Philosophical traditions and schools of thought Books

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Book SynopsisNietzsche's Ecce Homo was published posthumously in 1908, eight years after his death, and has been variously described ever since as useless, mad, or merely inscrutable. Against this backdrop, Nicholas D. More provides the first complete and compelling analysis of the work, and argues that this so-called autobiography is instead a satire. This form enables Nietzsche to belittle bad philosophy by comic means, attempt reconciliation with his painful past, review and unify his disparate works, insulate himself with humor from the danger of 'looking into abysses', and establish wisdom as a special kind of 'good taste'. After showing how to read this much-maligned book, More argues that Ecce Homo presents the best example of Nietzsche making sense of his own intellectual life, and that its unique and complex parody of traditional philosophy makes a powerful case for reading Nietzsche as a philosophical satirist across his corpus.Trade Review'This book-length study of Nietzsche's final book, his venture into autobiography, mounts a persuasive argument. More demonstrates not only that Ecce Homo, that problematic stepchild of Nietzsche studies (by turns and at once, self-glorifying and self-parodying), is a masterful work of satire, but that all of Nietzsche's corpus after Die Geburt der Tragödie can effectively and profitably be read, following the lead of this final book, as satire …' Daniel T. O'Hara, German QuarterlyTable of ContentsPrologue; Part I. What is Ecce Homo?: Introduction; 1. Nietzsche deigns to read himself; 2. A question of genre; Part II. What is the Meaning of Ecce Homo?: 3. Ecce Homo as satire: analysis and commentary; Part III. What is the Significance of Ecce Homo?: Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisPublished in 1797, the Doctrine of Right is Kant's most significant contribution to legal and political philosophy. This commentary analyzes Kant's system of individual rights and guides readers through the most difficult passages of the Doctrine, explaining Kant's terminology, method and ideas in the light of his intellectual environment.Table of ContentsIntroduction and methods of interpretation; 1. The idea of the juridical state and the postulate of public law; 2. The state of nature and the three leges; Appendix. Iustitia tutatrix, iustitia commutativa, and iustitia distributiva and their differences; 3. The right to freedom; 4. The permissive law in the Doctrine of Right; 5. The external mine and thine; 6. Intelligible possession of land; 7. The 'state in the idea'; 8. The state in reality; 9. International and cosmopolitan law; 10. The 'idea of public law' and its limits; 11. Contract law I. Why must I keep my promise?; 12. Contract law II. Kant's table of contracts; 13. Criminal punishment; 14. The human being as a person; Appendix I. On the logic of 'ought' implies 'can'; Appendix II. The system of rules of imputation; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisArthur Schopenhauer's The Two Fundamental Problems of Ethics (1841) consists of two groundbreaking essays: 'On the Freedom of the Will' and 'On the Basis of Morals'. The essays make original contributions to ethics and display Schopenhauer's erudition, prose-style and flair for philosophical controversy, as well as philosophical views that contrast sharply with the positions of both Kant and Nietzsche. Written accessibly, they do not presuppose the intricate metaphysics which Schopenhauer constructs elsewhere. This is the first English translation of these works to re-unite both essays in one volume. It offers a new translation by Christopher Janaway, together with an introduction, editorial notes on Schopenhauer's vocabulary and the different editions of his essays, a chronology of his life, a bibliography, and a glossary of names.Table of ContentsGeneral editor's preface; Introduction; Notes on the text and translation; Chronology; The Two Fundamental Problems of Ethics; Preface to the first edition; Preface to the second edition; Prize Essay On the Freedom of the Will; Prize Essay On the Basis of Morals; Variants in different editions; Glossary of names; Index.

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Book SynopsisProvides a comprehensive presentation of the philosophical work of the fifteenth-century Renaissance thinker Giovanni Pico della Mirandola. In essays specially commissioned for this book, a distinguished group of scholars presents the central topics and texts of Pico's literary output.Table of Contents1. Introduction M. V. Dougherty; 2. Pico on the relationship of rhetoric and philosophy Jill Kraye; 3. Pico, theology, and the church Paul Richard Blum; 4. Pico della Mirandola's philosophy of religion Michael Sudduth; 5. The birth day of Venus: Pico as platonic exegete in the Commento and the Heptaplus Michael J. B. Allen; 6. Three precursors to Pico della Mirandola's Roman disputation and the question of human nature in the Oratio M. V. Dougherty; 7. Pico on magic and astrology Sheila J. Rabin; 8. Pico's quest for all knowledge Carl N. Still; 9. A philosophical life Francesco Borghesi.

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Book SynopsisThis work examines the unique way in which Benedict de Spinoza (1632â77) combines two significant philosophical principles: that real existence requires causal power and that geometrical objects display exceptionally clearly how things have properties in virtue of their essences. Valtteri Viljanen argues that underlying Spinoza's psychology and ethics is a compelling metaphysical theory according to which each and every genuine thing is an entity of power endowed with an internal structure akin to that of geometrical objects. This allows Spinoza to offer a theory of existence and of action - human and non-human alike - as dynamic striving that takes place with the same kind of necessity and intelligibility that pertain to geometry. Viljanen's fresh and original study will interest a wide range of readers in Spinoza studies and early modern philosophy more generally.Trade Review'Viljanen rescues Spinoza's metaphysics from interpreters who push too hard in domesticating his radical ideas. In building his interpretation, he makes excellent use not only of Spinoza's text, but also of scholarship in medieval philosophy and contemporary metaphysics. The breadth and depth of his study are impressive.' Charlie Huenemann, Utah State University'In this book, Valtteri Viljanen develops a very lucid study of the fundamental role the concept of power plays in Spinoza's system … Viljanen's book is one of the best books on Spinoza's metaphysics written in English since [A] Study of Spinoza's Ethics, published by Bennett in 1984. Moreover, like Bennett's book, Viljanen's is such that even though one can disagree (or agree) with its thesis as much as one likes, clearly this is a work that cannot be ignored.' Mogens Lærke, translated from Archives de PhilosophieTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Spinoza on being; 2. Causation and geometry; 3. Power, existence, activity; 4. The derivation of the conatus doctrine; 5. The meaning of the conatus doctrine; 6. Geometrical dynamics of individuality; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThis volume brings to English readers the finest postwar German-language scholarship on Kant's moral and legal philosophy. Examining Kant's relation to predecessors such as Hutcheson, Wolff, and Baumgarten, it clarifies the central issues in each of Kant's major works in practical philosophy, including The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, The Critique of Practical Reason, and The Metaphysics of Morals. It also examines the relation of Kant's philosophy to politics. Collectively, the essays in this volume provide English readers with a direct view of how leading German philosophers are now regarding Kant's revolutionary practical philosophy, one of the outstanding achievements of German thought.Table of Contents1. Introduction Karl Ameriks and Otfried Höffe; Part I. Early Conceptions: 2. Hutcheson and Kant Dieter Henrich; 3. The theory of obligation in Wolff, Baumgarten, and the early Kant Clemens Schwaiger; Part II. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals: 4. What is the purpose of a metaphysics of morals? Some observations on the preface to the groundwork of the metaphysics of morals Ludwig Siep; 5. The transition from common rational to philosophical rational moral knowledge in the groundwork Dieter Schönecker; 6. Reason practical in its own right Gerold Prauss; 7. Kant's justification of the role of maxims in ethics Michael Albrecht; Part III. Critique of Practical Reason: 8. The form of the maxim as the determining ground of the will (critique of practical reason, §§ 4-6, 27-30) Otfried Höffe; 9. On the concept of an object of pure practical reason (chapter two of the analytic of practical reason) Annemarie Pieper; 10. The dialectic of pure practical reason in the second critique (cprr 107-121) Eckart Förster; 11. The postulates of pure practical reason Friedo Ricken; Part IV. Legal and Political Philosophy: 12. On how to acquire something external, and especially on the right to things (a commentary on the metaphysics of morals §§ 10-17) Kristian Kühl; 13. 'The civil constitution in a republican state shall be a republican one' Wolfgang Kersting; 14. Commentary on Kant's treatment of constitutional right (metaphysics of morals II: general remark A, §§ 51-52; conclusion, appendix) Bernd Ludwig; 15. Refusing sovereign power - the relation between politics and philosophy in the modern age Volker Gerhardt.

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Book SynopsisThis rich study explores the elements of Hegel's social and political thought that are most relevant to our society today. Combating the prevailing post-World War II stereotype of Hegel as a proto-fascist, Charles Taylor argues that Hegel aimed not to deny the rights of individuality but to synthesise them with the intrinsic good of community membership. Hegel's goal of a society of free individuals whose social activity is expressive of who they are seems an even more distant goal now, and Taylor's discussion has renewed relevance for our increasingly globalised and industrialised society. This classic work is presented in a fresh series livery for the twenty-first century with a specially commissioned new preface written by Frederick Neuhouser.Trade Review'The book's format is very attractive and useful. In addition to an editorial introduction and author's preface, there are biographical notes on Hegel. Furthermore, a detailed bibliography and an index enhance this rather stimulating and meaningful contribution to Hegelian scholarship.' German Studies Review'The best book published in English to recommend as a secondary source for students.' Teaching PhilosophyTable of ContentsEditor's introduction; Preface to this edition Frederick Neuhouser; Preface; Abbreviations; 1. Freedom, reason and nature; 2. Politics and alienation; 3. The issue of freedom; Biographical note; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn western philosophy today, the three leading approaches to normative ethics are those of Kantian ethics, virtue ethics and utilitarianism. In recent years the debate between Kantian ethicists and virtue ethicists has assumed an especially prominent position. The twelve newly commissioned essays in this volume, by leading scholars in both traditions, explore key aspects of each approach as related to the debate, and identify new common ground but also real and lasting differences between these approaches. The volume provides a rich overview of the continuing debate between two powerful forms of enquiry, and will be valuable for a wide range of students and scholars working in these fields.Trade Review"...contributions to Perfecting Virtue are interesting and well-written, and for that reason alone the essays are worth reading. The primary value and relevance of the book however, lies less with the individual contributions, than with the combined effect of these essays on the reader..." --Carsten Fogh Nielsen, Ph.D., University of Aarhus, Metapsychology Online ReviewsTable of ContentsContributors; Method of citing Aristotle's works; Method of citing Kant's works; Introduction; 1. Virtue ethics in relation to Kantian ethics: an opinionated overview and commentary Marcia Baron; 2. What does the Aristotelian Phronimos know? Rosalind Hursthouse; 3. Kant and agent-oriented ethics Allen Wood; 4. The difference that ends make Barbara Herman; 5. Two pictures of practical thinking Talbot Brewer; 6. Moving beyond Kant's account of agency in the Grounding Julian Wuerth; 7. A Kantian conception of human flourishing Lara Denis; 8. Kantian perfectionism Paul Guyer; 9. Aristotle, the Stoics, and Kant on anger Nancy Sherman; 10. Kant's impartial virtues of love Christine Swanton; 11. The problem we all have with deontology Michael Slote; 12. Intuition, system, and the 'paradox' of deontology Timothy Chappell; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book contains a new interpretation of the ontological argument in Leibniz and Descartes and develops a necessitarian interpretation of Leibniz in which his central modal concepts are grounded. It will appeal to scholars of early modern philosophy and philosophers interested in modal metaphysics and the philosophy of religion.Trade Review'… provides an interesting and thought-provoking revision to the ontological argument, understood not as a logical demonstration but as a search for the (not strictly logical) reasons grounding God's existence. Griffin's book is admirably clear and concise and should be accessible to advanced students and scholars of any field.' Larry M. Jorgensen, International Journal for Philosophy of ReligionTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Descartes's arguments for God's existence; 2. The ontological argument, the principle of sufficient reason and Leibniz's doctrine of striving possibles; 3. Necessitarianism in Spinoza and Leibniz; 4. Leibniz on compossibility and possible worlds; 5. Molina on divine foreknowledge; 6. Leibniz on middle knowledge; 7. Leibniz on God's knowledge of counterfactuals.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the forgotten philosophical and conceptual origins of aesthetics in eighteenth-century Germany. It offers fresh perspectives on Kantian aesthetics and will appeal to students and scholars who are interested in the history of aesthetics and the beginnings of the German aesthetic tradition.Trade Review'Readers will learn much about Wolff and his school from Buchenau's engaging narrative and impeccable scholarship.' Journal of the History of PhilosophyTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Wolff and the modern debate on a method of invention; 2. Wolff on the pleasure of invention; 3. Leibniz and Wolff on invention: hieroglyphs, images and poetry; 4. Poetry as revelation: Bodmer, Breitinger, Gottsched on the imitation of nature; 5. Invention, judgement, literary criticism; 6. The rhetorical shift: Baumgarten's founding of aesthetics in the Meditationes philosophicae; 7. Baumgarten's Aesthetica. Topics and the modern ars inveniendi; 8. Aesthetics and anthropology; 9. Aesthetics and ethics; 10. 'A general heuristic is impossible'. Kant and the Wolffian ars inveniendi; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisBringing together an international and diverse team of authors, this book makes use of cutting-edge research to provide new perspectives on Spinoza's masterpiece, addressing issues including identity, rationality, and freedom. The volume will appeal to scholars and students of modern philosophy, metaphysics, and Jewish thought.Trade Review'This new Cambridge Critical Guide to Spinoza's Ethics offers an extensive, thought-provoking, and up-to-date state of the scholarly conversation that surrounds one of Spinoza's most studied masterpieces.' Journal of the History of PhilosophyTable of ContentsIntroduction Yitzhak Y. Melamed; 1. The indiscernability of identicals and the transitivity of identity in Spinoza's logic of the attributes Don Garrett; 2. Spinoza and Maimonides on teleology and anthropocentrism Warren Zev Harvey; 3. Two puzzles about thought and identity in Spinoza John Morrison; 4. Spinoza and the mark of the mental Martin Lin; 5. The 'physical' interlude Alison Peterman; 6. The causes of our belief in free will: Spinoza on necessary, 'innate', yet false, cognition Yitzhak Melamed; 7. Conatus John Carriero; 8. Scientia intuitiva in the Ethics Kristin Primus; 9. Causa conscientiae' in Spinoza's Ethics Lia Levy; 10. Spinoza on the association of affects and the workings of the human mind Lisa Shapiro; 11. The terminology of the affects in Ethics parts three through five Pina Totaro; 12. Moral realism in Spinoza's Ethics Colin Marshall; 13. Spinoza and the metaphysics of perfection Samuel Newlands; 14. The free man and the free market: ethics, politics, and economics in Spinoza's Ethics IV Beth Lord; 15. Spinoza and the power of reason Michael LeBuffe.

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Book SynopsisJohn Cottingham's much acclaimed translation of Descartes's philosophical masterpiece, Meditations on First Philosophy, is now presented in a facing-page edition alongside Descartes's original Latin text. The invaluable dual-language format, long valued by students and readers of ancient classical literature, is now available for this essential text of the early modern period.Table of ContentsPhilosophical introduction to the Meditations; Textual and linguistic introduction; Descartes, Meditationes/Meditations Latin text with English translation.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1923, this volume contains Descartes' Discours de la méthode in the original French. A short editorial introduction in English is also included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the works of Descartes and the development of rationalism.Table of ContentsNote; Discours de la méthode.

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Book SynopsisThis volume contains the first facing-page German-English edition of Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. It presents an authentic edition of the German text and a carefully revised version of Mary Gregor's acclaimed English translation, as well as editorial notes and a full bilingual index.Trade Review'It has taken more than two centuries, but at last we have a bilingual edition of the most important work in modern moral philosophy. On the left is the most authentic and accurate edition of Kant's original text currently available; on the right is a respectfully revised version of Mary Gregor's canonical translation of the Groundwork that makes her fine work even more precise. This is by far the best edition of the Groundwork for English-speaking students and scholars that has ever been produced.' Paul Guyer, University of Pennsylvania'Anybody studying Kant's celebrated Groundwork will want to use Jens Timmermann's new facing-page edition. The constant need to refer to and fro between text and translation, with differing pagination and conventions, is over. Here we have German and English on facing pages and high reliability and fluency in the translation.' Onora O'Neill, University of Cambridge'Jens Timmermann's idea and effort to provide a German-English edition of Kant's Groundwork cannot be applauded enough. Just as those who in principle can read Latin will be grateful to have a translation at hand that will help them through the text, readers of Kant's Groundwork will be grateful to be provided an edition that allows them to compare the original text on the left side with its translation on the right, line by line … it is to be hoped that this book finds many readers, both in introductory and advanced classes. Bilingual editions are a very important enterprise, and Timmermann deserves the highest praise for introducing such an edition for English-speaking Kant research.' Archiv für Geschichte der PhilosophieTable of ContentsAcknowledgements; Introductory note: text and translation; Kant: Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals: Vorrede Preface; Erster Abschnitt First section; Zweyter Abschnitt Second section; Dritter Abschnitt Third section; Editorial notes; Index.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1914, this book examines the French Voluntarist school of philosophy and the key ways in which it differs from the Pragmatists. Stebbing argues that Voluntarism and Pragmatism both prove inadequate in their definition of truth, and suggests that an acknowledgment of the 'non-existential character of truth' is needed. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in philosophy.Table of ContentsPreface; Part. Introduction; Part II. The Nature of French Voluntaristic Philosophy: 1. Spiritualistic activism; 2. M. Bergson's theory of intuition and the notion of truth in the 'new philosophy'; 3. The notion of truth; 4. The neo-criticism of Renouvier; 5. The 'philosophie des idées-forces'; Part III. Conclusion: 1. The summing up of French voluntarism; 2. The nature of truth and its criterion; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisIn his quest to solve 'the ever-disquieting riddle of existence', Schopenhauer explored almost every dimension of human existence, developing a darkly compelling worldview that found deep resonance in contemporary literature, music, philosophy, and psychology. This is the first comprehensive biography of Schopenhauer written in English. Placing him in his historical and philosophical contexts, David E. Cartwright tells the story of Schopenhauer's life to convey the full range of his philosophy. He offers a fully documented portrait in which he explores Schopenhauer's fractured family life, his early formative influences, his critical loyalty to Kant, his personal interactions with Fichte and Goethe, his ambivalent relationship with Schelling, his contempt for Hegel, his struggle to make his philosophy known, and his reaction to his late-arriving fame.Trade Review'Dozens more biographies have appeared … but David Cartwright's is the most thorough by far.' The Times Literary Supplement'Cartwright does not shy away from presenting Schopenhauer's flaws as well as his good points … Perhaps the most attractive features of Schopenhauer are his passion for the truth, his hatred of obscurantism, and the grace, humor, and clarity of his writing. Cartwright's biography honors its subject by sharing in all these virtues.' Journal of the History of PhilosophyTable of Contents1. The affirmation of the will; 2. A tour for a trade; 3. A father's death, a philosopher's birth; 4. The university years; 5. The better consciousness, causes, grounds, and confrontations; 6. Goethe, colors, and eastern lights; 7. The single thought of Dresden; 8. Failure in Berlin; 9. Ich bin kein Berliner; 10. The Frankfurt philosopher; 11. The dawn of fame and the end of life.

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Book SynopsisOf all the thinkers of the century of genius that inaugurated modern philosophy, none lived an intellectual life more rich and varied than Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646â1716). Maria Rosa Antognazza's pioneering biography provides a unified portrait of this unique thinker and the world from which he came. At the centre of the huge range of Leibniz's apparently miscellaneous endeavours, Antognazza reveals a single master project lending unity to his extraordinarily multifaceted life's work. Throughout the vicissitudes of his long life, Leibniz tenaciously pursued the dream of a systematic reform and advancement of all the sciences. As well as tracing the threads of continuity that bound these theoretical and practical activities to this all-embracing plan, this illuminating study also traces these threads back into the intellectual traditions of the Holy Roman Empire in which Leibniz lived and throughout the broader intellectual networks that linked him to patrons in countries as distaTrade ReviewReviews of the hardback: This is a superbly crafted and exhaustively researched account of the development of Leibniz's thought … It is an extraordinary achievement, for the task of writing an intellectual biography of Leibniz is huge. This is a work of unparalleled scholarship that is certain to remain the standard source on its subject for many years to come.' Journal of the History of Philosophy'Maria Rosa Antognazza's biography fills, splendidly, one of the major gaps in the literature on Leibniz. It is a magisterial scholarly biography, richly documented with copious citations of the original texts now available.' The Leibniz Review'A meticulously researched and eloquently written biography that will be both an indispensable reference for scholars of Leibniz's thought and the definitive account of his intellectual development for many years to come.' Canadian Journal of History'A scholarly tour de force … I regard [Antognazza's] work as a monumental and lasting contribution to Leibniz scholarship, one that will be read by every serious student of Leibniz.' Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews'Antognazza richly fulfils the reader's hope of having received the definitive intellectual biography of Leibniz for our time.' The Heythrop Journal'An intellectual biography that is faultless from all points of view and places Leibniz's thought very precisely in the philosophical, scientific, political and theological context of his time.' Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review'A biography of the greatest value which manages to be an indispensable tool for specialists and, at the same time, a wide-ranging introduction to be recommended to those who approach for the first time the thought of such a complex philosopher.' Giornale Critico della Filosofia Italiana'This is an impressive work, written in a flowing narrative that even someone not versed in calculus, natural history, theology or philosophy will find enthralling.' Reference and Research Book News'[Antognazza] has re-evaluated all the sources and constructed a lively and thoroughly documented story that is unlikely to be seriously challenged, even on matters of detail. She has also done her best to turn the facts of this life-that-was-not-one into a coherent narrative.' London Review of Books'… extensive and detailed … the unique feature of this book is that it provides clear and interesting details about his mathematical research and the later dipute over priority with the Newtonians.' Zentralblatt MATH'… the book is first-rate; the level of detail and its relation to Leibniz's various intellectual projects is appropriate and useful. For early modern scholars, this biography will serve as a vital reference work.' HistoryTable of ContentsPart I. Youthful Vocations (1646–76): 1. The birth of a vision: background, childhood, and education (July 1646–March 1667); 2. The vision broadens: Nuremberg, Frankfurt, and Mainz (March 1667–March 1672); 3. Old wine in new bottles: Paris, London, and Holland (March 1672–December 1676); Part II. Dreams and Reality (1676–1716): 4. A universal genius as librarian, historian, and mining engineer: Hanover and Lower Saxony (December 1676–October 1687); 5. In the footsteps of the Guelfs: southern Germany, Austria, and Italy (November 1687–June 1690); 6. Back under the Guelf Dukes: Hanover and Wolfenbüttel (June 1690–February 1698); 7. Between brother and sister: Hanover and Berlin (February 1698–February 1705); 8. Light and shadows: Hanover, Berlin, Wolfenbüttel, Vienna (February 1705–September 1714); 9. Epilogue: last years in Hanover (September 1714–November 1716).

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Book SynopsisThis study of the emergence of a psychology of the 'unconscious' in the Romantic period provides a fascinating account of the rise and role of the 'unconscious' in modernity. It draws together interdisciplinary research that will appeal to readers from psychology, psychoanalysis, philosophy, Romanticism and intellectual history.Trade Review'… persuasive, well argued and intellectually ambitious - this is an impressive piece of work.' Matthew Bell, King's College London'… an impressive contribution to the history of philosophy and the history of psychoanalysis.' John Forrester, University of Cambridge'It has long been recognised that Freud did not discover the unconscious and that the modern concept originated in philosophy not psychology. In his meticulous work, Ffytche traces the concept back to the German idealist philosopher Friedrich Schelling. Most original is the argument that the concept served a political function: to confer moral autonomy on the individual. Brilliant.' Robert A. Segal, The Times Higher Education Supplement'Ffytche's excellent book sets a new standard for philosophically sensitive historical writing on the concept of the unconscious.' Tom Eyers, Radical Philosophy'A thoughtful and intricate historiography of the unconscious … Ffytche's study will be useful to researchers and postgraduates engaged in contemporary theoretical speculations about the relationship between concepts of subjectivity, political life and the legacy of the Enlightenment.' BooknotesTable of ContentsIntroduction: the historiography of the unconscious; Part I. The Subject before the Unconscious: 1. A general science of the I: Fichte and the crisis of self-identification; 2. Natural autonomy: Schelling and the divisions of freedom; Part II. The Romantic Unconscious: 3. Divining the individual: towards a metaphysics of the unconscious; 4. The historical unconscious; 5. Post-idealism and the Romantic psyche; Part III. The Psychoanalytic Unconscious: 6. Freud: the Geist in the machine; 7. The liberal unconscious; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThis book gives readers at all levels access to a vastly influential text of modern philosophy, Rousseau's Second Discourse. Neuhouser evaluates and reconstructs Rousseau's arguments on why economic inequalities are so common in society and the dangers they pose to human well-being: unhappiness, loss of freedom, immorality, conflict, and alienation.Trade Review'For two decades now Frederick Neuhouser has been one of the most brilliant philosophical readers of Rousseau that we have, and his new book offers a masterly reconstruction of the central argument of the Second Discourse. Solid in exposition, tightly argued throughout, and compelling in the details, Neuhouser shows clearly - as so much of the scholarship does not - just what Rousseau's answers in fact were to the two questions he set himself to answer: what is the origin of human inequality, and does it have its foundations in the natural law?' Christopher Brooke, University of Bristol'Neuhouser's penetrating study of Rousseau's Discourse is doubly welcome. First, it serves as a useful reconstruction of the central argument of the Discourse concerning the sources of inequality and its pervasiveness in modern society. Second, his study goes beyond a commentary by actively engaging Rousseau's own critical examination of inequality and showing its relevance for thinking about the economic, social, and political inequalities we continue to face today.' John Scott, University of CaliforniaTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Nature is not the source of social inequality; 2. Amour propre is the source of social inequality; 3. The normative resources of nature; 4. Judging the legitimacy of social inequalities; 5. The contemporary relevance of Rousseau's critique.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides the original text of A Critical Exposition of the Philosophy of Leibniz, which was first published in 1900. The text includes an appendix containing extracts from Leibniz, classified according to subject. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Leibniz and the early philosophy of Russell.Table of Contents1. Leibniz's premisses; 2. Necessary propositions and the law of contradiction; 3. Contingent propositions and the law of sufficient reason; 4. The conception of substance; 5. The identity of indiscernibles and the law of continuity. Possibility and compossibility; 6. Why did Leibniz believe in an external world?; 7. The philosophy of matter: (a) as the outcome of the principles of dynamics; 8. The philosophy of matter (continued), (b) as explaining continuity and extension; 9. The labyrinth of the continuum; 10. The theory of space and time and its relation to monadism; 11. The nature of monads in general; 12. Soul and body; 13. Confused and unconscious perception; 14. Leibniz's theory of knowledge; 15. Proofs of the existence of God; 16. Leibniz's ethics; Appendix.

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Book SynopsisThis book offers an interpretation of Fichte's most famous writings centred on two main themes: property and virtue. It relates Fichte's social and political philosophy to the ideas of such thinkers as Locke and Kant, as well as to the radical phrase of the French Revolution.Trade Review"James’ thoughtful and well-researched book offers a unified approach to such diverse and seemingly unrelated political writings of Fichte as the 1796-1797 Foundations of Natural Right (FNR), the much neglected 1800 The Closed Commercial State (CCS) and the 1808 Addresses to the German Nation (AGN)...." – KienHow Goh, Independent Scholar, Philosophy in Review"....the importance of German idealism and Fichte's influence upon the creation of the German nation make the book interesting to readers who otherwise read more general or political history..." --Wouter-Jan Oosten, Sociotext Foundation, The Netherlands, Canadian Journal of HistoryTable of Contents1. Fichte's theory of property; 2. Applying the concept of right: Fichte and Babeuf; 3. Fichte's reappraisal of Kant's theory of cosmopolitan right; 4. The relation of right to morality in Fichte's Jena theory of the state and society; 5. The role of virtue in the Addresses to the German Nation.

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Book SynopsisIn this two-volume work of 1843, John Stuart Mill (180673) establishes the principles of inductive reasoning and experimental method that inform his later works of political and social philosophy. Volume 2 includes Book VI, 'On the Logic of the Moral Sciences', an important early treatment of social science.Table of ContentsBook III. On Induction (continued): 14. Of the limits to the explanation of laws of nature; and of hypotheses; 15. Of progressive effects; and of the continued action of causes; 16. Of empirical laws; 17. Of chance, and its elimination; 18. Of the calculation of chances; 19. Of the extension of derivative laws to adjacent cases; 20. Of analogy; 21. Of the evidence of the law of universal causation; 22. Of uniformities of co-existence not dependent upon causation; 23. Of approximate generalizations, and probable evidence; 24. Of the remaining laws of nature; 25. Of the grounds of disbelief; Book IV. Of Operations Subsidiary to Induction: 1. Of observation, and description; 2. Of abstraction, of the formation of conceptions; 3. Of naming, as subsidiary to induction; 4. Of the requisites of a philosophical language; and the principles of definition; 5. Of the natural history of the variations in the meaning of terms; 6. The principles of a philosophical language further considered; 7. Of classification, as subsidiary to induction; 8. Of classification by series; Book V. On Fallacies: 1. Of fallacies in general; 2. Classification of fallacies; 3. Fallacies of simple inspection, or à priori fallacies; 4. Fallacies of observation; 5. Fallacies of generalization; 6. Fallacies of ratiocination; 7. Fallacies of confusion; Book VI. On the Logic of the Moral Sciences: 1. Introductory remarks; 2. Of liberty and necessity; 3. That there is, or may be, a science of human nature; 4. Of the laws of mind; 5. Of ethology, or the science of the formation of character; 6. General considerations on the social science; 7. Of the chemical, or experimental method in the social science; 8. Of the geometrical, or abstract method; 9. Of the physical, or concrete deductive method; 10. Of the inverse deductive, or historical method; 11. Of the logic of practice, or art; including morality and policy.

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Book SynopsisEckermann's recollections of his conversations with Goethe during the last nine years of his life were originally published in three volumes in Germany in 1836 and 1848. This two-volume English edition, published in 1850, helped to reawaken interest in Goethe. Volume 1 covers the period from 1822 to 1827.Table of ContentsTranslator's preface; Author's preface; Introduction; 1822–7.

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Book SynopsisEckermann's recollections of his conversations with Goethe during the last nine years of his life were originally published in three volumes in Germany in 1836 and 1848. This two-volume English edition, published in 1850, helped to reawaken interest in Goethe. Volume 2 covers 1827 to 1832.Table of Contents1827–32; Index.

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Book SynopsisRemembered for a mind 'most difficult to describe in its powers, its strangeness, its uniqueness', William Clifford (184579) integrated mathematics, ethics and evolution in this two-volume work of 1879, a posthumous collection of public addresses and writings edited by Leslie Stephen and Frederick Pollock.Table of ContentsIntroduction: 1. Biographical; 2. Selections from letters, etc.; 3. Bibliographical; Lectures and Essays: 1. On some of the conditions of mental development; 2. On theories of the physical forces; 3. On the aims and instruments of scientific thought; 4. Atoms; 5. The first and last catastrophe; 6. The unseen universe; 7. The philosophy of the pure sciences.

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Book SynopsisRemembered for a mind 'most difficult to describe in its powers, its strangeness, its uniqueness', William Clifford (184579) integrated mathematics, ethics and evolution in this two-volume work of 1879, a posthumous collection of public addresses and writings edited by Leslie Stephen and Frederick Pollock.Table of ContentsLectures and Essays continued: 8. Instruments used in measurement; 9. Body and mind; 10. On the nature of things-in-themselves; 11. On the types of compound statement involving four classes; 12. On the scientific basis of morals; 13. Right and wrong: the scientific ground of their distinction; 14. The ethics of belief; 15. The ethics of religion; 16. The influence upon morality of a decline in religious belief; Cosmic emotion; Virchow on the teaching of science.

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Book SynopsisReissued here in its corrected second edition of 1864, this essay by John Stuart Mill (1806â73) argues for a utilitarian theory of morality. Originally printed as a series of three articles in Fraser's Magazine in 1861, the work sought to refine the 'greatest happiness' principle that had been championed by Jeremy Bentham (1748â1832), defending it from common criticisms, and offering a justification of its validity. Following Bentham, Mill holds that actions can be judged as right or wrong depending on whether they promote happiness or 'the reverse of happiness'. Although attracted by Bentham's consequentialist framework based on empirical evidence rather than intuition, Mill separates happiness into 'higher' and 'lower' pleasures, arguing for a weighted system of measurement when making and judging decisions. Dissected and debated since its first appearance, the essay is Mill's key discussion on the topic and remains a fundamental text in the study of ethics.Table of Contents1. General remarks; 2. What utilitarianism is; 3. Of the ultimate sanction of the principle of utility; 4. Of that sort of proof the principle of utility is susceptible; 5. Of the connexion between justice and utility.

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Book SynopsisA new translation of Schopenhauer's collection of popular philosophical essays, featuring a substantial introduction explaining the context of the essays, and extensive editorial notes on the different published versions of the work. Essential for those studying Schopenhauer, the history of philosophy, and nineteenth-century German philosophy.Trade Review'This latest installment in the Cambridge Edition of the Works of Schopenhauer is a very welcome appearance for the English-speaking scholarly world.' Dennis Vanden Auweele, Philosophischer LiteraturanzeigerTable of ContentsGeneral editor's preface; Editorial notes and references; Introduction; Notes on text and translation; Chronology; Bibliography; Parerga and Paralipomena, Volume 2: Sporadic yet systematically ordered thoughts on multifarious topics; 1. On philosophy and its method; 2. On logic and dialectic; 3. Some thoughts concerning the intellect in general and in every respect; 4. Some observations on the antithesis of the thing in itself and the appearance; 5. Some words on pantheism; 6. On philosophy and natural science; 7. On colour theory; 8. On ethics; 9. On jurisprudence and politics; 10. On the doctrine of the indestructibility of our true essence by death; 11. Additional remarks on the doctrine of the nothingness of existence; 12. Additional remarks on the doctrine of the suffering of the world; 13. On suicide; 14. Additional remarks on the doctrine of the affirmation and negation of the will to life; 15. On religion; 16. Some remarks on Sanskrit literature; 17. Some archaeological observations; 18. Some mythological observations; 19. On the metaphysics of the beautiful and aesthetics; 20. On judgment, criticism, approbation and fame; 21. On learning and the learned; 22. Thinking for oneself; 23. On writing and style; 24. On reading and books; 25. On language and words; 26. Psychological remarks; 27. On women; 28. On education; 29. On physiognomy; 30. On noise and sounds; 31. Similes, parables and fables; Some verses; Versions of Schopenhauer's text; Glossary of names; Index.

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Book SynopsisWhy did Greek philosophy begin in the sixth century BCE? Why did Indian philosophy begin at about the same time? Why did the earliest philosophy take the form that it did? Why was this form so similar in Greece and India? And how do we explain the differences between them? These questions can only be answered by locating the philosophical intellect within its entire societal context, ignoring neither ritual nor economy. The cities of Greece and northern India were in this period distinctive also by virtue of being pervasively monetised. The metaphysics of both cultures is marked by the projection (onto the cosmos) and the introjection (into the inner self) of the abstract, all-pervasive, quasi-omnipotent, impersonal substance embodied in money (especially coinage). And in both cultures this development accompanied the interiorisation of the cosmic rite of passage (in India sacrifice, in Greece mystic initiation).Trade Review'… this is an insightful and interesting contribution to the literature.' G. J. Reece, ChoiceTable of ContentsPart I. Introductory: 1. Summary; 2. Explanations; Part II. The Earliest Texts: 3. Sacrifice and reciprocity in the earliest texts; 4. Self, society, and universe in the earliest texts; Part III. Unified Self, Monism, And Cosmic Cycle in India: 5. The economics of sacrifice; 6. Inner self and universe; 7. The powerful individual; 8. The formation of monism; 9. The hereafter; 10. Reincarnation and karma; Part IV. Unified Self, Monism, And Cosmic Cycle in Greece: 11. Psuchē and the interiorisation of mystery-cult; 12. Monism and inner self; 13. Money and the inner self in Greece; 14. Community and individual; 15. Plato; Part V. Conclusion: 16. The complex imagining of universe and inner self; 17. Ritual, money, society and metaphysics.

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Book SynopsisA History of Modern Aesthetics focuses on the ideas that aesthetic experience is important because it is a form of cognition, because of its emotional impact, and because of the sheer pleasure of the free play of our mental powers triggered by works of art and nature. The work focuses on both the best-known and lesser-known aestheticians of modern times.Table of ContentsPart I. German Aesthetics in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century: 1. Early Romanticism and idealism; 2. In the shadow of Schelling; 3. The high tide of idealism; 4. In the wake of Hegel; Part II. (Mostly) British Aesthetics in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century: 5. Ruskin; 6. Aestheticism; 7. Bosanquet and Tolstoy; Part III. German Aesthetics in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century: 8. In the shadow of Schopenhauer; 9. Neo-Kantian aesthetics; 10. Psychological aesthetics: play and empathy.

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Book SynopsisMedieval theology had an important influence on later philosophy which is visible in the empiricisms of Russell, Carnap, and Quine. Other thinkers, including McDowell, Kripke, and Dennett, show how we can overcome the distorting effects of that theological ecosystem on our accounts of the nature of reality and our relationship to it. In a different philosophical tradition, Hegel uses a secularized version of Christianity to argue for a kind of human knowledge that overcomes the influences of late-medieval voluntarism, and some twentieth-century thinkers, including Benjamin and Derrida, instead defend a Jewish-influenced notion of the religious sublime. Frank B. Farrell analyzes and connects philosophers of different eras and traditions to show that modern philosophy has developed its practices on a terrain marked out by earlier theological and religious ideas, and considers how different philosophers have both embraced, and tried to escape from, those deep-seated patterns of thought.Trade Review'This wide-ranging and fascinating book should be required reading for anyone who is interested in placing twentieth-century philosophy in intellectual history, not just the history of philosophy.' John McDowell, University of PittsburghTable of ContentsAcknowledgments; Introduction: the thinning out of the world; 1. Empiricism and theology; 2. John McDowell: rejecting the defensive move inward; 3. Aristotle redivivus: on Saul Kripke; 4. Hegel, theology, and Pippin's reading of Hegel; 5. Walter Benjamin: incarnation or radical incommensurability?; 6. Rolling back the Protestant Reformation: Wittgenstein and Dennett; 7. McDowell (II): active and passive faculties and the theological framework; 8. Derrida, the religion of the sublime, and the messianic; 9. Literature today and the sublime absence of aesthetic experience; 10. Where do we go from here?; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis Element surveys the place of the Critique of Pure Reason in Kant''s overall philosophical project and describes and analyzes the main arguments of the work. It also surveys the developments in Kant''s thought that led to the first critique, and provides an account of the genesis of the book during the ''silent decade'' of its composition in the 1770s based on Kant''s handwritten notes from the period.Table of Contents1. The Argument of the Critique; 2. The Message of the Critique; 3. Kant's Development Toward the Critique; 4. The Genesis of the Critique Itself; 5. Kant's Defense and Revision of the Critique; Further Reading.

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Book SynopsisThe eighty-five Federalist essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison as ''Publius'' to support the ratification of the Constitution in 178788 are regarded as the preeminent American contribution to Western political theory. Recently, there have been major developments in scholarship on the Revolutionary and Founding era as well as increased public interest in constitutional matters that make this a propitious moment to reflect on the contributions and complexity of The Federalist. This volume of specially commissioned essays covers the broad scope of ''Publius'' work, including historical, political, philosophical, juridical, and moral dimensions. In so doing, they bring the design and arguments of the text into focus for twenty-first century scholars, students, and citizens and show how these diverse treatments of The Federalist are associated with an array of substantive political and constitutional perspectives in our own time.Trade Review'The chapters in the Companion are balanced and carefully reasoned, covering virtually every subject worthy of serious discussion.' Mark R. Killenbeck, The Journal of Interdisciplinary'The Cambridge Companion to the Federalist shows both the strengths and weaknesses of keeping the focus exclusively on the men in the room and those they read. It does an excellent job of introducing to a wider audience a great shift in thinking about the Constitution and the Federalists …' Andrew Shankman, Project MuseTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Publius and the antifederalists: a satisfactory answer to all the objections? David J. Siemers; 2. John Jay, The Federalist, and the Constitution Queintin P. Taylor; 3. Hamilton on security, war, and revenue Max M. Edling; 4. Reason against passion: institutional balance, international relations, and the law of nations in The Federalist David M. Golove and Daniel J. Hulsebosch; 5. The Federalist's new federalism Michael Zuckert; 6. The political psychology of Publius: reason, interest, and interest in The Federalist Jon Elster; 7. Montesquieu, Hume, Adam Smith, and the philosophical perspective of The Federalist Paul A. Rahe; 8. Madison's republican remedy: the Tenth Federalist and the creation of an impartial republic Alan Gibson; 9. The republicanism of Publius Colleen A. Sheehan; 10. The interests of the man: James Madison's constitutional politics Larry D. Kramer; 11. Politics indoors and out-of-doors: a fault line in Madison's thinking Jack Rakove; 12. 'The cool and deliberate sense of the community': The Federalist on Congress Greg Weiner; 13. Publius on monarchy Eric Nelson; 14. The Federalist and the judiciary William M. Treanor; 15. Publius' political science John Ferejohn and Roderick Hills; 16. The republican form of government in The Federalist Harvey C. Mansfield.

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Book SynopsisSpinoza''s Political Psychologyadvances a novel, comprehensive interpretation of Spinoza''s political writings, exploring how his analysis of psychology informs his arguments for democracy and toleration. Justin Steinberg shows how Spinoza''s political method resembles the Renaissance civic humanism in its view of governance as an adaptive craft that requires psychological attunement. He examines the ways that Spinoza deploys this realist method in the service of empowerment, suggesting that the state can affectively reorient and thereby liberate its citizens, but only if it attends to their actual motivational and epistemic capacities. His book will interest a range of readers in Spinoza studies and the history of political thought, as well as readers working in contemporary political theory.Table of Contents1. Metaphysical psychology and ingenia formation; 2. Eliminating juridical constraints and naturalizing right; 3. The continuity thesis and the aim of government; 4. The politics of hope and fear; 5. Statecraft and the taming of fortune; 6. From superstition and persecution to true religion and toleration; 7. The affective and epistemic cases for democracy; 8. Salvation, eternity, and the state.

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Book SynopsisAlthough a good deal has been written about Kant''s conception of free will in recent years, there has been no serious attempt to examine in detail the development of his views on the topic.This book endeavours to remedy the situation by tracing Kant''s thoughts on free will from his earliest discussions of it in the 1750s through to his last accounts in the 1790s. This developmental approach is of interest for at least two reasons. First, it shows that the path that led Kant to view freedom as a transcendental power that is both radically distinct from and compatible with the causality of nature was a winding one. Second, it indicates that, despite the variety of views of free will that Kant held at various times, the concept occupied a central place in his thought, because it was the point of union between his theoretical and practical philosophy.Trade Review'In terms of scholarship, organization, and clarity this book lives up to the standard Allison established in his previous books, and it is an invaluable resource for scholars of Kant or those interested in the concept of freedom.' S. E. Forschler, Choice'Allison's book is astounding in both breadth and depth. It is a fantastic resource that will likely prove to be essential reading for anyone who wants a deep understanding of Kant's theory of freedom.' Timothy Aylsworth, Journal of the History of PhilosophyTable of Contents1. Kant`s writings of the 1750s and the place in them of the free will issue; 2. Kant`s theoretical philosophy in the early 1760s and its relation to his conception of freedom; 3. Kant`s moral philosophy in the early 1760s; 4. Kant`s dialogue with Rousseau; 5. From the 'great light' to the 'silent decade': Kant`s thoughts on free will from 1769–1780; 6. Kant`s account of free will in the Critique of Pure Reason; 7. From the Critique of Pure Reason to the Groundwork; 8. The fact of reason and freedom in the Critique of Practical Reason; 9. The Critique of the Power of Judgment and the transition from nature to freedom; 10. After the Critique of the Power of Judgment: Kant`s final thoughts on free will.

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Book SynopsisThis updated edition offers a comprehensive, penetrating, and informative guide to what is regarded as the classical period of German philosophy. Kant, Fichte, Hegel, and Schelling are all discussed in detail, along with contemporaries such as Hölderlin, Novalis, and Schopenhauer, whose influence was considerable but whose work is less well known in the English-speaking world. Leading scholars trace and explore the unifying themes of German Idealism and discuss its relationship to Romanticism, the Enlightenment, and the culture of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe. This second edition offers an updated bibliography and includes three entirely new chapters, which address aesthetic reflection and human nature, the chemical revolution after Kant, and organism and system in German Idealism. The result is an illuminating overview of a rich and complex philosophical movement, and will appeal to a wide range of interested readers in philosophy, literature, theology, German studies, and the history of ideas.Trade Review'Each of the already strong existing essays has been updated to reflect the most recent scholarship in the growing field of German idealism and early German Romanticism. The historical arc is most impressive, from Kant and Hegel to often-neglected figures such as Hamann, Herder, Hölderlin, Jacobi, Maimon, Novalis, Reinhold, and Schopenhauer. Ameriks's collection is indispensable for all scholars of the period.' E. Millán, ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction: interpreting German Idealism Karl Ameriks; 1. The Enlightenment and idealism Frederick Beiser; 2. Absolute idealism and the rejection of Kantian dualism Paul Guyer; 3. Kant's practical philosophy Allen W. Wood; 4. Aesthetic reflection and human nature: the Kantian thread in Early German Romanticism Jane Kneller; 5. The aesthetic holism of Hamann, Herder, and Schiller Daniel O. Dahlstrom; 6. All or nothing: systematicity and nihilism in Jacobi, Reinhold, and Maimon Paul Franks; 7. The early philosophy of Fichte and Schelling Rolf-Peter Horstmann; 8. Philosophy and the Chemical Revolution after Kant Michela Massimi; 9. Hölderlin and Novalis Charles Larmore; 10. Hegel's Phenomenology and Logic: an overview Terry Pinkard; 11. Hegel's practical philosophy: the realization of freedom Robert Pippin; 12. Organism and System in German Idealism Rachel Zuckert; 13. German realism: the self-limitation of idealist thinking in Fichte, Schelling, and Schopenhauer Günter Zölle; 14. Politics and the New Mythology: the turn to Late Romanticism Dieter Sturma; 15. German Idealism and the arts Andrew Bowie; 16. The legacy of idealism in the philosophy of Feuerbach, Marx, and Kierkegaard Karl Ameriks.

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Book SynopsisExplores the roles of habit and reflection in Hegel's account of subjective freedom in an objectively rational social order, drawing connections between different parts of Hegel's system and engaging with his Philosophy of Right and Phenomenology of Spirit. This book will interest political philosophers and historians of philosophy.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Habit; 2. Culture; 3. Critique; 4. Science; Works cited; Index.

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