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Book SynopsisA Short History of Decay (1949) is E. M. Cioran''s nihilistic and witty collection of aphoristic essays concerning the nature of civilization in mid 20th-century Europe. Touching upon man''s need to worship, the feebleness of God, the downfall of the Ancient Greeks and the melancholy baseness of all existence, Cioran''s pieces are pessimistic in the extreme, but also display a beautiful certainty that renders them delicate, vivid, and memorable. Illuminating and brutally honest, A Short History of Decay dissects man''s decadence in a remarkable series of moving and beautiful pieces.Trade ReviewTo miss reading this book would be a deprivation * Los Angeles Times *Sheds remarkable light on the literature, culture and politics of the region...anyone coming fresh to the field will be captivated by the richness, variety, humour and pathos of a classic literature that, through a shared historical experience, transcends national and linguistic boundaries. -- CJ Schüler * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisA key to modern studies of 18th century Western philosophy, the Treatise considers numerous classic philosophical issues, including causation, existence, freedom and necessity and morality. This is abridged edition has an introduction which explains Hume's thought and places it in the context of its times.Table of ContentsA Treatise of Human Nature IntroductionSuggestions for Further ReadingA Note on the TextA TREATISE OF HUMAN NATUREAdvertisementThe ContentsIntroductionBook I: Of the UnderstandingBook II: Of the PassionsBook III: Of Morals

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Book SynopsisIn Descartes's Meditations, the thinker rejects all his former beliefs in the quest for new certainties. He develops new conceptions of body and mind to create a new science of nature. This new translation includes a wide-ranging, accessible introduction, notes and full selections from the Objections and Replies.

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Book SynopsisCan we reach the psychotic subject in their delusion? Psychopathological theorists often try to find a way to characterise this subject's inner predicament so that their opaque utterances and actions will now rationally hang together. In this pathbreaking work, philosopher and clinical psychologist Richard G. T. Gipps demonstrates how such efforts at rational retrieval actually result in us setting our face against the psychotic subject in their distress. Bringing together patient memoir, psychopathological observation and philosophical thought, Gipps offers a profound alternative. On the one hand he shows how, by appreciating just why we can't locate rational order within psychotic thought, we can better understand what it is to suffer delusion and psychosis. On the other, he recovers for us the value of such expressive, motivational and symbolic forms of understanding as only become available once we've been turned away at reason's door. In such ways Gipps not only solves the psychTrade Review'What is it for a mind to become ill?' In On Madness, Richard Gipps takes us on a richly textured philosophical and psychological journey showing, in a Wittgensteinian spirit, how delusion, as other psychopathological concepts, have their meaning only 'in the stream of life'. A work of philosophical psychopathology which, in resisting the temptation of definition remains firmly grounded in understanding. * Danièle Moyal-Sharrock, President of the British Wittgenstein Society, Professor of Philosophy, University of Hertfordshire, UK *Gipps’s is a deeply necessary work, because it is the first book of philosophy to take seriously that madness and delusion defy positive definition. For the ground required in order to predicate of the non-sane the kinds of things we can normally take for granted is missing. The desire to say of someone who is suffering the severest forms of strangeness that she thinks such-and-such is typically, Gipps wisely warns us, dangerously over-reaching, running the risk, if doggedly pursued, of being itself a madness of method. This brilliant book retrieves the disturbing, disturbed, difficult reality of psychoses from beneath the layers of motivated metaphysical scientism that have accreted over them. Moreover, Gipps shows how the very failures of the various forms of scientism themselves often take us as close as we can get to understanding the non-sane. * Rupert Read, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of East Anglia, UK *In this fascinating meditation, grounded in the thought of Wittgenstein, Richard Gipps argues that an adequate understanding of madness must first recognize the limits, perhaps even the impossibility, of any such understanding. Psychosis for Gipps is like the God of “negative theology”: indescribable and unknowable, approachable only through negation. His subtle critique of psychiatric and psychological concepts nevertheless illuminates many mysteries that are typically obscured by standard forms of explanation and description. * Louis Sass, Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology, Rutgers University, USA *Richard Gipps has produced a remarkable book that forces us to reconsider the rather easy definitions of madness that we are so easily drawn into, often quite unwittingly. Delusions are not just false beliefs in the house of reason, which might be corrected or easily translated, for reason itself is functioning here in a different way. Gipps has the advantage of being both a clinician and very talented philosopher with a deep understanding of Wittgenstein. This book will appeal both to psychiatrists and psychoanalysts who have an interest in philosophy and to philosophers who will see how examining madness brings fresh new ways of thinking into knowledge, reason and epistemology more generally. * David Bell, Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst, Former President British Psychoanalytic Society, UK *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1. Mental Illness 2. Delusion’s Rational Irretrievability 3. Reality Contact 4. A World of One’s Own 5. The Divided Self 6. Self and Other 7. Hallucination 8. Disordered Thought 9. Psychotic Symbolization 10. The Politics of Insanity Ascription Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisIncludes the previously unpublished essay "The philosopher as expert."Trade Review"This is an ambitious and important book. Ambitious because it attempts to place the main concerns and discussions of contemporary philosophy within a historical perspective; important because this is all too rarely attempted within our present philosophical culture, and almost never done this well."--Charles Taylor, Times Literary Supplement "It is going to be a long time before a better book of its kind appears."--Alasdair MacIntyre, London Review of Books "Philosophy and the Mirror of Naturebrings to light the deep sense of crisis within the profession of academic philosophy... Rorty's provocative and profound meditations impel philosophers to examine the problematic status of their discipline--only to discover that modern European philosophy has come to an end."--Cornel West, Union Seminary Quarterly ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction to the Thirtieth-Anniversary Edition xiii Preface xxxi Introduction 3 Part one: Our Glassy Essense 15 Chapter I: The Invention of the Mind 17 1. Criteria of the Mental 17 2. The Functional, the Phenomenal, and the Immaterial 22 3. The Diversity of Mind-Body Problems 32 4. Mind as the Grasp of Universals 38 5. Ability to Exist Separately from the Body 45 6. Dualism and "Mind-Stuff" 61 Chapter II: Persons Without Minds 70 1. The Antipodeans 70 2. Phenomenal Properties 78 3. Incorrigibility and Raw Feels 88 4. Behaviorism 98 5. Skepticism about Other Minds 107 6. Materialism without Mind-Body Identity 114 7. Epistemology and "The Philosophy of Mind" 125 Part Two: Mirroring 129 Chapter III: The Idea of a "Theory of Knowledge" 131 1. Epistemology and Philosophy's Self-Image 131 2. Locke's Confusion of Explanation with Justification 139 3. Kant's Confusion of Predication with Synthesis 148 4. Knowledge as Needing "Foundations" 155 Chapter IV: Privileged Representations 165 1. Apodictic Truth, Privileged Representations, and Analytic Philosophy 165 2. Epistemological Behaviorism 173 3. Pre-linguistic Awareness 182 4. The "'Idea' Idea" 192 5. Epistemological Behaviorism, Psychological Behaviorism, and Language 209 Chapter v: Epistemology and Empirical Psychology 213 1. Suspicions about Psychology 213 2. The Unnaturalness of Epistemology 221 3. Psychological States as Genuine Explanations 230 4. Psychological States as Representations 244 Chapter vi: Epistemology and Philosophy of Language 257 1. Pure and Impure Philosophy of Language 257 2. What were our Ancestors Talking About? 266 3. Idealism 273 4. Reference 284 5. Truth Without Mirrors 295 6. Truth, Goodness, and Part Three: Philosophy 313 Chapter VII: From Epistemology to Hermeneutics 315 1. Commensuration and Conversation 315 2. Kuhn and Incommensurability 322 3. Objectivity as Correspondence and as Agreement 333 4. Spirit and Nature 343 Chapter VIII: Philosophy Without Mirrors 357 1. Hermeneutics and Edification 357 2. Systematic Philosophy and Edifying Philosophy 365 3. Edification, Relativism, and Objective Truth 373 4. Edification and Naturalism 379 5. Philosophy in the Conversation of Mankind 389 The Philosopher as Expert 395 Afterword: Remembering Richard Rorty 423 Index 433

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Book SynopsisA Guide for the Perplexed is E. F. Schumacher''s classic work of philosophy and a statement of the philosophies that underpin his economic masterpiece Small is Beautiful. Schumacher asserts that it is the task of philosophy to provide a map of life and knowledge, which exhibits the most important features of life in their proper prominence.Trade ReviewA condensation of a vast and refreshingly unorthodox system of ideas -- Arthur Koestler * Observer *Schumacher's arguments are invigorating, provoking, and often dramatic * New Statesman *The most exciting philosophical book for ages * Daily Mail *There is a rich store of wisdom and understanding, embedded in the religions of East and West, which our dangerous preoccupation with science has scanted and ignored... This book is about the different ways in which people may see and the blindness of only seeing in one particular way. * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThis book is a three-part journey into the rabbit hole we call the nature of reality. Its ultimate destination is a plausible, living validation of transcendence. Each of its three parts is like a turn of a spiral, exploring recurring ideas through the prisms of religious myth, truth and belief, respectively. With each turn, the book seeks to convey a more nuanced and complete understanding of the many facets of transcendence. Part I puts forward the controversial notion that many religious myths are actually true; and not just allegorically so. Part II argues that our own inner storytelling plays a surprising role in creating the seeming concreteness of things and the tangibility of history. Part III suggests, in the form of a myth, how deeply ingrained belief systems create the world we live in. The three themes, myth, truth and belief, flow into and interpenetrate each other throughout the book.

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Book SynopsisWe think the way we do because Socrates thought the way he did. His aphorism ''The unexamined life is not worth living'' may have originated twenty-five centuries ago, but it is a founding principle of modern life. For seventy years Socrates was a vigorous citizen of Golden Age Athens, philosophising in the squares and public arenas rather than in the courts of kings, before his beloved city turned on him, condemning him to death by poison.Socrates lived in and contributed to a city that nurtured key ingredients of contemporary civilisation - democracy, liberty, science, drama, rational thought - yet, as he wrote almost nothing down, he himself is an enigmatic figure. In The Hemlock Cup, acclaimed historian Bettany Hughes gives Socrates the biography he deserves, painstakingly piecing together Socrates'' life and using fresh evidence to get closer to the man who asked ''how should we live?'' - a question as relevant now as it has ever been.Trade ReviewHughes cleverly extracts the man from the dramatic scene-setting... This intelligent, bright-eyed vigorous book [has] a life as vibrant and provocative as that lived by its subject * The Times *In The Hemlock Cup Bettany Hughes does a very good job of recreating the material world in which Socrates lived...she is up to date on recent archaeological discoveries... She writes frankly of the nastiness of the world in which Socrates grew up and lived -- Mary Beard * Sunday Times *No physical aspect of life as experienced by an Athenian man is left out...Hughes's expert attempts to make him flesh and blood, to fill in the gaps...teach us about the value of the real as well as the philosophical -- Lesley McDowell * Scotsman *Terrific and passionate writing about a philosopher whose heroism is unquestionable (though that heroism resides in a constant questioning); and as lively and learned an introduction to classical Athens as you could want -- Tom Payne * Daily Telegraph *Hughes's prose is the literary equivalent of CGI, re-creating for the reader a sense of the clamour and dazzle of the classical city that has rarely been bettered * Observer *

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Book SynopsisWhat is 'truth' in today's freewheeling, pluralistic world, without certainties or fixed ideas? Does it lie in the Reason of Descartes and Kant? Is it Derrida's idea of an event, still being made? Or, according to Nietzsche, an ensemble of fictions? Internationally renowned philosopher John D. Caputo explores truth in the postmodern age.Trade ReviewCaputo's entertaining investigation into the nature of truth . . . sets out his case confidently, enlisting Nietzsche, Kierkegaard and Derrida as his allies. (His explanation of Derrida's thought is one of the clearest that I've read.) . . . The starting point for a more sophisticated discussion -- David Wolf * Prospect *Caputo has done a fine job of clarifying and classifying the postmodernist approach to truth and reality. His readable and eloquent book is an excellent guide to the outlook common in a certain strain of Continental European philosophy * The Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisGregory Bateson died in 1980, but his work grows more and more relevant each year. In his wide-ranging, penetrating thought he illuminated many dimensions of human interaction and of our connection to the wider biological world. One of the questions that runs through this book is “how to describe a living system without killing it?” This starts early with Bateson’s anthropological work on culture, and runs through into ecology, identity, change, evolution and learning. How to talk about these things – and organisms that are experiencing them – without resorting to typologies? The sacred and its relationship to a description of ecology is foremost. As are the puzzles of being an individual in culture in a whole vast collection of biological relationships and cultural idea-relationships – and how to bring all of those into the field of ecology. The answer to the question “what is the world?” is “it’s what I perceive it to be.” And the question of what I perceive is only going to begin to have some looseness in it, when the question is asked: “Are you perceiving the world, or are you perceiving your perception?” Perhaps this question is the beginning of the possibility of loosening the matrix. When Bateson talks about coevolution – the way that the grass changes when the horse changes, and the horse changes as the grass changes, along with multiple other organisms – there is change taking place so that they can stay in relationship. But in order to continue the relationships all the organisms have to change. In order to change, they have to be able to have a perception shift. And yet, it should be impossible. It should be that the organisms can only do what the organisms do. And a horse is a horse, and the grass is the grass. But life shows us again and again, things change. In fact, that is the basis of continuing to be alive in an ecology; to change. Continuing requires discontinuing. Many of the articles in this book are about ‘wiping your glosses’ – the glosses that accumulate in psychiatry, anthropology, ecology, education, and getting to see a little bit more clearly, which always means seeing relationship and always means seeing parts and wholes encompassed within bigger wholes. As he develops his theory of evolution he says it’s not the individual organism or species that evolves. It’s the organism-plus-the-environment that evolves. This book is a forest of ideas explored though many careful visits. Order, change, learning, health, harm, perception … what is it to be alive? Each chapter is full of the rigor of someone who does not want to underestimate the lifeforms in view and knows that many more life-processes are present, but not (yet) perceivable. There is room in these pages to allow the overlaps and the understories to tangle and seep between the chapters and let them describe each other. There is not an agreed upon way to understand this work, each reader will find their own way through within their own experiences. And the next time you read it, you will find that either the chapters or you have changed again…Trade Review“A Sacred Unity in this new edition comes at a profoundly consequential moment. Perceptual distortions–always with us–are now threatening humanity itself and the entire biosphere. In the face of such muddle and danger, Gregory Bateson provides deep wisdom, explaining how living things and their relationships connect to the whole. This is not an easy book but it is one that richly rewards the careful reader with fresh understanding of what it means to be human in a world of biological and natural systems.” Jerry Brown, California Governor 1975-1983; 2011-2019. Executive Chair, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists; “...a magnificent manifesto bringing mind and matter together. In this timely book of timeless wisdom, Gregory Bateson elucidates the existential truth of life–relatedness. We don’t have five disconnected fingers, we have four interconnected relationships! Read this groundbreaking book, it can help us to transcend division, domination, conflict and desire to control.” Satish Kumar, Founder, Schumacher College & Editor Emeritus, Resurgence and Ecologist; “This extraordinary collection of the thinking, life, and work of anthropologist and systems thinker Gregory Bateson has enormous relevance for today. A groundbreaking book for all time.” Roshi Joan Halifax, Abbot, Upaya Zen Center, Santa Fe, NMTable of ContentsIntroduction to the 2023 edition Introduction to the 1991 edition Editor’s Note on the Selection and Arrangement of Material PART I Form and Pattern in Anthropology Cultural Determinants of Personality Human Dignity and the Varieties of Civilization Sex and Culture Naven: Epilogue 1958 Distortions Under Culture Contact Some Components of Socialization for Trance From Anthropology to Epistemology PART II Form and Pathology in Relationship The New Conceptual Frames for Behavioral Research Cultural Problems Posed by a Study of Schizophrenic Process A Social Scientist Views the Emotions The Double-Bind Theory—Misunderstood? The Growth of Paradigms for Psychiatry PART III Epistemology and Ecology Mind/Environment The Thing of It Is A Formal Approach to Explicit, Implicit, and Embodied Ideas, and to Their Forms of Interaction The Birth of a Matrix, or Double Bind and Epistemology This Normative Natural History Called Epistemology Our Own Metaphor: Nine Years After The Science of Knowing Men Are Grass: Metaphor and the World of Mental Process PART IV Health, Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Sacred Language and Psychotherapy—Frieda Fromm-Reichmann’s Last Project The Moral and Aesthetic Structure of Human Adaptation A Systems Approach 243 The Creature and Its Creations Ecology of Mind: The Sacred Intelligence, Experience, and Evolution Orders of Change The Case Against the Case for Mind/Body Dualism Symptoms, Syndromes, and Systems Seek the Sacred: Dartington Seminar “Last Lecture” Bibliography of the Published Work of Gregory Bateson Acknowledgments ~ 1991 Acknowledgments ~ 2023 Index

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Book SynopsisIn his essay, Locke rejects all appeals to authority and the theory of innate knowledge, arguing that knowledge derives from sense, perceptions and experience, as analysed and developed by reason.Table of ContentsIntroductionFurther ReadingBibliographical AbbreviationsA Note on the TextTitle-page of the Fifth EditionAN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDINGThe Epistle DedicatoryThe Epistle to the ReaderThe ContentsBook I: Of Innate NotionsI IntroductionII No Innate Principles in the MindIII No Innate Practical PrinciplesIV Other Considerations concerning Innate Principles, both Speculative and PracticalBook II: Of Innate NotionsI Of Ideas in General, and their OriginalII Of Simple IdeasIII Of Ideas of One SenseIV Of SolidityV Of Simple Ideas of Divers SensesVI Of Simple Ideas of ReflectionVII Of Simple Ideas of both Sensation and ReflectionVIII Some further Considerations concerning our Simple IdeasIX Of PerceptionX Of RetentionXI Of Discerning, and other Operations of the MindXII Of Complex IdeasXIII Of Simple Modes; and first, of the Simple Modes of SpaceXIV Of Duration, and its Simple ModesXV Of Duration and Expansion, considered togetherXVI Of NumberXVII Of InfinityXVIII Of other Simple ModesXIX Of the Modes of ThinkingXX Of Modes of Pleasure and PainXXI Of PowerXXII Of Mixed ModesXXIII Of our Complex Ideas of SubstancesXXIV Of Collective Ideas of SubstancesXXV Of RelationXXVI Of Cause and Effect, and other RelationsXXVII Of Identity and DiversityXXVIII Of other RelationsXXIX Of Clear and Obscure, Distinct and Confused IdeasXXX Of Real and Fantastical IdeasXXXI Of Adequate and Inadequate IdeasXXXII Of True and False IdeasXXXIII Of the Association of IdeasBook III: Of WordsI Of Words or Language in GeneralII Of the Signification of WordsIII Of General TermsIV Of the Names of Simple IdeasV Of the Names of Mixed Modes and RelationsVI Of the Names of SubstancesVII Of ParticlesVIII Of Abstract and Concrete TermsIX Of the Imperfection of WordsX Of the Abuse of WordsXI Of the Remedies of the Foregoing Imperfections and AbusesBook IV: Of Knowledge and OpinionI Of Knowledge in GeneralII Of the Degrees of Our KnowledgeIII Of the Extent of Human KnowledgeIV Of the Reality of KnowledgeV Of Truth in GeneralVI Of Universal Propositions, their Truth and CertaintyVII Of MaximsVIII Of Trifling PropositionsIX Of our Knowledge of ExistenceX Of our Knowledge of the Existence of a GodXI Of our Knowledge of the Existence of ThingsXII Of the Improvement of our KnowledgeXIII Some further Considerations concerning our KnowledgeXIV Of JudgmentXv Of ProbabilityXVI Of the Degrees of AssentXVII Of ReasonXVIII Of Faith and Reason, and their Distinct ProvincesXIX Of EnthusiasmXX Of Wrong Assent, or ErrorXXI Of the Division of the SciencesAppendix: John Locke's Debate with Edward Stillingfleet, Bishop of Worcester, as it figures in footnotes in the Fifth Edition of the EssayIndex to the Fifth EditionNotes

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Book SynopsisIn this cogent and accessible introduction to philosophy, the distinguished author of Mortal Questions and The View From Nowhere sets forth the central problems of philosophical inquiry for the beginning student. Arguing that the best way to learn about philosophy is to think about its questions directly, Thomas Nagel considers possible solutions to nine problems--knowledge of the world beyond our minds, knowledge of other minds, the mind-body problem, free will, the basis of morality, right and wrong, the nature of death, the meaning of life, and the meaning of words. Although he states his own opinions clearly, Nagel leaves these fundamental questions open, allowing students to entertain other solutions and encouraging them to think for themselves.

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Book SynopsisTarget success in AQA A-level Philosophy with this proven formula for effective, structured revision; key content coverage is combined with exam-style tasks and practical tips to create a revision guide that you can rely on to review, strengthen and test students' knowledge.With My Revision Notes, every student can:- Plan and manage a successful revision programme using the topic-by-topic planner- Consolidate subject knowledge by working through clear and focused content coverage- Test understanding and identify areas for improvement with regular 'Now Test Yourself' tasks and answers- Improve exam technique through practice questions, expert tips and examples of typical mistakes to avoid

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Book SynopsisIn The Rise of Neoliberal Philosophy: Human Capital, Profitable Knowledge, and the Love of Wisdom, Brandon Absher argues that the neoliberal transformation of higher education has resulted in a paradigm shift in philosophy in the United States, leading to the rise of neoliberal philosophy. Neoliberal philosophy seeks to attract investment by demonstrating that it can produce optimal return. Further, philosophers in the neoliberal paradigm internalize and reproduce the values of the prevailing social order in their work, reorienting philosophical desire toward the production of attractive commodities. The aim of philosophy in the neoliberal university, Absher shows, has become the production of human capital and profitable knowledge.Trade Review"This is an important book that should be part of a national conversation at APA conferences and in all philosophy departments. Professional philosophers ought to ask ourselves what kind of philosophy we support and when (not if) will marginalized, especially BIPOC faculty, move to the center to reconceptualize the discipline from below. As someone who hosts a large philosophy for children’s project at various educational sites, including a forest school for unschooled children, I was pleased to learn that such an initiative is validated as 'two-dimensional' philosophizing. In fact, as Brandon Absher argues, the neoliberal university tolerates only one-kind: one-dimensional philosophy that performs its performativity for optimization of ROIs, which, of course, is nothing short of sophistry in our late capitalist era. With a stirring call for action, he deftly critiques the monochromatic content and demographics of most philosophy departments and implores us to engage in a pedagogy of discontent." -- Mechthild Nagel, SUNY Cortland"Brandon Absher offers an important and timely update to John McCumber’s argument that American philosophy sold itself out to the political needs of Cold War America, except now it has succumbed to profit hungry neoliberalism. The author shows how this has fundamentally altered and adulterated what it is to do philosophy, further shifting it away from love and wisdom towards profitable knowledge." -- Justin Pack, CSU Stanislaus"Drawing upon thinkers such as Hebert Marcuse, Wendy Brown, and Jean-François Lyotard , The Rise of Neoliberal Philosophy diagnoses the many ills that have befallen philosophy in the contemporary market-driven university while proposing a radical cure. Returning to the roots of philosophy in the figure of Socrates, Absher argues that philosophy must work together with the oppressed masses that neoliberalism forgot in order to show how another world is possible." -- Corey McCall, Cornell Prison Education Program"Brandon Absher offers a thoughtful treatment of the effects of neoliberalism on the discipline of philosophy. While many in the humanities attempt to make the case for their discipline’s value to neoliberalism, Absher challenges us to chart a new path. After analyzing the transition from Cold War Philosophy to Neoliberal Philosophy, he imagines new possibilities for the practice of philosophy that are more capacious, inclusive of diverse publics, and liberatory. The Rise of Neoliberal Philosophy will be of interest to those outside the field of philosophy, as well, as Absher presents a helpful framework for understanding many of the troubling changes within higher education over the past century." -- Sarah Vitale, Ball State University"Absher rightly argues that neoliberal university has become 'one-dimensional' in adjusting us all to 'the prevailing social order.' We know that our social order has hurled us into global warming and that to stay our course is a 'suicide pact.' We need new philosophies and new theories of the university. A future is only possible if we become different, which begins with thinking differently." -- Tanya Loughead, Canisius CollegeTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1: Philosophy in the Neoliberal UniversityChapter 2: The Performativity of Neoliberal PhilosophyChapter 3: The One-Dimensionality of Neoliberal PhilosophyChapter 4: Diversity and Neoliberal PhilosophyChapter 5: Toward an Alternative ParadigmConclusionBibliography

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Book Synopsis''Commit it then to the flames: for it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion.'' Thus ends David Hume''s Enquiry concerning Human Understanding, the definitive statement of the greatest philosopher in the English language. His arguments in support of reasoning from experience, and against the ''sophistry and illusion'' of religiously inspired philosophical fantasies, caused controversy in the eighteenth century and are strikingly relevant today, when faith and science continue to clash.The Enquiry considers the origin and processes of human thought, reaching the stark conclusion that we can have no ultimate understanding of the physical world, or indeed our own minds. In either sphere we must depend on instinctive learning from experience, recognizing our animal nature and the limits of reason. Hume''s calm and open-minded scepticism thus aims to provide a new basis for science, liberating us from the ''superstition'' of false metaphysics and religion. His Enquiry remains one of the best introductions to the study of philosophy, and this edition places it in its historical and philosophical context. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

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Book SynopsisWhat is knowledge? How does it differ from mere belief? Do you need to be able to justify a claim in order to count as knowing it? How can we know that the outer world is real and not a dream?Questions like these are ancient ones, and the branch of philosophy dedicated to answering them - epistemology - has been active for thousands of years. In this thought-provoking Very Short Introduction, Jennifer Nagel considers these classic questions alongside new puzzles arising from recent discoveries about humanity, language, and the mind. Nagel explains the formation of major historical theories of knowledge, and shows how contemporary philosophers have developed new ways of understanding knowledge, using ideas from logic, linguistics, and psychology. Covering topics ranging from relativism and the problem of scepticism to the trustworthiness of internet sources, Nagel examines how progress has been made in understanding knowledge, using everyday examples to explain the key issues and debates ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewI am in love with this series - it's like having an extended course of study in one's rucksack or handbag that's designed to educate the modern polymath. * GrrlScientist, Guardian Books *[A]dmirably clear and engaging * Steven Poole, The Guardian *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Scepticism ; 3. Rationalism and empiricism ; 4. The analysis of knowledge ; 5. Internalism and externalism ; 6. Testimony ; 7. Shifting standards? ; 8. Knowing about knowing ; Further reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisIn this landmark new book, Iain McGilchrist addresses some of the oldest and hardest questions humanity faces – ones that, however, have a practical urgency for all of us today. Who are we? What is the world? How can we understand consciousness, matter, space and time? Is the cosmos without purpose or value? Can we really neglect the sacred and divine? In doing so, he argues that we have become enslaved to an account of things dominated by the brain’s left hemisphere, one that blinds us to an awe-inspiring reality that is all around us, had we but eyes to see it. He suggests that in order to understand ourselves and the world we need science and intuition, reason and imagination, not just one or two; that they are in any case far from being in conflict; and that the brain’s right hemisphere plays the most important part in each. And he shows us how to recognise the ‘signature’ of the left hemisphere in our thinking, so as to avoid making decisions that bring disaster in their wake. Following the paths of cutting-edge neurology, philosophy and physics, he reveals how each leads us to a similar vision of the world, one that is both profound and beautiful – and happens to be in line with the deepest traditions of human wisdom. It is a vision that returns the world to life, and us to a better way of living in it: one we must embrace if we are to survive.Trade Review'It's very simple: this is one of the most important books ever published. And, yes, I do mean ever. It is a thrilling exposition of the nature of reality, and a devastating repudiation of the strident, banal orthodoxy that says it is childish and disreputable to believe that the world is alive with wonder and mystery. For McGilchrist the universe is a constantly evolving symphony; a gradual unfolding of an epic story. We urgently need to attune our ears to this music; to re-enchant the world and ourselves, and to confound those who say that there is only noise. No one else could have written this book. McGilchrist's range is as vast as the subject; which is everything. He is impeccably rigorous, fearlessly honest, and compellingly readable. Put everything else aside. Read this now to know what sort of creature you are and what sort of place you inhabit.' Professor Charles Foster, Oxford University, author of Being a Human and Being a Beast. 'The Matter with Things is a work of remarkable inspiration and erudition, written with the soul and subtlety of a poet, the precision of a philosopher, and the no nonsense grounding of a true scientist. In its pages, neuropsychology comes into conversation with philosophy, physics with poetry. Its author shows not just how our divided mind and brain makes us human, but how this gives us the potential both to understand and to misunderstand the world. Iain McGilchrist's book considers both great sources of awe and admiration: the starry heavens above as well as the mental life within. The author first offers intertwined analyses of brain function, cognition, and the structure of knowledge. Then he climbs his three-fold cord to a place from which one can survey the ultimate mysteries-the relationship of mind to matter, the concept of life, the contested role of purpose in the universe, and the nature of the sacred. McGilchrist is the most generous and talented of writers: his fluid account, brilliantly and beautifully argued-and meticulously researched-brings us along with him, step by step, until we too can discern the horizons of a reconfigured world. McGilchrist's appreciation of ambiguity and paradox only enhances the clarity and vitality of his thought. This is a book of surpassing, even world-historical ambition, and-still more rare-one that delivers on its promise.' Louis Sass, Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University; author of Madness and Modernism and of The Paradoxes of DelusionA magnificent achievement. The Master and His Emissary, Iain McGilchrist's earlier tour de force, ranks as a game-changer. It doesn't so much undermine common understandings of rationality as reframe them. The Matter with Things builds on that foundation, confirming the author's status as a leading contemporary polymath. With rarely matched clarity as well as deep learning, McGilchrist demonstrates not just that there is more to the world than matter, but also that there is more to matter itself than grasped by the shallow materialisms of our age.'; Rupert Shortt, Von Hugel Institute, University of Cambridge; and author of 'Outgrowing Dawkins: God for Grown-Ups' 'If we draw only on the left side of the brain, our culture paints a narrow picture composed via the hyper-specialism which bedevils contemporary intellectual life. In this sorry state, we badly need that now-almost-vanishingly rare personage, the true polymath. In Iain McGilchrist, in the nick of time, we have one. In this book, he draws quite magnificently on his post-disciplinary erudition precisely to explain how very much we lose when we draw only on the left hemisphere. If you want to understand why curiosity is in vogue but wonder is not; or why we aim directly at happiness and in doing so ineluctably become less happy; or why we like to talk about 'the environment' while Nature, upon which we utterly depend, we quietly desecrate; if you yearn to comprehend and question the rise of a desperate clinging to 'identity' within both the Left and the Right of politics; or if the way our civilisation tends to model human beings as machines disturbs or hurts you, then please read this book; for it sheds a profound light on these and so many other literally vital questions. If it were widely heeded, then perhaps, even at this late hour, our civilisation's merry march to a slow and brutal suicide might be halted. For this book is that most valuable of possible books: The Matter With Things is nothing less than a work of genius, diagnosing our dire predicament in full, and offering a way, instead.' Rupert Read, Professor of Philosophy, University of East Anglia; author of Wittgenstein's Liberatory Philosophy, This Civilisation is Finished and Parents for a Future.

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Book SynopsisJohn Gray is most recently the acclaimed author of Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia, Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals, Al Qaeda and What It Means to be Modern, Heresies: Against Progress and Other Illusions and False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism. Having been Professor of Politics at Oxford, Visiting Professor at Harvard and Yale and Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics, he now writes full time. His books and articles have been translated into over thirty languages. His selected writings, Gray's Anatomy, were published by Penguin in 2009.Trade ReviewThe most prescient of British public intellectuals * Financial Times *Gray has consistently anticipated the shape of things to come ... he teaches us that true humanism is to be found in uncertainty and doubt -- Will SelfThe closest thing we have to a window-smashing French intellectual -- Andrew MarrA visionary ... one of the most reliably provocative and heterodox voices in British intellectual life today * New Statesman *Gray is a philosophical maverick, a pricker of bubbles, a deflater of balloons, a true iconoclast for whom our chief competing accounts of existence - the religious and the humanist - are both fatally flawed * Globe and Mail *Deeply thoughtful, brilliantly narrated -- Raymond Tallis * Literary Review *A romp of a read ... John Gray is a connoisseur of human idiocy -- John Banville * Guardian *Our sharpest critic of utopian fantasies skewers the crazed but enduring dream of cheating age, time and death -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *John Gray, the counter-prophet who scorns all claims that humans can transcend the human condition ... You don't have to agree with Gray to enjoy the fireworks -- Marek Kohn * Independent *Elegant ... He is on to something important regarding the delusion that science consists of indefinite progress * Sunday Telegraph *Gray is an engaging writer, an entertaining historian and a controversialist whose opinions can never be taken for granted * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisKant's Critique of Judgement analyses our experience of the beautiful and the sublime in relation to nature, morality, and theology. Meredith's classic translation is here lightly revised and supplemented with a bilingual glossary. The edition also includes the important First Introduction.

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Book SynopsisBerkeley''s idealism started a revolution in philosophy. As one of the great empiricist thinkers he not only influenced British philosophers from Hume to Russell and the logical positivists in the twentieth century, he also set the scene for the continental idealism of Hegel and even the philosophy of Marx.There has never been such a radical critique of common sense and perception as that given in Berkeley''s Principles of Human Knowledge (1710). His views were met with disfavour, and his response to his critics was the Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous.This edition of Berkeley''s two key works has an introduction which examines and in part defends his arguments for idealism, as well as offering a detailed analytical contents list, extensive philosophical notes and an index. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, Trade ReviewThere is something beautiful about the design of this series: their portability, even their tendency to become dog-eared. And this is a welcome reprint, sensitively edited. * Nicholas Lezard, The Guardian *the editions deserve great credit for the enthusiasm of their approach ... The introductions by eminent scholars put the thoughts of the author and the history of the time into clear perspective. Oxford should be given credit for making the classics accessible for all rather than just crib notes for students. * Jonathan Copeland, Lincolnshire Echo *

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Book SynopsisMany definitions of postmodernism focus on its nature as the aftermath of the modern industrial age when technology developed. This book extends that analysis to postmodernism by looking at the status of science, technology, and the arts, the significance of technocracy, and the way the flow of information is controlled in the Western world.Table of ContentsForeword by Frederic JamesonIntroduction1 The field: knowledge in computerized societies2 The problem: legitimation3 The method: language games4 The nature of the social bond: the modern alternative5 The nature of the social bond: the postmodern perspective6 The pragmatics of narrative knowledge7 The pragmatics of scientific knowledge8 The narrative function and the legitimation of knowledge9 Narratives of the legitimation of knowledge10 Delgitimation11 Research and it legitimation through performativity12 Education and its legitimation through performativity13 Postmodern science as the search for instabilities14 Legitimation by paralogyAppendixNotes Index

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Book SynopsisWhy are we here? Human beings have asked themselves this question for centuries. Modern science largely argues that human beings are chance products of a purposeless universe, but other traditions believe humanity has an essential role and responsibility in creation.Lachman brings together many strands of esoteric, spiritual and philosophical thought to form a counter-argument to the nihilism that permeates the twenty-first century. Offering a radical alternative to postmodern apathy, he argues that we humans are the caretakers of the universe, entrusted with a daunting task: that of healing and repairing creation itself.This is an important book from a key thinker of our time, addressing some of the most urgent questions facing humanity.Trade Review'A worthy and important book.'-- David Taylor, Psychical Studies: The Journal of the Unitarian Society for Psychical Studies'This is a cracking book on a cracking subject by a cracking author.'-- Lynn Picknett, Magonia Review of Books'A compelling alternate vision in which the human spirit and the material world are both fully real and fully significant. Moreover, Lachman brilliantly argues that human beings have a significant role to play in bringing the entire world -- even the entire cosmos -- to completion and creative fruition... This is one of the most stimulating and significant books on the subject in years. The Caretakers of the Cosmos is an essential work for all who are curious about what makes us uniquely human, and about how we can all participate, each in our own way, in the creation of a fuller and more satisfying world.'-- David Fideler, Parabola magazine'[Lachman's] views are set out lucidly, engagingly, tentatively and accompanied by a cloud of illustrious witnesses from the Hermetic tradition and the the Kabbalah, to Blake and Goethe through to Berdyaev and Cassirer (amongst many others).'-- Nicholas Colloff, Golgonooza blog'I found Lachman’s user friendly treatment refreshing. Although the caretaker theme is common in enlightened circles such comprehensive expositions in this type of evolutionary context are rarer. Lachman's depth of reading and research are admirable, and he weaves the story well, developing what is becoming increasingly obvious – that all of human history reflects the evolution of consciousness.'-- Martin Lockley, Scientific and Medical Network Review'This is a book not short of accessibility, guts and wry, dry humour… Caretakers of the Cosmos is about our relationship to each other, the planet and the Universe – which superficially might sound rather New Age. But as I hope you might realise by now, this book could hardly be further from such glib platitudes. It's about consciousness, quantum physics, intention and engagement. In other words about the acceptance of a distinct role and a conscious commitment to it. If it all sounds like hard work, this might be the moment to remember that this relationship is about joy. But most - and to some of us, best - of all, is this book’s insistence on the 'fallacy of [human] insignificance’. And indeed this is a far from insignificant book.'-- Lynn Picknett, Magonia Review of Books'Gary Lachman offers the reader a fascinating insight into esoteric and spiritual traditions that state that the world and the cosmos are not without purpose and that humanity has an essential role to play… A noble and ambitious perspective.'-- Griet Hellinckx, Erziehungskunst

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Book SynopsisThis short treatise looks at how we construct a social reality from our sense impressions; at how, for example, we construct a five-pound note with all that implies in terms of value and social meaning, from the printed piece of paper we see and touch.Table of ContentsThe building blocks of social reality; creating institutional facts; language and social reality; the general theory of institutional facts part I - iteration, interaction, and logical structure; the general theory of institutional facts part II - creation, maintenance, and the hierarchy; background abilities and the explanation of social phenomena; does the real world exist? part I - attacks on realism; does the real world exist? part II - could there be a proof of external realism?; truth and correspondence.

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Book SynopsisExciting new theories in neuroscience, psychology, and artificial intelligence are revealing minds like ours as predictive minds, forever trying to guess the incoming streams of sensory stimulation before they arrive. In this up-to-the-minute treatment, philosopher and cognitive scientist Andy Clark explores new ways of thinking about perception, action, and the embodied mind.Trade ReviewSurfing Uncertainty will be a much discussed and seminal work in the field of the philosophy of cognitive science. * David D. Hutto, Australasian Journal of Philosophy *A stimulating read for anyone interested in the intersection of neuroscience and philosophy of mind from a scientific perspective. * Library Journal *A wonderful book...Clark's Surfing Uncertainty will become an essential point of departure for philosophers and cognitive scientists trying to come to grips with the apparatus of predictive processing. * Metascience *This is a truly important book. It is evocatively written and reflects a truly gargantuan amount of work. It sets the stage for future debates not only about the empirical merits of Bayesian characterizations of human cognition, but also the broader philosophical picture in which such Bayesian characterizations are embedded. I predict that many of us will be reading, discussing, and analysing this book in the months and years to come. * British Journal for the Philosophy of Science *Table of ContentsPreface: Meat That Predicts Acknowledgements Introduction: Guessing Games Part I: The Power of Prediction Chapter 1: Prediction Machines Chapter 2: Adjusting The Volume (Noise, Signal, Attention) Chapter 3: The Imaginarium Part II: Embodying Prediction Chapter 4: Prediction for Action Chapter 5: Sculpting the Flow Chapter 6: Engaging the world Chapter 7: Expecting Ourselves Part III: Scaffolding Prediction Chapter 8: The Lazy Predictive Brain Chapter 9: Being Human Chapter 10: The Future of Prediction Appendix 1: Bare Bayes Appendix 2: The Free Energy Formulation References Index

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Book SynopsisDo all questions have answers? How much can we know about the world? Is there such a thing as an ultimate truth?To be human is to want to know, but what we are able to observe is only a tiny portion of what''s out there. In The Island of Knowledge , physicist Marcelo Gleiser traces our search for answers to the most fundamental questions of existence. In so doing, he reaches a provocative conclusion: science, the main tool we use to find answers, is fundamentally limited.These limits to our knowledge arise both from our tools of exploration and from the nature of physical reality: the speed of light, the uncertainty principle, the impossibility of seeing beyond the cosmic horizon, the incompleteness theorem, and our own limitations as an intelligent species. Recognizing limits in this way, Gleiser argues, is not a deterrent to progress or a surrendering to religion. Rather, it frees us to question the meaning and nature of the universe while affirming the central role of life and ourTable of ContentsPrologue: The Island of Knowledge PART I The Origin of the World and the Nature of the Heavens 1. The Will to Believe 2. Beyond Space and Time 3. To Be, or to Become? That is the Question 4. Lessons from Plato's Dream 5. The Transformative Power of a New Observational Tool 6. Cracking Open the Dome of Heaven 7. Science as Nature's Grand Narrative 8. The Plasticity of Space 9. The Restless Universe 10. There is No Now 11. Cosmic Blindness 12. Splitting Infinities 13. Rolling Downhill 14. Counting Universe 15. Interlude: A Promenade along the String Landscape 16. Can We Test the Multiverse Hypothesis? PART II From Alchemy to the Quantum: The Elusive Nature of Reality 17. Everything Floats in Nothingness 18. Admirable Force and Efficacy of Art and Nature 19. The Elusive Nature of Heat 20. Mysterious Light 21. Learning to Let Go 22. The Tale of the Intrepid Anthropologist 23. What Waves in the Quantum Realm? 24. Can We Know What is Real? 25. Who is Afraid of Quantum Ghosts? 26. For Whom the Bell Tolls 27. Consciousness and the Quantum World 28. Back to the Beginning PART III Mind and Meaning 29. On the Laws of Humans and the Laws of Nature 30. Incompleteness 31. Sinister Dreams of Transhuman Machines: Or, the World as Information 32. Awe and Meaning

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Book SynopsisLeading philosopher''s guide to the ideas that will shape the 21st century''Ideas are the cogs that drive history, and understanding them is half way to being aboard that powerful juggernaut rather than under its wheels''. This is a book that celebrates the power of ideas: thought can, and does, change the world. And, in turn, ideas evolve. Fundamentalism, environmentalism and bioethics are defining our future just as Marxism, feminism or existentialism have influenced our present. So what do we need to know as we move into the 21st century? More than a simple reference work, this is A.C. Grayling''s personal and heartfelt guide to the ideas, past and present, that shape our world. Covering religion, philosophy, scientific theory and political movements, each alphabetically ordered entry illuminates, elucidates and provokes. Written with Grayling''s customary fire and erudition, the result is a book that aims both to arm readers with knowledge and engage them in philosophical debate.

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Book SynopsisPhilosophy of Science: A Unified Approach, Second Edition combines a general introduction to philosophy of science with an integrated survey of all its important subfields. As the bookâs subtitle suggests, this excellent overview is guided methodologically by a unified approach to philosophy of science: behind the diversity of scientific fields one can recognize a methodological unity. This unity is worked out in this book, revealing all the while important differences between subject areas.The book offers a two-part approach that makes it an excellent introduction for readers new to the field and a useful resource for more advanced students. Each chapter is divided into two sections. The first section assumes no foreknowledge of the subject introduced, and the second section builds upon the first by bringing into the conversation more advanced, complementary topics from contemporary research.Definitions, key propositions, examples and figures complement all of the core material. At the end of every chapter there are selected readings and exercise questions (with solutions and answers to many of them at the end of the book). The book also includes a comprehensive bibliography and an index.The Second Edition has been revised to make the technical material much more accessible for students outside of the sciences and philosophy. It also incorporates new research over the last decade, including significantly expanded coverage of values and science, mechanistic explanations, and inductive risk. An extended index of subjects that can also be used as a glossary has been added to the back of the book.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1 The Regress Problem 2 Perception 3 The A Priori 4 Inference 5 On Knowing the Truth 6 Memory 7 Testimony 8 Kinds of Knowledge 9 Internalism vs. Externalism 10 The Ethics of Belief 11 Skepticism References Index

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Book SynopsisFirst published in in 1976, Hermann Levin Goldschmidt's Contradiction Set Free, (Freiheit für den Widerspruch), reflects the push to explore new forms of critical thinking that gained momentum in the decade between Theodor Adorno's Negative Dialectics of 1966 and Paul Feyerabend's Against Method in 1975.The book articulates Goldschmidt's reclamation of an epistemologically critical position that acknowledges the deep underlying link between the modes of production of knowledge and the social and political life they produce. In signalling a breakout from the academic rut and its repressive hold, Goldschmidt pointed beyond the ossified methods of a philosophical discourse whose oppressive consequences could no longer be ignored.Contradiction Set Free makes available for the first time in English a pivotal work by one of the great critical thinkers of the 20th century.Trade Review[Goldschmidt's] writing evinces the clear and straightforward development and exposition of a thought ... [An] impressive work. * Continental Philosophy Review *What if, instead of trying compulsively to avoid contradiction, we embrace it as an opportunity? This work discusses in an entirely original and highly lucid way some of the consequences this change of attitude might have for our views about such phenomena as meaning, freedom, guilt, politics and technology. * Raymond Geuss, Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, University of Cambridge, UK *Contradiction Set Free is one of Herman Levin Goldschmidt's most important books and it has lost none of its power since its publication forty years ago.This meticulous translation, together with Willi Goetschel's extremely helpful introduction, should go a long way to seeing that he is finally given his rightful due in the English-speaking world. * Robert Bernasconi, Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Philosophy and African American Studies, Penn State University, USA. *Table of ContentsI. The Discovery of Contradiction 1. Contradiction From the Beginning 2. Contradiction in Thought 3. Contradiction in Faith 4. Plato’s Dialectic II. The Forgotten and Overblown Contradiction 1. The Unity of the Middle Ages 2. The All of the Middle Ages 3. The Anxiety of the Middle Ages 4. The End of the Middle Ages III. The Repression of Contradiction 1. From Opposition to Contradiction 2. From Hegel to Marx and Kierkegaard 3. Mao Zedong’s Contradiction Set Free 4. The Weakness of Every Dialectic IV. Attempted Displacement 1. Freedom of Technology 2. Freedom Through Technology 3. Technology Contra Freedom 4. Freedom Contra Technology V. Attempted Oppression 1. The Completeness of the Modern World 2. The Totalitarian Arrogation of Totality 3. The Fascist Arrogation of Force 4. The Right to Contradiction as the Right to Resistance VI. Attempted Eradication 1. Attempted Sabotage 2. Attempted Postponement 3. Attempted Dissipation 4. Attempted Annihilation VII. The Challenge of Contradiction 1. Outraged Freedom 2. Freedom Contra the State 3. Freedom through Challenge 4. Freedom contra Freedom VIII. The Contradictions of Freedom 1. Freedom instead of Subjugation 2. Freedom despite Liberation 3. Freedom despite Freedom 4. Limits of Freedom—in Freedom IX. The Unavoidable Contradiction 1. The Old Meaning 2. The Lost Meaning 3. The Enduring Meaning 4. The Reclaimed Meaning X. The Unacceptable Contradiction 1. Guilt and Exculpation 2. Guilt and Turning 3. The Good of Turning 4. In the End only Good! XI. Set Contradiction Free! 1. Dialogic instead of Dialectic 2. Dialogic without Dialogism 3. Set Contradiction Free! 4. Instead of Aufhebung — Aufgeräumtheit XII. In Contradiction to the World 1. The Challenged Environment 2. Challenging Maturity 3. Costs Claimed 4. Required: Humans! Notes

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Book SynopsisIn the early modern period, ignorance was commonly perceived as a sin, a flaw, a defect, and even a threat to religion and the social order. Yet praises of ignorance were also expressed in the same context. Reclaiming the long-lasting legacy of medieval doctrines of ignorance and taking a comparative perspective, Sandrine Parageau tells the history of the apparently counter-intuitive moral, cognitive and epistemological virtues attributed to ignorance in the long seventeenth century (1580s-1700) in England and in France. With close textual analysis of hitherto neglected sources and a reassessment of canonical philosophical works by Montaigne, Bacon, Descartes, Locke, and others, Parageau specifically examines the role of ignorance in the production of knowledge, identifying three common virtues of ignorance as a mode of wisdom, a principle of knowledge, and an epistemological instrument, in philosophical and theological works. How could an essentially negative notion be turned into something profitable and even desirable? Taken in the context of Renaissance humanism, the Reformation and the "Scientific Revolution"—which all called for a redefinition and reaffirmation of knowledge—ignorance, Parageau finds, was not dismissed in the early modern quest for renewed ways of thinking and knowing. On the contrary, it was assimilated into the philosophical and scientific discourses of the time. The rehabilitation of ignorance emerged as a paradoxical cornerstone of the nascent modern science.Trade Review"Parageau has assembled a rich set of texts, and she reads them with care and nuance, establishing 'ignorance' as a key word in early modern Europe."—Paula Findlen, Stanford University"Was a heightened appreciation of ignorance crucial to the new science of the seventeenth century? That is Parageau's insightful claim, based on new attention to the legacy of medieval negative theology among other sources."—Ann Blair, Harvard University"This is a wonderful history of the humans who went deepest into understanding that we cannot always understand. Philosophy, religion, and science wouldn't have progressed as it has without them. Perhaps we should take time, with Rumsfeld and with Locke, to consider the known unknowns."—Michael M. Rosen, Washington Examiner"Bacon, Boyle, Gassendi, Descartes, Locke, Baxter, and Bunyan, among others, provide multiple examples of paradoxical nuance for Parageau to explicate, which she does gallantly and persuasively.... Recommended."—S. Young, CHOICE"Parageau... contributes a valuable work to our understanding of how English and French theologians and philosophers developed and refashioned ignorance and its many meanings.... A comparison of the two countries' intellectual histories of ignorance is much needed, and her book identifies and illuminates the debates about ignorance that echoed across the Channel."—Catherine Abou-Nemeh, H-AlbionTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Fortunes of Docta ignorantia in Early Modern England and France 2. English Experimental Philosophy and Doctrines of Ignorance 3. Ignorance and the Internal Light 4. Ignorance, Inspiration, and Religious Knowledge 5. Fictions of Ignorance 6. Ignorance and Chance Discovery 7. John Locke's Anthropology of Ignorance Conclusion

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Book SynopsisIn July 2014 the Belgian newspaper Le Soir claimed that France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland and the United States may lose between 43 and 50 per cent of their jobs within ten to fifteen years. Across the world, integrated automation, one key result of the so-called ‘data economy’, is leading to a drastic reduction in employment in all areas - from the legal profession to truck driving, from medicine to stevedoring. In this first volume of a new series, the leading cultural theorist Bernard Stiegler advocates a radical solution to the crisis posed by automation and consumer capitalism more generally. He calls for a decoupling of the concept of ‘labour’ (meaningful, intellectual participation) from ‘employment’ (dehumanizing, banal work), with the ultimate aim of eradicating ‘employment’ altogether. By doing so, new and alternative economic models will arise, where individuals are no longer simply mined for labour, but also actively produce what they consume. Building substantially on his existing theories and engaging with a wide range of figures - from Deleuze and Foucault to Bill Gates and Alan Greenspan - Automatic Society will appeal to students and scholars across the social sciences and humanities, as well as anyone concerned with the central question of the future of work.Trade Review"As Stiegler shows in this important work, there is a glaring and dangerous absence of critical thinking about automation and its effects on political and economic life. His argument is profoundly important: we must interrogate the production and maintenance of automatisms in contemporary life in order to prepare the way for what he calls a dis-automatization of society. Stiegler�s vision for the future calls for the foundation of a new human order in the midst of the Anthropocene, against the entropic violence of capitalism in its current algorithmic guise." David Bates, UC Berkeley "At once a bracing critique of algorithmic governmentality, with its accompanying specter of mass unemployment as automated labor displaces humans, and a hopeful call for reversing the ecological devastation of the Anthropocene, Stiegler lays out a blueprint for catalyzing our entry into what he calls the Neganthropocene, an era where knowledge trumps information and human well-being comes before capitalist profits. This provocative book will be of interest to anyone worried about where we are headed and eager to embrace a more positive future." N. Katherine Hayles, Duke UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction: Functional Stupidity, Entropy and Negentropy in the Anthropocene 1 1 The Industry of Traces and Automatized Artificial Crowds 19 2 States of Shock, States of Fact, States of Law 41 3 The Destruction of the Faculty of Dreaming 65 4 Overtaken: The Automatic Generation of Protentions 93 5 Within the Electronic Leviathan in Fact and in Law 127 6 On Available Time for the Coming Generation 157 7 Energies and Potentials in the Twenty-First Century 182 8 Above and Beyond the Market 208 Conclusion: Noetic Pollination and the Neganthropocene 226 Notes 248 Index 322

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Book SynopsisPhilosopher and art historian Georges Didi-Huberman is one of the most innovative and influential critical thinkers writing today. This book is the first English-language study of his writing on images. An image is a form of representation, but what are the philosophical frameworks supporting it? The book considers how Didi-Huberman takes up this question repeatedly over the course of his career. Placing his project in relation to major historical and intellectual contexts, it shows not only how he modifies dominant disciplinary traditions, but also how the study of images is central to a new way of thinking about poststructuralist-inspired art history.Trade Review'Larsson’s book is a wonderful entrée into the complexities of [Didi-Huberman's] discourse, and its legibility is a testament to the author, who has ordered and presented Didi-Huberman’s often dazzling agenda for art history today.'Giles Fielke, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art 'Given the fact that Didi-Huberman has written over fifty books in a career spanning four decades and that he is one of the most well-known French theorists of images, such a study is long overdue... scholars studying his work now have a well-researched and very helpful monograph to help them find their way through the labyrinthine oeuvre of Didi-Huberman.'Stijn De Cauwer, CAA Reviews -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 The archaeological art historian2 The materiality of images3 Timely anachronisms4 The empreinte5 Making monsters6 Thinking imagesConclusionBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisBeing wrong is an inescapable part of being alive. And yet we go through life tacitly assuming (or loudly insisting) that we are right about nearly everything - from our political beliefs to our private memories, from our grasp of scientific fact to the merits of our favourite team. Being Wrong looks at why this conviction has such a powerful grip on us, what happens when this conviction is shaken, and how we interpret the moral, political and psychological significance of being wrong. Drawing on philosophies old and new and cutting-edge neuroscience, Schulz offers an exploration of the allure of certainty and the necessity of fallibility in four main areas: in religion (when the end of the world fails to be nigh); in politics (where were those WMD?); in memory (where are my keys?); and in love (when Mr or Ms Right becomes Mr or Ms Wrong).Trade ReviewA real find, Schulz's book is a funny and philosophical meditation on why error is mostly a humane, courageous and extremely desirable human trait. She flies high in the intellectual skies, leaving beautiful sunlit contrails. God isn't her co-pilot; Iris Murdoch seems to be * New York Times *A brilliant new manifesto urging us to reassess our relationship with our own mistakes ... Since reading Schulz's book, I have been trying harder to train myself to think systematically about my own mistakes -- Johann Hari * Independent *A compelling meditation on the human condition. By combining personal stories with research into learning and memory, Schulz exposes psychological tricks we play on ourselves when we cling to beliefs in the face of evidence * New Scientist *It is a courageous achievement to have gazed so long at the Gorgon of human wrongness and then written a book at all, let alone an enjoyable one. Schulz displays a gift for expressing hard ideas simply, and with humour -- Rafael Behr * Observer *Schulz's book is filled with incidental pleasures ... Richly entertaining * Sunday Times *Kathryn Schulz's brilliant, spirited, and necessary inquiry into the essential humanity of error will leave you feeling intoxicatingly wrongheaded -- Tom Vanderbilt, author of TRAFFICSchulz mounts a spirited defence of the value of being wrong * London Review of Books *This book is both wise and clever, full of fun and surprise about a topic so central to our lives that we almost never even think about it. But there are very few problems we face, as individuals or as a society, that couldn't be helpfully addressed if we were willing to at least entertain the idea that we might not be entirely right -- Bill McKibben, author of THE END OF NATURE and EAARTHBeing Wrong is full of fascinating stories and quirky pieces of research in the manner of Malcolm Gladwell, but Schulz interprets all her research from a Jamesian viewpoint, where "truth" is not something free-standing, but a function of the way humans interact with the world. Her insight is to recognise that this all-too contingent definition of "truth" is unsettling: we want truth to be written on stone rather than sand -- Nicholas Blincoe * Daily Telegraph *An insightful and delightful discussion of the errors of our ways - why we make mistakes, why we don't know we are making them and what we do when recognition dawns ... Schulz is the patient naturalist who carefully examines the nasty little miracles the rest of us so eagerly discard. -- Daniel Gilbert * International Herald Tribune *In this lovely book about human mistakes the sickeningly young, forbiddingly clever and vexingly wise American journalist Kathryn Schulz ... argues passionately for the value of error. The experience of being wrong, she argues, helps to make us better people, with richer lives ... What is most cherishable about this bumper book of other people's booboos is its insistence that to experience error is, at its best, to find adventure - and even contentment. -- Stuart Jeffries * Guardian *Firmly in the Gladwellesque genre of applying savvy journalistic technique to produce an insight into something that probably should have been obvious but we didn't really think about until the author teased it out ... Some of the best parts of the book - and the most disquieting - are those that show how badly our own minds can let us down when it comes to memory. -- Hugh Carnegy * Financial Times *A compelling meditation on the human condition. By combining personal stories with research into learning and memory, Schulz exposes the psychological tricks we play on ourselves when we cling to beliefs in the face of the evidence. -- Jo Marchant * New Scientist *Schulz wears her considerable learning lightly and renders complex ideas as accessible as possible. -- Ben Felsenburg * Metro *It's not easy to write about such complex subjects in a lively and often very funny way, but Schulz pulls it off with aplomb ... a joyful and very readable book that will force readers to reconsider their own attitudes to error and belief. -- Anna Carey * Sunday Business Post *Schulz mounts a spirited defence of the value of being wrong. * LRB *A luminously intelligent investigation of our propensity to error ... Being Wrong may be one of the most important books published for many years. It may seem paradoxical to try to see aright our universal, inveterate tendency to be wrong, but Schulz succeeds brilliantly. This sobering and yet liberating inquiry could make a major dent on the stupidity of the world. -- Raymond Tallis * TLS *A brilliant book with a sweeping grasp of philosophy and physics and all points in between. -- Bill Clinton

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Book SynopsisIn this third, enlarged edition of Lehrs' classic study, the reader is led, step by step, to a spiritual-scientific method of investigation. The author demonstrates how one can transcend the boundaries of the physical-material world, to the metaphysical origins of nature and the human being. This is a pioneering new method of training both the mind and eye, as well as other human senses, leading to a transformation from our modern 'onlooking' consciousness to a new kind of 'participative' consciousness. The beginnings of this method were formulated by Goethe (1749-1832) more than 200 years ago, but his contemporaries offered little in the way of fertile ground for his ideas. It was Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) who recognized the significance of 'Goetheanism' for the future development not only of science, but of human culture in general, and who developed Goethe's work in modern times. Man or Matter contains the systematic results of the author's work using the methods of Goethe and Steiner (the latter whom he knew personally). With this unique study, he addresses himself to anyone - with or without a specialized scientific training - who is concerned with developing the human power of cognition in the present time. This revised edition was edited by Nick Thomas and Peter Bortoft.

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Book SynopsisLost in the raging debate over the validity of social construction is the question of what, precisely, is being constructed. Facts, gender, quarks, reality? Ian Hacking’s book explores an array of examples to reveal the deep issues underlying contentious accounts of reality—especially regarding the status of the natural sciences.Trade Review[A] spirited and eminently readable book… Hacking’s book is an admirable example of both useful debunking and thoughtful and original philosophizing—an unusual combination of good sense and technical sophistication. After he has said his say about the science wars, Hacking concludes with fascinating essays on, among other things, fashions in mental disease, the possible genesis of dolomitic rock from the activity of nanobacteria, government financing of weapons research, and the much-discussed question of whether the Hawaiians thought Captain Cook was a god. In each he makes clear the contingency of the questions scientists find themselves asking, and the endless complexity of the considerations that lead them to ask one question rather than another. The result helps the reader see how little light is shed on actual scientific controversies by either traditionalist triumphalists or postmodern unmaskers. -- Richard Rorty * The Atlantic *Ian Hacking is among the best philosophers now writing about science… He discusses psychopathology, weapons research, petrology, and South Pacific ethnography with the same skeptical intelligence he brings to quarks and electron microscopy. It is not his aim to enter a partisan controversy, still less to decide it. Instead, he clearly explains what is at stake—nothing less than the intellectual authority of modern science. -- Barry Allen * Science *Hacking’s good humour and easy style make him one of those rare contemporary philosophers I can read with pleasure. -- Steven Weinberg * Times Literary Supplement *Hacking is a Canadian philosopher of science, with important studies of probability and psychology to his name. He is no less at home in Continental philosophy and social theory than in the Anglo-Saxon tradition. His ability to leap with enviable facility from one to the other qualifies him well to bring some order into this intellectual quagmire. -- Daniel Johnson * New York Times Book Review *The Social Construction of What? explores the significance of the idea of social construction, not simply in science but also in other arenas… Hacking’s arguments are important. -- Kenan Malik * The Independent *The commonplace idea of science as the construction of models caught fire in the 1970s. It became—as Ian Hacking notes in his intelligent miscellany, The Social Construction of What?—a rallying cry for the radical optimists who relished the thought that social forms are transient and resented any attempt to freeze them for eternity on the authority of something called ‘science’… [Hacking] prefers to explore the territory that lies between the banalities. He concentrates on phenomena such as ‘child abuse’ or ‘women refugees’, wondering in what sense they existed before they were conceptualised as such and noting the ‘looping effects’ through which objective realities can be moulded by intellectual artefacts and hence by transient political and conceptual interests or even facts. * Times Higher Education Supplement *A welcome and timely arrival. Both a philosopher of science and a contributor to constructionism, Hacking speaks across the great divide. As his book title implies, he finds that the terms of this intellectual engagement vary considerably from case to case, and that the terminology of this engagement has all too often been sloppily employed on both sides. Examining an eclectic range of examples, from a nasty ethnographic spat over Captain Cook’s murder on a Hawaiian beach to the influence of weapons research on the related hard sciences, he teases out the finer points that constitute the middle ground… By meting out credit while illuminating complexities, nuances, and missteps on both sides, Hacking’s work implicitly urges a truce in the science wars. -- Kenneth Gergen * Civilization *This book offers a helpful contribution to the discussion of social constructionism and its limits, both for hard scientists who feel threatened by it and for those who practice it. This is a fun book, as Hacking takes pokes at social constructionists and clarifies what they are about. -- Matthew P. Lawson * Health, Illness, and Medicine *An interesting and invaluable frontline perspective on the causes and results of the revolution from someone close enough to it to understand it and explain it to the rest of us. Its chief merits are its linguistic clarity, intellectual scope, and self-referentiality… Communication scholars who know little about social construction will find this a very readable introduction to the major ideas being debated. -- Scott R. Olson * Journal of Communication *While informed by a sophisticated grasp of the issues, [The Social Construction of What?] is accessible, witty, and good-humored in tone. There are fascinating discussions of social constructionist claims regarding subjects are diverse as gender, Zulu nationalism, quarks, and dolomite. -- T. A. Torgerson * Choice *Hacking is one of the best philosophers of science and society of our time. Here, as usual, he argues from carefully researched examples… This is a delightful book—evenhanded, fun to read, and packed with information on everything from nuclear physics, nanobacteria, and madness to the deification of Captain Cook. -- Leslie Armour * Library Journal *[Ian Hacking] dispute[s] the claims of leftist professors, who try to fight oppression by showing that race, gender and sexuality, far from being legitimate bases for discrimination, are hardly real at all and merely the results of ‘social construction.’ In The Social Construction of What? the distinguished philosopher looks at how this kind of argument works, and particularly at cases—in the natural sciences, and with social phenomena like child abuse in which it can endanger a clear sense of what ‘reality’ is. * Publishers Weekly *In his Preface, Hacking describes this book as a kind of primer for noncombatants in the culture wars, understood as being fought between the ‘social constructionists’ who hold that knowledge is constitutively and importantly a social product, and those who see knowledge as being importantly distinct from the social realm (scientists being the exemplary instances of the latter). I especially like his discussion of the social sciences and their peculiar relation to their objects—the discussion of ‘interactive kinds’ and the ‘looping effect’ through which people can reflexively react to social science descriptions by, for example, acting out and upon such descriptions. There is an interesting line of development here concerning the difference between the social and the natural sciences, and the different senses of ‘construction’ that might be appropriate to each. The book accomplishes its chosen task in clarifying what constructionism is about and why people get excited about it. I might add that besides noncombatants in the culture wars, the book should interest and inform some of the combatants, too—it should help the anticonstructionists get clearer on the actual contours of their enemy’s position. Hacking is one of the most important philosophers working today. -- Andrew Pickering, author of Constructing Quarks and The Mangle of Practice

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[Provides] an excellent overview of Einstein’s major discoveries, from his early work on quantum theory to general relativity, the new law of gravity that overturned Newton. It is a welcome addition to any collection of books on modern physics."---Marcia Bartusiak, Wall Street Journal"In The Einsteinian Revolution, two eminent experts on Einstein’s life and his theory of relativity . . . offer an original and penetrating analysis of Einstein’s revolutionary contributions to physics and our view of the physical world. . . . The Einsteinian Revolution is an important and thought-provoking contribution to the scholarly literature on Einstein and his astounding scientific creativity between 1905 and 1925. Gutfreund and Renn might not have given the final answer as to why Einstein, of all people, revolutionized physics in the way that he did. But they argue in fascinating detail that, to understand his genius, one must take into account not just the earlier history of physics but also the history of knowledge more broadly.” – Helge Kragh, Nature"---Helge Kragh, Nature

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Book SynopsisA landmark of Enlightenment thought, Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understandingaccompanied here by two shorter works that shed light on it: A Letter from a Gentleman to His Friend in Edinburgh and his Abstract of A Treatise on Human Nature.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Zena Hitz, Winner of the Hiett Prize in the Humanities, The Dallas Institute""Seminary Coop's Notable Books for 2020""A London Lyceum Top Book of the Year""[In Lost in Thought] Hitz is asking the right questions. . . . The question at its heart is disarmingly simple and deeply engaging: What should we do with ourselves."---Jonathan Marks, Wall Street Journal"[An] amazing book." * MC Hammer on Twitter *"Utterly charming."---John Warner, Chicago Tribune"[Lost in Thought] proved a salutary reminder for me, and may for other readers as well, that we should try to make at least a little space . . . for the contemplative learning that drew us into the life of the mind."---James M. Lang, Chronicle of Higher Eduation"Zena Hitz’s Lost in Thought offers a passionate and powerful defense of pure intellectualism and the intrinsic value of the intellectual life."---Steven Mintz, Inside Higher Ed"An inspirational attestation of the ability of intellectual activity to dignify oppressed lives. . . . Much of this book is beautiful."---Sophie Duncan, Literary Review"Hitz’s memoir is profoundly affecting as she describes how academic life made her lose her love of learning before, finally, she found a meaningful path."---Joe Humphreys, Irish Times"Compelling. . . . you’ll probably walk away from this book, as I did, feeling that your inner life has been enlarged."---Roosevelt Montás, Wall Street Journal"Lost in Thought [is] a persuasive defense of learning and intellectual life . . . Hitz’s breadth of knowledge is on display."---Aurelian Craiutu, Los Angeles Review of Books"[Lost in Thought is] full of wonder, full of the joyful smiles of somebody who’s been saved, or saved herself, from empty toils of ledger-sheet learning. In her good-natured way, Hitz chastises the increasing commodification of intellectual endeavor. . . . This is a book to savor in your quietest reading nook. Which is very much the point."---Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review"Everyone who cares about colleges and universities and their place in American life should read it. [Lost in Thought] confronts familiar and abiding questions about intellectual inquiry in an utterly engaging and profound way. . . . [A] wonderful book."---Flagg Taylor, National Review"In her rich and rewarding book Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life, Professor Zena Hitz argues that the goal of education is not the status or privileges it confers upon us, or even the valuable life skills it demands that we acquire. In line with classical pagan and Christian traditions, she argues that we have a natural desire to understand the world outside of us, and that a true education carefully cultivates this natural love of learning and helps to bring it to its full maturity. . . . [A] rich, timely book, a book educators and students alike would do well to read."---Jennifer A. Frey, Classical Learning Test blog"Lost in Thought [is] an examination of conscience or a manual for discernment for those who care about the intellectual life . . . Lost in Thought is the strongest case for the humanities to appear in years."---Nathaniel Peters, Public Discourse"[Zena Hitz's] account is persuasive, not least because it is personal."---Peter Costello, Irish Catholic"Part autobiography, part defense of impractical intellectualism, and part cultural lament, Lost in Thought forces us to contemplate the ways in which we might salvage thoughtfulness—perhaps not through our universities but in spite of them . . . elegant . . . Hitz’s book is a valuable opportunity."---Charles McNamara, Commonweal"In Lost in Thought, Hitz seeks to revive an appreciation for intellectual pursuit as inherently good and fundamental to human happiness. - Rachel K. Alexander, Tablet Magazine""Lost in Thought is a rhetorical case for the loveliness of learning for its own sake . . . insightful."---Pavlos Papadopoulos, Athwart.org"Very well written and referenced, this book is a reminder that pursuit of the intellectual life, broadly understood, can be of great benefit to individuals and society." * Choice *"[An] important book in which [Hitz] reminds us that the humanities are about humanity, and essentially about cultivating an inner life." * Paradigm Explorer *"One of the most interesting volumes I’ve read this year . . . Lost in Thought mounts a direct challenge to anyone who would collapse contemplative work into a mere prelude to political action, gainful employment, or any other utilitarian pursuit. The development of one’s 'contemplative side,' for lack of a better term, is an end in itself. And for Hitz, it is the cultivation of this distinctly human faculty that lays the groundwork for enduring joy and flourishing, even in the midst of dire personal circumstances."---John Ehrett, Patheos"[Lost in Thought] is best understood as a kind of intellectual pilgrim’s progress: taking us on a tour of the temptations and misunderstandings that prevent us from achieving our nature as thinking beings . . . an absorbing story . . . Lost in Thought helps us to dislodge our dreary preoccupation with transient goods by giving us a glimpse of . . . more lasting satisfactions."---Jenna Silber Storey, Real Clear Books"The best compliment I can give the author of this excellent book is to note that Lost is Thought itself counts as a perfect example of the elusive thing it tries to capture: splendidly useless yet intrinsically valuable thinking in action."---Derek van Zoonen, Nexus Instituut"[A] lovely . . . meditation . . . [in Lost in Thought] Hitz defends learning for its own sake and takes aim polemically at the canard that such learning is “elitist” or draws necessary attention away from the properly activist bent of intellectual inquiry . . . accessible [and] jargon-free."---Matt Dinan, The Hedgehog Review"Zena Hitz’s wonderful book presents a different and refreshing take on these issues. Focusing on what it means to love learning and learning for learning’s sake, she shows us how intellectual activity is part of human flourishing and is essential to our fulfilment."---Joana Correa Monteiro, Forma De Vida"[An] elegant and absorbing argument. . . .The remarkable thing about Lost in Thought is that it makes. . .rather dreary propositions not only palatable but also compelling. Hitz doesn’t just want to persuade you; she wants to win over your heart. . . .You might walk away from it with a little more clarity, a little more conviction, and a little more dedication to what really matters in your life."---Roosevelt Montás, American Political Thought

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Book SynopsisFrom Sources of the Self to A Secular Age, Charles Taylor has shown how we create ways of being, as individuals and as a society. Here, he demonstrates that language is at the center of this generative process. Language does not merely describe; it constitutes meaning, and the shared practice of speech shapes human experience.Trade ReviewCharacteristically, [Taylor’s] latest book transgresses the boundaries of usually distinct philosophical topics, incorporating disciplines outside philosophy: anthropology, sociology and developmental psychology. Philosophy of language becomes the doorway to metaphysics, politics and ethics, and to working out the nature of modernity and what it has made us. -- Jane O’Grady * Times Higher Education *Taylor moves well beyond theory, looking at the ‘shape, scope and uses of language.’ We find out a great deal about how language is learned, semantic invention, and how words fit into the broader palette of art, ritual, gesture and symbol. -- Jonathan Wright * Catholic Herald *Taylor’s prolific philosophical output is justly celebrated for the rich historical sweep of its learning…The Language Animal…is no exception…By the end we have been given a powerful and often uplifting vision of what it is to be truly human. -- John Cottingham * The Tablet *There is no other book that has presented a critique of conventional philosophy of language in these terms and constructed an alternative to it in anything like this way. -- Akeel Bilgrami, Columbia UniversityTaylor is one of the handful of most important thinkers of our era. The line of thinking he develops in The Language Animal is basic to his whole work since Explanation of Behaviour. Many readers will grasp the importance of a constitutive view of language, and for them this will be a landmark book. -- Craig Calhoun, Director of the London School of Economics and Political ScienceJust as Humboldt believed that ‘possessing a language is to be continuously involved in trying to extend its powers of articulation,’ Charles Taylor’s new book, The Language Animal, demonstrates how the very study of language over time embodies the evolving human effort to extend our understanding—not only of language, but of the very self language helps to describe, propel, and transcend. It is a deeply thoughtful, historically enriching, and ultimately luminous book. -- Maryanne Wolf, Tufts UniversityTrue to its author’s background in philosophy and political thought, The Language Animal is less a scientific, by-the-facts book than a reflective and often poetic account of how language shapes human experience. -- Charisma Lee * LSE Review of Books *Taylor’s argument is salutary and powerful. His erudition is impressive, and the rich diet of examples he assembles poses a serious challenge to facile reductionist accounts of language and of human nature. -- Edward Feser * National Review *[Taylor’s] ultimate objective in his latest book, The Language Animal, is to demonstrate how we can all live in a more tolerant ‘flexible’ (his word) world—if we can learn how to make the most of the resources, above all the resources for communication, we all share. This is a continuation of the ideas he has been working on throughout his astonishingly long and productive career. Taylor writes in a compelling, congenial way that enables him to encompass seeming contradictions. -- Anthony Pagden * World Post *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Seminary Co-Op Notable Book of the Year""Winner of the PROSE Award in History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, Association of American Publishers""Fascinating. . . . [Daston] writes with a twinkling wit."---Timothy Farrington, Wall Street Journal"In considering a series of historic anecdotes and texts, Daston helps us see rules (and their neighbors, such as laws and regulations) through the concepts of thickness and thinness, paradigms and algorithms, failures (it was nearly impossible to get eighteenth-century Parisians to stop playing ball in the streets), and states of exception. . . .By the end of Daston’s book, one feels a sense of clarity about how to think about rules, alongside a gentle sense of despair concerning what kinds of rules to hope for."---Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker"Wonderful and wildly ambitious. . . . For those of us who adore the deep and transformative history of concepts, [Rules] is a pure dopamine rush. I read it with jaw dropped and mind racing."---C. Thi Nguyen, Chronicle of Higher Education"[Daston writes] witty, wide-ranging and well-researched inquiries into the picaresque careers of such notions as ‘reality,’ ‘nature,’ ‘rationality,’ ‘objectivity’ and ‘order,’ and in her latest book she brings her wry historical intelligence to bear on the capacious concept of ‘rules.’ The delights of her scholarship are on full display."---Jonathan Rée, Times Literary Supplement"A timely release that will satisfy the mathematically curious, who hunger to know how algorithms actually work, as well anyone who loves debating policy." * Library Journal *"Rules is ultimately one of the best written, most profound, and most far-reaching works of intellectual history that I have ever read."---Ernest Davis, SIAM News"Fascinating and highly readable. . . .This book is a real tour de force of erudition and analysis with richly revealing examples."---David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer"The book is an exemplary intellectual history: a rangy, quirky, lucid and profound discussion."---Colin Burrow, London Review of Books

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Book SynopsisAre you still the person who lived fifteen, ten or five years ago? Fifteen, ten or five minutes ago? Can you plan for your retirement if the you of thirty years hence is in some sense a different person? What and who is the real you? Does it remain constant over time and place, or is it something much more fragmented and fluid? Is it known to you, or are you as much a mystery to yourself as others are to you?With his usual wit, infectious curiosity and bracing scepticism, Julian Baggini sets out to answer these fundamental and unsettling questions. His fascinating quest draws on the history of philosophy, but also anthropology, sociology, psychology and neurology; he talks to theologians, priests, allegedly reincarnated Lamas, and delves into real-life cases of lost memory, personality disorders and personal transformation; and, candidly and engagingly, he describes his own experiences. After reading The Ego Trick, you will never see yourself in the same way again.

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