metaphysics: An Introduction uses the idea of truth and the quest for truth-makers to unravel philosophical problems in contemporary metaphysics. From the nature of properties and time to causation and objects, truth becomes a guiding theme to understanding metaphysical concepts and debates. In response to feedback from students and instructors, the Second Edition has been updated with new material in a range of chapters, including discussions of recent research concerning the nature of physical objects, time and modality. Recommended readings have been revised to ensure an improved gender balance while explanations and ideas are easier to follow. Together with a glossary and discussion questions, each chapter concludes with a series of mind maps to help visuaTrade ReviewMetaphysics: An Introduction by Jonathan Tallant is a great contemporary introduction to metaphysics. The book explores, in a very accessible way, composition, time, persistence, and causation. This is metaphysics viewed through the lens of truth-making and, as such, it engages with traditional metaphysical questions in a new, illuminating, and engaging manner. * Kristie Miller, Associate Professor of Philosophy, The University of Sydney, Australia *In Metaphysics: An Introduction, Jonathan Tallant offers an innovative way into a variety of foundational questions about the world around us. The textbook is an exciting and clear introduction to topics in contemporary metaphysics that are the focus of active debate among experts, and Tallant is a first-rate guide to this shifting and difficult terrain. * Daniel Nolan, McMahon-Hank Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, USA *This is an excellent introduction for students of metaphysics and pleasant reading for anyone interested in fundamental philosophical questions. It provides an accurate overviews of the major contemporary debates, and an engaging analysis of their central themes. Tallant treats each topic in a straightforward and appealing way, without ever sacrificing depth. * Giuliano Torrengo, Founder of the Center for Philosophy of Time and Senior Assistant Professor of Language, University of Milan, Italy *Tallant's book is an excellent and wide-ranging introduction to metaphysics for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Difficult concepts are synthesised and explained in a straightforward and accessible manner, without sacrificing depth of discussion. The book's breadth enables the instructor to develop a number of interesting courses that use it as a core text, and its lively writing style promises to capture the interest of students at all levels. * Sam Baron, Lecturer of Philosophy, The University of Western Australia, Australia *Table of Contents1. An Introduction to Truth-making 2. The Special Composition Question 3. Abstract Objects 4. Modality 5. Properties 6. Substratum and Other Theories 7. Time 8. Persistence 9. Causation 10. Truth-making Reconsidered References Index

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Book SynopsisComparing is one of the most essential practices, in our everyday life as well as in science and humanities. In this in-depth philosophical analysis of the structure, practice and ethics of comparative procedures, Hartmut von Sass expands on the significance of comparison. Elucidating the ramified structure of comparing, von Sass suggests a typology of comparisons before introducing the notion of comparative injustice and the limits of comparisons. He elaborates on comparing as practice by relating comparing to three relative practices orienting, describing, and expressing oneself to unfold some of the most important chapters of what might be called comparativism. This approach allows von Sass to clarify the idea of the incomparable, distinguish between different versions of incomparability and shed light on important ethical aspects of comparisons today. Confronting the claim that we are living in an age of comparisons, his book is an important contribution to ideTrade ReviewThis carefully argued and clearly written book is the most thorough study of the meaning and practice of comparing that I am aware of. It draws impressively in a wide range of philosophical literature and traditions as it explains the many roles of making comparisons in our thought and in our culture.’ * Douglas MacLean, Professor Emeritus, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, USA *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Comparisons—A Marginalised Classic Part I: Comparison as Structure and Comparing as Practice 1. Comparisons. A General Account 2. Comparisons: A Typology 3. On Comparative Injustice Part II: Three Studies in Comparativism 4. Orientation, Indexicality, and Comparisons: A Theme from Kant 5. Comparative / Descriptive: Wittgenstein and the Search for “Objects of Comparison” 6. Comparative Ironism: Richard Rorty on Plural Vocabularies and the Comparisons Between Them Part III: On Relocating Incomparability 7. Against Structural Incomparability 8. On Indexical Incomparability 9. The Curious Case of Normative Incomparability: Comparisons, Animals and the Quest for Adequacy Epilogue: Living in an “Age of Comparison”?: An Interpretation with Diagnostic Intent Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisRussell Wahl is Professor of Philosophy at Idaho State University, USA.Trade ReviewThis Companion is a most welcome guide, both to the thought of Bertrand Russell himself, and also to the evolving ?elds of Russell scholarship and the history of analytic philosophy, at the points where the two intersect … Every last essay is top-notch, and adds something new and interesting to our understanding of Russell’s thought. * Russell: the Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies *The Bloomsbury Companion to Bertrand Russell is about both Bertrand Russell and his continuing influence. It contains enough history to situate the reader in Russell’s intellectual era, but also enough contemporary philosophy to situate Russell in ours. There are chapters on Russell’s connections to British idealism, Meinongianism, Wittegenstein, logical positivism and pragmatism. There are also chapters on contemporary issues in logic, epistemology, ethics, the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of language. Anyone interested in contemporary debates surrounding the resurgence of neutral monism, logicism, foundationalism and error theory will be richly rewarded by revisiting Russell through this volume. Russell Wahl and his contributors are to be commended for showing us why Russell remains such a towering figure in philosophy today. * Andrew Irvine, Head of Economics, Philosophy and Political Science, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Canada *An excellent resource. Adroitly edited, the volume combines luminous discussions of central topics in Russell scholarship with insightful explorations of less frequently discussed topics. It manages to showcase the vibrant state of Russell scholarship while also containing much that will be of interest to the general philosophical reader. * Ian Proops, Professor of Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin, USA *The volume is admirably produced: well-researched, well-balanced and well-written. It contributes significantly to our understanding of one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century . . . it effectively summarizes practically every major line of investigation in recent Russell studies. I personally enjoyed reading the volume, including those chapters on which I made polemical remarks, and learned a lot from it. As readable as it is informative, the volume deserves a place high on the reading list of both the student new to Russell as well as the seasoned professional philosopher. * Notre Dame Philosophical Review *Table of ContentsList of Contributors Abbreviations for works written by Russell Bertrand Russell – A Timeline Introduction Part I: Russell in Context 1. Russell and British Idealism, James Levine 2. Russell and Pragmatism, Carol Misak 3. Russell's Objections to Frege and Meinong in Context, Bernard Linsky 4. Russell’s Initial Encounter with Wittgenstein 1911-1914, Russell Wahl 5. From Russell to the Vienna Circle and Back, François Schmitz Part II: Philosophical Issues 6. Russell's Logicism, Kevin Klement 7. Russell on Denoting and Language, Graham Stevens 8. Russell’s Logic as the Essence of Philosophy, Gregory Landini 9. Sense Data, Sensibilia and Percepts, Russell Wahl 10. Russell on Introspection and Self Knowledge, Donovan Wishon 11. Russell's Bridge, Nicholas Griffin and Dustin Olson 12. Neutral Monism, Christopher Pincock 13. Russell's Moral Philosophy, Ray Perkins Jr. 14. Russell's Literary Approach to History, Peter Stone Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisMats Bergman is a Junior Research Fellow at the Academy of Finland and the Department of Communication, University of Helsinki, Finland.Trade Review'Mats Bergman has executed a remarkable feat. He has, at once, offered a lucid exposition of Peirce's theory of signs accessible to those unfamiliar with this theory and a carefully argued, textually substantiated re-interpretation of Peirce's position ... Peirce's Philosophy of Communication makes an extremely important contribution to Peirce no less than communication studies.' - Vincent Colapietro, Liberal Arts Research Professor, Pennsylvania State University, USA 'Bergman takes a novel approach to the study of Peirce 's semeiotic by modeling it as a theory of communication, rather than as an epistemological or logical theory ... In making his case, Bergman provides a comprehensive and exciting review of the critical controversies in Peirce 's semeiotic. This is a book not only for those interested in theories of communication, but also those seeking a solid overview of Peirce's theory of signs.'-James Liszka, Professor of Philosophy, University of Alaska Anchorage, USATable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. A Social Conception of Science; 3. Beyond the Doctrine of Signs; 4. From Representation to Mediation; 5. Prospects of Communication; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisPeta Mitchell is Senior Lecturer in the School of English, Media Studies, and Art History at the University of Queensland, Australia, and author of Cartographic Strategies of Postmodernity (Routledge, 2008).Trade ReviewThis book is a treasure-trove for references to ‘social contagion’ metaphors past and present and has interesting historical commentaries. * Modern Language Review *Peta Mitchell's highly readable ContagiousMetaphor explores medical and popular beliefs and practices aboutcontagion—and the metaphors that shape them. Reaching back through thenineteenth century and then ranging widely through more recent decades, sheshows how ambivalence about figurative language and misunderstanding ofmetaphor itself has shaped our responses to epidemics both imaginedand experienced. From miasma to Dionysian frenzy to memes on theinternet, Mitchell challenges our assumptions about both language andcontagion, providing engaging and provocative analyses of examples from film,philosophy, linguistics and literature. -- Pamela K. Gilbert, Department of English, University of Florida, USA'The history of medicine and metaphor come together inContagious Metaphor; Peta Mitchell perceptively chronicles the circulation ofthe metaphor of contagion and the contagion of metaphor in the current momentto show how ideas travel through language to shape lived experience. ContagiousMetaphor anatomizes the transmission of thought itself as it brings together astudy of the social phenomenon of a veritable obsession with the concept ofcontagion and a profound understanding of the role of language in creating notjust individual, but a broadly cultural consciousness. This study will enrichcontemporary understanding of the longstanding appeal of contagion as a conceptand of the power of metaphor as they circulate through, and register awidespread attempt to make sense of, the networks of contemporary social life.' -- Priscilla Wald, Department of English, Duke University, USAThisis a captivating book: interdisciplinary scholarship at its best. Moving deftlybetween meme theory and modern literature, nineteenth-century French socialscience and fifth-century theological debates, Peta Mitchell's genealogy ofcontagion metaphor reveals the intimacy, and indeed interdependency, of thesetwo concepts. The subtlety, sophistication and scholarly rigour of ContagiousMetaphor all but guarantee the spread of its ideas. -- Angela Woods, Centre for Medical Humanities, Durham University, UKTable of ContentsAcknowledgements \ Introduction: Due Preparations \ 1. Contagious metaphor \ 2. Pestilence and poison winds: Literary contagions and the endurance of miasma theory \ 3. The French fin de siècle and the birth of social contagion theory \ 4. The contagion of example \ 5. Infectious ideas: Richard Dawkins, meme theory, and the politics of metaphor \ 6. Networks of contagion \ Bibliography \ Index

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Book SynopsisThis book attempts to reconcile the analytic philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein with those issues that consumed his personal life and which lay outside the confines of analytic philosophy: his "religious disposition," his ascetic lifestyle, and his concern with the mystical. Sontag reveals the influence of the mystical on Wittgenstein's life and philosophy, his respect for Augustine, Kierkegaard, and William James, and the profound effect of Tolstoy's religious writings on the development of his philosophy.

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Book SynopsisThe volume honours Eva Picardi – her philosophical views and interests, as well as her teaching – collecting eighteen essays, some by former students of hers, some by colleagues with whom she discussed and interacted. The themes of the volume encompass topics ranging from foundational and historical issues in the philosophy of language and the philosophy of logic and mathematics, as well as issues related to the recent debates on rationality, naturalism and the contextual aspects of meaning. The volume is split into three sections: one on Gottlob Frege’s work – in philosophy of language and logic –, taking into account also its historical dimension; one on Donald’s Davidson’s work; and one on the contextualism-literalism dispute about meaning and on naturalist research programmes such as Chomsky’s.Table of Contents1. Introduction; Annalisa Coliva, Paolo Leonardi and Sebastiano Moruzzi.- Section I: Themes from Frege.- 2 Early analytic philosophy's Austrian dimension; Kevin Mulligan.- 3. Truth, Ascriptions of Truth, and Grounds of Truth Ascriptions; Wolfgang Kuenne.- 4. On Frege's truth; Paolo Leonardi.- 5. Was Frege a logicist?.- Marco Panza.- 6. Logic as science; Robert May.- 7. Thin reference, metaontological minimalism and abstraction principles. The prospects for tolerant reductionism; Andrea Sereni.- 8. A context principle for the 21st century; Fabrizio Cariani.- 9. Slurs and tone; Ernie Lepore & Mathew Stone.- 10. Refusing to endorse: a must explanation for pejoratives; Carlo Penco.- 11. Fregean presentationalism; Elisabetta Sacchi.- Section II: Themes from Davidson.- 12. Agency without rationality; Lisa Bortolotti.- 13. Reasons and causes in psychiatry: Ideas from Donald Davidson’s work; Elisabetta Lalumera.- 14. The doxastic zoo; Pascal Engel.- Section III: Language, contextualism and naturalism.- 15. Naturalizing Picardi; Diego Marconi.- 16. Practical knowledge and linguistic competence; Annalisa Coliva.- 17. A Plague on All Your Houses: Some Reflections on the Variable Behaviour of “Knows”; Crispin Wright.- 18. Truth relativism and Evans' challenge; Sebastiano Moruzzi.- 19. Knowing the Facts: a Contrastivist Account of the Referential Opacity of Knowledge Attributions; Giorgio Volpe.- Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book investigates the impact of misinformation and the role of truth in political struggle. It develops a theory of objective truth for political controversy over topics such as racism and gender, based on the insights of intersectionality, the Black feminist theory of interlocking systems of oppression. Truth is defined using the tools of model theory and formal semantics, but the theory also captures how social power dynamics strongly influence the operation of the concept of truth within the social fabric. Systemic ignorance, propagated through false speech and misinformation, sustains oppressive power structures and perpetuates systemic inequity. Truth tends to empower marginalized groups precisely because oppressive systems are maintained through systemic ignorance. If the truth sets people free, then power will work to obscure it. Hence, the rise of misinformation as a political weapon is a strategy of dominant power to undermine the political advancement of marginalized groups.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction: Truth in Political StruggleChapter 2: Politically Contested TerminologyChapter 3: On the Possibility of Semantic CorruptionChapter 4: Toward a Conception of Misinformation as Epistemic ViolenceChapter 5: Model-Theoretic Semantics for Politically Contested TerminologyChapter 6: Toward an Intersectional MetasemanticsChapter 7: Power and Regimes of TruthChapter 8: An Analytic Philosopher’s Unified Theory of IntersectionalityChapter 9: Intersectional Metasemantic AdequacyChapter 10: A Metasemantics for IntersectionalityChapter 11: Situated Knowledge and the Regime of Truth

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisHow ought you to evaluate your options if you're uncertain about what's fundamentally valuable? A prominent response is Expected Value Maximisation (EVM)—the view that under axiological uncertainty, an option is better than another if and only if it has the greater expected value across axiologies. But the expected value of an option depends on quantitative probability and value facts, and in particular on value comparisons across axiologies. We need to explain what it is for such facts to hold. Also, EVM is by no means self-evident. We need an argument to defend that it’s true. This book introduces an axiomatic approach to answer these worries. It provides an explication of what EVM means by use of representation theorems: intertheoretic comparisons can be understood in terms of facts about which options are better than which, and mutatis mutandis for intratheoretic comparisons and axiological probabilities. And it provides a systematic argument to the effect that EVM is true: the theory can be vindicated through simple axioms. The result is a formally cogent and philosophically compelling extension of standard decision theory, and original take on the problem of axiological or normative uncertainty.

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Book SynopsisOur ability to attribute mental states to others ("to mentalize") has been the subject of philosophical and psychological studies for a very long time, yet the role of language acquisition in the development of our mentalizing abilities has been largely understudied. This book addresses this gap in the philosophical literature. The book presents an account of how false belief reasoning is impacted by language acquisition, and it does so by placing it in the larger context of the issue, how language impacts cognition in general. The work provides the reader with detailed and critical literature reviews, and draws on them to argue that language acquisition helps false belief reasoning by boosting the ability to create schemata that facilitate processing of information in some social contexts. According to this framework, it is a combination of syntactic clues and cultural narratives that helps the child to solve the classic false belief task. The book provides a novel, original account of how language helps false belief reasoning, while also giving the reader a broad, precise and well-documented picture of the debate around some of the most fundamental issues in social cognition.

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