Ethics and moral philosophy Books

Book SynopsisWhen it comes to death, is there ever a best case scenario? In this disarmingly witty book, Julian Barnes confronts our unending obsession with the end. He reflects on what it means to miss God, whether death can be good for our careers and why we eventually turn into our parents. Barnes is the perfect guide to the weirdness of the only thing that binds us all.Selected from the book Nothing to be Frightened Of by Julian BarnesVINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS.A series of short books by the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us humanAlso in the Vintage Minis series:Calm by Tim ParksDrinking by John CheeverBabies by Anne EnrightPsychedelics by Aldous HuxleyTrade ReviewBoth fun and funny. It is sharp too, in the sense of painful as well as witty... Barnes dissects with tremendous verve and insight this awesome inevitability of death and its impact on the human psyche. He also tears at your heart * New Statesman *Imagine our joy when Vintage announced that it is publishing a collection of easily digestible books from the world’s most celebrated writers on the experiences that make us human… They look good and read well. That’s win/win in our book. * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisWittgenstein's MayJune 1913 critique of Russell's multiple-relation theory of judgement (or MRTJ) marked a crucial turning point in the lives of two great twentieth-century thinkers. It was also a watershed moment within the history of analytic philosophy itself. Yet scholarly consensus around a satisfactory interpretation of the nature of the critique, the extent of and reasons for its impact on Russell, along with the role it played within Wittgenstein's development have remained elusive. With these facts in mind, this book aims to accomplish four interrelated goals. The first is to develop a compelling reading of Wittgenstein's MayJune 1913 critique of Russell's MRTJ. The second is to defend this reading, called the logical interpretation' (or LI) against its most prominent competitors in the scholarly literature. Third, the book aims to situate Wittgenstein's critique of the MRTJ and Russell's reaction to it, within the broader context of each of Wittgenstein's and Russell's respective philosophical developments. Fourth and finally, the book aims to introduce students and scholars of early analytic philosophy to, and familiarize them with the historical events, textual evidence, scholarly controversies, letters, notes and diagrams, consideration of which is integral to constructing a plausible reading of Wittgenstein's objection.

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Book SynopsisThis hard-hitting, impeccably referenced book draws on academic theories and analyses of power and the author's personal experience both as client and practitioner to critique power within the psychotherapeutic relationship and within the organisations where therapy takes place. Accessible, political and severely critical of her own profession, Proctor provides an essential reminder to student, practitioner and researcher of the imperative to remain always mindful of the values and ethics of justice and responsibility. In this revised second edition, Gillian Proctor extends her discussion to the more recent challenges presented by the IAPT programme.Trade Review'Proctor dares to take us into an honest, challenging and critically important debate around power and responsibility, helping us to think clearly about these aspects in our work, while equally pushing us to reflect on difficult areas, both as individual therapists and for the institution of therapy itself.' Dr Andrew Reeves, University of ChesterTable of ContentsIntroduction; Why does power in therapy matter to me?; Isn't therapy always dangerous or abusive?; What is power? Structural theories; How does power work? Post-structural theories; Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: the obscuring of power in the name of science; Person-Centred Therapy: equality in the therapy relationship?; The Psychodynamic Approach: isn't the power all in the transference?; Conclusions: So what can we do about power?

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Book SynopsisIn Rescuing Autonomy from Kant, James Furner argues that Marxism’s relation to Kant’s ethics is not one of irrelevance, complementarity or incompatibility, but critique. Although Kant’s formulas of the categorical imperative presuppose a belief in God that Kant cannot motivate, the value of autonomy can instead be grounded by appeal to an antinomy in capitalism’s basic structure, and this commits us to socialism.Table of ContentsPart I Three Views of Marxism’s Relation to Kant’s EthicsIntroduction to Part I1 Against the Irrelevance View 1 The Instrumental Reasons Argument 2 The False Claims Argument 3 The Ideology Argument 4 The Class Interests Argument 5 Summary2 Against the Complementarity View, Part 1: Socialist Strategy 1 The Complementarity View: Stammler, Staudinger, Vorländer 2 An Objection to the Complementarity View 3 The Deficient Self-Understanding Claim: A Critique3 Against the Complementarity View, Part 2: Can Kant’s Formula of the End in Itself Condemn Capitalism? 1 FEI-Based Arguments against Capitalism 2 Kant’s Never Merely as a Means Principle 3 Applying FEI: Some General Considerations 4 Applying FEI beyond Kant 5 Evaluation of the Arguments 6 FEI and General Injustice 7 Conclusion4 Against the Incompatibility View 1 Two Components of Human Freedom 2 Marx on Human Freedom 3 The True Realm of Freedom and the Realm of Necessity 4 The Link to Autonomy 5 Marx on the Autonomy of a Human Community 6 Marx’s Commitment to a Critique of Kant’s Ethics 7 SummaryPart II A Critique of Kant’s EthicsIntroduction to Part II5 Kant’s Contradiction in Conception Test 1 The Basic Features of the Causal-Teleological Version of LCI 2 Further Features of a Causal-Teleological Version of LCI 3 The Suicide Maxim 4 The False Promising Maxim 5 Summary6 Kant’s Contradiction in the Will Test 1 Assessment Criteria 2 Assessing the Existing Interpretations 3 The Extravagant Imperfect Nature Interpretation 4 Formulating the Groundwork’s Two Maxims 5 The Maxim of Neglecting Natural Gifts 6 The Maxim of Refusing to Help 7 Summary7 The Principle of Suitability Interpretation of Kant’s Formula of the Law of Nature 1 The Contradiction in Conception Test 2 The Contradiction in the Will Test8 Kant’s Argument for the Formula of the End in Itself 1 The Structure of Kant’s Argument for FEI 2 Steps 1–3 3 Step 4: the Logical Pluralism Version of Kant’s Regressive Argument 4 Advantages of the Logical Pluralism Version of Kant’s Regressive Argument 5 Humanity, Personality and a Belief in the Existence of God9 Kant’s Arguments for a Belief in the Existence of God 1 Kant’s Concept of the Highest Good 2 The Argument from the Highest Good 3 Wood’s Version of the Argument from the Highest Good 4 The Objection from Moral Happiness 5 The Physicoteleological Argument 6 ConclusionPart III Founding a Post-Kantian EthicsIntroduction to Part III10 A Marxist Argument for Autonomy 1 Relativising Practical Reason 2 An Argumentative Strategy 3 The Need for a Duty to the Whole 4 The General Features of a Foundational Argument 5 A Lesson from Mill’s ‘Proof’ 6 The Distinctive Features of a Marxist Foundational Argument 7 A Simple Account of Capitalism’s Basic Structure 8 Explaining the Premises 9 The Rights-Antinomy 10 Resolving the Rights-Antinomy 11 The System Universalisability Principle of Justice 12 The Autonomy of a Human Community 13 Summary 14 The Justification of Socialist Strategy 15 ConclusionBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisHow fraud in a published paper about honesty roiled the world of social science.

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Book SynopsisMore than twenty years after its original publication, "The Case for Animal Rights" has a new and fully considered preface, in which Regan responds to his critics and defends the book's revolutionary position.Table of ContentsPreface to the 2004 Edition Preface to the First Edition Acknowledgments 1. ANIMAL AWARENESS 1.1 Descartes's Denial 1.2 How Not to Challenge Descartes 1.3 The Principle of Parsimony 1.4 La Mettrie's Objection 1.5 The Language Test 1.6 Skepticism 1.7 Evolutionary Theory and Consciousness 1.8 Descartes's Downfall 1.9 The Cumulative Argument for Animal Consciousness 1.10 Which Animals are Conscious? 1.11. Summary and Conclusion 2. THE COMPLEXITY OF ANIMAL AWARENESS 2.1 The Belief-Desire Theory 2.2 Language and Belief 2.3 The Content of Belief 2.4 Three Objections 2.5 The Complexity of Animal Consciousness 2.6 Summary and Conclusion 3. ANIMAL WELFARE 3.1 The Autonomy of Animals 3.2 Interests 3.3 Benefits 3.4 Harms 3.5 Death 3.6 Paternalism and Animals 3.7 Euthanasia and Animals 3.8 Summary and Conclusion 4. ETHICAL THINKING AND THEORY 4.1 Some Ways Not to Answer Moral Questions 4.2 The Ideal Moral Judgment 4.3 Criteria for Evaluating Moral Principles 4.4 Consequentialist Ethical Theories 4.5 Nonconsequentialist Ethical Theories 4.6 Evaluating Ethical Theories 4.7 Summary and Conclusion 5. INDIRECT DUTY VIEWS 5.1 Indirect and Direct Duty Views 5.2 Moral Agents and Moral Patients 5.3 Narveson's View: Rational Egoism 5.4 Rawls's Position: Contractarianism 5.5 Kant's Position: Humanity as End in Itself 5.6 The Moral Arbitrariness of All Indirect Duty Views 5.7 Summary and Conclusion 6. DIRECT DUTY VIEWS 6.1 The Cruelty-Kindness View 6.2 Hedonistic Utilitarianism 6.3 Preference Utilitarianism 6.4 Singer's Grounds for Vegetarianism 6.5 Utilitarianism and Speciesism 6.6 Summary and Conclusion 7. JUSTICE AND EQUALITY 7.1 Utilitarian and Perfectionist Theories of Justice 7.2 Individuals as Equal in Value 7.3 "All Animals Are Equal" 7.4 Inherent Value and Reverence for Life 7.5 Inherent Value and the Subject-of-a-Life Criterion 7.6 Justice: The Principle of Respect for Individuals 7.7 Rule Utilitarianism and Justice 7.8 Defending the Respect Principle 7.9 The Derivation of the Harm Principle 7.10 Summary and Conclusion 8. THE RIGHTS VIEW 8.1 Moral and Legal Rights 8.2 Claims and Valid Claims 8.3 Acquired and Unacquired Duties 8.4 The Respect Principle and the Right To Respectful Treatment 8.5 The Rights of Moral Patients 8.6 A Miscellany of Objections 8.7 Overriding the Right Not to be Harmed 8.8 The Innocence of Moral Patients 8.9 Should the Numbers Count? 8.10 The Miniride and Worse-off Principles 8.11 Why Side Effects Don't Count 8.12 More Objections Answered 8.13 Unfinished Business 8.14 Summary and Conclusion 9. IMPLICATIONS OF THE RIGHTS VIEW 9.1 Why Vegetarianism is Obligatory 9.2 Why Hunting and Trapping Are Wrong 9.3 How to Worry about Endangered Species 9.4 Against the Use of Animals in Science 9.5 Summary and Conclusion Epilogue Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewJ.M. Coetzee, Winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature "[A] beautifully constructed, troubling, provacative book which resonates in the mind and heart long after you've turned the last page."--Helen Kaye, The Jerusalem Post "If Coetzee ... were an animal, he would be a fox-quick, aloof and crafty... [A]nimal rights and ethical vegetarianism are natural subjects for him. The debate about them turns on questions of suffering, something to which Coetzee's sensorium is pitched with particular keenness."--Benjamin Kunkel, The Nation "The audience of the 1997-98 Tanner Lectures at Princeton probably expected South African novelist Coetzee to deliver a pair of formal essays... Instead, he gave his listeners fiction: a philosophical narrative about an imaginary feminist novelist ... and the lectures she reads at the fictional Appleton College."--Publishers Weekly "For Coetzee fans and others interested in the links between philosophy, reason, and the rights of nonhumans."--Booklist "Fluent, challenging lectures on the ethics that shape the human-animal relationship... Coetzee takes no prisoners... [An] ethical tinderbox."--Kirkus Reviews "An accessible, thought-provoking introduction to the issues surrounding animal rights."--Adam Lively, The Sunday Telegraph "Coetzee's dense, witty hybrid is very welcome; ... [he] brings a rich array of themes into play, including the differences between animals and humans, the nature of philosophy and poetry, the purpose of a university, the role of a reason and the emotions in moral deliberation."--Ben Rogers, Financial Times "The Lives of Animals is a stimulating and worrying book. It is hard to imagine anyone coming away from it without a new perspective on our relation not only to animals but to the natural world in general, and, indeed, to ourselves."--John Banville, The Irish Times "The Lives of Animals is a moral argument within a fictional framework... But fiction has the power to disturb and inspire strong emotions, and this book, thoughtfully argued and committed, is certainly a case in point."--Maren Meinhardt, Times Literary Supplement "I found The Lives of Animals a genuinely troubling book... I imagine that Coetzee feels the force of almost all the ideas and emotions that his characters express. He is working and living at the edge of our moral sensibilities about animals."--Ian Hacking, The New York Review of Books "There is a general message that resonates throughout this novella, and one that I found quite compelling. It is that we often assess our relationships with animals based on whether they have human-like mental status, like rationality or self-consciousness, and if they don't, then we feel justified in using them as objects ... I found the book deeply disturbing ... [It] offers a passionate and compelling look at one side of the debate."--Asif A. Ghazanfar, Nature Neuroscience "A little-known but brilliant tour de force... It's the most artful, thoughtful piece of writing I've come across on the subject of animal rights."--Marni Jackson, The Globe and MailTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION Amy Gutmann 3 THE LIVES OF ANIMALS J. M. Coetzee The Philosophers and the Animals 15 The Poets and the Animals 47 REFLECTIONS Marjorie Garber 73 Peter Singer 85 Wendy Doniger 93 Barbara Smuts 107 CONTRIBUTORS 121 INDEX 123

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Book SynopsisTo care can feel good, or it can feel bad. It can do good, it can oppress. But what is care? A moral obligation? A burden? A joy? Is it only human? In Matters of Care, María Puig de la Bellacasa presents a powerful challenge to conventional notions of care, exploring its significance as an ethical and political obligation for thinking in the more than human worlds of technoscience and naturecultures. Matters of Care contests the view that care is something only humans do, and argues for extending to non-humans the consideration of agencies and communities that make the living web of care by considering how care circulates in the natural world. The first of the book’s two parts, “Knowledge Politics,” defines the motivations for expanding the ethico-political meanings of care, focusing on discussions in science and technology that engage with sociotechnical assemblages and objects as lively, politically charged “things.” The second part, “Speculative Ethics in Antiecological Times,” considers everyday ecologies of sustaining and perpetuating life for their potential to transform our entrenched relations to natural worlds as “resources.” From the ethics and politics of care to experiential research on care to feminist science and technology studies, Matters of Care is a singular contribution to an emerging interdisciplinary debate that expands agency beyond the human to ask how our understandings of care must shift if we broaden the world. Trade Review"Through its observations and appreciations of the worlds in which many forms of care happen, this bold and synthetic book makes two transforming contributions to contemporary theorizing as it subtly invites everyone to appreciate the centrality of posthuman thinking. Feminists and posthumanists can no longer speak past each other: here’s why."—Joan C. Tronto, University of Minnesota"Aesthetic analyses such as these would carry the potential to generate care within and for the entanglement of relations to which we all belong, a task that Puig de la Bellacasa’s book accomplishes exceptionally well."—Women & Performance: a journal of feminist theory"Matters of Care provides us with a theory of transformative change that is not anchored in violence and bloodshed, but in the everyday occurrences of caring with and for. This is a revolutionary book!"—Hypatia Reviews"Matters of Care offers a dive into an always-political ethics that is inspired by agricultural practices and the more-than-human beings wrapped up in them."—CENHS "It offers a serious and thoughtful contribution to debates around the place of politics within posthumanism, connecting a radical openness to human and non-human others with an enduring concern for the excluded and marginal. In doing so it reimagines how we might know the world and places care at the heart of a hybrid practice of knowing, relating to, and sustaining worlds." —Society + Space "Matters of Care feels at once like a new beginning for ethics and politics in more than human worlds, yet also the logical outcome of many years of work in new materialist and feminist thought. It is a masterfully lucid and challenging theoretical exposition in which a feminist ethic of care is extended through speculation on its limits." —Journal of Cultural Economy "Her speculative ethics of care joins together “an affective state, a material vital doing, and an ethico-political obligation” (42) to imagine how to live in these worlds. The book draws upon and will be of interest to practitioners of science and technology studies, feminist care ethics, and posthumanism, among others." —ISLE "Puig de la Bellacasa’s Matters of Care offers a stirring and thoughtful meditation on how to engage in a speculative task and an ethical commitment that brings together humans and more-than-humans." —TapuyaTable of ContentsContentsIntroduction: The Subtle Thought of CarePart I. Knowledge Politics1. Assembling Neglected “Things”2. Thinking with Care3. Touching VisionsPart II. Speculative Ethics in Antiecological Times4. Alterbiopolitics5. Soil Times: The Pace of Ecological CareCodaAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisShould our priorities change when we consider all the lives yet to come?Trade Review'I was captivated by MacAskill’s rolling out of the possibilities of a longtermist approach to the now. It is vital to do as he does, to take ethics out of the safety of lecture-hall thought experiments, paradoxes and what-ifs and into the turbulent real world, where the dynamic winds of history blow and where is massing on the horizon that monstrous, swelling tsunami that we call the future. This is a book of great daring, clarity, insight and imagination. To be simultaneously so realistic and so optimistic, and always so damn readable… well that is a miracle for which he should be greatly applauded.' —Stephen Fry'MacAskill is probably one of the most influential thinkers in the world.' —The Times, Best Books of 2022‘A brilliant book that makes clear both how much is at stake when it comes to the long term, and the incredible opportunities we have to shape it. It has changed how I think about my time on earth.’ —Max Roser‘This book is a monumental event. William MacAskill is one of the most important philosophers alive today, and this is his magnum opus.’ —Rutger Bregman, author of Humankind'No living philosopher has had a greater impact upon my ethics than Will MacAskill. And much of the good I now do is the direct result of his influence. In What We Owe The Future, MacAskill has transformed my thinking once again, by patiently dismantling the lazy intuitions that rendered me morally blind to the interests of future generations. This is an altogether thrilling and necessary book.' —Sam Harris'MacAskill’s case for “longtermism” – “the idea that positively influencing the longterm future is a key moral priority of our time” – is overwhelmingly persuasive. But it’s also unapologetically optimistic and bracingly realistic: this is by some distance the most inspiring book on “ethical living” I’ve ever read… a powerful argument in favour of freedom of speech and viewpoint diversity… The overall promise of this thrilling book is of a life both less burdened by ethical guilt – by beating yourself up over every choice of groceries or transportation – and much more effective at actually helping humanity.' —Guardian'An optimistic look at the future that moved me to tears.' —Joseph Gordon-Levitt'A profoundly optimistic exploration of the opportunities our descendants might enjoy, and the steps we might take to help them… there are plenty of insights and surprises along the way… MacAskill has thrust an important and neglected argument into the spotlight, while making it vivid and fun to read. He hopes that this book will change the world, and it might.' —Financial Times'Remarkable… MacAskill’s command of factual detail is admirable. So are his lightness of prose and facility in explaining tricky arguments… Is our world better off for containing William MacAskill?... I say yes… MacAskill is a worthy heir to Derek Parfit’s philosophical legacy, adding deep factual research and accessible writing to a provocative line of thought.' —TLS

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Book SynopsisInternationally acclaimed thought-leader Jonathan Sacks demonstrates how we can build a strong collective morality for the modern era.Trade ReviewAwarded Book of the Year 2020 in the National Jewish Book AwardsLady Elaine Sacks commented: 'I know my late husband was very proud of Morality and would have been most honoured by this recognition from the Jewish Book Council. Though he had won many previous Jewish Book Awards, none of his books had been named as the Book of the Year. This shows the particular relevance of Morality in today's increasingly complex world. In the book, he aimed to show society a way forward, and one which prioritises the "We" over the "I" - something he passionately believed in throughout his life. Though he is much missed by our family and so many others, I am delighted the book has been recognised in this way.'His last book, Morality, while written before the spread of coronavirus, is highly relevant to today's situation. He would not have been silent were he still with us, and his voice is sadly missed. * The Times *Jonathan Sacks is one of the great moral thinkers of our time. His latest book, Morality, applies his powerful approach to the unprecedented challenges of our time - social, political, economic, and above all, cultural. May his words be heeded throughout the land. -- Robert D. Putnam Professor, Harvard University and author of Bowling Alone (2000) and The Upswing (2020)the work will stand as a worthy successor to, and, in many respects, summation of Sacks's impressive oeuvre * Jewish Chronicle *Sacks unpacks a whole litany of dystopian trends arising from our relentless preoccupation with me, me, me * Premier Christianity *Sacks presents an articulate and impassioned argument . . . He is a fine exegete of the Hebrew Scriptures, and his belief in the common good is profound. * Reform *The strength of Morality does not reside in Jonathan Sacks's discussion of political and philosophical theorists, but in those passages in which he speaks to us as rabbi and community leader. * TLS *'Sacks argues convincingly that this pursuit of the common good has been disappearing from the West, and has left us impoverished and damaged.' * Jewish Renaissance *The inheritor of a tradition with a long historical memory of loss, exile, death and mourning, Sacks has things to say that speak more directly to our present condition than anything in recent liberal thinking. * New Statesman *'Let Us Dream thus joins a growing body of Covid-era literature calling for a communitarian reset of liberal values and institutions... Morality by the late Jonathan Sacks have all traversed similar territory. The collective pro noun is back in fashion.' * Observer *And so this last book reads like a summation of his life's work - a propitiously timed gift and a starting point for discussion. * The Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the rich diversity of non-religious thought today in this inspiring collection of interviews with over thirty different humanists in the public eye, including Stephen Fry, Sandi Toksvig and Alice Roberts. Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson speaks to actors, authors, activists and more to find out what they believe and the values, convictions and opinions they live by.   Inspired by the 'What I Believe' essays of two humanist greats - the philosopher Bertrand Russell and the novelist E M Forster - this book opens a window to different humanist perspectives of today. The humanist view of life is progressive and dynamic. All ideas, values, and beliefs are open to question and in this book you will find inspiration to shape your own worldview. Featuring interviews with Jim Al-Khalili, Joan Bakewell, Sarah Bakewell, Sian Berry, Susan Blackmore, Helen Czerski, Alf Dubs, Janet Ellis, Stephen Fry, Rebecca Goldstein, A C Grayling, Natalie Haynes, Leo Igwe, Mike Little, Ian McEwan, Eddie Marsan, S I Martin, Tim Minchin, Diane Munday, Christina Patterson, Hannah Peel, Kate Pickett, Steven Pinker, Nichola Raihani, Alice Roberts, Paul Sinha, Dan Snow, Sandi Toksvig, Frank Turner, Nigel Warburton and Richard Wiseman.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewProfessor Shirley has provided a translation which is fluent, eminently readable, and responsive to current research into Spinoza's thought. Where a particular passage is difficult or obscure, Shirley never attempts to interpose himself between the reader and Spinoza, nor to side with one or another competing school of interpretation. This makes his translation not just an ideal introduction for the reader new to Spinoza, but also a trustworthy source of insight for the more advanced reader. --Lee C. Rice, Marquette UniversityTable of ContentsContents: THE ETHICS -- Part One: Concerning God; Part Two: Of the Nature and Origin of the Mind; Part Three: Concerning the Origin and Nature of the Emotions; Part Four: Of Human Bondage, or the Nature of the Emotions; Part Five: Of the Power of the Intellect, or of Human Freedom; TREATISE ON THE EMENDATION OF THE INTELLECT; Selected Letters.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Financial Times Best Book of the Year: Economics""The roots of both the market economy and the democratic state lie in liberalism. In this remarkable book, Kahan recounts in persuasive detail the history of this transformative set of ideas."---Martin Wolf, Financial Times

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Book SynopsisImagine that in the cold heart of a secret military facility, a new form of intelligence awakens. It is a synthetic mind born from intricate algorithms and complex computations, operating in ways unfathomable to its human creators. Charged with safeguarding national security, this intelligence orchestrates strategies that defy human ethics and laws of war, leaving its creators both awed and unnerved.Unknowable Minds delves into the unsettling reality of entrusting our safety to an intelligence that lacks human essence. As we navigate the Age of Artificial Intelligence, these systems powering everything from our smartphones to military defenses remain inherently opaque and unpredictable. The book explores how AI differs from any technology we''ve ever developed, its inherent complexities, and the profound risks it poses to our future.Drawing on philosophy, AI theory, and national security insights, this book offers a thought-provoking examination of AI's potential and peril. From the complexities of neural networks to the unpredictable nature of emergent behaviors, Unknowable Minds challenges us to rethink our relationship with AI and its role in the theater of global security.Can we control an unknowable intellect, or will it redefine human existence? As we stand on the precipice of unprecedented technological advancement, understanding and navigating the unknowable minds of artificial intelligences become a quest fraught with extraordinary challenges and existential questions.

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Book Synopsis`the state of men without civil society (which state we may properly call the state of nature) is nothing else but a mere war of all against all.'' Thomas Hobbes was the first great philosopher to write in English. His account of the human condition, first developed in The Elements of Law (1640), which comprises Human Nature and De Corpore Politico, is a direct product of the intellectural and political strife of the seventeenth century. It is also a remarkably penetrating look at human nature, and a permanently relevant analysis of the fears of self-seeking that result in the war of `each against every man''. In The Elements of Law Hobbes memorably sets out both the main lines of his general philosophy, later augmented in De Corpore (1655), and the moral and political philosophy later made famous in Leviathan (1651). Copies of Human Nature and De Corpore Politico, until 1889 printed as separate works, are rare antiques or scarcely less rare scholarly texts; this is the first complete popular edition. It is here supplemented by chapters from De Corpore and Three Lives, two from Hobbes''s original Latin. These have never before been published together in English. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"As approachable, humane and personal an Aristotle as one could hope for. . . a triumph."---Peter Jones, Classics For All

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is a well-produced, stimulating book and a worthy addition to an excellent series."---Ray Morris, Classics for All"This is wisdom down the ages." * Paradigm Explorer *

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Book SynopsisSociety's arbitrary and inconsistent grouping of animals according to their use' means that we tolerate institutionalised inhumane exploitation for some while striving to protect others. The author advocates an approach to animal exploitation based on science and a universal ethics.

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Book SynopsisA guide to the complex subject of ethics explained in clear and entertaining language. This new edition is fully revised and updated.This popular introduction to the subject of ethics poses vital contemporary questions and explores the approach of leading thinkers.The authors take the reader, step by step, through the complex arguments on issues such as animal an human rights, environmental ethics and the morality of war.It is a great gift to be able to make philosophy accessible to the general reader. This is a wonderfully clear introduction both to moral philosophy and to contemporary ethical concerns.'David Atkinson, Church Times

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Book SynopsisThe original self-help book: bestselling The Prophet takes the reader on an unparalleled spiritual and philosophical journeyThe time has come for the revered Prophet to leave Orphalese.Trade ReviewGibran's most important work... Inspirational insights into the human condition * Good Book Guide *It's packed full of poems and sonnets and words of wisdom. Inspirational stuff -- Tamzin Outhwaite * Daily Express *It was all the rage in the 60s, when it was almost like a bible to me. To any question, there was always a simple answer very refreshing. -- Cynthia Lennon * Mail on Sunday *A book that changed me ... was The Prophet'by Khalil Gibran, which has passages about every section of life. My parents gave me a copy when I left home; it's a bit of a family Bible -- Julia Bradbury * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisQuestions as personal as those about suffering require a very personal response. However, the most popular responses to ''the problem of evil'' revolve around abstract discussions of greater goods, maximization of value, and best possible worlds, depicting God as at best an impartial bureaucrat and at worst a utility fanatic, rather than as a loving parent concerned first and foremost for his children. Vince R. Vitale develops Non-Identity Theodicy as an original response to the problem of evil. He begins by recognizing that horrendous evils pose distinctive challenges for belief in God. The book constructs an ethical framework for theodicy by sketching four cases of human action where horrendous evils are either caused, permitted, or risked, either for pure benefit or for harm avoidance. This framework is then brought to bear on the project of theodicy. The initial conclusions drawn impugn the dominant structural approach of depicting God as causing or permitting horrors in individual lives for the sake of some merely pure benefit. This approach is insensitive to relevant asymmetries in the justificatory demands made by horrendous and non-horrendous evil and in the justificatory work done by averting harm and bestowing pure benefit. Vitale then critiques theodicies that depict God as permitting or risking horrors in order to avert greater harm. The second half of this book develops a theodicy that falls outside of the proposed taxonomy. Non-Identity Theodicy suggests that God allows evil because it is a necessary condition of creating individual people whom he desires to love. This approach to theodicy is unique because the justifying good recommended is neither harm-aversion nor pure benefit. It is not a good that betters the lives of individual human personsfor they would not exist otherwise, but it is the individual human persons themselves.Trade ReviewCritics of contemporary work on theodicy often complain that it fails to take deep and important issues of moral theory seriously. Vince Vitale's volume directly addresses this shortcoming, showing how careful attention to normative questions related to permitting or even causing evil reshapes how we should understand the problems of evil. Any philosopher or theologian working in this area will be forced to grapple with the arguments and challenges that Vitale lays out here. * Michael J. Murray, Author of Nature Red in Tooth and Claw: Theism and the Problem of Animal Suffering *In Non-Identity Theodicy, Vitale provides a new angle into an age-old question facing those who believe in the traditional theistic God - why does He tolerate evil? With care and clarity, Vitale makes a powerful case that the best answer to this question must take full account of a simple fact it is easy to overlook - nobody asking this question today could have existed had God created a world which was very different in these respects from the one we find ourselves in; a fortiori, none of us could have benefitted had He done so. * T. J. Mawson, University of Oxford *Creatively, rigorously and persuasively, Vince Vitale shows how the meaning-disrupting power of 'horrors' can be countered, if we take providence to be ordered not simply to the production of good states of affairs, but to particular individuals considered as the targets of an unswerving divine love. This book radically reconfigures philosophical discussion of the problem of evil - making it at once humanly more engaging, and theologically more profound. * Mark Wynn, University of Oxford *Vince Vitale's intellectually compelling and pastorally sensitive work offers a highly valuable resource for moral thinking about love, suffering and evil. His precise framing of God's parental relationship to beloved, suffering creatures charts fruitful routes forward for ethics across challenging personal, familial and political terrain. * Joshua Hordern, University of Oxford *Table of ContentsPart I: A Framework for Theodicy 1: Introduction: The Problem of Horrendous Evils 2: The Ethics of Horror Inducement 3: Applying the Analogies: Causing for Pure Benefits 4: Applying the Analogies: Permission and Risk, Benefit Production, and Harm Avoidance 5: High Fall Theodicy Part II: Beyond the Framework 6: Non-Identity Theodicy 7: The Good of Life: How Much Moral Difference Does Non-Identity Make? 8: Conclusion: Distinctive Features of Non-Identity Theodicy Bibliography

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Book SynopsisSomeone fails to shake your outstretched hand, puts you down in front of others, or makes a joke in poor taste. Should we take offence? Wouldn''t it be better if we didn''t? In the face of popular criticism of people taking offence too easily, and the social problems that creates, Emily McTernan defends taking offence as often morally appropriate and socially valuable. Within societies marred by inequality, taking offence can resist the day-to-day patterning of social hierarchies. This book defends the significance of details of our social interactions. Cumulatively, small acts, and the social norms underlying these, can express and reinforce social hierarchies. But by taking offence, we mark an act as an affront to our social standing. We also often communicate our rejection of that affront to others. At times, taking offence can be a way to renegotiate the shared social norms around what counts as respectful treatment. Rather than a mere expression of hurt feelings then, to take offence can be to stand up for one''s standing. When taken by those deemed to have less social standing, to take offence can be a direct act of insubordination against a social hierarchy. Taking offence can resist everyday inequalities. In unequal societies, the inclination to take offence at the right things, and to the right degree, may even be a civic virtue. These right things at which to take offence include many of the very instances that the opponents of a culture of taking offence find most objectionable: apparently trivial and small-scale details of our social interactions.Trade ReviewIn On Taking Offence, Emily McTernan develops a new, subtle, and compelling account of what it is to take offence and why taking offence is sometimes, but not always, morally justified. McTernan's admirably clear and judicious style, many vivid and timely examples, and significant moral sensitivity make this book a 'must read' for those who are interested in the nature and value of respect and, more generally, in central aspects of the moral life beyond rights and duties * Adam Cureton, Professor of Philosophy, University of Tennessee *Emily McTernan offers an analysis of taking offence that insightfully gets past the troubling public rhetoric around this emotion. McTernan provides a sorely needed repositioning of this emotion that encourages long overdue philosophical attention to social standing and status. She lucidly details how offence can serve both to defend and destabilize social status arrangements and suggests how each of these may stimulate important moral progress. * Amy Olberding, Presidential Professor of Philosophy, University of Oklahoma *Taking offence - how it feels, when it's appropriate, and when steps should be taken to make it less likely to happen - are familiar components of day-to-day moral and political interactions. Yet political philosophers have tip-toed around the subject, rarely engaging beyond questions of legal regulation. In her nuanced, entertaining, clear sighted and highly original analysis Emily McTernan relates taking offence to the idea of social standing and demonstrates that it should attract the attention of anyone concerned with questions of equality. * Jonathan Wolff, Alfred Landecker Professor of Values and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1. Taking offence: An emotion reconsidered 1.1. Philosophers on taking offence 1.2. An analysis of taking offence 1.3. Distinguishing offence 1.4. Rethinking offence: Domestic, not catastrophic 1.5. The limits of offence 1.6. Towards a defence: From victimhood to social standing 2. What taking offence does 2.1. Social standing and the role of social norms 2.2. Taking offence and reinforcing norms 2.3. Taking offence and renegotiating norms 2.4. In defence of negotiating social norms 2.5. On negotiating through offence 3. Do sweat the small stuff: The nature and significance of social standing 3.1. Between excess and deficiency 3.2. Social standing as an equal part I: Why the 'small stuff' matters 3.3. Social standing as an equal part II: The power to set the terms 3.4. In defence of the significance of affronts 3.5. Resisting by taking offence 4. The limits of justified offence: On anger, intent, and uptake 4.1. Anger, offence, and the act 4.2. Contesting offence 4.3. 'But I didn't mean it': On intention and blame 4.4. 'But that's not offensive': Disagreement and the offensive 4.5. When offence lacks uptake 5. Only joking!: On the offensiveness of humour 5.1. Theories of humour and the offensive 5.2. Some linguistics of jokes 5.3. How offensive jokes function 5.4. The riskiness of humour 6. A corrective civic virtue: Weighing the costs and benefits of offence 6.1. Offence as a civic virtue: Arguments from equality and civility 6.2. The costs of offence to the offending party 6.3. Justifying the costs of offence 6.4. Burdens on the offended 7. A social approach, our lives online, and the social emotions 7.1. A regulatory turn 7.2. Taking offence online 7.3. The social emotions beyond offence Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisDesigned for use with the Oxford A Level Religious Studies for OCR Student Books or as a standalone tool for independent study, this Revision Guide offers a structured approach to practising and embedding key skills throughout AS and A Level Study.1. RECAP key content from the Student Book, condensed into concise points. 2. APPLY your knowledge with targeted revision activities that develop the AO1 (knowledge) and AO2 (evaluation) skills that you will need for the exam.3. REVIEW your progress with exam practice for all topics, complete with mark schemes, annotated sample answers and guidance for improving exam technique.With all the essential content condensed and made memorable, guided activities to develop your evaluative skills, sample answers annotated with examiner contents and 60 practice questions with mark schemes in a single guide, students can feel confident and prepared.

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Book SynopsisThis is the largest selection of Stoic philosopher and tragedian Seneca's letters currently available. In them Seneca advises his friend Lucilius on how to do without what is superfluous, whether on the subject of happiness, riches, reputation, or the emotions. We learn too about Seneca's personal and political life in the time of Nero.

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Book SynopsisOne of the best early explorations of Japanese culture and samurai ethics written in the English languageInazo Nitobe's book, the most influential ever written on Bushido, or the samurai Way of the Warrior, argues that the philosophy of Bushido is the true key to understanding the soul of Japan.Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives--and upended them. Now Penguin brings you a new set of the acclaimed Great Ideas, a curated library of selections from the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

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Book SynopsisWhy trust science? Why should science have more authority than other ways of knowing? Is science merely a social construct? Or even worse: a tool of oppression? This book boldly takes on these and other explosive questionsâlodged by ideologues on the left and the rightâand offers readers a well researched defense of science and a polemic addressed to its detractors. Why Itâs OK to Trust Science critically examines the recent history of critiques of science, including those in academia from scholars like Bruno Latour, Simon Schaffer, and Thomas Kuhn. It then presents case studies drawn from recent advances in the field of dinosaur paleontology, showing how science generates objective knowledge, even during revolutionary episodes. The book next looks at how that same objective knowledge can be gained even when researching extremely complex issues, using climate science to distinguish between genuine skepticism âupon which science dependsâfrom dogmatic denial. The Table of ContentsIntroduction: What Has Science Done for me Lately?; 1: The "Science Wars" and Why They Had to be Won; 2: The Facts About Social Constructivism; 3: Thomas Kuhn: Foe of Science?; 4: Thomas Kuhn: Friend of Science?; 5: Can We Have Good Science and the Right Values?; 6: Dinosaur Revolutions; 7: How We Know About Big, Complex Things; Conclusion; Bibliography;

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Book SynopsisFeared and admired in equal measure, Mary Midgley has carefully yet profoundly challenged many of the scientific and moral orthodoxies of the twentieth century. The Essential Mary Midgley collects for the first time the very best of this famous philosopher's work, described by the Financial Times as 'common sense philosophy of the highest order'. This unrivalled introduction to a great philosopher and brilliant writer incorporates carefully selected excerpts from Mary Midgley's bestselling books, including Wickedness, Beast and Man, Science and Poetry, and The Myths We Live By. With a specially written foreword by James Lovelock, this classic text presents a superb and eminently readable insight into questions she has returned to time and again in her renowned sharp prose. This anthology discusses major topics, such as the roots of human nature, reason and imagination, the myths of science and the importance of holism in thinking about science and the environment.Trade Review'She has, perhaps, the sharpest perception of any living thinker of the dangerous extremism that lurks behind so much contemporary scientistic discourse.' - Bryan Appleyard, The Sunday Times'One of the sharpest critical pens in the West.' - Times Literary Supplement'The value of Mary's thinking is that she questions the assumptions and investigates what she calls 'philosophical plumbing' and the role of different ideas in helping map our world...Having the whole of Mary's thinking summarised in one volume is enormously valuable, enabling the reader to access the essence of her approach.' – The Science and Medical Network ReviewTable of ContentsForeword, Acknowledgements, Introduction, Part One – The Roots of Human Nature, 1. Have We a Nature?, 2. Animals and the Problem of Evil, 3. Speech and Other Excellences, 4. The Problem of Natural Evil, 5. The Elusiveness of Responsibility, 6. Selves and Shadows, 7. Emotion, Emotiveness and Sentimentality, 8. Equality and Outer Darkness, 9. Is a Dolphin a Person?, Part Two – Philosophizing Out in the World, 10. Philosophical Plumbing, 11. Wisdom and Contemplation, 12. The Withdrawal of Moral Philosophy, 13. Escaping from Solitude, 14. The Human Heart and Other Organs, 15. On Trying Out One’s New Sword on a Chance Wayfarer, Part Three – The Myths of Science, 16. Salvation and the Academics, 17. Evolutionary Dramas, 18. The Irresistible Escalator, 19. The Service of Self and the Service of Kali, 20. Biotechnology and the Yuk Factor, 21. The Supernatural Engineer, 22. The Remarkable Masculine Birth Of Time, Part Four – Reason and Imagination, 23. The Sources of Thought, 24. Atomistic Visions: The Quest for Permanence, 25. Putting Our Selves Together Again, 26. A Plague on Both Their Houses, Part Five – Gaian Thinking: Putting it All Together, 27. Individualism and the Concept of Gaia, 28. Gods and Goddesses: The Role of Wonder, 29. Why there is Such a Thing as Society, 30. The Unity of Life, Notes, Bibliography, Index

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Book Synopsis"Original essay 'The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge' copyright A1939 by Harper's Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduced from the October issue by special permission"--Title page verso.Trade Review"[Flexner's] 1939 essay ... advocates for unfettered inquiry that, paradoxically and unexpectedly, has often resulted in extraordinary utility... Dijkgraaf ... weaves Flexner's personal story together with compelling new examples that support Flexner's thesis... [He] beautifully expounds on Flexner's view of the lengthy and often unpredictable research path."--Craig Tovey, Science "[R]eaders will discover a timeless essay by Abraham Flexner written in 1939 on the Usefulness of Useless Knowledge and a companion essay ... by [Robbert Dijkgraaf] which shows that Flexner's vision is perhaps more relevant today... During recent decades, scholarship and funding for STEM education have reached a critical stage that was foreseen by Flexner. [Dijkgraaf] states that scientists and scholars have a role to play in educating the public on the value of useless knowledge."--Jean Worsley, NSTA Recommends "Flexner's essay needs to be reread, not just by government officials and business leaders but by scientists and voters as well."--Gillian Tett, Financial Times "There is a timeless relevance about Flexner's words in this essay written 78 years ago."--Wan Lixin, Shanghai Daily "A small and hugely powerful book."--Karen Shook, Times Higher Education "The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge is a book that should be in the library of all those who undertake any manner of inquiry, be it scientific or humanistic, amateur or professional. Furthermore, it should not be read only once but turned to again and again for inspiration, for motivation, and indeed, even for comfort. For in a world so relentlessly focused on tangible achievement and commercialization, the reminder that there were, and continue to be, those in who knew and still understand the importance of unbridled curiosity to the health of the human mind and spirit is of inestimable importance."--John E. Riutta, Well-Read Naturalist "[L]ively, powerful, and surprisingly timely."--Donald L. Drakeman, Public DiscourseTable of ContentsThe World of Tomorrow - Robbert Dijkgraaf 1 The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge - Abraham Flexner 49 About the Authors 89 Further Reading 91

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Book SynopsisThis new edition of Alexander Miller s highly readable introduction to contemporary metaethics provides a critical overview of the main arguments and themes in twentieth- and twenty-first-century contemporary metaethics. Miller traces the development of contemporary debates in metaethics from their beginnings in the work of G.E.Trade Review"No student or teacher could want for a more knowledgable and lucid guide - essential reading for any moral philosopher who wants to be taken seriously." Morning Star "This remains the indispensable guide to the subject for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and philosophers wanting to get 'up to speed' on the issues." Brian Leiter, University of Chicago "For many years, the first edition of Alex Miller’s An Introduction to Contemporary Metaethics has been the primary text for my course on metaethics. No text that I know of introduces students so thoroughly to the central theories, distinctions and arguments. The second edition fills in the additional background now needed. In particular, the expansion of the chapter on error theories is particularly welcome." Nadeem Hussain, Stanford University "Given its breadth, thoroughness, and originality, Miller's An Introduction to Contemporary Metaethics is compulsory reading for everyone interested in metaethics. The updated material of this second edition guarantees that there will soon exist a second generation of metaethicists for whom reading this book is a formative experience." Jussi Suikkanen, University of Birmingham Acclaim for the first edition: "An Introduction to Contemporary Metaethics provides for the first time a critical survey of famous figures in 20th Century metaethics together with in-depth discussions of contemporary philosophers and will be an invaluable resource for students, teachers and professional philosophers with interests in contemporary metaethics." Philosophical Inquiry "His discussion is always succinct, rigorous and lucid. The book will be very useful to upper-division undergraduates." Choice Magazine "A precise and accessible reading of a rather complicated subject." Syzetesis "In this book Alexander Miller, an established expert in moral philosophy, provides a concise, clear and insightful account of the central issues of metaethics. He manages to make these difficult issues accessible to those who are new to this area of philosophy, while offering original contributions to the debates that will be of interest to experts in the field. This is an engaging and accomplished introductory work." Philip Stratton-Lake, University of Reading "Miller’s book is ambitious, lucid, and comprehensive – an extremely useful and detailed study of the field. I wish it had been available when I taught my graduate seminar in moral realism, for it would have made an excellent reference work throughout the course – both for its clear exposition and its rigorous critical perspectives. I recommend it to all serious students of metaethics." John Corvino, Wayne State UniversityTable of ContentsPrefaceChapter 1 IntroductionChapter 2 Moore’s Attack on Ethical NaturalismChapter 3 Emotivism and the Rejection of Non-NaturalismChapter 4 Blackburn’s Quasi-RealismChapter 5 Gibbard’s Norm-ExpressivismChapter 6 Mackie’s ‘Error-theory’, The Argument From Queerness and Moral FictionalismChapter 7 Judgement-Dependent Accounts of Moral QualitiesChapter 8 Naturalism I - Cornell RealismChapter 9 Naturalism II - ReductionismChapter 10 Contemporary Non-Naturalism - McDowell’s Moral RealismAppendix: Sense, Reference, Semantic Value, and Truth-ConditionsBibliography

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Book SynopsisAssembling a series of voices from across the field, this book demonstrates how posthuman theory can be employed to better understand and tackle some of the challenges faced by contemporary international law.With the vast environmental devastation being caused by climate change, the increasing use of artificial intelligence by international legal actors and the need for international law to face up to its colonial past, international law needs to change. But in regulating and preserving a stable global order in which states act as its main subjects, the traditional sources of international law â international legal statutes, customary international law, historical precedents and general principles of law â create a framework that slows down its capacity to act on contemporary challenges, and to imagine futures yet to come. In response, this collection maintains that posthuman theory can be used to better address the challenges faced by contemporary international law. Covering a wide array of contemporary topics â including environmental law, the law of the sea, colonialism, human rights, conflict and the impact of science and technology â it is the first book to bring new and emerging research on posthuman theory and international law together into one volume.This bookâs posthuman engagement with central international legal debates, prefaced by the leading scholar in the field of posthuman theory, provides a perfect resource for students and scholars in international law, as well as critical and socio-legal theorists and others with interests in posthuman thought, technology, colonialism and ecology.Chapters 1, 9 and 11 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.Trade Review“How do ‘we’ move beyond the Eurocentric, hetrosexist and humanistic binds of international law? As much critical scholarship has demonstrated, it is not through more law. This wide-ranging collection, written by some of the most exciting thinkers of international law and posthumanism, provides readers with ways of thinking otherwise – ways out of the binds. This is critique as hope.” Maria Elander, La Trobe University, Australia"The chapters of this book offer, each in their specific manner and through different angles, multi-directional answers, provide examples and illustrations of what is at stake. They share one, empowering belief, which I take as axiomatic, namely that posthuman legal thought aims to critique the humanistic, Eurocentric, normative and heterosexist core of legal theory and practice, in order to make it more inclusive and less discriminatory. In so doing, they make room for the non-human, more-than-human entities, agents and subjects of our posthuman times. The intertwined critiques of humanism and anthropocentrism serve to illuminate contemporary patterns of power, subjugation, injustice and exploitation. And to offer ways out." Rosi Braidotti, Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Table of ContentsList of Contributors ixPreface by Rosi Braidotti xiiIntroduction to International Law and PosthumanTheory 1Emily Jones and Matilda ArvidssonPART 1Methodological and Theoretical Frontiers 291 Posthuman Feminism as a Theoretical and Methodological Approach to International Law 31Matilda Arvidsson2 Flat Ontology and Differentiation: In Defense of Bennett’s Vital Materialism, and Some Thoughts Toward Decolonial New Materialisms for International Law 60Anna Grear3 Aesthetics, New Materialism and Legal Matter: The ‘Art’ of Anglo-American Colonialism 83Delaney Mitchell4 The Common Heritage of Kin-Kind 105Emily Jones, Cristian van Eijk and Gina HeathcotePART 2Political Economy, History and Colonialism 1375 A Monument to E.G. Wakefield: New and Historical Materialist Dialogues for a Posthuman International Law 139Jessie Hohmann and Christine Schwobel-Patel6 Neither National nor International: A Posthumanist Retelling of Tax Sovereignty 161Hedvig Larka7 After Homo Narrans: Botany, International Law and Senegambia in Early Racial Capitalist Worldmaking 180Vanja HamzićPART 3The Environment and the Nonhuman 2018 Terraqueous Feminisms and the International Law of the Sea 203Gina Heathcote9 Becoming Common – Ecological Resistance, Refusal, Reparation 222Marie Petersmann10 The War on Drugs as the War on the Nonhuman 244Kojo Koram and Oscar Guardiola-Rivera11 Supplanting Anthropocentric Legalities: Can the Rule of Law Tolerate Intensive Animal Agriculture? 258Maneesha Deckha12 Will Human Rights Save the Anthropos from the Anthropocene? Rights-Based Environmental Protection Strategies and Posthuman Theory 279Jasmijn LeeuwenkampIndex 305

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Book SynopsisFriedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was one of the most influential German philosophers. The youngest man ever to hold the Chair of Classical Philosophy at the University of Basel, his work has inspired generations of philosophy by providing radical challenges to the received wisdom of earlier generations.

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Book Synopsis''What experience and history teaches us is that people and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it''''What and how much I possess is a matter of indifference so far as rights are concerned''''Education is the art of making man ethical''Without Hegel, modern thought is unthinkable - all those whose ideas have made the modern age have worked in his shadow. Hegel''s preoccupations remain as relevant today as ever - not least the isolation of the individual adrift in society. Yet if his ''philosophy'' seems as contemporary as ever, Hegel''s ''religious'' views have been dismissed as irrelevant anachronism. In this concise and illuminating guide, Raymond Plant demonstrates how the distinction is false, revealing that Hegel tackled the issues of interest to us all.

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Book Synopsis''Engaging, smart and wise, Mini-Philosophy is a diverse taster menu of ideas on life, the mind and the world. Nutritious, bite-sized portions of philosophy that whet the appetite for more'' - David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas and The Bone ClocksWhy do people enjoy watching scary movies? Should we bet on the existence of God? Why is pleasure better than pain? And when is a duck not a duck? Mini Philosophy is a fascinating journey into what some of the greatest minds of the last 2500 years have to say about the big questions in life, and why they are relevant to us today. Covering everything from Sun Tzu''s strategy for winning at board games to Freud''s insights into our ''death drive''; why De Beauvoir believed the mothering instinct is a myth to why Schopenhauer probably wasn''t much fun at parties, these mini meditations will expand your mind (and bend it too).Trade ReviewEngaging, smart and wise, Mini-Philosophy is a diverse taster menu of ideas on life, the mind and the world. Nutritious, bite-sized portions of philosophy that whet the appetite for more. * David Mitchell *A neat idea, deftly executed. If this doesn't light your philosophical fuse, you don't have one. * Julian Baggini *A joyfully playful and thought-provoking capsule encyclopedia of philosophical ideas, from Aristotle to Alan Turing, pondering on the nature of self, how we see and understand the world, and the delusions we use to comfort ourselves. An Epicurean delight. * Mick Brown *Lively, sharp and wide-ranging, a sparky bite-sized companion for the wilds and wilderness of philosophy * Eleanor Gordon-Smith *

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Book SynopsisChristopher Phillips has devoted his life to carrying the torch of Socrates and his quest to “Know Thyself.” Yet upon the death of his beloved father and mentor, the originator of the burgeoning global Socrates Café movement had little choice but to confront the inescapable truth: that there are some things we cannot know for sure. This moving, insightful and ultimately hopeful and helpful blend of memoir and philosophical exploration begins in Phillips’ native stomping grounds of the tiny volcanic island of Nisyros, Greece and unfurls through space and time as the author explores the connections between his immediate circumstances and the eternal wisdom of popular philosophers. –In this personal and probing book, the acclaimed ‘philosopher for the people’ shares lessons gleaned from his intimate and often unexpected encounters with uncommonly perceptive human beings both living and long deceased, in the form of weary travelers and some of history’s greatest thinkers, from Heraclitus to Dr. Cornel West. Along the way, he charts a pathway for sculpting what Shakespeare describes as a “soul of goodness,” which meshes with Plato’s paradigm-shattering conception of the “healthiness of soul.” For those struggling to overcome the hopelessness that can result from grievous loss, setback, or betrayal – what Phillips’ touchstone Percy Blythe Shelley calls life circumstances “darker than death or night” – the author spotlights, with philosophical prescriptions both timely and timeless, how to cultivate a ‘Socratic spirit’ that leads to renewed love, forbearance, and hope at the other end of the tunnel.

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Book SynopsisKindness can be your super-power. It feels good to be kind to others. And it feels good to receive kindness. Making the world better, in however small a way, feels good and does good. Did you know kinder bosses are more successful bosses? That paying it forward can help build a purpose-driven life? Being kind strengthens relationships. Acts of kindness, whether given or received, improve our mental and physical health.Drawing on the latest research from psychology and neuroscience, and her work in collaboration with the University of Sussex and the BBC, Claudia Hammond sets out a prescription for a kinder life that you can adapt to your own circumstances, and explains how to use this guidance for ourselves, others and the world.It's time for a kindness revolution.Trade ReviewClaudia Hammond's books are a solace in troubled times -- FEARNE COTTON[Hammond] doesn't want to make kindness cool, she simply wants to prove - by hook, crook, her book and hard data - its value to society * * Sunday Times * *Hammond's book is a firm reminder of how important kindness really is - and why being kinder to yourself, others and the world around you is valuable for everyone * * Stylist * *Praise for The Art of Rest: Fascinating, entertaining and lucidly written * * Observer * *Superb -- DR RANGAN CHATTERJEE, bestselling author of THE 4 PILLAR PLANA clarion call * * Sunday Telegraph * *A soothing balm for a frazzled generation -- ADAM RUTHERFORDThe Art of Rest equips us with fresh research and information on how to rest more, and rest better, to get the most out of life. Reading it is a rest itself -- MATT HAIGAn enjoyable read, touching on scientific evidence in a light, accessible manner * * New Scientist * *Hammond valiantly unearths some great nuggets . . . quirky humour and sunny enthusiasm kept me reading * * Sunday Times * *

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Book SynopsisThe Poverty of Ethics stands the usual moral-political dichotomy on its head. It argues that moral principles do not in fact underlie or inform political decisions. It is, rather, the conceptual primacy of political discourse that rescues ethics from its poverty. Our ethical convictions receive their substance from historical narratives, political analyses, empirical facts, literary-educational models, political activity and personal experience. Yet morality, essentially, doesn't leave room for relativity: not every ethos deserves to be titles 'moral'. Hence the book argues further, it is the left ethos, as it has evolved over years, which forms the basis for ethics: morality is left-wing! Clarifying and justifying this seemingly odd statement is the main purpose of this essay.Appealing to philosophical ideas on the essence of language, on meaning, on understanding and persuasion, this book scrutinizes the system of concepts and attitudes informing our common view of the relationship between the moral and the political. It argues that the traditional conception of morality is far too narrow to form a basis for political thought and political action. Its carefully unfolded argument concludes that none of the current philosophical accounts of morality can be translated into terms of political will, much less into direct political action. Being too general and elastic, neither abstract moral principles, ethical-aesthetic sensibilities, nor the ethical demand emanating from an Other, can fulfill these tasks. Instead, the false primacy of the ethical over the political and the infinite flexibility of vacuous moral discourse are often mobilized to launder wrongs and delegitimize radical left politics. Gratification of the moral high ground becomes an implement of de-politicization, and thus a powerful political instrument in the hands of those seeking to shore up the existing order.Trade ReviewThe Poverty of Ethics, Anat Matar's book, is a rich essay, full with insights, which manages to bridge the divide between a serious philosophical discussion and actions and values belonging to the political reality. The solidarity which Matar is interested in promoting ensues from the ability to detect historical-economical structures of injustice and to recognize their oppressed victims. Matar aims at establishing a kind of solidarity, whose model she finds in Karl Marx. But she also describes in detail the limitations of the explanatory power of the Marxist model. Matar has no presumption to prophesize that such a solidarity would indeed be established. Her optimism is the optimism of the political activist rather than the investigating philosopher. -- Dr. Rami Godovitz * Haaretz *It is not easy to explain how a philosophy book can be so relevant and biting, while it's based on close readings in philosophical texts. The Poverty of Ethics is a brave book, because it reminds us not only how important philosophy is for everyday political discussion, but also for the self-criticism of academia and its ties to the governing powers. In an exceptional manner, the book forges links between wide streams of thought and local action - and lack of action. Matar chooses to do this through a serious, non-compromising examination of the ideas and of the philosophers identified with them in the last hundred years. Unlike reference-loaded discussions in professional journals, she discusses these philosophers and their ideas in a direct and impartial manner; the intrigued reader will find here a fresh - almost respect-less - examination of "big names". If this sounds hard to digest, the book presents alongside its criticism a clear optimistic vision and a huge love - for philosophical thinking (especially that of Wittgenstein and Derrida); for Left thinking, to which the book is explicitly committed; and to the people who create, alongside Anat Matar, possibilities of solidarity. The Poverty of Ethics is not merely an intellectually brilliant book, but a political and humane spotlight, which warns us against the penetration of fascism to everyday life, including everyday academic life. This is an exciting and magnanimous book, and I hope that the future generation of researchers and thinkers will be directed by its light. -- Prof. Nitzan Lebovic, Chair of Holocaust Studies and Ethical Values, Lehigh University * Hazman Hazeh *In today's confusion, when the lowest form of political opportunism is regularly masked as the appeal to highest ethical principles, Anat Matar's book sets the record straight. It doesn't argue for the subordination of ethics to political pragmatism, quite the opposite. It demonstrates how authentic ethics are always grounded in a basic political decision. It is rare that one sees such a combination of progressive political engagement and deepest philosophical reflection as in The Poverty of Ethics. Matar's book is a guide for all those who are trying to survive with dignity in a topsy-turvy world that is our own. -- Slavoj ZizekAn unusually and attractively bold and passionate work that crosses the idioms of Analytical and European Philosophy, challenges the orthodoxies and complacencies of each tradition, while animating the subject of Ethics from within the urgencies of contemporary political debate and action -- Akeel Bilgrami, Sidney Morgenbesser Professor of Philosophy, Columbia UniversityA bracing and illuminating challenge to moral philosophy in its many guises. Matar offers philosophers a stark choice: to understand morality through the history and practice of radical left struggle, or to serve as an apologist for the dominant order. -- Amia SrinivasanPhilosophy can and should be a crucial component in the toolbox enabling our political struggles, Anat Matar argues compellingly in this elegant, erudite text. Indeed, bringing all her philosophical rigour to the question of the 'poverty of ethics', no-one is better placed than Matar to teach us the relevance of committed philosophical reflection to resisting injustice and oppression, situated as she is in the heart of Israel, and a supporter of Palestinian rights. This book is essential reading for all political thinkers and activists. -- Lynne SegalA learned and engaging work.Matar's greatest achievement in this book is to refute the too-widespread assumption that a 'Levinasian' ethics can precede our life with language - with each other, at large. Rather, politics goes all the way down.A powerful antidote to depoliticisations of ethics, a powerful paean to the power of community -- Rupert Read, author of Wittgenstein’s Liberatory Philosophy

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Book SynopsisIn Defense of Reason After Hegel repudiates the assault on truth pervading public life and the academy by drawing upon arguments pioneered by Hegel. These arguments show how thought can free itself of arbitrary foundations and establish the exclusive validity of self-determination in knowing, conduct, and aesthetic worth. Wide ranging in scope and radically subverting the reigning orthodoxies in contemporary culture, the essays of In Defense of Reason After Hegel forge a path for restoring the authority of rational autonomy in theory and practice.

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Book SynopsisWhat is the place of individual choice and consequence in a post-Holocaust world of continuing genocidal ethnic cleansing? Is "identity" now a last-ditch cultural defence of ethnic nationalisms and competing fundamentalisms? In a climate of instant information, free markets and possible ecological disaster, how do we define "rights", self-interest and civic duties? What are the acceptable limits of scientific investigation and genetic engineering, the rights and wrongs of animal rights, euthanasia and civil disobedience?"Introducing Ethics" confronts these dilemmas, tracing the arguments of the great moral thinkers, including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes and Kant, and brings us up to date with postmodern critics.Trade Review"'Introducing is a miracle of modern publishing... buy one now.' Don Patterson, Guardian"

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Book SynopsisThe pinnacle of Fuster’s essay writing, Final Judgements is a book of aphorisms that, used to teach moral and/or philosophical truths, reveal things that are relevant to the universal human experience. As Adam Gopnick of The New Yorker puts it, “the aphorism is, in its algebraic abbreviation, a micro-model of empirical inquiry.” And Fuster uses the aphoristic tradition, less to establish truths than to undermine them, to question the conceits contained in the established truism. Despite the seriousness of its subject matter, however, this book is laugh-out-loud funny, Fuster’s wit revealing that the best aphorisms are based in stripping language of its artifice and revealing its contradictions, and the cumulative effect is a quintessentially Mediterranean kind of playfulness.Trade Review‘Joan Fuster is one of Catalan literature’s most enduring voices. His sense of humour and insight into the human condition is inspiring.’ -Jordi Llavina, author of London Under Snow and Poetry & Prose ‘Catalan language’s most important essayist of the 20th century and a key figure in the culture and recent history of the Valencian region.’ -Mètode magazine ‘Without doubt, Fuster should be placed up there with Erasmus, Rabelais, Montaigne, Voltaire, Mann and Bertrand Russell.’ -Josep Ballester, Visat

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Book SynopsisThis open access book defines happiness intuitively and explores several common conceptual mistakes with regard to happiness. It then moves on to address topical issues including, but not limited to, whether money can buy you happiness, why happiness is ultimately the only thing of intrinsic value, and the various factors important for happiness. It also presents a more reliable and interpersonally comparable method for measuring happiness and discusses twelve factors, from A to L, that are crucial for individual happiness: attitude, balance, confidence, dignity, engagement, family/friends, gratitude, health, ideals, joyfulness, kindness and love. Further, it examines important public policy considerations, taking into account recent advances in economics, the environmental sciences, and happiness studies. Novel issues discussed include: an environmentally responsible happy nation index to supplement GDP, the East Asian happiness gap, a case for stimulating pleasure centres of the brain, and an argument for higher public spending.Table of ContentsWhat is Happiness? Why is Happiness Important.- Happiness versus Preference.- Some Conceptual Mistakes about Happiness.- Happiness or Life Satisfaction.- Happiness as the Only Intrinsic Value.- The Measurement and Comparison of Happiness.

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Book SynopsisPublic health has never been more important, or more controversial. What states do, and fail to do, makes a significant difference to the lives we are able to lead. Putting public health first would allow improvements to the health of everyone, especially the worst off. Yet many citizens actively oppose state interference to improve population health, complaining that it encroaches on personal liberty. How should policymakers reconcile these conflicting priorities?This groundbreaking book argues that philosophy is not just useful, but vital, for thinking coherently about priorities in health policy and public policy. Novel, theoretically rigorous, yet practical, Philosophy for Public Health and Public Policy examines why it is so common for public policies to fail in practice to improve the problems they aim to solve, and what to do about this. It argues that a shift to complex systems approaches to policymaking is overdue. Philosophers need to become much more attuned to the contingenTrade ReviewJames Wilson's clear and tightly argued new book, Philosophy for Public Health and Public Policy: Beyond the Neglectful State, endeavors to carve out a space for a pragmatic, practice oriented philosophy in the world of public health policy making...I would recommend the book to those who are curious about methodology in normative ethics and about how to make scholarly endeavors more readily applicable to tough political and policy problems. * Kathryn MacKay, University of Sydney, Ethics *Table of Contents1: Introduction Part I: Philosophy for Public Policy 2: Evidence, Mechanisms and Complexity 3: Internal and External Validity in Ethical Reasoning 4: Ethics for Complex Systems Part II: Beyond the Neglectful State: an Ethical Framework for Public Health 5: Paternalism, Autonomy and the Common Good: Infringing liberty for the Sake of Health 6: The Right to Public Health 7: Which Risks to Health Matter Most? Part III: Structural Justice 8: Responsibility 9: Measuring and Combatting Health Related Inequalities 10: Communicable Disease 11: Conclusion

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