Philosophical traditions and schools of thought Books

Book SynopsisThe Jewish intellectual tradition has a long and complex history that has resulted in significant and influential works of scholarship. In this book, the authors suggest that there is a series of common principles that can be extracted from the Jewish intellectual tradition that have broad, even life-changing, implications for individual and societal achievement. These principles include respect for tradition while encouraging independent, often disruptive thinking; a precise system of logical reasoning in pursuit of the truth; universal education continuing through adulthood; and living a purposeful life. The main objective of this book is to understand the historical development of these principles and to demonstrate how applying them judiciously can lead to greater intellectual productivity, a more fulfilling existence, and a more advanced society. The application of these principles to daily life can make a real and profound difference in education, productivity, and personal happiness.Trade Review“The book, situated between academic and creative writing, presents an innovative view of the history and impact of Jewish intellectualism. It does this by allowing readers to immerse themselves in the book and manuscript collections of five influential thinkers, rabbis, and scholars… Discussions of their collections are supplemented by immersive, fictionalized descriptions of their intellectual endeavors and those of other Jewish thinkers, offering insights into what they might have thought, dreamed, and pondered. This novel way of approaching intellectual history adds greatly to the reading experience. The combination of fictionalized prose and historical description provides a well-rounded overview of the individuals’ work and the surrounding cultures and literatures from which they drew inspiration and knowledge. … With The Jewish Intellectual Tradition, Kadish, Shmidman, and Fishbane have published an insightful and impressive book, approaching Jewish intellectual history from exciting new vantage points. By looking at book history and the history of select Jewish libraries across time and cultures, they provide readers with new perspectives on the Jewish history of knowledge.”— Katharina Hadassah Wendl, Reading Religion"Jewish intellectual tradition has produced unprecedented achievements and contributions to Jewish and non-Jewish culture throughout millennia. This rich and thoughtful book identifies the key principles inherent in this tradition and seeks to 'demonstrate how applying them judiciously' can benefit society at large… The authors exquisitely cover two thousand years of scholarship and achievement in multiple genres and fields."—Diane Mizrachi, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California Los Angeles, AJL Reviews (September / October 2021)"In this highly engaging and innovative work, [Kadish, Shmidman, Fishbane] try to identify what it is from the Jewish intellectual tradition that can be used for the betterment of people and society as a whole. The authors have isolated these principles, namely: respect for tradition while encouraging independent thinking; a precise system of logical reasoning in pursuit of the truth; and a universal and never-ending education. The book shows how these principles are fundamental to intellectual productivity, leading to making a better society. And the proof is in the Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals… The three authors, all scholars in their own right, have detailed this amazing intellectual tradition that should be a source of immense pride not to just every Jew but to every human being.”— Ben Rothke, Jewish Press“From tenured pro­fes­sor­ships to nobel prizes, Jews have excelled in all manor of schol­ar­ship. Many authors have explored where this ded­i­ca­tion to learn­ing comes from—The Jew­ish Intel­lec­tu­al Tra­di­tion: A His­to­ry of Learn­ing and Achieve­ment by Alan Kadish, Michael Shmid­man, and Sim­cha Fish­bane is anoth­er impor­tant voice in the conversation. … The three authors present the infor­ma­tion thought­ful­ly, build­ing a robust book­shelf before their read­ers’ eyes. The book serves as a help­ful teach­ing tool because of its short­ened expla­na­tions of mys­ti­cal texts, and ear­ly mod­ern trends—like the birth of Reform Judaism—that edu­ca­tors may find use­ful. As a whole, it’s a help­ful intro­duc­tion, not only to Jew­ish thought, but to Jew­ish his­to­ry and literature.”—Rab­bi Marc Katz, Jewish Book Council“One of the most impressive aspects of the book is the breadth of the authors’ knowledge, which, of course, matches the wide scope of the topic they are writing about. They draw from a vast range of sources—from classical texts to contemporary academic research—to provide a comprehensive overview of the Jewish intellectual tradition. At the same time, they write with precision, clarity and passion; thus, making the material accessible to readers of all levels of expertise. …[T]his book is an outstanding contribution to the field of Jewish studies, and a must-read for anyone interested in the Jewish intellectual tradition at large. Its insightful and engaging exploration of the ways in which Jewish thought has shaped Western civilization is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers for years to come.”—Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, The Jewish LinkTable of Contents Preface Introduction Part One. Libraries of the Jewish People Chapter 1. Golden Libraries in the "Golden Age," Tenth–Twelfth Centuries: The Library of R. Samuel Ha-Nagid Chapter 2. Nahmanides and His Library Chapter 3. From Manuscript to Printing Press: The Library of Leone Modena Chapter 4. The Modern Period: The Library of Rabbi Samson R. Hirsch Chapter 5. The Library of Professor Harry Austryn Wolfson Chapter 6. The Contemporary University Library Part Two. From Text to Success: Salient Ideas and Values and Their Influence Introduction Chapter 7. Respect for Precedent and Critical Independence Chapter 8. Logical Reasoning and Intellectual Honesty in Pursuit of Truth Chapter 9. The Primacy of Education Chapter 10. A Purposeful Life Chapter 11. Summary and Conclusions Note on Translations Appendix: Maps Illustration Credits Authors' Biographies Endnotes

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Book SynopsisIn this highly original interdisciplinary study incorporating close readings of literary texts and philosophical argumentation, Henry W. Pickford develops a theory of meaning and expression in art intended to counter the meaning skepticism most commonly associated with the theories of Jacques Derrida.Pickford arrives at his theory by drawing on the writings of Wittgenstein to develop and modify the insights of Tolstoy’s philosophy of art. Pickford shows how Tolstoy’s encounter with Schopenhauer’s thought on the one hand provided support for his ethical views but on the other hand presented a problem, exemplified in the case of music, for his aesthetic theory, a problem that Tolstoy did not successfully resolve. Wittgenstein’s critical appreciation of Tolstoy’s thinking, however, not only recovers its viability but also constructs a formidable position within contemporary debates concerning theories of emotion, ethics, and aesthetic expression

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Book SynopsisHannah Arendt and the History of Thought, edited by Daniel Brennan and Marguerite La Caze, enrichens and deepens scholarship on Arendt’s relation to philosophical history and traditions. Some contributors analyze thinkers not often linked to Arendt, such as William Shakespeare, Hans Jonas, and Simone de Beauvoir. Other contributors treat themes that are pressing and crucial to understanding Arendt’s work, such as love in its many forms, ethnicity and race, disability, human rights, politics, and statelessness. The collection is anchored by chapters on Arendt’s interpretation of Kant and her relation to early German Romanticism and phenomenology, while other chapters explore new perspectives, such as Arendt and film, her philosophical connections with other women thinkers, and her influence on Eastern European thought and activism. The collection expands the frames of reference for research on Arendt—both in terms of using a broader range of texts like her Denktagebuch and in examining her ideas about judgment, feminism, and worldliness in this wider context.Table of Contents1. Paul Dahlgren, “The Course of True Love”: Arendt’s Shakespeare, Love, and the Practice of Storytelling. 2. Matthew Wester, Jaspers, Kant, and the Origin of Hannah Arendt's Theory of Judgment. 3. Kimberley Maslin, Hannah Arendt and Early German Romanticism. 4. Maria Tamboukou, The Gendered Politics of Love: An Arendtian Reading. Section II: Peers5. Liesbeth Schoonheim, Arendt and Beauvoir on Romantic Love. 6. Eric Stephane Pommier, Arendt and Hans Jonas: Acting and Thinking after Heidegger. 7. Katarzyna Stokłosa, Hannah Arendt`s Influence on Eastern European Dissidence: The Example of Poland.Section III: In Prospect 8. Laura McMahon, The Phenomenological Sense of Hannah Arendt: Plurality, Modernity, and Political Action. 9. Marieke Borren, Arendt’s Phenomenologically Informed Political Thinking: A ProtoNormative Account of Human Worldliness. 10. Andrew Schaap, Denaturalizing Hannah Arendt and Claudia Jones: Statelessness, Citizenship and Racialization. 11. Joel Rosenberg, The Life of the Unruly in Ada Ushpiz’s Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt (2016).

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Book SynopsisTowards a Realist Philosophy of History argues for the radical—at least in contemporary historical theory—view that historians are by and large successful in their goal of providing accurate knowledge and understanding about the historical past. Adam Timmins provides a philosophical framework that supports this endeavor, as well as highlighting some of the issues with the "strong constructivist" accounts common in contemporary historical theory. Among other things, the book provides a realist construal of colligatory concepts, historiographical reference and the use of narrative, as well as examining the mechanisms of historiographical progress. The work also provides some much-needed criticism of aspects of the strong constructivist position, such as the contemporary adoption of “irrealism” and the idealist implications of this, that has have yet failed to make their way into the existing literature. The book proves that historical theory has not “moved on” from the realism-idealism debate and that realism with regards to the products of historiography is still very much a live option. Trade ReviewAdam Timmins’s book is an immensely important effort to overcome the influence of postmodernist anti-realism in the philosophy of history, typically manifested as the view that historical past did not happen and that it is merely constructed by historians. The book surveys, presents, and refutes arguments in favor of anti-realist positions about historical past and provides a comprehensive theory of historical facts. This rejection of postmodernist anti-realism has important political implications: if historical past did not happen, then past acts of oppression also did not happen, and it becomes impossible to condemn them. In opposition to such views, a realist position, such as the one advocated by Timmins, provides a solid base for a humanist perspective on history. -- Branko Mitrović, Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige UniversitetAt a time when many philosophers of history regard “realism,” “truth,” and “objectivity” as relicts from a precritical past, Adam Timmins undertakes a courageous attempt to sort out how convincing the case against realism is. In polemical, sometimes bitingly ironic prose, he identifies so many argumentative fallacies and blind spots that the reader, even if not fully convinced by all of Timmins’ objections, will at least be cured from the sloppy habit of assuming that realism is no longer worth defending. -- Herman Paul, Professor of the History of the Humanities, Leiden UniversityTable of ContentsChapter One: General Arguments Against Historiographical RealismChapter Two: A Two-Stage Model of Historiographical PracticeChapter Three: The Club of Historical FactsChapter Four: ReferenceChapter Five: Colligatory ConceptsChapter Six: Progress in HistoriographyChapter Seven: HolismChapter Eight: Narrative & Realism

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Book SynopsisIn one of the most charming works to survive from classical antiquity, Xenophon’s Symposium depicts an amiable evening of wine, entertainment, and conversation shared by Socrates, and a few of his associates, with certain Athenian gentlemen who are gathered to honor a young man for his recent victory in the Panathenaic games. The subtle playfulness which characterizes the animated discussions conceals a light-hearted, yet surprisingly philosophical inquiry regarding the rival claims of virtue, articulated and defended by the Socratics and gentlemen to establish the praiseworthiness and excellence of their competing ways of life. Gentlemanliness, taken as an admired political virtue, and philosophy, as pursuit of wisdom and self-sufficiency, emerge as contested ideas about what constitutes the path to human happiness, especially in response to the beautiful and its compelling arousal of erotic desire in the body and soul. Offering a comprehensive account and interpretation of the Symposium, this book follows the speeches and action of the dialogue through its many twists and turns, from beginning to end, with particular attention to the place of rhetoric in the argument of the work as a whole. Thus, Xenophon's Socratic Rhetoric examines foundational aspects of the philosophic life manifest in the words as well as deeds of Socrates in this dialogue--starting from an original reading of the opening scene as a harbinger of the competition in wisdom that occurs over the course of the symposium, and concluding with a provocative consideration of conjugal erotics as the continuation and completion of the Socratic logos about the role of love in guiding human beings toward virtue and happiness.Trade ReviewIt has been exciting and enlightening to see Xenophon’s stature rise in the eyes of serious readers over the last several decades, and this new book-length study of a short but charming dialogue will surely help continue the trend. It carefully probes the dialogue and helps us see better the complexity of Xenophon’s presentation of Socrates and makes an important contribution even in its extensive bibliography and inclusion of diverging points of view. -- Wayne Ambler, University of Colorado BoulderDustin Gish has written a learned, detailed, and insightful running commentary on the most intriguing of Xenophon’s Socratic works, the Symposium. Gish writes in the influential scholarly tradition established by the late German-American political philosopher, Leo Strauss, but, unlike Strauss and many of his followers, Gish writes in a way that will be accessible and useful to scholars and students from any background. So in addition to producing the only monograph on Xenophon’s Symposium, and a fine one at that, he has made a vital contribution to making Straussian thought more accessible. His commentary on the Symposium will be essential reading for anyone interested in Socrates, Xenophon, sympotic literature, or classical political philosophy. -- David M. Johnson, Southern Illinois UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction: Opening ReflectionsPart I: Xenophon’s Symposium in ContextChapter 1: Situating the Dialogue: Athenian CompetitionsChapter 2: Setting the Stage: Sophistry versus PhilosophyChapter 3: The Banquet Begins: Rule and the SymposiumChapter 4: Rival Ways of Life: Καλοκἀγαθία and VirtuePart II: Sympotic EntertainmentsChapter 5: Display Speeches and the Promise of WisdomChapter 6: Defense Speeches and the Socratic Way of LifeChapter 7: Socratic Moderation in Pursuit of the BeautifulPart III: Socratic Rhetoric in the SymposiumChapter 8: Refutations, Accusations, and EducationChapter 9: Digression, Reconciliation, and RestorationChapter 10 : Educating Gentlemen and Moderating ErōsChapter 11 : Performative Rhetoric and Conjugal EroticsConclusion: Xenophon’s Socrates and Political Philosophy

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Book SynopsisIn Sport Realism: A Law-Inspired Theory of Sport, Aaron Harper defends a new theory of sport—sport realism—to show how rules, traditions, and officiating decisions define the way sport is played. He argues that sport realism, broadly inspired by elements of legal realism, best explains how players, coaches, officials, and fans participate in sport. It accepts that decisions in sport will derive from a variety of reasons and influences, which are taken into account by participants who aim to predict how officials will make future rulings. Harper extends this theoretical work to normative topics, applying sport realist analysis to numerous philosophical debates and ethical dilemmas in sport. Later chapters include investigations into rules disputes, strategic fouls, replay, and makeup calls, as well as the issue of cheating in sport. The numerous examples and case studies throughout the book provide a wide-ranging and illuminating study of sport, ranging from professional sports to pick-up games.Trade ReviewThe publication of Aaron Harper’s Sport Realism: A Law-Inspired Theory of Sport is excellent news for sport philosophers. The book not only proposes a new philosophical theory of sport, but it also brings a breath of fresh air into scholarly debates around sport by discussing myriad legal-philosophical theories and sport-related cases that sport philosophers have not contemplated before. Moreover, in defending sport realism, Harper critically analyzes widely-accepted philosophical theories of sport, advancing objections that will certainly encourage sport philosophers to reconsider their conceptions of sport and critically revise the principles and assumptions upon which such conceptions rest. I look forward to seeing how sport philosophers receive and react to Harper’s fascinating book. -- Francisco Javier Lopez Frias, Pennsylvania State UniversityThis book is a first-rate contribution to philosophy of sport. Aaron Harper defends a new theory of sport, which he calls sport realism, as an alternative to competing theories: formalism, conventionalism, and various types of interpretivism. He offers a masterful discussion of the relevant literature and grounds his view of sport in legal theory - legal realism. Using numerous specific examples from different sports, he argues persuasively that sport realism offers a better explanation of how sport is actually played, as well as useful normative guidance, rooted in pragmatist ethics and virtue jurisprudence. Harper also offers an insightful account of cheating. His argumentation is characterized by charity, in the way he discusses opposing positions, and boldness, in his attempt to face the challenges of working out a new theory. This book is clearly written, finely organized, and well-argued. It is sure to be widely read and discussed by scholars, often cited, used in courses, and highly praised. For those who might wonder, “What in the world do philosophers of sport talk about?” this book is an apt presentation of high-level thinking about the nature of sport, yet its abstractions are firmly rooted in the realities of sport. With this excellent work Harper shows that he is an important player in a fascinating philosophical game! -- Randolph Feezell, professor emeritus, Creighton UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1: InterpretivismChapter 2: Hard Cases for InterpretivismChapter 3: Legal Realism and Sport RealismChapter 4: CheatingChapter 5: Sport Realism and EthicsConclusionBibliographyAbout the Author

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Book SynopsisBicycling, Motorcycling, Rhetoric, and Space draws from cultural studies, rhetorical theory, and political philosophy to examine bicycling and motorcycling as serious forms of communication and even thought. By analyzing how everyday movements function in modern and postmodern contexts, Fine is able to determine the social meanings behind human powered and motorized forms of cycling. Through the lenses of sophistic rhetoric and poststructuralist theory, the author uncovers how such mobilities inform our thoughts and interactions. Throughout history, this informing process has promoted specific ways of thinking that have resulted in moments of protest, conquest, awareness, and transgression, which all involve a cycling rhetoric. This book contributes to various academic fields within the liberal arts and humanities while further establishing bicycling and motorcycling as important social, theoretical, and political areas of inquiry. Scholars of rhetoric, communication studies, cultural studies, and philosophy will find this book of particular interest.Trade Review“This remarkable new volume spans a wide range of interests and disciplines: communication, rhetoric, human kinetics, even equestrian studies. It integrates these in useful ways that will provide a solid foundation for future studies that are creative and transdisciplinary in similar ways.” -- Barry Brummett, University of Texas at AustinTable of ContentsTable of ContentsChapter 1: On CyclingChapter 2: Horse MetaphorChapter 3: Bicycle IdeaChapter 4: The Bicycle and NostalgiaChapter 5: The Motorcycle and ConflictChapter 6: Motorcycle ImageChapter 7: Sophistic Rhetorical Theory and MovementChapter 8: Poststructuralist Distance and CyclingWorks CitedAbout the Author

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Book SynopsisWhat is the importance of trust for human social life? What role does trust play in morality, in political arrangements, and in our attempts to gain knowledge and understand the world? When should we trust others, and when is withholding trust or mistrusting others warranted? While philosophers have recently turned their attention to such questions, they have generally overlooked what important thinkers throughout the history of philosophy have said on the topic of trust. Edited by David Collins, Iris Vidmar Jovanović, and Mark Alfano, Perspectives on Trust in the History of Philosophy brings together examinations of the views on trust that can be found in several major philosophers, from the ancient world up to the twentieth century and from across the globe. With a focus on the moral and social dimensions of trust, this collection includes perspectives from Chinese, Indian, and African philosophies, and the contributors examine how thinkers such as Confucius, Aristotle, Hobbes, Hume, Smith, Kant, Nietzsche, Løgstrup, and Murdoch have thought about trust and trustworthiness. This book demonstrates that good philosophical work on trust must be historically informed.Table of ContentsIntroductionDavid CollinsChapter 1. A Confucian Account of TrustworthinessWinnie SungChapter 2. Aristotle on Friendship and TrustCorinne Gartner and Wania AhmadChapter 3. How the Buddha Earns his Disciples’ Trust (According to Some Pāli Nikāya Texts)Antoine PanaïotiChapter 4. Mutual Trust and the Foundations of African CommunalismPolycarp IkuenobeChapter 5. Credulity, Diffidence, and Civil Trust in HobbesErfan XiaChapter 6. David Hume and Adam Smith on the Nature and Functions of Trust and TrustworthinessChristel FrickeChapter 7. The Obligation to be Trustworthy and the Ability to Trust: An Investigation into Kant’s Scattered Remarks on TrustEsther Oluffa PedersenChapter 8. Nietzsche on Trust and MistrustMark AlfanoChapter 9. Løgstrup and the Sovereignty of TrustPatrick StokesChapter 10. Iris Murdoch: Trust in the WorldSilvia Panizza

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Book SynopsisThis book frames the mission of the Continental Philosophy and History of Thought series at Lexington Books. International leading scholars contribute essays that explore and redefine the relationship between received arguments in contemporary Continental philosophy and various influential figures and arguments in the history of thought. By bringing Continental philosophy and the histories of thought into dialogue, editors Christian Lotz and Antonio Calcagno broaden the standard canon of what is considered Continental philosophy by including important yet understudied figures and arguments in the tradition; the chapters also deepen and contextualize significant movements and debate in the field by showing their rich historical underpinnings, thereby establishing new viewpoints in specific constituent subfields of philosophy. Reading Continental Philosophy and the History of Thought shows the growing richness of Continental philosophy via unexplored rethinking of the history of thought. The contributors expand Continental philosophy with and through the recovery of important historical developments, figures, and lines of thought.Table of ContentsIntroduction by Christian Lotz and Antonio CalcagnoPart One: Rethinking the Constitutive Layers of the Histories of PhilosophyChapter One: The Drift into Metaphysics: Jean-Luc Marion’s Reading of the Relation between Francisco Suárez and René Descartes by Christina M. Gschwandtner Chapter Two: Marjorie Glicksman Grene and Existentialism’s Important Truths by Marguerite La CazeChapter Three: On Arendt and Luxemburg by Christian Lotz Part Two: Imagining a New Social WorldChapter Four: The Ecological Challenge and the Metamorphosis of the World by Elena Pulcini Chapter Five: Michel Serres and Ecological Crisis: Listening to the World’s Expressions by Marjolein Oele and Brian Treanor Chapter Six: Hegel, Antigone, and the Lynching of Emmett Till by Ryan Johnson Chapter Seven: On the Lived Experience of Inauthentic Community: Gerda Walther and the Possibilities of Personal Freedom by Antonio Calcagno Part Three: Politics and the History of ThoughtChapter Eight: María Zambrano and Hannah Arendt: Thinking in Exile by Elvira Roncalli Chapter Nine: One Good Turn…: Aristotle, Derrida, and the “Peaceful Transfer of Power” in Democracy by Michael Naas Chapter Ten: The Four Threads Composing Levinas’s Thought by Bettina Bergo

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Book SynopsisDue to the influence of postmodernism, historical anti-realism has come to exercise a massive influence in contemporary philosophy of history. Edited by Tor Egil Førland and Branko Mitrović, The Povery of Anti-realism: Critical Perspectives on Postmodernist Philosophy of History presents perspectives that oppose anti-realist understanding of historians' work. The first part of the book gives an overview of contemporary anti-realist philosophy of history and shows that its claims are either so wide-ranging that they apply to all scientific knowledge, or pertain only to a select part of historians’ work. In the second part, the authors criticize major anti-realist tenets. These include: the assertion that the colligatory concepts historians use are without reference in the past; the idea that historical facts are theory-dependent and therefore unable to upend prevailing theories; Paul Roth’s application of Nelson Goodman’s “irrealist” theory of worldmaking to suggest a plurality of pasts; and the belief that multiple describability prevents historians from providing true and testable accounts of the past. The third and final part shows that the political implications of anti-realism are often other than left-leaning anti-realists think. Their reactions when confronted with the consequences of their theories indicate the inconsistency and untenability of postmodernist philosophy of history.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Being Realist about History by Tor Egil Førland and Branko MitrovićPart I: Philosophical ContextsChapter 1: Idealism in Historical Theory 1970–2020 by Adam TimminsChapter 2: A Deceiving Resemblance: Realism Debates in Philosophy of Science and Philosophy of Historiography by Veli VirmajokiPart II: CritiquesChapter 3: Historical Accuracy and Historians’ Objectivity by Branko MitrovićChapter 4: Historiography beyond Partisanship: Establishing Facts and Evaluating Theories by Tor Egil FørlandChapter 5: Irrealism and Historical Theory: A User’s Guide by Adam TimminsChapter 6: Saving Historical Reality (Even If We Construct It) by David WebermanPart III: Political ImplicationsChapter 7: Is Historical Antirealism (Ever) Politically Progressive? by Ian VerstegenChapter 8: Postmodern Frankenstein; or, the Alternative Facts Monster by Tor Egil FørlandChapter 9: Arguments, Partisanship, and Politics: Is Anti-realism in the Philosophy of History a Right-Wing Ideology? by Branko Mitrović

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Book SynopsisIn a letter from May 10, 1852, Adam von Doß, Arthur Schopenhauer declared himself to a Buddhist. From 1825 until his death, he never stopped searching for more information on Buddhism, with his thirst for knowledge of it growing over time. Schopenhauer's Buddhism: A Historical-Philosophical Inquiry is the first study to do justice to Schopenhauer's passion for Buddhism, reconstructing the notions of Buddhism he acquired through his readings on Buddhism as well as their influence on his thought. Laura Langone examines what Buddhism meant for Schopenhauer, what kind of Buddhism Schopenhauer had in mind, and how Buddhism shaped his philosophy. This book examines how the assimilation of Buddhist tenets through his Buddhist sources led him to incorporate the Buddhist concept of palingenesis into his philosophical system, which introduced a radically new metaphysical framework. Ultimately, Schopenhauer's incorporation of Buddhist palingenesis illustrates how Buddhism deeply spurred him to develop new and innovative ideas previously unthinkable in Western philosophy.

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Book SynopsisThis book uncovers in the works of Plato and Nietzsche, not some royal road to truth, but rather the intensity of their love and commitment to the life of thought, whatever it discovers and wherever it might lead. Plato explored this in his ubiquitous absence from the adventures of thought depicted in his Dialogues. Nietzsche followed suit with his unrelenting presence as the grim and forceful conscience behind all the masks through which he spoke in his chaotic oeuvre. It is not a matter of biography or of shared doctrine, some favourite thoughts by which their lesser exegetes can keep them in their respective stables and move on to others with other favourite thoughts. To discover Plato and Nietzsche's kinship required something more, an intensive, lifelong philosophical engagement that Monique Dixsaut's students witnessed in her teaching at the Sorbonne, now available in English via this translation, which is suitable for academics, intellectuals and general readers alike. The `other way’ to philosophise proves to be the practice of philosophy itself.

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Book SynopsisSince Aristotle’s famous declaration that the speculative sciences originated with the emergence of a leisure class, it has been accepted as a truism that intellectual activity requires political stability and leisure in order to flourish. Paradoxically, however, some of the most powerful and influential contributions to Western intellectual culture have been produced in conditions that were adverse–indeed hostile–to intellectual activity. Examples include Socrates' stirring defense of the examined life before a hostile Athenian jury, Boethius writing The Consolation of Philosophy under the specter of impending torture and execution, Galileo devising key notions for modern mechanics while under house arrest, and Jean-Paul Sartre drafting portions of Being and Nothingness in his war diaries, to name only a few of the most famous incidents–all extraordinary achievements spawned, developed or completed in adversity. In cases such as these, a philosopher or scientist must manage somehow to remain intellectually creative and focused despite living in conditions that are adverse or hostile to thought. In brief, they are working on ideas under fire. This book is a survey of several momentous cases of philosophers and scientists working under fire. Each chapter of Ideas Under Fire explores a particular case or set of related cases. For each case contributors consider two questions: How did the individual at the center of a particular moment of discovery overcome such formidable obstacles to leisure and conceptually abstract thought? And how did adversity shape their thinking under fire? Each chapter has been written by a specialist on its respective subject, and the book covers every period of Western history. All the chapters are written in an accessible style that is intended to appeal to both specialists and generalists.Table of ContentsForeword 1. Prophets and Gadflies, Leisure and Adversity Jonathan Lavery; WLU (Philosophy) Section I: Ancient & Mediaeval 2. Plato in the Crito Steven Robinson; Brandon University (Philosophy) 3. Grief and Homecoming in Boetheus' Consolation of Philosophy James Crooks; Bishop’s University (Philosophy) 4. A Universe Created and Eternal: the Crisis in Faith in the 13th Century William Carroll; Blackfriars College, Oxford (Theology) Section II: Renaissance & Modern 5. Why Giordano Bruno’s ‘Tranquil Philosophy’ Ended in a Fire Hilary Gatti; Universita di Roma, "La Sapienza" (Literature/Philosophy) 6. Galileo under Fire and under Patronage Maurice Finocchiaro; University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Philosophy) 7. Science during the French Revolution Maurice Crosland; University of Kent (History) 8. Hegel and the Crises of His Times William Conklin; University of Windsor (Law) Section III: Twentieth Century 9. Henri Bergson and the Question of the Philosopher’s Political Commitment Jean-Benoît Ghenne; l’Université Catholique de Louvain (Philosophy) Louis Groarke; St. Francis Xavier University (Philosophy) 10. Simone Weil and the Traps of Intellectual Engagement Robin Lathangue; Trent University (Head of Colleges) 11. The Impact of World War II on Jean-Paul Sartre’s Writings Christine Daigle; Brock University (Philosophy) 12. Political Philosophy under Apartheid William Sweet; St. Francis Xavier University (Philosophy) Section IV: Contemporary 13. Guerrilla Theory and the Origins of the Second Wave: FBI and CIA harassment of radical second wave feminists in the 1960s and 1970s Hilary Davis; York University (Philosophy) 14. Was Science Under Fire in Bush's America? Stephen Haller; Wilfrid Laurier University (Contemporary Studies) James Gerrie; University College of Cape Breton (Philosophy) 15. The Limits of Philosophy: setting out the legal framework for dissent Paul Groarke; St Thomas University (Endowed Chair of Criminal Justice) Bibliography About the Contributors

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Book SynopsisGünther Anders’s prolific philosophy of technology is undergoing a major revival but has never been translated into English. Prometheanism mobilises Anders’s pragmatic thought and current trends in critical theory to rethink the constellations of power that are configuring themselves around our increasingly “smart” machines. The book offers a comprehensive introduction to Anders’s philosophy of technology with an annotated translation of his visionary essay ‘On Promethean Shame’, part of The Obsolescence of Human Beings 1 published in 1956.The essay analyses feelings of curtailment, obsolescence and solitude that become manifest whilst we interact with machines. When technological solutions begin to make humans look embarrassingly limited and flawed, new emotional vulnerabilities are exposed. These need to be thought, because our wavering confidence leaves us unprotected in an ever more (un)transparent, connected yet fractured world.Trade ReviewAlthough Günther Anders (1902-1992) is considered one of the most important philosophers of technology and although he spent many years exiled in the US, he received scant attention within the English-speaking world itself. Christopher John Müller’s comprehensive and sophisticated presentation and his nuanced translation of Anders’ crucial writing “On Promethean Shame” should hopefully change this. It demonstrates vividly the significance of Anders as a shrewd and original thinker who was able to anticipate a number of recent societal and technological developments. Müller’s book is crucial reading for anyone wishing to gain a better understanding of the workings of our technology-driven world. -- Konrad Paul Liessmann, Professor of Philosophy, University of ViennaWho was Günther Anders? In this brilliant book, Christopher Müller not only reconstructs Anders’s crucial place in the history of modern philosophy of technology but shows that Anders still has much to say to us about our own postmodern technological condition. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in critical theory, philosophy of technology and the history of 20th century thought more widely. -- Arthur Bradley, Professor of Comparative Literature, Lancaster UniversityBuilding upon (and exceeding) Heidegger on technology, Günther Anders diagnosed the “obsolescence of humanity.” In the posthuman, transhuman era, the Anthropocene dominates obscenity. Departing from Jean-Luc Nancy’s analysis of our technology ‘fetish,’ Christopher Müller’s Prometheanism examines our bodily relation to technology, noting our naked vulnerability, including a cultural critique of the technologies of our lives, our finitude and “Promethean Shame.” -- Babette Babich, Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University, NYCModernity aims at placing mankind in the position of being the divine maker of the world while at the same time condemning human beings to see themselves as out of date. German philosopher Günther Anders remains one of the best thinkers of this tragic paradox. It is a shame that his work is almost unknown in the English-speaking world. Christopher Müller’s admirable book will no doubt fill this blatant gap. -- Jean-Pierre Dupuy, Professor of Philosophy, École Polytechnique, Paris; Author of A Short Treatise on the Metaphysics of TsunamisAround Anders’s ‘On Promethean Shame’, Müller [describes] the way in which contemporary technology both enhances our perception and obscures our vision, increases our capacity to control while at the same time giving rise to what Gilles Deleuze called a society of control, itself now running out of control. As an attempt at thinking these limits, and at taking thinking to the limit, Müller’s step back to Anders’s finite thinking promises to provide resources for a new thinking in and of the Anthropocene. -- Daniel Ross * Lo Sguardo *A book that provides a new inroad to an often overlooked thinker’s work. … When it comes to the great critics of technology Günther Anders is criminally overlooked. … With Prometheanism Müller has done a great two-fold service to Anders – he has provided a wonderful translation of part of one of the key works by Anders, while also providing several chapters that help place Anders’ thought into present discussions … Luckily Müller has done an excellent job of capturing Anders’ wit and pithiness which makes “On Promethean Shame” a pleasure to read despite its considerable pessimism. Yet, what makes Prometheanism particularly noteworthy is the second half of the book wherein Müller considers Anders “in the digital age” – as these four chapters demonstrate the continuing utility of Anders’ thought. This book is a wonderful introduction to a tragically overlooked figure! The Librarian Shipwreck BlogThis is a very important book, and hopefully it will lead to a higher profile for [Günther] Anders’s provocative and essential thought. We owe Christopher Müller a debt of intellectual gratitude. * Thesis Eleven *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments/ Introduction: Thinking Finitude, Digital Technology and Human Obsolescence with Günther Anders / Part I: On Promethean Shame/ Preface to the Translation of ‘On Promethean Shame’/“On Promethean Shame” (by Günther Anders)/ PART II: Utopia Inverted - Günther Anders in the Digital Age/1. Better than Human: Promethean Shame and the (Trans)humanist Project/2. The Punishment of Prometheus/Part III: Anaesthetic Lives: Joyful Surrender to Painful Obsolescence/3. The Unsalaried Masses: Working toward a ‘World without Us’/ 4. Invisible Monsters: Your Smartphone is an Atom Bomb/ Bibliography/Index

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Book SynopsisGünther Anders’s prolific philosophy of technology is undergoing a major revival but has never been translated into English. Prometheanism mobilises Anders’s pragmatic thought and current trends in critical theory to rethink the constellations of power that are configuring themselves around our increasingly “smart” machines. The book offers a comprehensive introduction to Anders’s philosophy of technology with an annotated translation of his visionary essay ‘On Promethean Shame’, part of The Obsolescence of Human Beings 1 published in 1956.The essay analyses feelings of curtailment, obsolescence and solitude that become manifest whilst we interact with machines. When technological solutions begin to make humans look embarrassingly limited and flawed, new emotional vulnerabilities are exposed. These need to be thought, because our wavering confidence leaves us unprotected in an ever more (un)transparent, connected yet fractured world.Trade ReviewAlthough Günther Anders (1902-1992) is considered one of the most important philosophers of technology and although he spent many years exiled in the US, he received scant attention within the English-speaking world itself. Christopher John Müller’s comprehensive and sophisticated presentation and his nuanced translation of Anders’ crucial writing “On Promethean Shame” should hopefully change this. It demonstrates vividly the significance of Anders as a shrewd and original thinker who was able to anticipate a number of recent societal and technological developments. Müller’s book is crucial reading for anyone wishing to gain a better understanding of the workings of our technology-driven world. -- Konrad Paul Liessmann, Professor of Philosophy, University of ViennaWho was Günther Anders? In this brilliant book, Christopher Müller not only reconstructs Anders’s crucial place in the history of modern philosophy of technology but shows that Anders still has much to say to us about our own postmodern technological condition. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in critical theory, philosophy of technology and the history of 20th century thought more widely. -- Arthur Bradley, Professor of Comparative Literature, Lancaster UniversityBuilding upon (and exceeding) Heidegger on technology, Günther Anders diagnosed the “obsolescence of humanity.” In the posthuman, transhuman era, the Anthropocene dominates obscenity. Departing from Jean-Luc Nancy’s analysis of our technology ‘fetish,’ Christopher Müller’s Prometheanism examines our bodily relation to technology, noting our naked vulnerability, including a cultural critique of the technologies of our lives, our finitude and “Promethean Shame.” -- Babette Babich, Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University, NYCModernity aims at placing mankind in the position of being the divine maker of the world while at the same time condemning human beings to see themselves as out of date. German philosopher Günther Anders remains one of the best thinkers of this tragic paradox. It is a shame that his work is almost unknown in the English-speaking world. Christopher Müller’s admirable book will no doubt fill this blatant gap. -- Jean-Pierre Dupuy, Professor of Philosophy, École Polytechnique, Paris; Author of A Short Treatise on the Metaphysics of TsunamisAround Anders’s ‘On Promethean Shame’, Müller [describes] the way in which contemporary technology both enhances our perception and obscures our vision, increases our capacity to control while at the same time giving rise to what Gilles Deleuze called a society of control, itself now running out of control. As an attempt at thinking these limits, and at taking thinking to the limit, Müller’s step back to Anders’s finite thinking promises to provide resources for a new thinking in and of the Anthropocene. -- Daniel Ross * Lo Sguardo *A book that provides a new inroad to an often overlooked thinker’s work. … When it comes to the great critics of technology Günther Anders is criminally overlooked. … With Prometheanism Müller has done a great two-fold service to Anders – he has provided a wonderful translation of part of one of the key works by Anders, while also providing several chapters that help place Anders’ thought into present discussions … Luckily Müller has done an excellent job of capturing Anders’ wit and pithiness which makes “On Promethean Shame” a pleasure to read despite its considerable pessimism. Yet, what makes Prometheanism particularly noteworthy is the second half of the book wherein Müller considers Anders “in the digital age” – as these four chapters demonstrate the continuing utility of Anders’ thought. This book is a wonderful introduction to a tragically overlooked figure! The Librarian Shipwreck BlogThis is a very important book, and hopefully it will lead to a higher profile for [Günther] Anders’s provocative and essential thought. We owe Christopher Müller a debt of intellectual gratitude. * Thesis Eleven *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments/ Introduction: Thinking Finitude, Digital Technology and Human Obsolescence with Günther Anders / Part I: On Promethean Shame/ Preface to the Translation of ‘On Promethean Shame’/“On Promethean Shame” (by Günther Anders)/ PART II: Utopia Inverted - Günther Anders in the Digital Age/1. Better than Human: Promethean Shame and the (Trans)humanist Project/2. The Punishment of Prometheus/Part III: Anaesthetic Lives: Joyful Surrender to Painful Obsolescence/3. The Unsalaried Masses: Working toward a ‘World without Us’/ 4. Invisible Monsters: Your Smartphone is an Atom Bomb/ Bibliography/Index

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Book SynopsisWhat are the still-unknown horizons of world thought? This book brings together prominent scholars from varying disciplines to speculate on this obscure question and the many crossroads that face intellectuals in our contemporary era and its aftermath. The result is a collection of “manifestos” that contemplate a potential global future for thinking itself, venturing across some of the most marginalized sectors of East and West (with particular emphasis on the Middle Eastern and Islamicate) in order to dissect crucial issues of culture, society, philosophy, literature, art, religion, and politics. The book explores themes such as as universality, translation, modernity, language, history, identity, resistance, ecology, catastrophe, memory, and the body, offering a groundbreaking alignment of texts and ideas with far-reaching implications for our time and beyond.Trade ReviewA set of elegant manifestos on some of the most pressing issues of our time, each adopting a position unmoored from conventional schools, genealogies and traditions of thought, so as to bring the world itself to light in all its heterogeneous reality. -- Faisal Devji, Reader in Modern South Asian History, University of OxfordTable of ContentsIntroduction: Outsider Imperatives, Jason Bahbak Mohaghegh and Lucian Stone / Part I. Theory: Philosophy and Method / 1. Orient, Orientation, and the Western Referent: From Comparative to World Thought, Andrea Mura / 2. Outside Philosophy, Jason Wirth / 3. Global Thought: Lessons from other Philosophers (and Artists), Arshin Adib-Moghaddam / 4. Colossomania: World Thought as the Return to Immensity, Jason Bahbak Mohaghegh / Part II. State: Citizenship, Identity, and Political Trauma / 5. If Fanon Knew: On the Haraga Phenomenon – A Critical Political Ficton, Réda Bensmaïa / 6. Dispersing Community: Diaspora and the Ethics of Estrangement, Nanor Kebranian / 7. No State to Come, Mahmut Mutman / 8. Towards Language and Resistance: A Breaking Manifesto, Rosalind Hampton and Michelle Hartman / Part III. Text and Aesthetics: Literature, Poetry, and Art / 9. The 10-Point Nahdah Manifesto, Stephen Sheehi / 10. The Aesthetic Imperative: History Poeticized, Huda Fakhreddine / 11. A Vocabulary of the Impersonal: A Notebook from Shiraz, Setrag Manoukian / 12. Architextualism: A Manifesto in and of the Margins, Lucian Stone / Part IV. Embodiment: Architecture, Objects, and Time / 13. Architecture of Modulation: Resistance as Differential Vision, Eyal Weizman / 14. One Foot in Front of the Other: A Physicality Manifesto, Brian Seitz and Jens Veneman / 15. Seventeen Theses on History, Wael Hallaq / 16. The Time of Critique, Ruth Mas / Bibliography / Notes on the Contributors / Index

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Book SynopsisWhat are the still-unknown horizons of world thought? This book brings together prominent scholars from varying disciplines to speculate on this obscure question and the many crossroads that face intellectuals in our contemporary era and its aftermath. The result is a collection of “manifestos” that contemplate a potential global future for thinking itself, venturing across some of the most marginalized sectors of East and West (with particular emphasis on the Middle Eastern and Islamicate) in order to dissect crucial issues of culture, society, philosophy, literature, art, religion, and politics. The book explores themes such as universality, translation, modernity, language, history, identity, resistance, ecology, catastrophe, memory, and the body, offering a groundbreaking alignment of texts and ideas with far-reaching implications for our time and beyond.Trade ReviewA set of elegant manifestos on some of the most pressing issues of our time, each adopting a position unmoored from conventional schools, genealogies and traditions of thought, so as to bring the world itself to light in all its heterogeneous reality. -- Faisal Devji, Reader in Modern South Asian History, University of OxfordTable of ContentsIntroduction: Outsider Imperatives, Jason Bahbak Mohaghegh and Lucian Stone / Part I. Theory: Philosophy and Method / 1. Orient, Orientation, and the Western Referent: From Comparative to World Thought, Andrea Mura / 2. Outside Philosophy, Jason Wirth / 3. Global Thought: Lessons from other Philosophers (and Artists), Arshin Adib-Moghaddam / 4. Colossomania: World Thought as the Return to Immensity, Jason Bahbak Mohaghegh / Part II. State: Citizenship, Identity, and Political Trauma / 5. If Fanon Knew: On the Haraga Phenomenon – A Critical Political Ficton, Réda Bensmaïa / 6. Dispersing Community: Diaspora and the Ethics of Estrangement, Nanor Kebranian / 7. No State to Come, Mahmut Mutman / 8. Towards Language and Resistance: A Breaking Manifesto, Rosalind Hampton and Michelle Hartman / Part III. Text and Aesthetics: Literature, Poetry, and Art / 9. The 10-Point Nahdah Manifesto, Stephen Sheehi / 10. The Aesthetic Imperative: History Poeticized, Huda Fakhreddine / 11. A Vocabulary of the Impersonal: A Notebook from Shiraz, Setrag Manoukian / 12. Architextualism: A Manifesto in and of the Margins, Lucian Stone / Part IV. Embodiment: Architecture, Objects, and Time / 13. Architecture of Modulation: Resistance as Differential Vision, Eyal Weizman / 14. One Foot in Front of the Other: A Physicality Manifesto, Brian Seitz and Jens Veneman / 15. Seventeen Theses on History, Wael Hallaq / 16. The Time of Critique, Ruth Mas / Bibliography / Notes on the Contributors / Index

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Book Synopsis Comparing the liberal Jewish ethics of the German-Jewish philosophers Ernst Cassirer and Hannah Arendt, this book argues that both espoused a diasporic, worldly conception of Jewish identity that was anchored in a pluralist and politically engaged interpretation of Jewish history and an abiding interest in the complex lived reality of modern Jews. Arendt’s indebtedness to liberal Jewish thinkers such as Moses Mendelssohn, Abraham Geiger, Hermann Cohen, and Ernst Cassirer has been obscured by her modernist posture and caustic critique of the assimilationism of her German-Jewish forebears. By reorienting our conception of Arendt as a profoundly secular thinker anchored in twentieth century political debates, we are led to rethink the philosophical, political, and ethical legacy of liberal Jewish discourse.Trade Review “Most readers will finish this work with a renewed appreciation of the continuing significance of the moral vision articulated by these exemplars of liberal Judaism.” · Choice “…this work is a fascinating revisionist intellectual history of its two key authors and of Judaism in the twentieth century, and one rich in avenues for further research.” · American Historical Review “…an important [book], overflowing with worthwhile ideas and based upon good reading and research… Curthoys’ main theme is succinctly expressed and painfully relevant.” · European Judaism “The book then provides various interesting challenges to scholarship on Arendt, as well as the material on thinkers brought together here as part of the tradition of Liberal Judaism. All this make The Legacy of Liberal Judaism of relevance beyond an exclusively scholarly debate.” · Patterns of Prejudice “This is an important fresh look at modern intellectual history at the interface of philosophy and Jewish thought. It has a persuasive line of argument and illuminating discussions of the subject. It adds a crucial strand to the weave of modern intellectual history and argues that, unless close attention is paid to the dimension of Jewish thought in this project, this history remains misunderstood.” · Willi Goetschel, University of Toronto “This is a very sharp and insightful intellectual history of the relationship between Liberal Judaism, a world view that stressed Enlightenment rationalism and universalism, along with ethical monotheism, and two important twentieth century German thinkers, Ernst Cassirer and Hannah Arendt.” · Richard H. King, Nottingham UniversityTable of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. ‘This Man of Our Destiny’: Moses Mendelssohn, Nathan the Wise, and the emergence of a Liberal Jewish Ethos Chapter 2. Diasporic Visions: the emergence of Liberal Judaism Chapter 3. Abraham Geiger: Rabbi and Writer Chapter 4. Hermann Cohen’s Prophetic Judaism Chapter 5. Ernst Cassirer and the Ethical Legacy of Hermann Cohen Chapter 6. Ernst Cassirer: The Enlightenment as Counter-History Chapter 7. Hannah Arendt: The Task of the Historian Chapter 8. Hannah Arendt: A Question of Character Conclusion: The Legacies of Liberal Judaism Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisComplicity argues that all existing modes of cultural critique are regarded as legitimate and productive if and only if they are complicit with the very ideologies and values that the criticism sets out to undermine. Through philosophical, literary and theoretical analysis, Thomas Docherty shows how easy it has been for criticism to become essentially an act of political collaboration with existing governmental power. The book explores the various ways in which, both historically and theoretically, critical activity has become complicit with the over-arching social and political norms that it aims to undermine. Philosophically, ethically and politically, criticism’s fundamental impulse is too often intrinsically negated. In extreme political form, this places criticism in line with collaborationist activity. Docherty then finds a productive way out of the double-bind in which criticism has traditionally found itself, through an idea of criticism as a mode of ‘reserve’, a mode of commitment that eschews fundamentalism of all kinds.Trade ReviewThis is a marvellously illuminating book. Interrogating the philosophical meaning of complicity through highly original reflections on Shakespearian drama, the writing of Hanna Arendt and encompassing also the late work of the great Scottish poet Edwin Morgan, the author considers the parameters in history and the present of the drive to be compliant and complicit. In the context of the audit culture in the UK university system the author makes the strongest claim for criticism, beyond academia, perhaps as a way of life. -- Angela McRobbie, Professor of Communications, Goldsmiths University of LondonDocherty’s lucid, elegantly-written study of complicity in politics, the arts, critical practice, and philosophy is illuminating and erudite, reflecting on the meaning of the term by engaging with a formidable array of artists and thinkers including Shakespeare, Arendt, Adorno, Sartre, and more. The result is a rigorous reassessment of complicity as well as of commitment and responsibility—important topics in our troubled times. -- Richard J. Golsan, Distinguished Professor of French, Texas A&M UniversityThomas Docherty's Complicity is a brave and important book about the nature of commitment in criticism in a world where responsibility and complicity war with one another to give shape to our interpretive endeavors. Challenging the comforts of institutional inertia, Docherty offers new insights into the nature of intellectual engagement, "openings" spurred by culture that fight complicity's claims on who we are. -- Peter Hitchcock, Professor of English, The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkComplicity is an original exploration of our responsibility to critique and resist systems of inequality, deceit and closure. Topics include extermination camps, the management of consent in our universities and closing borders in Europe. Drawing on critical theory, literature, film and the arts, Docherty confronts the reader with a potent diagnosis of our age and demands resistance. This is essential reading. -- Larry Ray, Professor of Sociology, University of KentTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements / 1. Introduction: On Being a Bastard / 2. Diplomacy and Law / 3. Accountancy; or, on Being a Bureaucrat / 4. Skin in the Game / 5. On Democratic Responsibility / 6. ‘Open the Doors!’; or, On Commitment and Reserve / Bibliography / Index

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Book SynopsisComplicity argues that all existing modes of cultural critique are regarded as legitimate and productive if and only if they are complicit with the very ideologies and values that the criticism sets out to undermine. Through philosophical, literary and theoretical analysis, Thomas Docherty shows how easy it has been for criticism to become essentially an act of political collaboration with existing governmental power. The book explores the various ways in which, both historically and theoretically, critical activity has become complicit with the over-arching social and political norms that it aims to undermine. Philosophically, ethically and politically, criticism’s fundamental impulse is too often intrinsically negated. In extreme political form, this places criticism in line with collaborationist activity. Docherty then finds a productive way out of the double-bind in which criticism has traditionally found itself, through an idea of criticism as a mode of ‘reserve’, a mode of commitment that eschews fundamentalism of all kinds.Trade ReviewThis is a marvellously illuminating book. Interrogating the philosophical meaning of complicity through highly original reflections on Shakespearian drama, the writing of Hanna Arendt and encompassing also the late work of the great Scottish poet Edwin Morgan, the author considers the parameters in history and the present of the drive to be compliant and complicit. In the context of the audit culture in the UK university system the author makes the strongest claim for criticism, beyond academia, perhaps as a way of life. -- Angela McRobbie, Professor of Communications, Goldsmiths University of LondonThomas Docherty's Complicity is a brave and important book about the nature of commitment in criticism in a world where responsibility and complicity war with one another to give shape to our interpretive endeavors. Challenging the comforts of institutional inertia, Docherty offers new insights into the nature of intellectual engagement, "openings" spurred by culture that fight complicity's claims on who we are. -- Peter Hitchcock, Professor of English, The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkDocherty’s lucid, elegantly-written study of complicity in politics, the arts, critical practice, and philosophy is illuminating and erudite, reflecting on the meaning of the term by engaging with a formidable array of artists and thinkers including Shakespeare, Arendt, Adorno, Sartre, and more. The result is a rigorous reassessment of complicity as well as of commitment and responsibility—important topics in our troubled times. -- Richard J. Golsan, Distinguished Professor of French, Texas A&M UniversityComplicity is an original exploration of our responsibility to critique and resist systems of inequality, deceit and closure. Topics include extermination camps, the management of consent in our universities and closing borders in Europe. Drawing on critical theory, literature, film and the arts, Docherty confronts the reader with a potent diagnosis of our age and demands resistance. This is essential reading. -- Larry Ray, Professor of Sociology, University of KentTable of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements / 1. Introduction: On Being a Bastard / 2. Diplomacy and Law / 3. Accountancy; or, on Being a Bureaucrat / 4. Skin in the Game / 5. On Democratic Responsibility / 6. ‘Open the Doors!’; or, On Commitment and Reserve / Bibliography / Index

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Book SynopsisAmbivalence (as in practical conflicts, moral dilemmas, conflicting beliefs, and mixed feelings) is a central phenomenon of human life. Yet ambivalence is incompatible with entrenched philosophical conceptions of personhood, judgement, and action, and is denied or marginalised by thinkers of diverse concerns. This book takes a radical new stance, bringing the study of core philosophical issues together with that of ambivalence. The book proposes new accounts in several areas – including subjectivity, consciousness, rationality, and value – while elucidating a wide range of phenomena expressive of ambivalence, from emotional ambivalence to self-deception. The book rejects the view that ambivalence makes a person divided, showing that our tension-fraught attitudes are profoundly unitary. Ambivalence is not tantamount to confusion or to paralysis: it is always basically rational, and often creative, active, and perceptive as well. The book develops themes from Wittgenstein, Davidson, Sartre, and Freud. It engages with contemporary debates in Analytic Philosophy in addition to work ranging from Aristotle to Cultural Studies and Empirical Psychology, and considers a rich set of examples from daily life and literature.Trade ReviewHili Razinsky's philosophical exploration of ambivalence is not only about ambivalence: it might be read as a call for using more substantial, phenomenologically nuanced, and real-life faithful terms in contemporary analytic philosophy. Concepts, such as belief, desire or emotion, which are at the center of many philosophical discussions about subjectivity, are often difficult to project onto real subjects. They seem to be fossils that have already lost their vividness. Some of them are brought to life in Razinsky's book. * Metapsychology Online *The author has produced a bold and fiercely independent account of ambivalence; an account which is rich, nuanced and detailed. Razinsky adopts a framework which, broadly speaking, is both Wittgensteinian and phenomenological. She turns to such diverse authors as Sartre, Freud, Bernard Williams and Philip Koch and with a little help from these friends devises her own notion of ambivalence. -- Avishai Margalit, Schulman Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, The Hebrew University of JerusalemOne of the main strengths of this book is a detailed map of terms and theories connected with the phenomenon of ambivalence Razinsky depicts. It could be useful for further research on such topics as emotions, values, personhood, rationality, as well as the relations between them. […] Razinsky’s work provides helpful insight into considerations of the problem of ambivalence in general. On the one hand, the author exhaustively reveals the problems of ambivalence, its rational character, the relations of ambivalence with consciousness, factual belief, value judgment and desire, the differences between the notions of “unity in plurality” and harmonized, plural persons. On the other hand, she provides insights into avenues of further research of related problems, such as doubt, cynicism and irony. * Eidos: A Journal for Philosophy Eidos of Culture, Vol. 1, no. 3, 2018 *Razinsky … argues that ambivalence is not merely common but pervasive, and that the possibility of ambivalent states, whether of belief, desire, or emotion, is built into the nature of those states and the way in which we conceptualize them from the start. One advantage of this approach is that it rejects from the start any possibility of treating the phenomena in question as merely marginal * Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy, January 2019 *Table of ContentsPart I: Beginnings / 1. Introduction / 2. Philosophical Approaches to Ambivalence: A Roadmap of a Rough Terrain / Part II: Life with Ambivalence / 3. Unity in Plurality: The Case of Emotional Ambivalence / 4. Behavioural Conflict: The Case of Emotional Ambivalence / 5. Conscious Ambivalence and Its Bearings on the Character of Consciousness / 6. Pursuits of Harmony, Integration and Freud’s Person / Part III: Structures of Ambivalence / 7. Self-deception, Ambivalence of Belief and Basic Rationality / 8. Ambivalence of Value Judgement, Deliberation and the Logic of Value / 9. The Openness of Desire and Action in Ambivalence / Appendix A / Bibliography / Bibliographic note

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Book SynopsisAlthough the concept of productive imagination plays a fundamental role in Kant, German Idealism, Romanticism, Phenomenology and Hermeneutics, the meaning of this central concept remains largely undetermined. The significance of productive imagination is therefore all-too-often either inflated or underrated. The articles collected in this volume trace the development of productive imagination through the history of philosophy, identify the different meanings this concept has been ascribed in different philosophical frameworks, and raise the question anew concerning this concept’s philosophical significance. Special attention is given to the historical background that underlies the emergence of productive imagination in modernity, to Kant’s concept of productive imagination, to the further development of this concept in German Idealism, Wilhelm Dilthey, Edmund Husserl, Ernst Cassirer and Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre and Paul Ricoeur. A group of leading scholars present a systematic and comprehensive reference tool for anyone working in the fields of social imaginaries.Trade ReviewThis welcome volume explores the conceptual history of productive imagination by focusing on the development of the concept from its prefiguration in antiquity to its modern articulation in and after Kant. Special attention is paid to the romantic, phenomenological and hermeneutical traditions, with the main reference authors being F. Schlegel, Novalis, Dilthey and Ricoeur, as well as Cassirer and Heidegger. -- Günter Zöller, Professor of Philosophy, University of Munich[This volume] offers a valuable combination of introductory guidance and original theses. It contains helpful clarifications of how philosophical concepts develop through inter-philosophical dialogue but also in conversation with the arts. It likewise opens avenues for exploring the grand, metaphysical question of human creativity in history. If we approach it aware of its deliberate focus on the Kantian and continental tradition, we will see that its chapters develop a coherent “conceptual history” of a core moment in philosophy. * Phenomenological Reviews *Table of ContentsEditors’ Introduction / 1. What is Productive Imagination? Dmitri Nikulin / 2. Productive and Practical Imagination: What Does Productive Imagination Produce? Alfredo Ferrarin / 3. Fantasy as Productive Imagination According to Friedrich Schlegel and Novalis or the Creativity of What is Human, Laura S. Carugati / 4. The Productive Imagination in Hegel and Classical German Philosophy, Angelica Nuzzo / 5. Dilthey’s Typifying Imagination, Rudolf A. Makkreel / 6. Imagination of Stupidity: Jules de Gaultier, Flaubert and Le Bovarysme, Nicolas de Warren / 7. Productive Imagination and the Cassirer-Heidegger Disputation, Saulius Geniusas / 8. The Deeper Significance of Ricoeur’s Philosophy of Productive Imagination: The Role of Figuration, George H. Taylor / Index

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Book SynopsisAlthough the concept of productive imagination plays a fundamental role in Kant, German Idealism, Romanticism, Phenomenology and Hermeneutics, the meaning of this central concept remains largely undetermined. The significance of productive imagination is therefore all-too-often either inflated or underrated. The articles collected in this volume trace the development of productive imagination through the history of philosophy, identify the different meanings this concept has been ascribed in different philosophical frameworks, and raise the question anew concerning this concept's philosophical significance. Special attention is given to the historical background that underlies the emergence of productive imagination in modernity, to Kant's concept of productive imagination, to the further development of this concept in German Idealism, Wilhelm Dilthey, Edmund Husserl, Ernst Cassirer and Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre and Paul Ricoeur. A group of leading scholars present a systematic and comprehensive reference tool for anyone working in the firsl of social imaginaries.Trade ReviewThis welcome volume explores the conceptual history of productive imagination by focusing on the development of the concept from its prefiguration in antiquity to its modern articulation in and after Kant. Special attention is paid to the romantic, phenomenological and hermeneutical traditions, with the main reference authors being F. Schlegel, Novalis, Dilthey and Ricoeur, as well as Cassirer and Heidegger. -- Günter Zöller, Professor of Philosophy, University of Munich[This volume] offers a valuable combination of introductory guidance and original theses. It contains helpful clarifications of how philosophical concepts develop through inter-philosophical dialogue but also in conversation with the arts. It likewise opens avenues for exploring the grand, metaphysical question of human creativity in history. If we approach it aware of its deliberate focus on the Kantian and continental tradition, we will see that its chapters develop a coherent “conceptual history” of a core moment in philosophy. * Phenomenological Reviews *Table of ContentsEditors’ Introduction / 1. What is Productive Imagination? Dmitri Nikulin / 2. Productive and Practical Imagination: What Does Productive Imagination Produce? Alfredo Ferrarin / 3. Fantasy as Productive Imagination According to Friedrich Schlegel and Novalis or the Creativity of What is Human, Laura S. Carugati / 4. The Productive Imagination in Hegel and Classical German Philosophy, Angelica Nuzzo / 5. Dilthey’s Typifying Imagination, Rudolf A. Makkreel / 6. Imagination of Stupidity: Jules de Gaultier, Flaubert and Le Bovarysme, Nicolas de Warren / 7. Productive Imagination and the Cassirer-Heidegger Disputation, Saulius Geniusas / 8. The Deeper Significance of Ricoeur’s Philosophy of Productive Imagination: The Role of Figuration, George H. Taylor / Index

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Book SynopsisThis book argues that Kant’s theory of international relations should be interpreted as an attempt to apply the principles of reason to history in general, and in particular to political conditions of the late eighteenth century. It demonstrates how Kant attempts to mediate between a priori theory and practice, and how this works in the field of international law and international relations. Kant appreciates how the precepts of theory have to be tested against the facts, before the theory is enriched to deal with the complexities of their application. In the central chapters of this book, the starting points are apparent contradictions in Kant’s writings; assuming that Kant is a systematic and profound thinker, Cavallar seeks to use these contradictions to discover Kant’s ‘deep structure’, a dynamic and evolutionary theory that tries to anticipate a world where the idea of international justice might be more fully realized. Trade Review"This is the definitive source on Kant’s international relations theory and it has played a significant role in informing my own thinking. Updated and expanded, this new edition adds considerable material to an already powerful first edition, including an expanded analysis of Kant’s practical politics, his thinking in response to his contemporaries, key political and legal methodological considerations, and how Kant might be best understood within modern global debates." -- Garrett Wallace Brown, University of Leeds"Georg Cavallar’s new book is a skillful and sophisticated linking of Kant’s theory to humanitarian intervention, democracy and peace, cosmopolitanism and patriotism, among other topics. An original argument is refined by a serious and impressive engagement with two decades of debate framed by the book’s first appearance in 1999." -- Antonio Franceschet, University of Calgary"When the first edition of this book came out just over two decades ago it quickly became a must-read for anyone who was interested in Kant’s ideas about the theory and practice of international relations. This new edition brings it up to date, and adds material that will make it a necessary reference in the decades to come." -- John Christian Laursen, University of California, RiversideTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Introduction: Mediating Between Pure Reason and Practice The Contemporary Context: Kant’s Judgement on Frederick’s Enlightened Absolutism Kantian International Right: Background and Paradigm Shift Judging War Does Republicanism Promote Peace? Non-intervention, Humanitarian Intervention and Failed States Conflicts in Kant’s Account of the Right to Go to War The Unjust Enemy Kant’s Society of Nations: Free Federation or World Republic? Moving Beyond Nationalism: Constitutional Patriotism and Cosmopolitan Enthusiasm in Kant Conclusion: A Theory for our Times Notes Bibliography Index

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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 *

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