Philosophical traditions and schools of thought Books

Book SynopsisThis book explores the boundaries of democratic communities, examining who is included in these boundaries and governed by them. Focus is placed on the consequences of globalization for democracy, especially in light of the exclusion that global policies impose on many citizens.Table of Contents1. Introduction (Ronald Tinnevelt and Helder De Schutter, Radboud University Nijmegen and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven). 2. Cosmopolitanism and human rights: Radicalism in a global age (Robert Fine, University of Warwick). 3. The Resurgent Idea of World Government (Campbell Craig, University of Southampton). 4. Structuring Global Democracy: Political Communities, Universal Human Rights, and Transnational Representation (Carol Gould, Temple University). 5. Federative Global Democracy (Eric Cavallero, Southern Connecticut State University). 6. Interaction-Dependent Justice and the Problem of International Exclusion (Raffaele Marchetti, LUISS University and University of Naples L’Orientale). 7. Cosmopolitan Democracy and the Rule of Law (William E. Scheuerman, Indiana University). 8. A-Legality: Postnationalism and the Question of Legal Boundaries (Hans Lindahl, University of Tilburg). 9. The conflicting loyalties of statism and globalism: Can global democracy resolve the liberal conundrum? (Deen Chatterjee, University of Utah). 10. Universal Human Rights as a Shared Identity. Impossible? Necessary? (Andreas Follesdal, University of Oslo). 11. Motivating the Global Demos (Daniel Weinstock, University of Montreal). 12. Is liberal Nationalism incompatible with global democracy? (Helder De Schutter and Ronald Tinnevelt, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and Radboud University Nijmegen). 13. Immigration, nationalism, and human rights (John Exdell, Kansas State University). Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLeemon McHenry argues that Whitehead's metaphysics provides a more adequate basis for achieving a unification of physical theory than a traditional substance metaphysics, drawing on Maxwell, Einstein, Quine, Russell and Broad.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNahum Dimitri Chandler offers a philosophical interpretation of W. E. B. Du Bois's 1897 American Negro Academy address, The Conservation of Races, proposing both a close reading of Du Bois's engagement of the concept of race and a meditation on Du Bois's conceptualization of historicity.Trade Review"A complex and detailed philosophical analysis of W.E.B. Du Bois’ early thought. ... Chandler’s a sophisticated thinker and crafty wordsmith with broad knowledge, a vast vocabulary, and a writing style ripe with complex analytic musing and artistic stylization." -- Sean Elias * Ethnic and Racial Studies *Table of ContentsPreface vii Acknowledgments xv Note on Citations xvii Part I. On Paragraph Four of “The Conservation of Races” 1 Part II. On the Question of the Illimitable in the Thought of W.E.B. Du Bois 81 Afterthought 145 Notes 147 References 161 Index 173

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Because you're worth it', proclaims the classic cosmetics ad. 'Just do it!' implores the global sports retailer. Everywhere we turn, we are constantly encouraged to experience as much as possible, for as long as possible, in as many ways as possible. FOMO – Fear of Missing Out – has become a central preoccupation in a world fixated on the never-ending pursuit of gratification and self-fulfilment. But this pursuit can become a treadmill leading nowhere. How can we break out of it? In this refreshing book, bestselling Danish philosopher and psychologist Svend Brinkmann reveals the many virtues of missing out on the constant choices and temptations that dominate our experience-obsessed consumer society. By cultivating self-restraint and celebrating moderation we can develop a more fulfilling way of living that enriches ourselves and our fellow humans and protects the planet we all share – in short, we can discover the joy of missing out.Trade Review"The Joy of Missing Out makes a powerful, compelling and much-needed argument for self-restraint – on pragmatic grounds, moral grounds, psychological grounds and even aesthetic grounds. Be sure to read this book before your next shopping trip, or job change, or relationship change. This is as good a case as I have seen for when and why less can be more."—Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice and co-author of Practical Wisdom "An exhilarating broadside against the intense modern pressure to do more, be more, to become happier and more productive, and to 'find yourself'. In championing Stoicism over the relentless and exhausting wild-goose chase of self-help, Svend Brinkmann – though he might not like the fact – has written a book that truly helps."—Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian "This volume by the Danish psychology professor Svend Brinkmann is designed to liberate us from over-stimulated modern lives through the old fashioned ideas of restraint and moderation."—Financial Times "This smart little pamphlet is, in a way, a manifesto for personal degrowth, or shrinkage."—Steven Poole, The Guardian "Compelling"—Moya Sarner, The Guardian "Stimulating"—The Globe and MailTable of ContentsForeword Introduction: Having it all 1. The sustainable society 2. Pursuing the Good 3. The value of moderation 4. Marshmallows and treadmills 5. The joy of missing out

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Beyond Good and Evil, Friedrich Nietzsche gives an impassioned analysis of Western religion, specifically Christianity, that confronts its authoritative view of humans and nature. Nietzsche introduces a counterargument that dismisses groupthink or herd mentality and emphasizes a person’s “will to power.” He demystifies past ideas, encouraging a bold alternative. An honest study of different ideologies and their influence on positive and negative behaviors. With nearly 300 aphorisms, the author criticizes the state of philosophy and its link to conventional wisdom. He also rejects a universal code of ethics as it doesn’t account for the distinct characteristics of each individual. Nietzsche suggests every person has a lived experience that affects their outlook on what’s right and wrong. Nietzsche is one of the most famous and controversial thinkers of all-time. His works are staples within the intellectual community and are used to discuss identity, nobility and personal growth. He is often a point of reference for other scholars, including psychologists, scientists and political leaders. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Beyond Good and Evil is both modern and readable.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a new critical edition of Berkeley’s 1734 (third edition, first 1713) Three Dialogues, a text that is deservedly one of the most challenging and beloved classics of modern philosophy. The heart of the work is the dispute between materialism and idealism, two fundamentally opposed positions that are embodied by Hylas and Philonous, the characters in this philosophical drama. The book is packed with brilliant arguments and counter-arguments of an extraordinarily sophisticated nature. Amid all this philosophical swordplay one would think that there could be scant room for the characters to develop any sort of personality. Yet in Berkeley’s hands, and with his literary gifts, the interlocutors are both vivid and funny.The dialogue deals with some of the most important perennial problems of philosophy, including: the materialism-idealism dispute, skepticism in rationalist and empiricist epistemology, the conflict over apriorism and aposteriorism, rationalism versus empiricism, the existence and nature of God, the philosophy of science, philosophy of mathematics, abstract general ideas, the role of perception in human knowledge, and the metaphysics of causation.This edition combines a usefully annotated version of Berkeley’s complete original text with a substantial critical introduction, a chronology of events in Berkeley’s life and career, and supplementary annotated appendices of original sources from thinkers relevant to Berkeley’s work.Trade Review“Among the most welcome and distinctive features of this new edition are the editor’s substantial and informative introduction, and also a helpful set of appendices, including passages from Locke that define Berkeley’s main target, a substantial correspondence with Samuel Johnson, and a set of interpretations and convergences in other eighteenth-century writings. Highly recommended for use in upper-level courses.” — Ernest Sosa, Board of Governors Professor, Rutgers University“A very welcome addition to Berkeley studies is Dale Jacquette’s new edition of Berkeley’s Three Dialogues. Professor Jacquette’s introduction and annotations are extremely helpful, as is his inclusion of Berkeley’s letters to his American correspondent Samuel Johnson. … This book would be quite useful for general courses in Early Modern Philosophy, more advanced courses in Empiricism, and certainly for one devoted just to Berkeley.” — Richard Brook, Professor Emeritus, Bloomsburg UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroductionGeorge Berkeley: A Brief ChronologyA Note on the TextThree Dialogues between Hylas and PhilonousBerkeley’s Original PrefaceThe First DialogueThe Second DialogueThe Third DialogueAppendix A: Targets of Berkeley’s ImmaterialismFrom John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690)Appendix B: Berkeley’s Philosophy in His Own WordsCorrespondence between Berkeley and Samuel Johnson (1729–30)Appendix C: Berkeley’s Eighteenth-Century Legacy: (Mis-)Interpretations and Philosophical Convergences From James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. (1791) From Arthur Collier, Clavis Universalis (1713) From Andrew Baxter, An Enquiry into the Nature of the Human Soul (1737) From Philip Doddridge, A Course of Lectures (1776) Bibliography and Selected Recommended ReadingsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisA superb achievement, one that successfully brings together in accessible form the work of two major writers of Renaissance France. This is now the default version of Montaigne in English. --Timothy Hampton, Professor of French and Comparative Literature, University of California, BerkeleyTrade Review"The inclusion of La Boétie's Discourse truly sets this new translation apart. If La Boétie's thesis does not resonate with today's undergraduates, then we should all truly begin to despair…. Highly recommended." --Michael Wolfe, St. John’s University (adapted from Sixteenth Century Journal)"Inspired. In every page--beginning with Atkinson's brilliant Introduction--this magical Montaigne betrays a lifetime of meditation on its subject". --Stephen G. Nichols, James M. Beall Professor Emeritus of French and Humanities, Johns Hopkins University"The translators pull off the difficult trick of capturing the whole spectrum of Montaigne's voices. . . . A thorough, engaging, and wholly readable translation, whose rich and informative guidance for the non-specialist will also be of use for academic readers and teachers of the period". --William McKenzie, St. Hilda’s College, Oxford (adapted from MLR)

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFirst published in 1844, Søren Kierkegaard’s concise treatise identified—long before Freud—anxiety as a profound human condition, portraying human existence largely as a constant struggle with our own spiritual identities.Trade Review"“[A] book at once so profound and byzantine that it seems to aim at evoking the very feeling it dissects. Perhaps more than any other philosopher, Kierkegaard reflected on the question of how to communicate the truths that we live by.”" -- The New York Times"“[A] book at once so profound and byzantine that it seems to aim at evoking the very feeling it dissects. Perhaps more than any other philosopher, Kierkegaard reflected on the question of how to communicate the truths that we live by.”" -- The New York Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisAlthough he is best known as a mentor to the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., Howard Thurman (1900-1981) was an exceptional philosopher and public intellectual in his own right. In Howard Thurman: Philosophy, Civil Rights, and the Search for Common Ground, Kipton E. Jensen provides new ways of understanding Thurman's foundational role in and broad influence on the civil rights movement and argues persuasively that he is one of the unsung heroes of that time. While Thurman's profound influence on King has been documented, Jensen shows how Thurman's reach extended to an entire generation of activists. Thurman espoused a unique brand of personalism. Jensen explicates Thurman's construction of a philosophy on nonviolence and the political power of love. Showing how Thurman was a "social activist mystic" as well as a pragmatist, Jensen explains how these beliefs helped provide the foundation for King's notion of the beloved community.Throughout his life Thurman strove to create a climate of "inner unity of fellowship that went beyond the barriers of race, class, and tradition." In this volume Jensen meticulously documents and analyzes Thurman as a philosopher, activist, and peacemaker and illuminates his vital and founding role in and contributions to the monumental achievements of the civil rights era.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisStephen Trombley's Fifty Thinkers Who Shaped the Modern World traces the development of modern thought through a sequence of accessible profiles of the most influential thinkers in every domain of intellectual endeavour since 1789. No major representative of post-Enlightenment thought escapes Trombley's attention: the German idealists Kant, Fichte, Schelling and Hegel; the utilitarians Bentham and Mill; the transcendentalists Emerson and Thoreau; Kierkegaard and the existentialists; founders of new fields of inquiry such as Weber, Durkheim and C.S. Peirce; the analytic philosophers Russell, Moore, Whitehead and Wittgenstein; political leaders from Mohandas K. Gandhi to Adolf Hitler; and - last but not least - the four shapers-in-chief of our modern world: the philosopher, historian and political theorist Karl Marx; the naturalist Charles Darwin, proposer of the theory of evolution; Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis; and the theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, begetter of the special and general theories of relativity and founder of post-Newtonian physics.Fifty Thinkers Who Shaped the Modern World offers a crisp analysis of their key ideas, and in some cases a re-evaluation of their importance as we proceed into the 21st century.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn The Notion of Authority, written in the 1940s in Nazi-occupied France, Alexandre Kojève uncovers the conceptual premises of four primary models of authority, examining the practical application of their derivative variations from the Enlightenment to Vichy France. This foundational text, translated here into English for the first time, is the missing piece in any discussion of sovereignty and political authority, worthy of a place alongside the work of Weber, Arendt, Schmitt, Agamben or Dumézil. The Notion of Authority is a short and sophisticated introduction to Kojève's philosophy of right. It captures its author's intellectual interests at a time when he was retiring from the career of a professional philosopher and was about to become one of the pioneers of the Common Market and the idea of the European Union.Trade Review"Kojève was a magician of thought ... undoubtedly, he was the inventor of the last grand narrative of philosophy and history, of which the neo-conservative ideologue Fukuyama was but a mediocre imitator." -- Pierre Macherey"Kojève's lectures made a deep impression on his listeners - to more various and influential effect than probably any others in France this century" -- Perry Anderson"Kojève spoke of Hegel's religious philosophy, the phenomenology of Spirit, master and slave, the struggle for prestige, the in-itself, the for-itself, nothingness, projects, the human essence as revealed in the struggle onto death and in the transformation of error into truth. Strange theses for a world beleaguered by fascism!" -- Louis Althusser"Alexandre Kojève's originality and courage, it must be said, is to have perceived the impossibility of going any further, the necessity, consequently, of renouncing the creation of an original philosophy and, thereby, the interminable starting-over which is the avowal of the vanity of thought." -- Georges Bataille"A brilliant Russian émigré who taught a highly influential series of seminars in Paris. Kojève had a major impact on the intellectual life of the continent. Among his students ranged such future luminaries as Jean-Paul Sartre and Raymond Aron." -- Francis Fukuyama"Alexandre Kojève ... is one of the most notable Russian thinkers of the twentieth century ... the lectures represent an exceedingly important (and tendentious) interpretation of Hegel, if not an independent philosophical view in the guise of a seemingly objective scholarly commentary." -- Jeff Love * Slavic and East European Journal *Bourgeois domination represented the arrival of the bourgeois end of history, in the form of a permanent present. Authority is disconnected from all its temporal support, having nothing left to offer. Kojève thus foresees the inauguration of simulacrum as the justification of authority. Kojève left an open letter that allows for ample discussion. And for as long as a determination of the coming times still has a role to play, a reprise of Kojève's text will remain timely. -- Jorge Varela * Radical Philosophy *In recent decades, Kojève's voluminous manuscripts and papers, held at the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris, have become available to researchers. Hager Weslati is among a new generation of scholars busily exploiting this material. A gramophone cannot possess authority, nor can a subject under hypnosis be said to respond to it-both examples are Kojève's. Despite its apparent conservatism, there is an underlying revolutionary message. Discussions of Jacques Rousseau's notion of the general will, the division of powers, the problem of tradition, and the impossibility of the political trial will all be stimulating for any political theorist. -- Eric Brandom * German Studies Review *This English translation of Alexander Kojève's The Notion of Authority is an important addition to philosophical studies of authority and an essential text for understanding Kojève's political thought. While Arendt and Marcuse favored a negative definition of authority, Kojève sought a positive definition - one that would be ultimately usable in his political present during WWII. The era of bourgeois domination commences in a fascination with only the present (this is why concerns of food and sex are paramount to the bourgeoisie). However, ultimately this present fails because it does not have a past or a future. -- Daniel Tutt * Philosophy Now *Capably translated from French by Hager Weslati, this relatively short manuscript was written in 1942 in Marseille where Kojève had fled to escape the Nazi occupation. It attempts to answer a singular question that, in Kojève's view, has been strangely neglected: What is authority? Kojève insists time and again that force does not constitute authority. To the contrary, having recourse to force shows a failure of authority. -- Jeff Love * Slavic and East European Journal *Through its pursuit of increasing depoliticization, neoliberalism undermines its own sources of political legitimacy and ultimately reduces human relations to the application of force in the service of individual ends. Kojève's understanding of the nature of authority helps explain the distinctively political aspects of these developments. -- Adam Adatto Sandel and Julius Krein * "Uncivil Society: Hegel, Kojève, and the Crisis of Political Legitimacy" *Bourgeois domination represented the arrival of the bourgeois end of history, in the form of a permanent present. Authority is disconnected from all its temporal support, having nothing left to offer. Kojève thus foresees the inauguration of simulacrum as the justification of authority. Kojève left an open letter that allows for ample discussion. And for as long as a determination of the coming times still has a role to play, a reprise of Kojève's text will remain timely. -- Jorge Varela * Radical Philosophy *In recent decades, Kojève's voluminous manuscripts and papers, held at the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris, have become available to researchers. Hager Weslati is among a new generation of scholars busily exploiting this material. A gramophone cannot possess authority, nor can a subject under hypnosis be said to respond to it-both examples are Kojève's. Despite its apparent conservatism, there is an underlying revolutionary message. Discussions of Jacques Rousseau's notion of the general will, the division of powers, the problem of tradition, and the impossibility of the political trial will all be stimulating for any political theorist. -- Eric Brandom * German Studies Review *This English translation of Alexander Kojève's The Notion of Authority is an important addition to philosophical studies of authority and an essential text for understanding Kojève's political thought. While Arendt and Marcuse favored a negative definition of authority, Kojève sought a positive definition - one that would be ultimately usable in his political present during WWII. The era of bourgeois domination commences in a fascination with only the present (this is why concerns of food and sex are paramount to the bourgeoisie). However, ultimately this present fails because it does not have a past or a future. -- Daniel Tutt * Philosophy Now *Through its pursuit of increasing depoliticization, neoliberalism undermines its own sources of political legitimacy and ultimately reduces human relations to the application of force in the service of individual ends. Kojève's understanding of the nature of authority helps explain the distinctively political aspects of these developments. -- Adam Adatto Sandel and Julius Krein * Trump and Political Philosophy: Patriotism, Cosmopolitanism, and Civic Virtue, eds Marc Nejamin Sable and Angel Jaramillio Torres *Capably translated from French by Hager Weslati, this relatively short manuscript was written in 1942 in Marseille where Kojève had fled to escape the Nazi occupation. It attempts to answer a singular question that, in Kojève's view, has been strangely neglected: What is authority? Kojève insists time and again that force does not constitute authority. To the contrary, having recourse to force shows a failure of authority. -- Jeff Love * Slavic and East European Journal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisOur current culture is dominated by the ideology of creativity. One is supposed to create the new and not to care about the things as they are. This ideology legitimises the domination of the "creative class" over the rest of the population that is predominantly occupied by forms of care - medical care, child care, agriculture, industrial maintenance and so on. We have a responsibility to care for our own bodies, but here again our culture tends to thematize the bodies of desire and to ignore the bodies of care - ill bodies in need of self-care and social care. But the discussion of care has a long philosophical tradition. The book retraces some episodes of this tradition - beginning with Plato and ending with Alexander Bogdanov through Hegel, Heidegger, Bataille and many others. The central question discussed is: who should be the subject of care? Should I care for myself or trust the others, the system, the institutions? Here, the concept of the self-care becomes a revolutionary principle that confronts the individual with the dominating mechanisms of control.Trade ReviewThe Covid pandemic and other ongoing crises made us all aware that the work of care in all its forms - healthcare, care for the old, care for the victims of natural and social catastrophes, up to self-care - is the type of work that defines our epoch. However, this notion is not exempt from ideological mystifications: from times immemorial, the rich and powerful justify their wealth and power by claiming they care for the needy. Groys analyzes the notion (and practice) of care in all its dimensions, from authentic solidarity to devious manipulations and New Age spiritualist self-care. Philosophy of Care is a book for everyone who wants to understand where we are today and why we are in such a mess. in short, it is a book for everyone. -- Slavoj ZizekBoris Groys has deepened the intellectual project of Art History in ways that will be felt for decades to come. With The Philosophy of Care, he expands and focuses the question of care to encompass the physical and the symbolic, the self and the other, value and life, recognition and recovery. The future is defined by the fragility of life --individual life, collective life and planetary life-- and the omnipresence of death. Groys offers us a new version of 'the common task' that binds us all. -- Benjamin Bratton

Read more less

Book SynopsisHinge Epistemology is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting areas of epistemology and Wittgenstein studies. In connecting these two fields it brings a revived energy to both, opening them up to fresh developments. The essays in this volume extend the subject in terms of both depth and breadth. They present new voices and challenges within hinge epistemology. They explore new applications and directions of hinge epistemology, particularly as it relates to the philosophy of mind, society, ethics, and the history of ideas.Trade Review‘Edited by two leading authorities on Wittgenstein’s philosophy, this volume further extends and consolidates the burgeoning research programme on ‘hinge epistemology’. The epistemic lessons to be derived from reflection on the epistemology of certainty are opened out to domains beyond the purely epistemic such as, politics, ideology, the extended individual, etc.’ — Dr. Nigel Pleasants, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Sociology, University of Exeter, UK.‘Never before have epistemologists been so genuinely interested in Wittgenstein’s later work as in recent years. Extending Hinge Epistemology brings together insightful essays by some of the leading scholars in the field and will be essential reading for anyone seeking to go beyond the mere exegesis of On Certainty.’ — Nuno Venturinha, NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal.‘Hinge Epistemology: Fastening the Hinges, Opening the Door provides a further demonstration of the wide-ranging significance of Wittgenstein’s thoughts on knowledge, doubt and certainty for philosophical epistemology and for our thinking about human life more generally. The authors, comprising both established experts in the field and more up-and- coming scholars, develop the approach of hinge epistemology in fruitful ways, bringing out its relevance to multiple areas of human thought and activity, including religion, politics, scepticism and enactivism, as well as considering the extent to which the approach was prefigured in the work of earlier philosophers such as David Hume and Thomas Reid. The volume constitutes a valuable contribution to contemporary epistemology and Wittgenstein studies.’ — Dr Mikel Burley, Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy, University of Leeds, UK.This book is an impressive collection of essays on hinge epistemology that provide clarification on both existing debates and original interventions. This collection brings together well-known names in hinge epistemology with newer voices engaging with a range of philosophical areas and presenting a range of philosophical positions — Samuel Laves, Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Filosofia, Lisbon, Portugal.Table of ContentsNotes on Contributors; Acknowledgements; Introduction: Fastening the Hinges, Opening the Door; Part I Fastening the Hinges, Chapter One Wittgenstein’s Hinge Certainty, Danièle Moyal-Sharrock; Chapter Two Exploring Quasi-Fideism, Duncan Pritchard; Chapter Three Which Hinge Epistemology between Animal, Biscopic and Constitutivist? Annalisa Coliva; Chapter Four Something Animal, Something Unpredictable: On the Difficulty of Finding the Beginning and Not Trying to Go Further Back, Paul Standish; Chapter Five Closure-Based Scepticism and Epistemic Restrictions: A Dialectical Approach to Hinge Epistemology, Xavier Maréchal; Chapter Six ‘Hinges’ of Trust: Wittgenstein on the Other Minds Problem, Jasmin Trächtler; Part II Opening the Door, Chapter Seven Political Hinge Epistemology, Chris Ranalli; Chapter Eight Collective Thought and Collective Trust, Michel Le Du; Chapter Nine Deep Impact: Wittgenstein’s Enduring Enactivist Legacy, Victor Loughlin; Chapter Ten In Defence of a Reidian Moderate View of Our Hinge Commitments, Angélique Thébert; Chapter Eleven Consider the Squirrel: Hume as Hinge Epistemologist, Constantine Sandis; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the first systematic study of the philosophy of Thomas Nagel, Alan Thomas discusses Nagel's contrast between the "subjective" and the "objective" points of view throughout the various areas of his wide ranging philosophy. Nagel's original and distinctive contrast between the subjective view and our aspiration to a "view from nowhere" within metaphysics structures the chapters of the book. A "new Humean" in epistemology, Nagel takes philosophical scepticism to be both irrefutable and yet to indicate a profound truth about our capacity for self-transcendence. The contrast between subjective and objective views is then considered in the case of the mind, where consciousness proves to be the central aspect of mind that contemporary theorising fails to acknowledge adequately. The second half of the book analyses Nagel's work on moral and political philosophy where he has been most deeply influential. Topics covered include the contrast between agent-relative and agent-neutral reasons and values, Nagel's distinctive version of a hybrid ethical theory, his discussion of life's meaningfulness and finally his sceptical arguments about whether a liberal society can reconcile the conflicting moral demands of self and other.Trade Review"A welcome and timely addition to Acumen's Philosophy Now series. Nagel richly deserves to have his significant insights brought to the attention of an even wider readership. Alan Thomas provides this service in an informed and highly professional work." - International Journal of Philosophical StudiesTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1. Subjective and Objective 2. Knowledge and Reality 3. The Conscious Mind and Place in Nature 4. The Possibility of Altruism 5. Practical Objectivity, Freedom and a Realistic Autonomy 6. Normative Ethics 7. Political Philosophy Conclusion Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis"Beyond Good and Evil" is a concise and comprehensive statement of Nietzsche's mature philosophy and is an ideal entry point into Nietzsche's work as a whole. Pithy, lyrical and densely complex, "Beyond Good and Evil" demands that its readers are already familiar with key Nietzschean concepts - such as the will-to-power, perspectivism or eternal recurrence - and are able to leap with Nietzschean agility from topic to topic, across metaphysics, psychology, religion, morality and politics. "Reading Nietzsche" explains the key concepts, the range of Nietzsche's concerns, and highlights Nietzsche's writing strategies that are the key to understanding his work and processes of thought. In its close analysis of the text, "Reading Nietzsche" reassesses this most creative of philosophers and presents a significant contribution to the study of his thought. In setting this analysis within a comprehensive survey of Nietzsche's ideas, the book is a guide both to this key work and to Nietzsche's philosophy more generally.Trade Review"An engaging, detailed and lucid guide to one of Nietzsche's most important works. Reading Nietzsche brings out the exciting and vibrant nature of Nietzsche's writing. A great introduction to Nietzsche and a sophisticated commentary on Beyond Good and Evil." - Claire Colebrook, University of Edinburgh, UK"No one can expect to win a war of wits with Nietzsche. What Reading Nietzsche offers is a commentary that is reflective, expansive, judicious and accurate. First-time readers of Nietzsche will benefit from having this book by their side as a guide, whilst readers more familiar with Beyond Good and Evil will benefit from the reflective passages on particularly knotty sections." - Rex Welshon, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, USTable of ContentsPreface 1. Nietzsche's Title and Preface 2. 'On the Prejudices of the Philosophers': A Critique of Metaphysical Ground (Part 1) 3. 'The Free Spirit': The Philosopher Realigned to Will-To-Power (Part 2) 4. The Nature of Religion: Beyond Nihilism, Towards The Immanent Ideal (Part 3) 5. 'Epigrams and Entr'actes' (Part 4) 6. The Natural History of Morality: Development of Affects and Reactions (Part 5) 7. We Scholars: Science as the 'Hammer' of Philosophy (Part 6) 8. Our Virtues: Honesty & the 'Democratic Mixing' of Peoples, Classes, Genders (Part 7) 9. Peoples & Fatherlands: Towards the Political Task of Philosophy in Europe (Part 8) 10. What is Noble?: Past and Future Aristocracies (Part 9) Glossary Guide to Further Reading Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisFlix Ravaissons seminal philosophical essay, Of Habit, was first published in French in 1838. It traces the origins and development of habit and proposes the principle of habit as the foundation of human nature. This metaphysics of habit steers a path between materialism and idealism in one of the best and most sophisticated treatments of the topic. Ravaissons work was pivotal in the development of European thought and has had a significant influence on such key thinkers as Proust, Bergson, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, and Deleuze. This edition makes this remarkable and hugely important work available to an English-speaking audience for the first time. Clare Carlisle and Mark Sinclair provide a comprehensive introduction to Ravaissons life, works and enduring influence that clearly situates Ravaissons text within the European philosophical tradition. The translation also includes a thorough commentary on the text that illuminates its arguments and its context.Trade Review'This bears a modest title: Of Habit. But the author sets forth in it a whole philosophy of nature. What is nature? How is one to imagine its inner workings? What does it conceal under the regular succession of cause and effect? ...Ravaisson seeks the solution of this very general problem in a very concrete intuition, the one that we have of our own condition when we contract a habit...These ideas, like many we owe to Ravaisson, have become classic.' Henri Bergson'This bilingual edition makes available for the first time in English a seminal text of 19th century thought. Admired by the likes of Bergson and Heidegger, Ravaisson's reflections on habit reveal a dexterous and subtle philosophical mind. The editors have done a splendid, professional job in putting this edition together with an adept translation and valuable editorial material including an Introduction and Commentary. The text can be highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of modern European philosophy. At the same time, anyone working in the philosophies of mind, time, and life will greatly profit from engaging with a key modern work of philosophy on habit that remains surprisingly fresh and pertinent.' Keith Ansell-Pearson, Professor of Philosophy, University of Warwick, UKTable of ContentsIntroduction; Of Habit; Commentary on the text; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book explores the origins of the academic culture wars of the late 20th century and examines their lasting influence on the humanities and progressive politics. It puts us in a position to ask this question: what to make now of those furious debates over postmodernism, multiculturalism, relativism, critical theory, deconstruction, post-structuralism, and all the rest? In an effort to arrive at a fair judgment on that question, the book reaches for an understanding of postmodern theorists by way of two genres they despised and hopes, for that very reason, to do them justice. It tells a story, and in the telling, advances two basic claims: first, that the phenomenological/hermeneutical tradition is the most suitable source of theory for a humanism that aspires to be universal; and, second, that the ethical and political aspect of the human condition is authentically accessible only through narrative. In conclusion, it argues that the postmodern moment was a necessary one, or will have been if we rise to the occasion and seize the opportunity it offers: a truly universal humanism might yet be realized even in—or perhaps especially in—this atavistic hour of parochial populism. Table of Contents

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book offers the first comprehensive assessment of Heidegger’s account of affective phenomena. Affective phenomena play a significant role in Heidegger’s philosophy — his analyses of mood significantly influenced diverse fields of research such as existentialism, hermeneutics, phenomenology, theology and cultural studies. Despite this, no single collection of essays has been exclusively dedicated to this theme. Comprising twelve innovative essays by leading Heidegger scholars, this volume skilfully explores the role that not only Angst plays in Heidegger’s work, but also love and boredom. Exploring the nature of affective phenomena in Heidegger, as well as the role they play in wider philosophical debates, the volume is a valuable addition to Heideggerian scholarship and beyond, enriching current debates across disciplines on the nature of human agency.Trade Review“This collection can be considered a major contribution to its own field, one that simultaneously invites further productive engagement with the theme from anyone interested in what Heidegger brings to bear on affects (be it from within the field or from without). The volume’s efficacy lies in seriously considering how affects are existentially pertinent to human beings, deepening the widely-held intuition that they are. For that reason, it is of considerable merit and should be of interest to many.” (Tijmen Lansdaal, Phenomenological Reviews, December 10, 2019)Table of ContentsChapter 1. Being, Nothingness and Anxiety. Mahon O'Brien.- Chapter 2. Heidegger: πάθος as the thing itself. Thomas Sheehan.- Chapter 3. The Affects of Rhetoric and Reconceiving the Nature of Possibility. Niall Keane.- Chapter 4. Angst and evidence: Shifting phenomenology's measure. Christos Hadjioannou.- Chapter 5. Missing in Action: Affectivity in Being and Time, Daniel O. Dahlstrom.- Chapter 6. Affect and Authenticity: Three Heideggerian Models of Owned Emotion. Denis McManus.- Chapter 7. Finding Oneself, Called. Katherine Withy.- Chapter 8. Is Profound Boredom Boredom?. Andreas Elpidorou & Lauren Freeman.- Chapter 9. Truth, Errancy, and Bodily Dispositions in Heidegger's Thought. Daniela Vallega-New.- Chapter 10. Love as Passion: epistemic and existential aspects of Heidegger's unknown concept. Tatjana Noemi Tömmel.- Chapter 11. The Ethics of Moods. Francois Raffoul.- Chapter 12. Heidegger and the Affective (un)grounding of Politics. Jan Slaby & Gerhard Thonhauser.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book contributes to both the internal debate in liberalism and the application of political liberalism to the process of democratization in East Asia. Beyond John Rawls’ original intention to limit the scope of political liberalism to only existing and well-ordered liberal democracies, political liberalism has the potential to inspire and contribute to democratic establishment and maintenance in East Asia. Specifically, the book has two main objectives. First, it will demonstrate that political liberalism offers the most promising vision for liberal democracy, and it can be defended against contemporary perfectionist objections. Second, it will show that perfectionist approaches to political Confucianism suffer from practical and theoretical difficulties. Instead, an alternative model of democracy inspired by political liberalism will be explored in order to achieve a multivariate structure for citizens to come to terms with democracy in their own ways, to support a neutral state that ensures the establishment and stability of democracy, and to maintain an active public role for Confucianism to prevent it from being banished to the private sphere. This model represents a more promising future for democracy in East Asia.Table of ContentsIntroduction.- Chapter 1: Political Liberalism and the Paradigm Shift of Political Philosophy.- Chapter 2: The Public Conception of Morality in Political Liberalism.- Chapter 3: Against the Asymmetry Objection.- Chapter 4: The Idea of Hyperpluralism and Pluralism in East Asia.- Chapter 5: Confucianism and Comprehensive Confucian Perfectionism.- Chapter 6: The Discontents of Moderate Political Confucianism.- Chapter 7: Politica; Confucianism and Multivariate Democracy in East Asia.- Chapter 8: Towards a Pluralistic Approach to Antiperfectonism.- Chapter 9: Respect, Recognition, and Toleration: A Concentric Theory of Global Justice.- Conclusion.- Bibliograpy.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of some of the most important critics of “Enlightenment rationalism.” The subjects of the volume (including, among others, Pascal, Vico, Schmitt, Weber, Anscombe, Scruton, and Tolkien) do not share a philosophical tradition as much as a skeptical disposition toward the notion, common among modern thinkers, that there is only one standard of rationality or reasonableness, and that that one standard is or ought to be taken from the presuppositions, methods, and logic of the natural sciences. The essays on each thinker are intended not merely to offer a commentary on that thinker, but also to place the person in the context of this larger stream of anti-rationalist thought. Table of Contents1. Introduction2. Conservatism and Social Criticism: Pascal on Faith, Reason, and Politics3. Giambattista Vico and Democratic Pluralism: Lessons for Deliberative Democracy4. A Modest Spinozist: George Eliot and the Limits of Rationalism5. Projections Upon the Void: Irving Babbitt’s Critique of Naturalism6. Carl Schmitt's Exceptional Critique of Rationalism7. Moral Man in a Morally Irrational World: Max Weber and the Limits of Reason8. The Moral Personality of Mikhail Bulgakov9. Nec Spe Nec Metu: Philosophic Catharsis in Karl Löwith’s Meaning in History10. Metaphor, Meaning, and Mind: Knowledge and Imagination in Owen Barfield11. Rings and Rationalism: Tolkien’s Tales Against Domination12. Shedding the Shackles of Rationalism13. Beautiful Minds: Gregory Bateson on Ecology, Insanity, and Wisdom14. Robert Nisbet: Art, History, and the Anti-Rationalism of Sociological Methodology15. Elizabeth Anscombe on Rationalism16. A.C. Graham on Rationalism, Irrationalism, and Anti-Rationalism (“Aware Spontaneity”)17. Intention, Intellect, and Imagination: Stuart Hampshire’s Pluralism18. Rationality and Tradition in Roger Scruton’s Thought19. A Counter-Enlightenment of the Present: A Defense of John Grays' Modus Vivendi Liberalism

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this book, German philosopher Julian Nida-Rümelin presents a theory of practical reason that is objectivist, or rather realist, as an alternative to the widespread subjectivism in the theory of rationality. This theory has pragmatic traits that can be read as a constructive counterpart to Nida-Rümelin's critique of consequentialism whilst embedding its conception of rationality in the conceptual framework of decision and game theory.Table of Contents1. Introduction and Overview2. Practical Philosophy3. Structural Rationality4. Structural Agency5. The Phenomenology of Structural Rationality6. Morality and Rationality7. The Efficacy of Reasons8. Metaphysical Aspects

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis two-volume work examines far-reaching debates on the concept of courage from Greek antiquity to the Christian and mediaeval periods, as well as the modern era. Volume 1 begins with Homeric poetry and the politics of fearless demi-gods thriving on war. The tales of lion-hearted Heracles, Achilles, and Ulysses, and their tragic fall at the hands of fate, eventually give way to classical views of courage based on competing theories of rational wisdom and truth. Fears of the enemy and anxieties about suffering and death are addressed through the lenses and teachings of medicine, geography, military history, moral philosophy, and metaphysics. For early Christian thinkers, the ethics of fear, fate, and fealty to the Almighty supplant the voice of reason and the wisdom of virtue. Much of Christian doctrine's history is a long journey towards bridging the gap between Greek philosophy and devotion to God and spirits in heaven. Some Church Fathers attempt to dispel the fear of suffering through a joyful craving for martyrdom and the eternal blessings that follow. Others show openness to one or more of the following principles: the abstractions of moral philosophy, the metaphysics of Gnostic enlightenment, the gift of free will and intentionality, the growth of church authority and hegemony, and the intrinsic worth of life on Earth. Augustine, Ambrose, Cassian, and Chrysostom play a central role in revisiting the foundations of Christian fortitude along some or all of these lines. They lay the groundwork for the scholastic adaptations of faith-based rationalism proposed by Peter Lombard, Philip the Chancellor, Albert the Great, and Thomas of Aquinas. The mediaeval period ends with church dissidents and Protestant Reform leaders condemning Rome’s corruption and calling for a return to early Christian faith and the courage of godly fear, submission, suffering, and fate. Table of Contents1 The Roots of Courage 2 Fearlessness and Fate in Ancient Greece 3 Soldierly Courage and Wisdom 4 Wisdom Above Soldierly Courage 5 Wisdom as Courage 6 The Courage of Natural Living 7 Courage, Wisdom, and Mysticism 8 Fear and Love in Early Christianity 9 Living, Conquering, and Ruling 10 Overtures to Reason and the Gift of Love 11 Freedom and the Wisdom of Love and Fortitude 12 Courage in the Early Middle Ages and Islam 13 Crusading and Dying for Christ 14 Reason, Faith, and Charity 15 Intentionality and Powers of the Will 16 Challenging and Reforming the Church 17 Custodians of the Earth

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis two-volume work examines far-reaching debates on the concept of courage from Greek antiquity to the Christian and mediaeval periods, as well as the modern era. Volume 1 explains how competing accounts of epistêmê, rational wisdom, and truth dominated classical antiquity. Early Christian and mediaeval thinkers, in contrast, favoured fortitude founded on faith and fear of God over philosophical reasoning left to its own devices. Volume 2 turns to theories of courage from the early modern period to the present. It shows how the twin laws of polis and physis are at the heart of post-medieval thought. Courage is found at the crossroads of love and dread, freedom and fate, happiness and suffering, as well as power and submission to the ruling order. The later influence of evolutionism, existentialism, and the social and natural sciences on moral philosophy is also addressed at some length. The protection of people's best interests, the passions and powers of the human will, and the rule of active energy in all aspects of life supplant courage formerly viewed through the lens of reason or faith, or a combination of the two. These new ideas, paradoxically, herald the end of the ethics of courage. They also undermine the courage of ethical thinking. Courage is no longer an end in itself, nor is it a means to happiness "at the end." Regardless of what Gandhi, Tillich, and Foucault have to say about the topic, late modernity and the global age witness a marked loss of interest in courage as an idea worthy of conceptual investigation. Debates about the moral implications of courage give way to the value-free science of resilience, which studies how people can recover from past trauma and find wellness, primarily in the realm of physis. Table of Contents1 Truth, Power, and Life 2 The Body and the Body Politic 3 Self-interest and the Sovereign 4 Justice, the Laws of Nature, and God 5 Moral Sympathy and Higher Passions 6 The Natural and Rational Duty to God and Country 7 Michel de Montaigne and the Vanity of Reason 8 Language, Self-consciousness, and Learning Experiences 9 Reasons Examined in Good Conscience 10 The Evolution of Mind, Species, and Society 11 Variations in Evolutionary Ethics 12 Utilitarianism and Relativism with a Bias 13 Emerson’s Heroes of Truth 14 The Courage of Despair 15 Nietzsche’s Animal Foes and Friends 16 The Will to Power 17 Thus Spoke Nietzsche 18 Courage in the Body and the Sociable Self 19 The Courage of Disobedience 20 Paul Tillich and the Courage to Be 21 Throwing Courage to the Dogs 22 Risk and Resilience 23 Courage in the Global Age

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis new English translation of Solov’ëv’s principal ethical treatise, written in his later years, presents Solov’ëv’s mature views on a host of topics ranging from a critique of individualistic ethical systems to the death penalty, the meaning of war, animal rights, and environmentalism. Written for the educated public rather than for a narrow circle of specialists, Solov’ëv’s work largely avoids technical vocabulary while illustrating his points with references to classical literature from the ancient Greeks to Goethe. Although written from a deeply held Christian viewpoint, Solov’ëv emphasizes the turn from his earlier position, now allegedly developing the independence of moral philosophy from metaphysics and revealed religion. Solov’ëv sees the formal universality of the idea of the moral good in all human beings, albeit that this idea is bereft of material content. This first new English-language translation in a century makes a unique contribution to the study of Solov’ëv’s thought. It uses the text of the second edition published in 1899 as its main text, but provides the variations and additions from the earlier versions of each chapter in running notes. Other unique features of this translation are that the pagination of the widely available 1914 edition is provided in the text, and the sources of Solov’ëv’s numerous Biblical quotations and references as well as literary and historical allusions.Trade Review“The translator of this new, highly readable edition of The Justification of the Moral Good, has used the existing English, French and German translations to inform his own, providing detailed notes about how the text changed over its various re-writes by Solovyov. His new edition is likely to serve as the source text for English language scholars and interested readers for years to come, combining an unfussy style with an expert’s insights into Solovyov’s changing writing and overall worldview.” (Andre van Loon, The Berlin Review of Books, berlinbooks.org, September, 2015)Table of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition.- Preface to the First Edition.- Introduction: Moral Philosophy as an Independent Discipline.- Chapter 1: The Original Data of Morality.- Chapter 2: The Ascetic Principle in Morality.- Chapter 3: Pity and Altruism.- Chapter 4: The Religious Principle in Morality.- Chapter 5: On Virtues.- Chapter 6: Pseudo Principles of Practical Philosophy.- Chapter 7: The Unity of Moral Foundations.- Chapter 8: The Unconditional Principle of Morality.- Chapter 9: The Reality of the Moral Order.- Chapter 10: The Individual and Society.- Chapter 11: The Principal Eras in the Historical Development of Personal-Social Consciousness.- Chapter 12: Abstract Subjectivism in Morality.- Chapter 13: The Moral Norm of Sociality.- Chapter 14: The National Question from the Moral Point of View.- Chapter 15: The Penal Question from the Moral Point of View.- Chapter 16: The Economic Question from the Moral Point of View.- Chapter 17: Morality and Legal Right.- Chapter 18: The Meaning of War.- Chapter 19: The Moral Organization of Humanity as a Whole.- Chapter 20: Conclusion: The Definitive Determination of the Moral Meaning of Life and the Transition to Theoretical Philosophy.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less