Philosophical traditions and schools of thought Books

Book SynopsisCandipatha in Markandeya Purana celebrates Feminine Power as Durga-Sakti, the ultimate Life Force. She is the source of all beings and elements, creating, sustaining, and dissolving the universe. As Mother, she loves and protects, as Kali, she destroys evil to maintain righteousness and peace for her devotees.

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Book SynopsisKarma & Reincarnation by Robert Sachs explores spiritual transformation through global unity, drawing from Tibetan Buddhism and diverse faiths. It guides readers to be compassionate and interconnected, transcending barriers for a free and unified world.

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Book SynopsisTranslation of 13 Sanskrit plays discovered in South India by Pandit Ganapati Sastri, edited in Trivandrum Sanskrit Series. Plays attributed to Bhasa, translated by two scholars, first published in 1930. Reprint due to scholar demand.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most iconoclastic philosophers of all time, Nietzsche dramatically rejected notions of good and evil, truth and God. Beyond Good and Evil demonstrates that the world is steeped in false piety and infected with a slave morality. With wit and subversive energy, Nietzsche demands that the individual impose their own will to power upon the world.

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

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Book SynopsisJohn Richardson here organizes Nietzsche''s thinking around the central and unifying concept of values. Richardson maps in detail Nietzsche''s arguments, which crucially distinguish three basic ways of valuing.The first is the valuingNietzsche attributes to all living things, and to us humans in our bodies; Nietzsche insists that we already value in our drives and affects. The second isour distinctively human valuing, which we carry out as subjects and agents; these conscious and worded values are superimposed on those bodily ones, in ways Nietzsche finds deeply problematic. The third is the new way of valuing that Nietzsche offers as his lesson from that diagnosis and critique of our human values; these new values are centered on a universal affirmation or Yes, epitomized in the thought of eternal return.Each of the book''s twelve chaptersexamines a different aspect of one of these ways of valuing, showing the complexity of Nietzsche''s thinking on its topic, but also its unity and coTable of ContentsChapter 1: Value. Introducing the problems. Part One: Body values. Chapter 2: Life. As valuer and valued. Chapter 3: Drives. Psychology of drives not agents. Chapter 4: Affects. Memory and suffering. Part Two: Human values. Chapter 5: Human. Agency as life-condition. Chapter 6: Words. Language and community. Chapter 7: Nihilism. Against morality-and truth? Chapter 8: Freedom. Science, history, psychology. Part Three: Nietzsche's values. Chapter 9: The Yes. Value monism. Chapter 10: Self. To become who one is. Chapter 11: Creating. Founding new social norms. Chapter 12: Dionysus. New gods and eternal return. Bibliography.

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Mexican Philosophy in the 20th Century | 9780190601300

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Book SynopsisFocusing on Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz, the author examines their attitudes to major philosophical problems still relevant today and aims to show how their ideas relate, despite their different systems.Trade ReviewI am grateful for this book. I have learned from it, and so will students, professional philosophers and motivated general readers. * Jonathan Bennett, Philosophy *Table of ContentsNOTES; REFERENCE LIST; INDEX

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Book SynopsisCollingwood's theory of philosophical method applied to the problem of the philosophy of nature.Trade Review"Masterly analyses of the great cosmologies of the past and present. Collingwood breathes life into these speculations by relating them to the current science of the day, or the science that was influential upon them."--Philosophy and Phenomenological Research "Merits the attention and gratitude of the philosophical reader."--The Philosophical Review

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Book SynopsisAttacks nothing less than the currently prevailing world philosophy--humanism, which the author feels is exceedingly dangerous in its hidden assumptions.Trade Review"An outstanding source of ideas for those interested in systematically thinking through the issues surrounding the increasing rate of the distintegration of social and physical organizations and the destruction of nature in the world today."--Choice "Ehrenfeld provides a fascinating and extraordinarily topical tour de force on the present discrepancy between the worldwide humanistic faith in reason, science, and technology and the living reality of the human condition."--American Scientist

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Book SynopsisThis second collection of essays by Lewis focuses on causation, probability, dependence and decision, and several other related topics. The thirteen papers are a major contribution to philosophy by one of the most influential and imaginative of contemporary American philosophers.Trade ReviewDavid Lewis is one of the most talented and profound philosophers writing today. * Mind *David Lewis is one of the most talented and profound philosophers writing today. * Mind *

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Book SynopsisThis first extensive study of Spinoza''s philosophy of mind concentrates on two problems crucial to the philosopher''s thoughts on the matter: the requirements for having a thought about a particular object, and the problem of the mind''s relation to the body. Della Rocca contends that Spinoza''s positions are systematically connected with each other and with a principle at the heart of his metaphysical system: his denial of causal or explanatory relations between the mental and the physical. In this way, Della Rocca''s exploration of these two problems provides a new and illuminating perspective on Spinoza''s philosophy as a system.Trade Reviewexhibits ... analytic rigour and clarity of expression ... offers some original and compelling interpretations of important elements of Spinoza's theory of mind. * Tad M. Schmaltz,Mind, Vol. 109, No.435, July 2000. *The considerable strengths of his discussion in this book provide reason for those interested in this area of Spinoza's thought to track this further development. * Tad M. Schmaltz,Mind, Vol. 109, No.435, July 2000. *"A very rigorous, sophisticated and subtle treatment of central issues in Spinoza's philosophy of mind and knowledge....Della Rocca puts forward interpretations which are likely to be the subject of discussion among Spinoza for some years to come. In general, Della Rocca shows himself to be an original, subtle, and often brilliant expositor of Spinoza."--Nicholas Jolley, University of California, San Diego"It will be a classic--'must' reading for Spinoza scholars, historians of philosophy in general, advanced students of the history of philosophy, and anyone interested in early modern cognitive psychology. It is one of the most exciting works in the history of philosophy that I have read in a long time....It deserves the widest possible readership."--Don Garrett, University of Utah

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Book SynopsisWhat sort of support do human capacities demand from the world, and how should we think about this support when we encounter differences of gender or sexuality? How should we think about each other across divisions that a legacy of injustice has created? In Sex and Social Justice, Martha Nussbaum delves into these questions and emerges with a distinctive conception of feminism that links feminist inquiry closely to the important progress that has been made during the past few decades in articulating theories of both national and global justice. Growing out of Nussbaum''s years of work with an international development agency connected with the United Nations, this collection charts a feminism that is deeply concerned with the urgent needs of women who live in hunger and illiteracy, or under unequal legal systems. Offering an internationalism informed by development economics and empirical detail, many essays take their start from the experiences of women in developing countries. NussbTrade ReviewHard-hitting, in Nussbaum's characteristic take-no-prisoners style, setting out a clear case that women endure ignominious oppression in the name of culture and religion, and that feminists and liberals alike should tolerate it no longer ... well written and an easy read ... this is a good book for those who want an introduction to, or survey of, Nussbaum's recent thinking on popular issues. * American Political Science Review *Sex and Social Justice is highly readable, and very engaging. It is elegantly written and carefully argued. * Alan Ryan, The New York Times Book Review *Table of ContentsPART I: JUSTICE ; PART II: SEX

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a philosophical interpretation and critical analysis of the African cultural experience in modern times. In their attempt to evolve ways of life appropriate to our modern world culture, says Kwame Gyekye, African people and societies face a number of challenges, some stemming from the values and practices of their traditional cultures, and others representing the legacy of European colonialism. Defending the cross-cultural applicability of philosophical concepts developed in Western culture, Kwame Gyekye attempts to show the usefulness of such concepts in addressing a wide range of specifically African problems. Among the issues he considers are: economic development, nation-building, the evolution of viable and appropriate democratic political institutions, the development of appropriate and credible ideologies, political corruption, and the crumbling of traditional moral standards in the wake of rapid social change. Throughout, Gyekye challenges the notion that moderTrade ReviewDr. Gyekye makes wonderfully illuminating contribution to theoretical debates, while also having acute remarks to make on their practical political implications. Moreover this book contains a penetrating discussion of African culture. It is a genuinely exciting book. * Alasdair MacIntyre, Duke University *Gyekye makes wonderfully illuminating contributions to theoretical debate, while also having acute remarks to make on their practical political implications. Moreover, this book contains a penetrating discussion of African culture. It is a genuinely exciting achievement. * Alasdair MacIntyre, Duke University *I find this an excellent work on a topic which has been generally overlooked in the historiography of Africa. Not only does the author discuss philosophies of Africa, but how these philosophies in terms of traditions must compete in a changing world. * Sundiata A.K.M. Djata, Northern Illinois University *An excellent text and ueful in a variety of courses. It combines traditional African ideas with modern concepts very effectively. * Dennis Brutus, University of Pittsburgh *

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Book SynopsisAfrican Philosophy is a collection of previously unpublished essays that address epistemological and metaphysical concerns that have emerged from the sub-Saharan regions of Africa. The primary focus of the book is on traditional African conceptions of mind, person, personal identity, truth, knowledge, understanding, objectivity, and reality. The collection also discusses traditional African conceptions of causation, destiny, and free will.Trade ReviewThis anthology is one of a kind in the growing literature in African philosophy: it is a breath of fresh air. * African American Review *Table of ContentsContributors 1: Introduction: Seeing through the Conceptual Languages of Others 2: K. Anthony Appiah: Akan and Euro-American Concepts of the Person 3: Kwasi Wiredu: Truth and an African Language 4: Segun Gbadegesin: An Outline of a Theory of Destiny 5: Leke Adeofe: Personal Identity in African Metaphysics 6: D. A. Masolo: The Concept of the Person in Luo Modes of Thought 7: I. A. Menkiti: Physical and Metaphysical Understanding: Nature, Agency, and Causation in African Traditional Thought 8: Albert Mosley: Witchcraft, Science, and the Paranormal in Contemporary African Philosophy 9: Lee M. Brown: Understanding and Ontology in Traditional African Thought Selected Bibliography of Epistemological and Metaphysical Perspectives in African Philosophical Thought Index of Names Index of Subjects

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Book SynopsisThis is a paperback reprint of a cloth edition published in 1994. Adams presents an in-depth interpretation of three important parts of Leibniz''s metaphysics, thoroughly grounded in the texts as well as in philosophical analysis and critique. The three areas discussed are the metaphysical part of Leibniz''s philosophy of logic, his essentially theological treatment of the central issues of ontology, and his theory of substance. Adams'' work helps make sense of one of the great classic systems of modern philosophy.Trade ReviewA finely detailed and elaborately worked-out apology for the German metaphysician ... This is an austere and often daunting work which makes few concessions to those who are not already closely interested in Leibniz's philosophy. Its range is impressive ... On any showing, it must be counted a formidable scholarly achievement. * Times Literary Supplement *Leibniz could not have hoped for a more thoughtful and penetrating, more careful, sensitive, and positive, examination of his ideas than this ... Given the evident "love of truth" exhibited in Adam's book, he surely would have welcomed it. * Times Higher Education Supplement *Adams offers a detailed analysis of an impressive range of texts ... This is an important contribution to Leibniz studies. Not only does Adams display a most impressive mastery both of Leibniz's writings and of those of other philosophers of his era, but his interpretations are ingenious and his arguments subtle and original. I am sure that this is a book that Leibniz scholars will need to consult, and that it will stimulate much discussion ... it is an outstanding example of its kind. * G.H.R. Parkinson, University of Reading, British Journal for the History of Philosophy, Vol. 4/No. 2, 1996 *A thorough and well-researched book that deserves to be placed in every library, next to Russell's classic Leibniz text. * Choice *

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Book SynopsisChallenging prevailing interpretations of the development of modern philosophy, this book proposes a reinterpretation of the transcendental tradition. It seeks to revive an understanding of what Husserl calls "the paradox of subjectivity" - an appreciation for the rich character of experience.Trade ReviewDavid Carr's Paradox of Subjectivity is a brilliant and challenging defense of the legitimacy and distinctiveness of the transcendental tradition in modern philosophy. This is a splendid book, to be enjoyed by anyone interested in Kant, or in the philosophical problems that gripped him. The Philosophical Review David Carr's Paradox of Subjectivity is a brilliant and challenging defense of the legitimacy and distinctiveness of the transcendental tradition in modern philosophy. This is a splendid book, to be enjoyed by anyone interested in Kant, or in the philosophical problems that gripped him. The Philosophical Review ...a timely and refreshing defense of the tradition of transcendental philosophy in Kant and Husserl against Heidegger's influential attack....The erudition and clarity of this fine study make it accessible to both undergraduate and graduate audiences. This is a welcome addition to all collections supporting a major in philosophy. * Choice *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Heidegger on Modern Philosophy and the Transcendental Subject ; 2. Kant: Subjectivity and Apperception ; 3. Husserl: Subjectivity and Intentionality ; 4. The Self in the Transcendental Tradition ; 5. Conclusion: The Paradox of Subjectivity

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Book SynopsisEthics: Classical Western Texts in Feminist and Multicultural Perspectives offers students a unique introduction to ethics by integrating the historical development of Western moral philosophy with both feminist and multicultural approaches. Engaging and accessible, it provides an introductory sampling of several of the classical works of the Western tradition in ethics and then situates these readings within feminist and multicultural perspectives so that they can be better understood and evaluated in our contemporary environment. While some of the non-Western works parallel the views defended in the Western works (e.g., Confucius''s work echoes that of Plato or Aristotle), others question the Western perspectives (e.g., American Indian works provide an interesting challenge to Western moral philosophy). Confucius, Jorge Valadez, Ward Churchill, Moshoeshoe II, and Eagle Man present multicultural perspectives to the works of Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, Sartre, Rawls, MacInTrade Review"Interested and broad-based approach to ethics."--Ursula Raynor, St. Martin's CollegeTable of ContentsPreface ; General Introduction ; I. PLATO ; 1. Plato, The Republic ; 2. Julia Annas, Plato's Republic and Feminism ; 3. Confucius, The Analects ; II. ARISTOTLE AND MUSONIUS RUFUS ; 4. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics ; 5. Aristotle, Politics ; 6. Musonius Rufus, Discourses ; 7. Eve Browning Cole, Women, Slaves, and the Love of Toil ; 8. Chuang Tzu, The Book of Chuang Tzu ; III. AUGUSTINE ; 9. Augustine, The City of God ; 10. Augustine, The Confessions ; 11. Rosemary Radford Ruether, Misogynism and Virginal Feminism in the Fathers of the Church ; 12. Jorge Valadez, Pre-Columbian Philosophical Perspectives ; IV. AQUINAS AND CHRISTINE DE PIZAN ; 13. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles ; 14. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica ; 15. Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies ; 16. Eleanor McLaughlin, Equality of Souls, Inequality of Sexes ; 17. Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed ; V. HUME ; 18. David Hume, Treatise on Human Nature ; 19. Annette C. Baier, Hume, the Women's Moral Theorist? ; 20. Ewe Proverbs ; VI. KANT ; 21. Immanuel Kant, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals ; 22. Immanuel Kant, On the Sublime and the Beautiful ; 23. Rae Langton, Maria von Herbert's Challenge to Kant ; 24. Bhagavad Gita ; VII. MILL AND HARRIET TAYLOR ; 25. John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism ; 26. John Stuart Mill, The Subjection of Women ; 27. Harriet Taylor, The Enfranchisement of Women ; 28. Maria H. Morales, Utility and Perfect Equality ; 29. Mo Tzu, Universal Love ; VIII. NIETZSCHE ; 30. Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil ; 31. Kathryn Pyne Addelson, Nietzsche and Moral Change ; 32. Mervyn Sprung, Nietzsche's Trans-European Eye ; IX. SARTRE AND DE BEAUVOIR ; 33. Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism Is a Humanism ; 34. Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex ; 35. Elizabeth V. Spelman, Simone de Beauvoir and Women: Just Who Does She Think "We" Is? ; 36. Eagle Man, We Are All Related ; X. RAWLS AND HARE ; 37. John Rawls, A Theory of Justice ; 38. R.M. Hare, The Structure of Ethics and Morals ; 39. Lynne S. Arnault, The Radical Future of Hare's Moral Theory ; 40. Ward Churchill, Perversions of Justice: A Native-American Examination of the Doctrine of U.S. Rights to Occupancy in North America ; XI. MACINTYRE AND NUSSBAUM ; 41. Alasdair MacIntyre, The Nature of Virtues ; 42. Martha Nussbaum, Non-Relative Virtues: An Aristotelian Approach ; 43. Susan Okin, Whose Traditions? ; 44. Xiaorong Li, Gender Inequality in China and the Cultural Relativism ; XII. GEWIRTH AND KORSGAARD ; 45. Alan Gewirth, The Justificatory Argument for Human Rights ; 47. James P. Sterba, The Justification of Morality and the Behavior of Women ; 48. Moshoeshoe II, Harmony with Nature and Indigenous African Culture ; XIII. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AND CAROL GILLIGAN ; 49. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham City Jail ; 50. Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream ; 51. Carol Gilligan, Moral Orientation and Moral Development ; Concluding Feminist and Multicultural Postcript ; Each section opens with an Introduction and concludes with Recommended Readings

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Book SynopsisBy situating Hume''s famous work Of Miracles (which notoriously argues against the possiblity of miracles) in the context of the 18th-century debate on miracles, Earman shows that Hume''s argument is largely unoriginal, and largely without merit where it is original. On the positive side, he shows how progress can be made on the issues, so provocatively posed in Hume''s essay, about the ability of eyewitness testimony to establish the credibility of marvelous and miraculous events. Earman''s work is simultaneously a contribution to the history of ideas, the philosophy of religion, and to probability and induction.Trade Review[the] argument itself is very clear, very cogent, and very apposite to present debates * MIND *

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Book SynopsisThis collection of previously unpublished essays on Spinoza provides a representative sample of new and interesting research on the philosopher. Spinoza''s philosophy still has an underserved reputation for being obscure and incomprehensible. In these chapters, Spinoza is seen mostly as a metaphysician who tried to pave the way for the new science. The essays investigate several themes, notably Spinoza''s monism, the nature of the individual, the relation between mind and body, and his place in 17th century philosophy including his relation to Descartes and Leibniz. The top scholars working on Spinoza today are all represented, including John Carriero, Michael Della Rocca, and Don Garrett.Trade ReviewThis will, I am sure, prove to be a most useful collection ... scholars who have a good knowledge of Spinoza will find in it much that is worthy of their attention. The editors, Olli Koistinen and John Biro, have clearly taken great pains with their work, and the volume has been well produced by the Oxford University Press. * British Journal for the History of Philosophy *... eleven papers, none of which has previously been published devoted to important topics in Spinoza's metaphysics. * British Journal for the History of Philosophy *

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Book SynopsisThis reissue of an American philosophical classic includes a new preface by Cavell, in which he discusses the work''s reception and influence. The work fosters a fascinating relationship between philosophy and literature both by augmenting his philosophical discussions with examples from literature and by applying philosophical theories to literary texts. Cavell also succeeds in drawing some very important parallels between the British analytic tradition and the continental tradition, by comparing scepticism as understood in Descartes, Hume, and Kant with philosophy of language as practiced by Wittgenstein and Austin.Trade Review"An altogether remarkable work of American philosophy...that occupies the buffer zone between poetry and philosophy in a unique--and perhaps uniquely American way."--Critical Inquiry"An intensely personal and uniquely provocative book. Stanley Cavell is a philosophical original."--Review of MetaphysicsTable of ContentsPART ONE; WITTGENSTEIN AND THE CONCEPT OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE; PART TWO; SKEPTICISM AND THE EXISTENCE OF THE WORLD; PART THREE; KNOWLEDGE AND THE CONCEPT OF MORALITY; PART FOUR; SKEPTICISM AND THE PROBLEM OF OTHERS

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Book SynopsisProvides an account of the relationship between mathematical advances of the 17th century and the philosophy of mathematics of the period. Starting with the Renaissance debates on the certainty of mathematics, the book explores the issues raised by the emergence of these mathematical techniques.Trade ReviewStudents of the history of mathematics and philosophers of mathematics will find this a valuable addition to the literature. * Choice *Mancosu's book shows philosophical acumen as well as high technical competence--and it makes good reading even as it explores abstruse notions or involved technicalities. For historians of early modern mathematics, it is essential reading. * Isis *Mancosu tells the story well and is good at bringing out significant points. * International Philosophical Quarterly *This is a very carefully researched and documented analysis of the rich relationship between philosophy of mathematics and mathematical practice during the 17th century. * Mathematical Reviews *Mancosu's scholarly book is very carefully researched, but it is also clearly written and fascinating to read. It is not to be missed by anyone with a serious interest in philosophy of mathematics. * Philosophia Mathematica *Table of Contents1. Philosophy of Mathematics and Mathematical Practice in the Early Seventeenth Century 1.1: The Quaestio de Certitudine Mathematicarum 1.2: The Quaestio in the Seventeenth Century 1.3: The Quaestio and Mathematical Practice 2. Cavalieri's Geometry of Indivisibles and Guldin's Centers of Gravity 2.1: Magnitudes, Ratios, and the Method of Exhaustion 2.2: Cavalieri's Two Methods of Indivisibles 2.3: Guldin's Objections to Cavalieri's Geometry of Indivisibles 2.4: Guldin's Centrobaryca and Cavalieri's Objections 3. Descartes' Géométrie 3.1: Descartes' Géométrie 3.2: The Algebraization of Mathematics 4. The Problem of Continuity 4.1: Motion and Genetic Definitions 4.2: The "Casual" Theories in Arnauld and Bolzano 4.3: Proofs by Contradiction from Kant to the Present 5. Paradoxes of the Infinite 5.1: Indivisibles and Infinitely Small Quantities 5.2: The Infinitely Large 6. Leibniz's Differential Calculus and Its Opponents 6.1: Leibniz's Nova Methodus and L'Hôpital's Alalyse des Infiniment Petits 6.2: Early Debates with Clüver and Nieuwentijt 6.3: The Foundational Debate in the Paris Academy of Sciences Appendix: Giuseppe Biancani's De Mathematicarum Natura, Translated by Gyula Klima Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisThis clear, accessible account of Hegelian logic makes a case for its enormous seductiveness, its surprising presence in the collective consciousness, and the dangers associated therewith. Offering comprehensive coverage of Hegel's important works, Bencivenga avoids getting bogged down in short-lived scholarly debates to provide a work of permanent significance and usefulness.Trade ReviewBencivenga's reading of the text, coming as it does from the direction of the philosophy of language, is both novel and challenging ... provides a remarkably refreshing interpretation of Hegel, generating numerous novel insights into his philosophy. It is a book that will repay close and careful study for any philosopher interested in Hegel - and many who are not. * Mind *

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Book SynopsisWhat exactly are the reasons we do things, and how are they related to the resulting actions? Bittner explores this question and proposes an answer: a reason is a response to that state of affairs. This is actually in complete opposition to the broad consensus in Western philosophy that reasons are items, or configurations of items in the mind (i.e psychological states). That consensus is firmly rejected by Bittner, who tries to retrieve a thoroughly worldly understanding of reasons. Elegantly written, this work is a substantial contribution to the fields of rationality, ethics, and action theory.Trade Reviewthought-provoking and imaginative. * Krister Bykvist, Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisAgainst the Modern World is the first history of Traditionalism, an influential yet surprisingly little-known twentieth century anti-modernist movement. Involving a number of important, yet often secret, religious groups in the West and Islamic world, it affected mainstream and radical politics in Europe and religious studies in the United States. Emerging from the ''discovery'' in the West of non-Western religious writings, at a time in the nineteeth century when progressive intellectuals had lost faith in the ability of Christianity to deliver religious and spiritual truth, it was fuelled by the widespread religious scepticism that followed World War I. It found its voice in Rene Guenon, a French writer who rejected modernity as a dark age, and sought to reconstruct the Perennial Philosophy - the fundamental truth uniting all the world''s religions. Mark Sedgwick reveals how this pervasive intellectual movement helped shape major events in twentieth century religious life, politics aTrade ReviewMark Sedgwick's book, Against the Modern World, was published in 2009, but it is compulsive reading for commentary on the contemporary world, beset as it is with the rise of the traditional far right as well as far right religious fundamentalisms. The book spells out some intellectual influences on both traditions of thought. * Alison Assiter, Feminist Dissent *Sedgwick's scholarship regarding Traditionalists themselves is exhaustive and admirable ... Sedgwick contributes an introduction and overview of an otherwise little-known, but important, moment in modern intellectual history. * Colin Beech, Journal of World History *... a wealth of information on the lives of the Traditionalists ... This book is a valuable companion to their works, a comprehensive and neutrally presented archive of the personalities and authors, along with their political activities and personal lives. * Financial Times Magazine - Weekend *Against the Modern World is a valuable and comprehensive effort by a non-Traditionalist to chronicle this fascinating and often troubling movement in its entirety. * Financial Times Magazine - Weekend *Table of ContentsPROLOGUE; LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS; PART I: THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADITIONALISM; PART II: TRADITIONALISM IN PRACTICE; PART III: TRADITIONALISM AT LARGE; PART IV: TRADITIONALISM AND THE FUTURE

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Book SynopsisCritics have long treated the most important intellectual movement of modern history--the Enlightenment--as if it took shape in the absence of opposition. In this groundbreaking new study, Darrin McMahon demonstrates that, on the contrary, contemporary resistance to the Enlightenment was a major cultural force, shaping and defining the Enlightenment itself from the moment of inception, while giving rise to an entirely new ideological phenomenon-what we have come to think of as the Right. McMahon skillfully examines the Counter-Enlightenment, showing that it was an extensive, international, and thoroughly modern affair.Trade Review"A well-written study...of an early culture war that will not be unfamiliar to us today -- a war of mutual simplification and caricature spiraling downward into suspicion and hate....Presents a useful genealogy of a brand of conservatism that remained influential through the mid-20th century, and, more pressingly, a rough template for a host of counter-Enlightenment ideas that are with us still today, from Cambridge to Kabul."--Wall Street Journal"[I]n this sophisticated deconstruction of conservative opposition to the Enlightenment, McMahon...reenvisions intellectual history from 1750 to 1830 as an ideological dialectic foreshadowing the culture wars of our own time and helping to define modernity."--Publishers Weekly"This well-researched and beautifully written study applies insights of recent Enlightenment historiography to the heretofore neglected area of the anti-philosophes." --Choice

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Book SynopsisIt is widely believed that Hume often wrote carelessly and contradicted himself, and that no unified, sound philosophy emerges from his writings. Don Garrett demonstrates that such criticisms of Hume are without basis. Offering fresh and trenchant solutions to longstanding problems in Hume studies, Garrett''s penetrating analysis also makes clear the continuing relevance of Hume''s philosophy.Trade ReviewA significant contribution to Hume studies. * Jonathan Bennett, Syracuse University *I know of no other writer on Hume who has been this assiduous in finding interpretive difficulties in the text and then taking them head on....Beautifully written. * Robert J. Fogelin, Dartmouth College *Garrett's Cognition and Commitment is a first-rate interpretive study, one that unties a great many interpretive knots. * Ethics *Garrett seeks mainly to show that Hume's position is internally consistent and to build a portrait of Hume as essentially a cognitive psychologist. * The Review of Metaphysics *

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Book SynopsisThis is the first book-length study in any language to examine in detail and critically assess the second part of Kant''s ethics--an empirical, impure part, which determines how best to apply pure principles to the human situation. Drawing attention to Kant''s under-explored impure ethics, this revealing investigation refutes the common and long-standing misperception that Kants ethics advocates empty formalism. Making detailed use of a variety of Kantian texts never before translated into English, author Robert B. Louden reassesses the strengths and weaknesses of Kantian ethics as a whole, once the second part is re-admitted to its rightful place within Kant''s practical philosophy.Trade Review"Anyone interested in investigating the empirical aspects of Kant's ethics will need to consult Louden and Wood. They both present richly detailed portrayals and discuss many themes."--International Philosophical QuarterlyTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION; FIELDS OF IMPURITY; CONCLUSION

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Book SynopsisHow can Mind, Body and Being be independent entities, yet joined in a single human being? This book decodes Descartes' argument for distinguishing between the trio, while maintaining their integration in a human being. It argues that Descartes constructed a solution whereby the trio are interdependent, yet remain each a genuine individual subject.Trade Review"A very interesting book that captures some very important and neglected elements of Descarte's thought. ...an interesting and thought-provoking attempt to spell out in contemporary terms ideas Almog finds in Descartes."--Mind"A major work in several areas of philosophy, including the history of philosophy, philosophy of mind, and metaphysics. The book is well-conceived, well-written, and elegantly argued. Indeed, I know of no book since Kripke's Naming and Necessity that presents these issues as clearly or that promises as important a realignment of our intuitions on some of these issues."--Stephen White, Tufts University"An important addition to scholarship on Descartes, Almog's account reaches back to and includes Arnauld, Caterus, and Gassendi as well as Saul Kripke; he treats all these commentators thoughtfully. It will be difficult, after reading this, for anyone to believe that Descartes espouses any simple or straightforward two-substance-in-one-man view. College and university libraries should not be without this books."--CHOICE

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Book SynopsisHeyes'' monograph in feminist philosophy is on the connection between the idea of normalization--which per Foucault is a mode or force of control that homogenizes a population--and the gendered body. Drawing on Foucault and Wittgenstein, she argues that the predominant picture of the self--a picture that presupposes an inner core of the self that is expressed, accurately or not, by the outer body--obscures the connection between contemporary discourses and practices of self-transformation and the forces of normalization. In other words, pictures of the self can hold us captive when they are being read from the outer self--the body--rather than the inner self, and we can express our inner self by working on our outer body to conform. Articulating this idea with a mix of the theoretical and the practical, she looks at case studies involving transgender people, weight-loss dieting, and cosmetic surgery. Her concluding chapters look at the difficult issue of how to distinguish non-normalizTrade ReviewCressida Heyes has produced a book that should be of great value to Foucault specialists as well as to feminist readers not well acquainted with Foucault. It is accessible and brief enough for undergraduate students, but original and compelling enough to hold the interest and perhaps spark the imaginations of professional philosophers and social theorists. This book deserves a place in every library. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsCONCLUSION: LIFE STYLE? ; NOTES ; BIBLIOGRAPHY ; INDEX

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Book SynopsisNietzsche wrote in a scientific culture transformed by Darwin. He read extensively in German and British Darwinists, and his own works dealt often with such obvious Darwinian themes as struggle and evolution. Yet most of what Nietzsche said about Darwin was hostile: he sharply attacked many of his ideas, and often slurred Darwin himself as mediocre. So most readers of Nietzsche have inferred that he must have cast Darwin quite aside. But in fact, John Richardson argues, Nietzsche was deeply and pervasively influenced by Darwin. He stressed his disagreements, but was silent about several core points he took over from Darwin. Moreover, Richardson claims, these Darwinian borrowings were to Nietzsche''s credit: when we bring them to the surface we discover his positions to be much stronger than we had thought. Even Nietzsche''s radical innovations are more plausible when we expose their Darwinian ground; we see that they amount to a new Darwinism. The book''s four chapters show how four Trade ReviewThis lucid and closely argued book offers an infinitely more rewarding approach to Nietzsche than the once fashionable postmodernism. * Laird M. Easton, German Studies Review *Table of ContentsCONTENTS ; INTRODUCTION ; BIBLIOGRAPHY/VOCABULARY/INDEX

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Book SynopsisIn George Berkeley''s two most important works, the Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous, he argued that there is no such thing as matter: only minds and ideas exist, and physical things are nothing but collections of ideas. In defense of this idealism, he advanced a battery of challenging arguments purporting to show that the very notion of matter is self-contradictory or meaningless, and that even if it were possible for matter to exist, we could not know that it does; and he then put forward an alternative world-view that purported to refute both skepticism and atheism. Using the tools of contemporary analytic philosophy, Georges Dicker here examines both the destructive and the constructive sides of Berkeley''s thought, against the background of the mainstream views that he rejected. Dicker''s accessible and text-based analysis of Berkeley''s arguments shows that the Principles and the Dialogues dovetail and complement each other in a seamless way, rather than being self-contained. Dicker''s book avoids the incompleteness that results from studying just one of his two main works; instead, he treats the whole as a visionary response to the issues of modern philosophy- such as primary and secondary qualities, external-world skepticism, the substance-property relation, the causal roles of human agents and of God. In addition to relating Berkeley''s work to his contemporaries, Dicker discusses work by today''s top Berkeley scholars, and uses notions and distinctions forged by recent and contemporary analytic philosophers of perception. Berkeley''s Idealism both advances Berkeley scholarship and serves as a useful guide for teachers and students.Trade ReviewThose who want to examine what Dicker is offering, a realist's critique of Berkeley's case for idealism, will find much to interest them in Dicker's book. * Margaret Atherton, Mind *

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Book SynopsisThis volume collects essays by philosophers and scholars working at the interface of Western philosophy and Buddhist Studies. Many have distinguished scholarly records in Western philosophy, with expertise in analytic philosophy and logic, as well as deep interest in Buddhist philosophy. Others have distinguished scholarly records in Buddhist Studies with strong interests in analytic philosophy and logic. All are committed to the enterprise of cross-cultural philosophy and to bringing the insights and techniques of each tradition to bear in order to illuminate problems and ideas of the other. These essays address a broad range of topics in the philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, logic, epistemology, and metaphysics, and demonstrate the fecundity of the interaction between the Buddhist and Western philosophical and logical traditions.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Zen and the Unsayable ; 2. Wittgenstein and Zen Buddhism: One Practice, No Dogma ; 3. The No-Thesis View: Making Sense of Verse 29 of Nagarjuna's Vigrahavyavartani ; 4. Why the Buddha Never Uttered a Word ; 5. Is Reductionism Expressible? ; 6. Mountains Are Just Mountains ; 7. How Do Madhyamikas Think? Notes on Jay Garfield, Graham Priest, and Paraconsistency ; 8. A Dharmakirtian Critique of Nagarjunians ; 9. Would It Matter All That Much If There Were No Selves? ; 10. Svasa?vitti as Methodological Solipsism: "Narrow Content" and the Problem of Intentionality in Buddhist Philosophy of Mind ; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIris Marion Young was a world-renowned feminist moral and political philosopher whose many books and articles spanned more than three decades. She explored issues of social justice and oppression theory, the phenomenology of women''s bodies, deliberative democracy and questions of terrorism, violence, international law and the role of the national security state. Her works have been of great interest to those both in the analytic and Continental philosophical tradition, and her roots range from critical theory (Habermas and Marcuse), and phenomenology (Beauvoir and Merleau Ponty) to poststructural psychoanalytic feminism (Kristeva and Ingaray). This anthology of writings aims to carry on the fruitful lines of thought she created and contains works by both well-known and younger authors who explore and engage critically with aspects of her work. The essays include personal remembrances as well as a last interview with Young about her work. The essays are organized into topic areas that Trade ReviewThis is a useful, informative collection of critical reflections on Iris Marion Young's substantial contribution to feminist, social, and political philosophy. It might do well as a supplemental text in a graduate seminar on the work of Young and other feminist and political philosophy. * Notre Dame Philosophical Review *As the legitimacy of politicians and political institutions comes into sharper focus in an era of global austerity unmatched in living memory, for me it is Iris Young's resolute grounding in everyday struggles, her concepts of differentiated solidarity and social connection that can give a theoretical underpinning for new and more empowering social practices - a place where sociology surely should always be. * Sociology *The use of 'Dancing' in the title of this collection signals that it is above all a celebratory engagement with the work and the life of Iris Young. It also playfully points in the direction of arguably the most unusual and least familiar themes in Young's thinking explored in the book: the aesthetic dimension to be found not only in her work on embodiment (sketched out in the essays by Foster and Mann) but also in the implications of her account of structural inequality for understanding the role of aesthetic discomfort and disdain in anti-immigration sentiment (broached by Martínez). * Elizabeth Spelman, Ethics *Table of ContentsI. HOMAGE TO IRIS MARION YOUNG ; II. EMBODIMENT, PHENOMENOLOGY AND GENDER ; III. THEORIZING THE STATE: METHOD, VIOLENCE AND RESISTANCE ; IV. JUSTICE: ETHICS AND RESPONSIBILITY ; V. JUSTICE: DEMOCRACY AND INCLUSION

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Book SynopsisAgainst the Modern World is the first history of Traditionalism, an important yet surprisingly little-known twentieth-century anti-modern movement. Comprising a number of often secret but sometimes very influential religious groups in the West and in the Islamic world, it affected mainstream and radical politics in Europe and the development of the field of religious studies in the United States, touching the lives of many individuals. French writer Rene Guénon rejected modernity as a dark age and sought to reconstruct the Perennial Philosophy - the central truths behind all the major world religions. Guénon stressed the urgent need for the West''s remaining spiritual and intellectual elite to find personal and collective salvation in the surviving vestiges of ancient religious traditions. A number of disenchanted intellectuals responded to his call. In Europe, America, and the Islamic world, Traditionalists founded institutes, Sufi brotherhoods, Masonic lodges, and secret societies. STrade ReviewMark Sedgwick's book, Against the Modern World, was published in 2009, but it is compulsive reading for commentary on the contemporary world, beset as it is with the rise of the traditional far right as well as far right religious fundamentalisms. The book spells out some intellectual influences on both traditions of thought. * Alison Assiter, Feminist Dissent *'An exceptionally well-informed book.... It is a marvellous inquiry on the mutual porosity of a wide range of sometimes mutually contradictory anti-modernist ideological trends, from anarchism to fascism, and mutually opposed ilieus, from dissidents to officers of secret services.'--Stéphane A. Dudoignon, Central Eurasian Reader'Against the Modern World is a genuinely startling book. In this massively researched and clearly written study, Mark Sedgwick seeks nothing less than to provide an alternative intellectual history of the twentieth century. Time and again, he offers unexpected connections, stresses the importance of forgotten or underestimated thinkers, and throws new light on the history of esoteric thought and religion. A wonderful contribution.' --Philip Jenkins, author of The Next Christendom: the Coming of Global Christianity'An erudite, graceful, and nuanced study of a movement that has enjoyed far more influence than attention in the modern world that it so despises.'--ParabolaThis is an invaluable contribution to an ongoing and increasingly sophisticated discussion about modernity, the professional study of religion, and the religions themselves. What sets Sedgwick's narrative apart from most all previous accounts is his remarkable historical sweep (from the Italian Renaissance to today), his impressive grasp of the Muslim world, and, perhaps most of all, the humane grace with which he treats his historical subjects. Here they emerge with both their hearts and their warts intact, neither as intellectual fathers to slay nor as cultural gods to put on the proverbial pedestal, but as human beings struggling with some of the deepest religious problems and promises of our modern world. The result is a reading experience through which one comes to realize, with something of a start, that their story happens also to be ours.--Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of Roads of Excess, Palaces of Wisdom: Eroticism and Reflexivity in the Study of MysticismTable of ContentsPROLOGUE; LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS; THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADITIONALISM; TRADITIONALISM IN PRACTICE; TRADITIONALISM AT LARGE; TRADITIONALISM AND THE FUTURE

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Book SynopsisA rival to Isaac Newton in mathematics and physics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz believed that our world--the best of all possible worlds--must be governed by a principle of optimality. This book explores Leibniz''s pursuit of optimality in five of his most important works in natural philosophy and shows how his principle of optimality bridges his scientific and philosophical studies. The first chapter explores Leibniz''s work on the laws of optics and its implications for his defense of natural teleology. The second chapter examines Leibniz''s work on the breaking strength of rigid beams and its implications for his thinking about the metaphysical foundations of the material world. The third chapter revisits Leibniz''s famous defense of the conservation of vis viva and proposes a novel account of the origin of Leibniz''s mature natural philosophy. The fourth chapter takes up Leibniz''s efforts to determine the shape of freely hanging chains--the so-called problem of the catenary--and shoTrade ReviewAn illuminating contribution to the histories of philosophy and science. * M. Latzer, CHOICE *This book is an impressive and original contribution to the history of philosophy and to the history of science. When scholars discuss Leibniz's physics, it is almost exclusively his theories of motion and space and his dynamics. But McDonough is calling attention to altogether different corners of Leibniz's scientific interests, his optics, his treatment of rigid beams, his studies of hanging chains and falling bodies, all unified by his use of teleological principles. This is a book like no other in the Leibniz literature: it deserves to be widely read and studied * Daniel Garber, Princeton University *Leibniz' ideas are increasingly useful in modern fields of science as diverse as cosmology and biology. For a grand tour of Leibniz' physics and philosophy—and especially of the subtleties of teleology—there is no finer guide than Jeff McDonough. A Miracle Creed is insightful, even-handed, and crystal-clear. It is essential reading for anyone who cares about how we come to understand and explain our world. * Dr. Roy R. Gould, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics *This rich and penetrating study breaks new ground in our understanding of Leibniz's philosophy. McDonough demonstrates how the principle of optimality is a 'miracle creed' that drives Leibniz's investigations in optics, mechanics and statics, while closely integrating them with foundational doctrines of his metaphysics. Moving deftly between Leibniz's solutions to technical problems in physics and current interpretative debates, McDonough makes an original case for the systematicity and continued relevance of his thought. The book is a must read for anyone with interests in Leibniz's philosophy and the development of physical theory in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries * Donald Rutherford, University of California, San Diego *The book not only provides an in-depth survey of important topics in Leibniz's philosophy and physics, it also succeeds in arguing that we should take optimality principles in physics more seriously. * Ansgar Lyssy, The Metascience *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1. Optics and Immanent Lawful Teleology Chapter 2. Rigid Beams and the Foundations of Physics Chapter 3. Vis viva and the Origins of Leibniz's Natural Philosophy Chapter 4. Hanging Chains and Monadic Agency Chapter 5. Falling Bodies and the Rise of Variational Mechanics Epilogue

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