Philosophy: epistemology and theory of knowledge Books

Book SynopsisHow Do You Know? explores problems of knowledge that arise in everyday life. If you are not an expert, how can you know that another person is an expert? If experts are politically biased should you still trust them? More generally, how should you approach the testimony of other people: treat it all as "innocent until proven guilty," or is that too simple? Does the internet make us better knowers, or is it just a minefield of misinformation? Is it always irrational to believe a conspiracy theory? Suppose someone just as intelligent and well-informed as you are disagrees with you about something, how should that affect your belief? Can we have knowledge of what is right and wrong?How Do You Know? approaches these issues through the lens of social epistemology and via the preeminently social genre of philosophical dialogue. Its characters think and speak like real people in the world today, discussing and debating issues that are current, practically relevant, and even controversial—while equipping readers with tools and concepts to see more clearly for themselves.Trade Review"An excellent and engaging introduction to epistemology, with a special focus on issues in social epistemology that are very relevant in today’s world. An accessible guide to practical epistemological questions about which experts you should trust, the pervasiveness of bias in oneself and others, the proliferation of misinformation on the internet, and how you should respond when lots of people disagree with you. Highly recommended." —James Beebee, State University of New York at Buffalo"How Do You Know? is an accessible and engaging foray into the growing field of applied epistemology, and a welcome resource for students or anyone else coming to these issues for the first time." —David Coady, University of Tasmania

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Book SynopsisWhen we look back from the vantage point of the 21st century and ask ourselves what the previous century was all about, what do we see? Our first inclination is to focus on historical events: the 20th century was the age of two devastating world wars, of totalitarian regimes and terrible atrocities like the Holocaust – “the age of extremes,” to use Hobsbawm’s famous phrase. But in this new book, the philosopher Peter Sloterdijk argues that we will never understand the 20th century if we focus on events and ideologies. Rather, in his view, the predominant motif of the 20th century is what Badiou called a passion for the real, which manifests itself as the will to actualize the truth directly in the here and now. Drawing on his Spheres trilogy, Sloterdijk interprets the actualization of the real in the 20th century as a passion for economic and technological “antigravitation”. The rise of consumerism and the easing of the burdens of human life by the constant deployment of new technologies have killed off the kind of radicalism that was rooted in the belief that power would rise from a material base of production. If the 20th century can still inspire us today, it is because the fundamental shift that it brought about opened the way for a critique of extremist reason, a post-Marxist theory of enrichment and a general economy of energy resources based on excess and dissipation. While developing his highly original interpretation of the 20th century, Sloterdijk also addresses a series of related topics including the meaning of the Anthropocene, the domestication of humans and the significance of the sea. The volume also includes major new pieces on Derrida and on Heidegger’s politics. This work, by one of the most original thinkers today will appeal to students and scholars across the humanities and social sciences, as well as anyone interested in philosophy and critical theory.Table of Contents The Anthropocene - A Stage in the Process on the Margins of the Earth's History? From the Domestication of the Human Being to the Civilizing of Cultures: Answering the Question of Whether Humanity is Capable of Taming Itself The Ocean Experiment: From Nautical Globalization to a General Ecology The Synchronized World: Philosophical Aspects of Globalization What Happened in the 20th Century? Toward a Critique of Extremist Reason The Thinker in the Haunted Castle: On Derrida's Interpretation of Dreams Deep Observation: Towards a Philosophy of the Space Station The Permanent Renaissance: The Italian Novella and News of Modernity Heidegger's Politics: Postponing the End of History Odysseus the Sophist: On the Birth of Philosophy from the Spirit of Travel Stress Almost Sacred Text: Essay on the Constitution The Other Logos, or the Reason of Cunning: On the Intellectual History of the Indirect Editorial Note Notes

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Book SynopsisPlantinga examines the nature of epistemic warrant; whatever it is that when added to true belief yields knowledge. This volume surveys current contributions to the debate and paves the way for his owm positive proposal in Warrant and Proper Function.Trade Review'Alvin Plantinga makes important contributions to a tradition of discussion which has dominated recent epistemology. Warrant: the Current Debate provides a critical survey of the most recent controbutions to American epistemology ... Plantinga discerns a pattern in their failure, and this is exploited in the second volume where he develops an original and important contribution of his own. Warrant and Proper Function undertakes to succeed where Roderick Chisholm, John Pollock, Louis BonJour, Alvin Goldman and others have failed ... Plantinga's books will provide a focus for much future research in these areas, as well as providing invaluable reading for students taking courses in epistemology.' Christopher Hookway, University of Birmingham, The Philosophical Quarterly, 1995impressive...Not only is the scale of the work more ambitious than the earlier papers, but the doctrine is as well. * Religious Studies Vol 31 *

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Book SynopsisFor Descartes, knowledge exists as ideas in the mind that represent the world. In a radical critique, Hubert Dreyfus and Charles Taylor argue that knowledge consists of much more than the representations we formulate in our minds. They affirm our direct contact with reality—both the physical and the social world—and our shared understanding of it.Trade ReviewCompact and engaging, Retrieving Realism is more approachable than its weighty subject matter might predict…[An] adventurous combination of arguments and mixing of philosophical cultures. -- Peter Godfrey-Smith * Boston Review *This book is a spirited defense of a sensible yet profound idea all too often ignored in mainstream philosophy, namely, that our grip on the world is deeply rooted in contingent interpretations and practices, but that those modes of access to reality do not preclude our—sometimes—coming to see it as it really is ‘in itself.’ Retrieving Realism is a passionate plea that we cannot escape seeing ourselves as being in direct contact with a world that vastly transcends us. -- Taylor Carman, Barnard CollegeTwo major philosophers are joining forces in order to offer an alternative account to the prevailing picture of the human mind and its cognitive powers. The book will obviously be on the reading list of all who seriously concern themselves with issues in contemporary philosophy when it is, like here, at its best. -- Vincent Descombes, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris

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Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Phenomenology presents twenty-eight essays by some of the leading figures in the field, and gives an authoritative overview of the type of work and range of topics found and discussed in contemporary phenomenology. The essays aim to articulate and develop original theoretical perspectives. Some of them are concerned with issues and questions typical and distinctive of phenomenological philosophy, while others address questions familiar to analytic philosophers, but do so with arguments and ideas taken from phenomenology. Some offer detailed analyses of concrete phenomena; others take a more comprehensive perspective and seek to outline and motivate the future direction of phenomenology. The handbook will be a rich source of insight and stimulation for philosophers, students of philosophy, and for people working in other disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, who are interested in the state of phenomenology today. It is the defiTrade Reviewthe volume as a whole is ample evidence that phenomenology perdures, being on a philosophical and methodological trajectory that has seen out the 20th century and is alive and kicking in the 21st ... this Handbook justifies some optimism about both what the future holds for phenomenology, and what phenomenology promises to contribute to the future of philosophy. * Jack Reynolds, Philosophy in Review *A decisive contribution to the field, this volume likely will become standard reading in phenomenology courses. * J. A. Simmons, CHOICE *This volume is the first of its kind to provide such a comprehensive survey of contemporary research in phenomenology. The editor has assembled an impressive cast of authoritative contributors to produce what will undoubtedly become a much used, stimulating, and invaluable reference book in the field of philosophical phenomenology. * Dennis Seron, Husserl Studies *Dan Zahavi has done a truly marvelous job. He has amassed essays of outstanding quality, replete with fascinating ideas, imaginative examples, and above all, carefully constructed arguments. There are critical and insightful phenomenological analyses of topics that run the gamut ... a state-of-the art presentation of research conducted in, through, or inspired by, phenomenology. Given the breadth of the issues examined in it, the clarity of presentation, and the strength of argumentation, the volume is a remarkable achievement. * Andrea Elpidorou, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsI SUBJECTIVITY AND NATURE; II INTENTIONALITY, PERCEPTION AND EMBODIMENT; III SELF AND CONSCIOUSNESS; IV LANGUAGE, THINKING, AND KNOWLEDGE; V ETHICS, POLITICS, AND SOCIALITY; VI TIME AND HISTORY; VII ART AND RELIGION

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Book Synopsis“Full of intelligence and insights, as the author gleefully turns ideas upside down to better understand them. . . Replete with lots of nifty, whimsical footnotes, this clever, speculative book challenges our beliefs with jocularity and perspicacity.” —Kirkus (starred review)“Klosterman’s trademark humor and unique curiosity propel the reader through the book. He remains one of the most insightful critics of pop culture writing today and this is his most thought-provoking and memorable book yet.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)The tremendously well-received New York Times bestseller by cultural critic Chuck Klosterman, exploring the possibility that our currently held beliefs and assumptions about the world will eventually be proven wrong—now in paperback. But What If We're Wrong? is a book of original, reported, interconnected pieces, which speculat

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Book SynopsisHow to live meaningfully in the face of the unknowableWe human beings had no say in existingwe just opened our eyes and found ourselves here. We have a fundamental need to understand who we are and the world we live in. Reason takes us a long way, but mystery remains. When our minds and senses are baffled, faith can seem justifiedbut faith is not knowledge. In Ultimate Questions, acclaimed philosopher Bryan Magee provocatively argues that we have no way of fathoming our own natures or finding definitive answers to the big questions we all face.With eloquence and grace, Magee urges us to be the mapmakers of what is intelligible, and to identify the boundaries of meaningfulness. He traces this tradition of thought to his chief philosophical mentorsLocke, Hume, Kant, and Schopenhauerand shows why this approach to the enigma of existence can enrich our lives and transform our understanding of the human predicament. As Magee puts it, There is a world of difference between being lost in the daylight and being lost in the dark.The crowning achievement to a distinguished philosophical career, Ultimate Questions is a deeply personal meditation on the meaning of life and the ways we should live and face death.Trade Review"Magee's writing always makes very easy reading."--Anthony Kenny, Standpoint "[Magee] writes with relaxed fluency."--Rowan Williams, New Statesman "[Bryan Magee] writes with grace and offers a thoughtful summation of human experience."--Library Journal "Living and dying in a world we accept we do not understand may not sound easy, but if Magee is any guide, the reward of doing so is endless and profound wonder."--Julian Baggini, Independent "Magee is refreshingly comfortable acknowledging the uncanniness of human experience, including the aesthetic as well as the ethical... His case for acknowledging the extent of what we do not know is a useful corrective to 'jolly hockey sticks' humanism as well as religious dogma."--Dolan Cummings, Spiked "[Ultimate Questions] is ... a deeply personal and elegant summary of [Magee's] own individual journey to and through profound philosophical questions."--ChoiceTable of Contents1 Time and Space 1 2 Finding Our Bearings 17 3 The Human Predicament 33 4 Can Experience Be Understood? 59 5 Where Such Ideas Come From 69 6 Personal Reflections 87 7 Our Predicament Summarized 105 Index 129

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Book SynopsisThe Discourse on the Method for Reasoning Well and for Seeking Truth in the Sciences offers a concise presentation and defense of René Descartes' method of intellectual inquiry - a method that greatly influenced both philosophical and scientific reasoning in the early modern world. Descartes's timeless writing strikes an uncommon balance of novelty and familiarity, offering arguments concerning knowledge, science, and metaphysics (including the famous ""I think, therefore I am"") that are as compelling in the 21st century as they were in the 17th.Ian Johnston's new translation of the original French text is modern, clear, and thoroughly annotated, ideal for readers unfamiliar with Descartes' intellectual context. An approachable introduction engages both the historical and the philosophical aspects of the text, helping the reader to understand the concepts and arguments contained therein.Trade Review“Ian Johnston’s new translation of Descartes’s famous Discourse on Method will stand with the best and most readable translations now available in English. For readers coming to Descartes’s work for the first time, Andrew Bailey’s introduction nicely situates the text both philosophically and historically.”- Kurt Smith, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania“Descartes’s Discourse on Method is incredibly rich: it motivates readers to think critically, it introduces Descartes’s ethics as well as his metaphysics, and it aims to show the power of reasoning well. Ian Johnston’s translation is clear and accessible to students while remaining true to the original text.”- Lisa Shapiro, Simon Fraser UniversityTable of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Who Was René Descartes? What Was Descartes' Overall Philosophical Project? What Is the Structure of the Discourse? Some Useful Background Information Some Common Misconceptions How Important and Influential Is the Discourse? Suggestions for Critical Reflection Suggestions for Further Reading Discourse on Method Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI

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Book SynopsisWhat is the relation between a whole and its parts? Is a whole identical to its parts, or is there some other relation of composition? These questions are much discussed in modern philosophy; but Plato''s rich discussion of composition has been neglected. Verity Harte provides the first sustained examination of this Platonic discussion and explains its relations to modern debates. She reveals how, in several late works, Plato criticizes the view that a whole is identical to its parts. She then goes on to discuss the intriguing alternative conception of wholes he offers in its place. This book is an invaluable resource both for scholars of Plato and for modern metaphysicians. For scholars of Plato, Harte''s careful textual analysis provides fresh insights into some of his most difficult works. For modern metaphysicians, she illuminates the contemporary debate by placing it within an historical context.Trade Reviewa brilliant interpretation ... an excellent contribution to the discussion of mereorogical problems, ancient and modern. * Vojtech Hladky, Rhizai *Table of Contents1. THE PROBLEM OF COMPOSITION ; 2. COMPOSITION AS IDENTITY IN THE PARMENIDES AND SOPHIST ; 3. A NEW MODEL OF COMPOSITION ; 4. COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE ; 5. PLATO'S METAPHYSICS OF STRUCTURE

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Book SynopsisPaul Feyerabend's globally acclaimed work, which sparked and continues to stimulate fierce debate, examines the deficiencies of many widespread ideas about scientific progress and the nature of knowledge. Feyerabend argues that scientific advances can only be understood in a historical context. He looks at the way the philosophy of science has consistently overemphasized practice over method, and considers the possibility that anarchism could replace rationalism in the theory of knowledge.This updated edition of the classic text includes a new introduction by Ian Hacking, one of the most important contemporary philosophers of science. Hacking reflects on both Feyerabend's life and personality as well as the broader significance of the book for current discussions.Trade ReviewA devastating attack on the claims of philosophy to legislate for scientific practice. * New Society *A brilliant polemic. * New Scientist *Since it was first published in 1975, Against Method has followed Popper's The Logic of Scientific Discovery and Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions into becoming a classic text in the debate about scientific methodology and scientific reasoning. * The Philosopher *A powerful critique. * London Review of Books *Against Method is more than a book: it is an event. * Archives de Philosophie *

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Book SynopsisInvestigates the antinomy between history and truth, or between historicity and meaning. This book argues that history has meaning insofar as it approaches universality and system, but has no meaning insofar as this universality violates the singularity of individuals' lives.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A] compellingly topical book, which ranges from genetics to fake news."---Andrew Robinson, Nature"Elegant and compelling."---Linsey McGoey, The Philosopher"A thoughtful, nuanced examination of the social and psychological motivations for—and consequences of—ignorance or denial. . . . At a time when fake news, propaganda, political rhetoric, and dueling experts dominate the media, [Salecl]’s analysis offers a fresh way to think about the decisions each of us make to 'embrace ignorance and denial." * Kirkus Reviews *"This is a well-written account of the nature of ignorance by a philosopher and sociologist, illustrated by numerous case studies of ignorance in different contexts. It will repay anyone interested in this problem, whether philosopher, sociologist, or information scientist."---Tom Wilson, Information Research

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Book SynopsisA radical shift took place in medieval Europe that still shapes contemporary intellectual life: freeing themselves from the fixed beliefs of the past, scholars began to determine and pursue their own avenues of academic inquiry. In Knowledge True and Useful, Frank Rexroth shows how, beginning in the 1070s, a new kind of knowledge arose in Latin Europe that for the first time could be deemed “scientific.” In the twelfth century, when Peter Abelard proclaimed the primacy of reason in all areas of inquiry (and started an affair with his pupil Heloise), it was a scandal. But he was not the only one who wanted to devote his life to this new enterprise of “scholastic” knowledge. Rexroth explores how the first students and teachers of this movement came together in new groups and schools, examining their intellectual debates and disputes as well as the lifelong connections they forged with one another through the scholastic communities to which they belonged. Rexroth shows how the resulting transformations produced a new understanding of truth and the utility of learning, as well as a new perspective on the intellectual tradition and the division of knowledge into academic disciplines—marking a turning point in European intellectual culture that culminated in the birth of the university and, with it, traditions and forms of academic inquiry that continue to organize the pursuit of knowledge today.Trade Review"A fresh and insightful book that takes the question of early scholasticism in a new and significant direction. " * Patrick Geary, author of The Myth of Nations: The Medieval Origins of Europe *

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Book SynopsisThe Renaissance, scholars have long argued, was a period beset by the loss of philosophical certainty. In Possible Knowledge, Debapriya Sarkar argues for the pivotal role of literature—what early moderns termed poesie—in the dynamic intellectual culture of this era of profound incertitude. Revealing how problems of epistemology are inextricable from questions of literary form, Sarkar offers a defense of poiesis, or literary making, as a vital philosophical endeavor. Working across a range of genres, Sarkar theorizes “possible knowledge” as an intellectual paradigm crafted in and through literary form. Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century writers such as Spenser, Bacon, Shakespeare, Cavendish, and Milton marshalled the capacious concept of the “possible,” defined by Philip Sidney as what “may be and should be,” to construct new theories of physical and metaphysical reality. These early modern thinkers mobilized the imaginative habits of thought constitutive to major genres of literary writing—including epic, tragedy, romance, lyric, and utopia—in order to produce knowledge divorced from historical truth and empirical fact by envisioning states of being untethered from “nature” or reality. Approaching imaginative modes such as hypothesis, conjecture, prediction, and counterfactuals as instruments of possible knowledge, Sarkar exposes how the speculative allure of the “possible” lurks within scientific experiment, induction, and theories of probability. In showing how early modern literary writing sought to grapple with the challenge of forging knowledge in an uncertain, perhaps even incomprehensible world, Possible Knowledge also highlights its most audacious intellectual ambition: its claim that while natural philosophy, or what we today term science, might explain the physical world, literature could remake reality. Enacting a history of ideas that centers literary studies, Possible Knowledge suggests that what we have termed a history of science might ultimately be a history of the imagination.Trade Review"This pathbreaking book will be at the vanguard of a new movement in literature and science studies." * Jenny C. Mann, New York University *"An ambitious, brilliant, and genuinely original account of the constitutive relationship between poesy and science in early modernity." * Vin Nardizzi, University of British Columbia *"This important book provides compelling evidence that early modern literature in the age of the new science helped readers develop sophisticated forms of knowing about what existed in the world, and, more crucially, what might possibly come to be." * Mary Thomas Crane, Boston College *

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Book SynopsisIn Heidegger’s Way of Being, the follow-up to his 2010 book, Engaging Heidegger, Richard Capobianco makes the case clearly and compellingly that the core matter of Heidegger’s lifetime of thought was Being as the temporal emergence of all beings and things. Drawing upon a wide variety of texts, many of which have been previously untranslated, Capobianco illuminates the overarching importance of Being as radiant manifestation – “the truth of Being” – and how Heidegger also named and elucidated this fundamental phenomenon as physis (Nature), Aletheia, the primordial Logos, and as Ereignis, Lichtung, and Es gibt.Heidegger’s Way of Being brings back into full view the originality and distinctiveness of Heidegger’s thought and offers an emphatic rejoinder to certain more recent readings, and particularly those that propose a reduction of Being to “Trade Review'This book will prove indispensable to anybody working within Heidegger studies, especially those interested in his work on poetry, language, and Heraclitus.' -- S. Montgomery Ewegen Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews January 2015

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Book SynopsisThe first English-language collection to establish curiosity studies as a unique field From science and technology to business and education, curiosity is often taken for granted as an unquestioned good. And yet, few people can define curiosity. Curiosity Studies marshals scholars from more than a dozen fields not only to define curiosity but also to grapple with its ethics as well as its role in technological advancement and global citizenship. While intriguing research on curiosity has occurred in numerous disciplines for decades, no rigorously cross-disciplinary study has existed—until now. Curiosity Studies stages an interdisciplinary conversation about what curiosity is and what resources it holds for human and ecological flourishing. These engaging essays are integrated into four clusters: scientific inquiry, educational practice, social relations, and transformative power. By exploring curiosity through the practice of scientific inquiry, the contours of human learning, the stakes of social difference, and the potential of radical imagination, these clusters focus and reinvigorate the study of this universal but slippery phenomenon: the desire to know. Against the assumption that curiosity is neutral, this volume insists that curiosity has a history and a political import and requires precision to define and operationalize. As various fields deepen its analysis, a new ecosystem for knowledge production can flourish, driven by real-world problems and a commitment to solve them in collaboration. By paying particular attention to pedagogy throughout, Curiosity Studies equips us to live critically and creatively in what might be called our new Age of Curiosity.Contributors: Danielle S. Bassett, U of Pennsylvania; Barbara M. Benedict, Trinity College; Susan Engel, Williams College; Ellen K. Feder, American U; Kristina T. Johnson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Narendra Keval; Christina León, Princeton U; Tyson Lewis, U of North Texas; Amy Marvin, U of Oregon; Hilary M. Schor, U of Southern California; Seeta Sistla, Hampshire College; Heather Anne Swanson, Aarhus U.Table of ContentsContentsForewordPamela Grossman and John L. Jackson Jr.Introduction: What Is Curiosity Studies?Perry Zurn and Arjun Shankar Part I. Interrogating the Scientific Enterprise1. Exploring the Costs of Curiosity: An Environmental Scientist’s DilemmaSeeta Sistla2. Curious Ecologies of Knowledge: More-than-Human AnthropologyHeather Anne Swanson3. Curiosity, Ethics, and the Medical Management of Intersex AnatomiesEllen K. FederPart II. Relearning How We Learn4. A Network Science of the Practice of CuriosityDanielle S. Bassett5. Why Should This Be So? The Waxing and Waning of Children’s CuriositySusan Engel6. The Dude Abides, or, Why Curiosity Is Important for Education TodayTyson Lewis7. “The Campus is Sick”: Capitalist Curiosity and Student Mental HealthArjun ShankarPart III. Reimagining How We Relate8. Autism, Neurodiversity, and CuriosityKristina T. Johnson9. Obstacles to Curiosity and Concern: Exploring the Racist ImaginationNarendra Keval10. Curious Entanglements: Opacity and Ethical Relation in Latina/o AestheticsChristina León11. Transsexuality, the Curio, and the Transgender Tipping PointAmy MarvinPart IV. Deconstructing the Status Quo12. Peeping and Transgression: Curiosity and Collecting in English LiteratureBarbara M. Benedict13. Curiosity and Political ResistancePerry Zurn14. Curiosity at the End of the World: Women, Fiction, ElectricityHilary M. SchorConclusion: On Teaching CuriosityArjun Shankar and Perry Zurn AfterwordHelga NowotnyAcknowledgmentsContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisDavid and Mary Norton present the definitive scholarly edition of one of the greatest philosophical works ever written. This first volume contains the critical text of David Hume''s Treatise of Human Nature (1739/40), followed by the short Abstract (1740) in which Hume set out the key arguments of the larger work; the volume concludes with A Letter from a Gentleman to his Friend in Edinburgh (1745), Hume''s defence of the Treatise when it was under attack from ministers seeking to prevent Hume''s appointment as Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.Table of ContentsA Note on the Texts ; Contents of A Treatise of Human Nature ; A TREATISE OF HUMAN NATURE ; An Abstract of ... A Treatise of Human Nature ; A Letter from a Gentleman to his Friend in Edinburgh

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Book SynopsisMany human beings have considered the powers and the limits of human knowledge, but few have wondered about the power that the idea of knowledge has over us. Steven Connor's The Madness of Knowledge is the first book to investigate this emotional inner life of knowledge--the lusts, fantasies, dreams, and fears that the idea of knowing provokes. There are in-depth discussions of the imperious will to know, of Freud's epistemophilia (or love of knowledge), and the curiously insistent links between madness, magical thinking, and the desire for knowledge. Connor also probes secrets and revelations, quarreling and the history of quizzes and "general knowledge," charlatanry and pretension, both the violent disdain and the sanctification of the stupid, as well as the emotional investment in the spaces and places of knowledge, from the study to the library. In an age of artificial intelligence, alternative facts, and mistrust of truth, The Madness of Knowledge offers an opulent, enlarging, and sometimes unnerving psychopathology of intellectual life.

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Book SynopsisA new approach to Hume's problem of induction that justifies the optimality of induction at the level of meta-induction.Hume's problem of justifying induction has been among epistemology's greatest challenges for centuries. In this book, Gerhard Schurz proposes a new approach to Hume's problem. Acknowledging the force of Hume's arguments against the possibility of a noncircular justification of the reliability of induction, Schurz demonstrates instead the possibility of a noncircular justification of the optimality of induction, or, more precisely, of meta-induction (the application of induction to competing prediction models). Drawing on discoveries in computational learning theory, Schurz demonstrates that a regret-based learning strategy, attractivity-weighted meta-induction, is predictively optimal in all possible worlds among all prediction methods accessible to the epistemic agent. Moreover, the a priori justification of meta-induction generates a noncircular a posterio

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Book SynopsisThis book draws out the essence of a range of personality theories in a clear and accessible way, moving from the seminal works of Freud and other prominent analytical theorists, to the stage theories of Erikson and Levinson and the development of personality as it is viewed in existential and person-centred theory. The text: Highlights the salient points of different personality theories Critiques the theories Examines important aspects of personality development neglected by previous books on this topic such as spirituality and the development of racial identity and gender. The book reflects strongly on the context from which the theories sprang and seeks to trace how this context has influenced the theorists and their disciples. It also highlights the similarities between the concepts and structure of many of the theories. The authors, both themselves experienced counsellors and trainers, try to evaluate which elements of the theories can be useful to the work of the Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsSeries editor's prefacePrefacePsychoanalytic/psychodynamic developmental theoriesThe developmental theories of Erikson and LevinsonPersonality development in person-centred theoryExistential approaches Moral development Feminist critiques of developmental theoriesCultural factors in personality development Transpersonal and psycho-spiritual psychologyConclusionReferencesIndex.

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Book SynopsisIn this collection of essays, a distinguished group of philosophers of religion explore the question of divine hiddenness in considerable detail. The issue is approached from several religious perspectives including Jewish, Christian, atheist and agnostic. A substantial introduction clarifies the main problems of and leading solutions to divine hiddenness.Trade Review'… this collection is an accessible as well as insightful source on the philosophical dimensions of divine hiddenness. It is therefore highly recommended to students and specialists alike.' International Journal for Philosophy of Religion'… required reading for all serious students of apologetics and philosophical theology.' ThemeliosTable of ContentsList of contributors; Introduction. The hiddenness of God Daniel Howard-Snyder and Paul K. Moser; 1. What is the problem of the hiddenness of God? Peter van Inwagen; 2. What the hiddenness of God reveals: a collaborative discussion J. L. Schellenberg; 3. Deus absconditus Michael J. Murray; 4. St. John of the Cross and the necessity of divine hiddenness Laura L. Garcia; 5. Jonathan Edwards and the hiddenness of God William J. Wainwright; 6. Cognitive idolatry and divine hiding Paul K. Moser; 7. Divine hiddenness: what is the problem? Jonathan L. Kvanvig; 8. A Kierkegaardian view of divine hiddenness M. Jamie Ferreira; 9. The hiddenness of God: a puzzle or a real problem? Jacob Joshua Ross; 10. Seeking but not believing: confessions of a practicing agnostic Paul Draper; 11. The silence of the God who speaks Nicholas Wolterstorff; Bibliography; Index of names; Index of subjects.

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Book SynopsisI am not a particularly Jewish thinker, said Emmanuel Levinas, I am just a thinker. This book argues against the idea, affirmed by Levinas himself, that Totality and Infinity and Otherwise Than Being separate philosophy from Judaism. By reading Levinas''s philosophical works through the prism of Judaic texts and ideas, Michael Fagenblat argues that what Levinas called ethics is as much a hermeneutical product wrought from the Judaic heritage as a series of phenomenological observations. Decoding the Levinas''s philosophy of Judaism within a Heideggerian and Pauline framework, Fagenblat uses biblical, rabbinic, and Maimonidean texts to provide sustained interpretations of the philosopher''s work. Ultimately he calls for a reconsideration of the relation between tradition and philosophy, and of the meaning of faith after the death of epistemology.Trade Review"Fagenblat provides a fresh and thoughtful approach to understanding the relationship between philosophy and Judaism, that is, to understanding Levinas's phenomenology as midrash"—Michael Sohn, Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses"In his elegant book, A Covenant of Creatures: Levinas's Philosophy of Judaism, Michael Fagenblat negotiates the two bodies of Levinas's writings and argues that instead of viewing the phenomenological readings in opposition to the Jewish readings, we should instead see the phenomenology as offering not simply a philosophy of Judaism, but a phenomenology of Judaism."—Claire Katz, Shofar"Michael Fagenblat's A Covenant of Creatures is a bold and powerful book . . . I am seduced by Fagenblat's textual interpretations of Jewish texts, through a Levinassian lens."—Annette Aronowicz, Association for Jewish Studies"Fagenblat's highly interesting study of Levinas converges with a current trend in philosophy to pay more attention to philosophy's Jewish heritage . . . Fagenblat's interpretation of Levinas is a very good reading."—Rico Sneller, Ars Disputandi"As for Fagenblat, by any relevant criterion—depth, clarity, originality, or scholarly integrity—this book is first rate."—Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews"Fagenblat's clear and mostly Levinasian-rhetoric-free writing helps to make the book teachable. . . Fagenblat achieves a great deal in this text. Pairing Levinas with Maimonides provides a teachable and engaging discussion."—Randy Friedman, H-Net"This is a rich and sophisticated study of one of the most vital and influential thinkers of the twentieth century. Exploring Levinas's philosophy of Judaism from his philosophical rather than his confessional writings, Michael Fagenblat provides a fresh model that breaks down simplistic distinctions and opens the in-between space wherein the claim of the individual is held accountable through the response to the other and the challenge of the other is redeemed by the demand of the individual."—Elliot R. Wolfson, New York University"According to the famous Talmudic story in which a heathen challenges Hillel to reveal the whole of Torah while standing on one foot, the sage not only declares its essence to lie in the ethics of neighbor-love, relegating the rest to the status of 'mere' commentary; he enjoins his interlocutor to study that very textual supplement. Michael Fagenblat has made an utterly compelling case that a similar injunction is at work in Levinas's conception of ethical responsibility in the face of the Other. It, too, implies that this strange creature—the neighbor—can only be revealed exegetically, in the working through of the hermeneutic dimension of the urgent phenomenological 'givenness' of the Other. In this beautifully written and conceptually rigorous page-turner, Fagenblat teaches us to resist the impasses of prior readings of Levinas, which remain stuck within the sterile opposition of phenomenology and theology, Athens and Jerusalem, thinking and reading, mind and tradition. Fagenblat allows us, finally, to grasp the genre proper to Levinasian thought: phenomenology as midrash."—Eric Santner, University of Chicago

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Book SynopsisAwarded the 1988 Johnsonian Prize in Philosophy. Published with the aid of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.Trade ReviewIt is the only real treatise on truth in existence that takes full account of the liar paradox and other 'semantical' paradoxes and treats the sophisticated theories that have been developed in the last fifteen years. . . . The view of truth it expresses, the technical results obtained in working it out, and the general, self-contained treatment of the logical problems concerning truth combine to make this work a very important one. --Charles Parsons, Harvard University

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Book SynopsisM. J. Levett''s elegant translation of Plato''s Theaetetus, first published in 1928, is here revised by Myles Burnyeat to reflect contemporary standards of accuracy while retaining the style, imagery, and idiomatic speech for which the Levett translation is unparalleled. Bernard William's concise introduction, aimed at undergraduate students, illuminates the powerful argument of this complex dialogue, and illustrates its connections to contemporary metaphysical and epistemological concerns.

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Book Synopsis A landmark of Enlightenment thought, Hume''s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is accompanied here by two shorter works that shed light on it: A Letter from a Gentleman to His Friend in Edinburgh, Hume''s response to those accusing him of atheism, of advocating extreme skepticism, and of undermining the foundations of morality; and his Abstract of A Treatise of Human Nature, which anticipates discussions developed in the Enquiry. In his concise Introduction, Eric Steinberg explores the conditions that led Hume to write the Enquiry and the work''s important relationship to Book I of Hume''s A Treatise of Human Nature.

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Book SynopsisThese five essays began a debate about the nature and scope of ancient scepticism which has transformed our understanding of what scepticism originally was. Together they provide a vigorous and highly stimulating introduction to the thought of the original sceptics, and shed new light on its relation to sceptical arguments in modern philosophy.Trade ReviewThe Original Sceptics contains a wealth of analysis, argument and philological comment, and it undoubtedly succeeds in making the reader aware of the difficulties involved in discovering what the ancient sceptics really held. --F. C. White, Australasian Journal of PhilosophyTable of ContentsThe sceptics' beliefs; can the sceptic live his scepticism?; the beliefs of a Pyrrhonist; the sceptic in his place and time; the sceptic's two kinds of assent.

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Book SynopsisThis is a collection of five essays debating the nature and scope of ancient scepticism, providing an introduction to the thought of the original sceptics. The book seeks to shed new light on how their thought relates to sceptical arguments in modern philosophy.Trade ReviewThe Original Sceptics contains a wealth of analysis, argument and philological comment, and it undoubtedly succeeds in making the reader aware of the difficulties involved in discovering what the ancient sceptics really held. --F. C. White, Australasian Journal of PhilosophyTable of ContentsThe sceptics' beliefs; can the sceptic live his scepticism?; the beliefs of a Pyrrhonist; the sceptic in his place and time; the sceptic's two kinds of assent.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewC.D.C. Reeve has made a remarkable contribution to the study of Aristotle’s metaphysics, not least because his interpretation restores Aristotle’s theology to its central place. His book will be important reading not only for scholars engaged in debate about Aristotle’s text, but also for the rest of us, because it is both an interpretation of Aristotle and a significant metaphysical inquiry in its own right. --Alasdair MacIntyre, Duke UniversityA splendid book! Reeve's Substantial Knowledge contains a remarkably rich and detailed exploration of the primacy, both metaphysical and epistemological, of substantial being in Aristotle's theoretical philosophy. It not only provides an accessible introduction to the key texts and problems, but also challenges contemporary scholarship in its highly original exposition and defense of a holistic interpretation of the aims and content of Aristotle's metaphysical theorizing. --Alan Code, University of California, BerkeleyEven scholars who have worked hard over decades on metaphysics in Aristotle will find much refreshment as well as much to learn in studying this book. This is not an ordinary working through, textbook fashion, of the established topics and the established texts, aimed at giving a thorough but traditionally conceived examination of Aristotle’s metaphysics of substance. It is a completely fresh, independently motivated philosophical reading of lots and lots of Aristotelian texts, assembled in order to buttress an ongoing interpretative project, and quoted in full and then analyzed step by step in the surrounding discussion. I am sure that any reader will find the book a spirited and instructive effort to deal intelligibly with these often quite daunting materials. --John Cooper, Princeton University

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Book SynopsisC.D.C. Reeves uses the Primacy Dilemma to explore Aristotle's metaphysics, epistemology, dialectic, philosophy of mind and theology. The book's clear, non-technical format makes it suitable for both academic and general readers with an interest in Aristotle.Trade ReviewC.D.C. Reeve has made a remarkable contribution to the study of Aristotle’s metaphysics, not least because his interpretation restores Aristotle’s theology to its central place. His book will be important reading not only for scholars engaged in debate about Aristotle’s text, but also for the rest of us, because it is both an interpretation of Aristotle and a significant metaphysical inquiry in its own right. --Alasdair MacIntyre, Duke UniversityA splendid book! Reeve's Substantial Knowledge contains a remarkably rich and detailed exploration of the primacy, both metaphysical and epistemological, of substantial being in Aristotle's theoretical philosophy. It not only provides an accessible introduction to the key texts and problems, but also challenges contemporary scholarship in its highly original exposition and defense of a holistic interpretation of the aims and content of Aristotle's metaphysical theorizing. --Alan Code, University of California, BerkeleyEven scholars who have worked hard over decades on metaphysics in Aristotle will find much refreshment as well as much to learn in studying this book. This is not an ordinary working through, textbook fashion, of the established topics and the established texts, aimed at giving a thorough but traditionally conceived examination of Aristotle’s metaphysics of substance. It is a completely fresh, independently motivated philosophical reading of lots and lots of Aristotelian texts, assembled in order to buttress an ongoing interpretative project, and quoted in full and then analyzed step by step in the surrounding discussion. I am sure that any reader will find the book a spirited and instructive effort to deal intelligibly with these often quite daunting materials. --John Cooper, Princeton University

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Book SynopsisIn Jay Rosenberg''s lively and accessible introductory dialogue, four bright students explore a number of the central topics and problems of contemporary epistemology--skepticism and certainty, internalism and externalism, foundationalism and coherentism, and the nature and limits of justification. Their wide-ranging discussion highlights many of the vivid and imaginative thought-experiments that have shaped both classical and contemporary reflections on the scope and character of our knowledge of the world.

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Book SynopsisIn Jay Rosenberg''s lively and accessible introductory dialogue, four bright students explore a number of the central topics and problems of contemporary epistemology--skepticism and certainty, internalism and externalism, foundationalism and coherentism, and the nature and limits of justification. Their wide-ranging discussion highlights many of the vivid and imaginative thought-experiments that have shaped both classical and contemporary reflections on the scope and character of our knowledge of the world.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA reader-friendly, yet philosophically sharp and textually reliable introduction to one of the classics of western philosophy. Westphal shows why the dramatic, quasi-historical, structure of Hegel’s work is not accidental to it, but is rather required by the reflective, self-critical, nature of judgement that Hegel assumes from the beginning. The book will be of interest to readers who approach Hegel with analytical as well as phenomenological preconceptions, and of use (but for different reasons) to undergraduates and graduate students alike. --George di Giovanni, McGill UniversityWestphal argues that epistemological realism is compatible with a social and historical constructivism, and that Hegel shows us how a self-critical community of human knowers can achieve (and reflectively appreciate) knowledge of the world around them and their place in it. Almost 200 years ago Hegel had the kind of epistemology we now know we need! I hope this book will put Hegel back into the canon of epistemology. --Willem de Vries, University of New HampshirePhilosophically, the most satisfying and sophisticated account of the Phenomenology yet. --Frederick Beiser, Syracuse University

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Book SynopsisTrust is fundamental to epistemology. It features as theoretical bedrock in a broad cross-section of areas including social epistemology, the epistemology of self-trust, feminist epistemology, and the philosophy of science. Yet epistemology has seen little systematic conversation with the rich literature on trust itself. This volume aims to promote and shape this conversation. It encourages epistemologists of all stripes to dig deeper into the fundamental epistemic roles played by trust, and it encourages philosophers of trust to explore the epistemological upshots and applications of their theories. The contributors explore such issues as the risks and necessity of trusting others for information, the value of doing so as opposed to relying on oneself, the mechanisms underlying trust's strange ability to deliver knowledge, whether depending on others for information is compatible with epistemic responsibility, whether self-trust is an intellectual virtue, and the intimate relationsTable of ContentsList of Tables and Figures Foreword Preface Introduction. Katherine Dormandy (Innsbruck University) Austria) Trust in Locke. Thomas Simpson (Oxford University, UK) The Prizes and Perils of Epistemic Trust. Elizabeth Fricker (Oxford University, UK) The Role of Trust in Testimonial Knowledge. John Greco (St. Louis University, USA) Groups, Trust and Testimony. Jesper Kallestrup (Edinburgh University, UK), Epistemic Trust and Intellectual Authority. Christoph Jäger (Innsbruck University, Austria) Understanding a Speaker’s Expectation of Trust. Sanford Goldberg (Northwestern University, USA), The Values of Trust. Katherine Dormandy (Innsbruck University, Austria) The Impact of Intellectual Arrogance and Self Abasement on Self-Trust Alessandra Tanesini (Cardiff University, UK). Self-Trust and Autonomy Defenses of Free Speech. Mari Mikkola (Berlin Humboldt University, Germany) Rational Religious Trust: How to Know Religious Truths by Testimony: An Evidentialist Perspective. Trent Dougherty (Baylor University, USA) Imaginative Trust? Faith, Play, and the Practical Stance. Amber Griffioen (Constance University, Germany) References Index

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Book SynopsisThrough a detailed study of Herder''s Enlightenment thought, especially his philosophy of literature, Kristin Gjesdal offers a new and sometimes provocative reading of the historical origins and contemporary challenges of modern hermeneutics. She shows that hermeneutic philosophy grew out of a historical, anthropological, and poetic discourse in the mid-eighteenth century and argues that, as such, it represents a rich, stimulating, and relevant engagement with the potentials and limits of human meaning and understanding. Gjesdal''s study broadens our conception of hermeneutic philosophy - the issues it raises and the answers it offers - and underlines the importance of Herder''s contribution to the development of this discipline. Her book will be highly valuable for students and scholars of eighteenth-century thought, especially those working in the fields of hermeneutics, aesthetics, and European philosophy.Trade Review'Herder's hermeneutic philosophy is an important contribution to our understanding of hermeneutics as a peculiarly historical mode of philosophical practice. Gjesdal lucidly demonstrates the implications that Herder's focus on the historical dimension of language and culture has for philosophy itself, with hermeneutics emerging as a way of philosophising with particular relevance for today.' Paul Redding, University of Sydney'What distinguishes Gjesdal's approach from the existing body of scholarship is the meticulous attention she pays to the origins, transdisciplinary directions, and educational objectives of Herder's hermeneutics … It makes a major contribution to our improved understanding of a key eighteenth-century figure whose wide-ranging intellectual output and contemporary relevance deserve a much broader English-speaking audience.' Ulrike Wagner, Monatshefte'Herder's Hermeneutics is a rich and rewarding work that makes an invaluable contribution to both Herder scholarship and philosophical hermeneutics. As such, it is essential reading for scholars and students of hermeneutics, aesthetics, and European philosophy.' Kurt C. M. Mertel, Journal of the History of PhilosophyTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The future of philosophy; 2. Poetry, history, aesthetics; 3. Aesthetic value and historical understanding; 4. Human nature and human science; 5. Prejudice and interpretation; 6. Critique and Bildung; 7. Self and other; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisStandard philosophical explanations of the concept of knowledge invoke a personal goal of having true beliefs, and explain the other requirements for knowledge as indicating the best way to achieve that goal. In this highly original book, Steven L. Reynolds argues instead that the concept of knowledge functions to express a naturally developing kind of social control, a complex social norm, and that the main purpose of our practice of saying and thinking that people ''know'' is to improve our system for exchanging information, which is testimony. He makes illuminating comparisons of the knowledge norm of testimony with other complex social norms - such as those requiring proper clothing, respectful conversation, and the complementary virtues of tact and frankness - and shows how this account fits with our concept of knowledge as studied in recent analytic epistemology. His book will interest a range of readers in epistemology, psychology, and sociology.Trade Review'Reynolds (Arizona State Univ) makes his case with lucid, evenhanded arguments, comparing his position to previous theories and trying to counter anticipated objections.' S. E. Forschler, CHOICETable of Contents1. Social norms, knowledge, and philosophy; 2. What is knowledge?; 3. Developing a concept of knowledge; 4. Is that our concept of knowledge?; 5. What is justified belief?; 6. Justified belief is the appearance of knowledge; 7. Testimonial knowledge and social norms; 8. Knowledge from testimony; 9. Doxastic voluntarism and epistemic evaluations; 10. Why we should prefer knowledge.

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Book SynopsisThe philosophy of perception has been an important topic throughout history, appealing to thinkers in antiquity and the middle ages as well as to figures such as Kant, Bergson and others. In this wide-ranging study, Mark Eli Kalderon presents multiple perspectives on the general nature of perception, discussing touch and hearing as well as vision. He draws on the rich history of the subject and shows how analytic and continental approaches to it are connected, providing readers with insights from both traditions and arguing for new orientations when thinking about the presentation of perception. His discussion addresses issues including tactile metaphors, sympathy in relation to the concept of fellow-feeling, and the Wave Theory of sound. His comprehensive and thoughtful study presents bold and systematic investigations into current theory, informed by centuries of philosophical enquiry, and will be important for those working on ontological and metaphysical aspects of perception and fTable of Contents1. Grasping; 2. Sympathy; 3. Sound; 4. Sources; 5. Vision; 6. Realism.

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Book SynopsisBergson was a pre-eminent European philosopher of the early twentieth century and his work covers all major branches of philosophy. This volume of essays is the first collection in twenty years in English to address the whole of Bergson''s philosophy, including his metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of life, aesthetics, ethics, social and political thought, and religion. The essays explore Bergson''s influence on a number of different fields, and also extend his thought to pressing issues of our time, including philosophy as a way of life, inclusion and exclusion in politics, ecology, the philosophy of race and discrimination, and religion and its enduring appeal. The volume will be valuable for all who are interested in this important thinker and his continuing relevance.Trade Review'This collection presents new and promising interpretations of Henri Bergson, revealing the reach of his thought into political science, sociology, aesthetics, and religious studies. Academic readers across the humanities and social sciences will find them accessible and provocative.' Michael Kelly, University of San Diego'In its choice of the most innovative topics in research on Bergson, this book presents an original and at the same time very rich spectrum of the last twenty years of research … Even though they draw on the most canonical texts, the various contributions present highly original interpretations of Bergson's oeuvre and highlight its enduring fertility.' Société des Amis de Bergson Newsletter'This collection is extremely thought-provoking and an excellent resource for scholars as well as students already familiar with his work.' Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews'Critical Essays is an extraordinary contribution to scholarship on Bergson and the history of philosophy and science.' John R. Bagby, MetascienceTable of ContentsIntroduction Alexandre Lefebvre and Nils F. Schott; 1. Bergson's theory of truth Arnaud François; 2. What was 'serious philosophy' for the young Bergson? Giuseppe Bianco; 3. Bergson and naturalism Stéphane Madelrieux; 4. Bergson on the true intellect Leonard Lawlor; 5. Bergson's philosophy of art Mark Sinclair; 6. Bergson, time, and philosophies of life Suzanne Guerlac; 7. Bergson and philosophy as a way of life Keith Ansell-Pearson; 8. Bergson and social theory Alexandre Lefebvre and Melanie White; 9. Bergson and political theory Richard Vernon; 10. Bergson, colonialism, and race Mark Westmoreland; 11. Bergson's philosophy of religion Nils F. Schott.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first book-length treatment of knowledge closure, a central and widely endorsed principle in epistemology. The volume provides a new and sustained defense of 'closure failure' and will be relevant to anyone studying or working in epistemology and related philosophical disciplines.Trade Review'Marc Alspector-Kelly provides the most comprehensive treatment available of the much-debated topic of epistemic closure, and his own arguments are a valuable antidote to the current consensus in favor of closure. Henceforth, epistemologists who discuss closure will have to reckon with Alspector-Kelly's original and sophisticated case against this principle.' Peter Murphy, University of IndianapolisTable of Contents1. Motivation, strategy, and definition; 2. Counterexamples; 3. Denying premise 1: Skepticism; 4. Denying premise 2: Warrant transmission; 5. Transmission, skepticism, and conditions of warrant; 6. Front-loading; 7. Denying premise 3: warrant for P as warrant for Q; 8. Denying premise 4: warrant by background information; 9. Denying premise 5: warrant by entitlement; 10. Abominable conjunctions, contextualism, and the spreading problem; 11. Bootstrapping, epistemic circularity, and justification closure.

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Book SynopsisIn this volume, Peter Furlong delves into the question of divine determinism - the view that God has determined everything that has ever happened or will ever happen. This view, which has a long history among multiple religious and philosophical traditions, faces a host of counterarguments. It seems to rob humans of their free will, absolving them of all the wrongs they commit. It seems to make God the author of sin and thus blameworthy for all human wrongdoing. Additionally, it seems to undermine the popular ''Free Will Defense'' of the problem of evil, to make a mockery of the claim that God loves us, and to make it inappropriate for God to blame and punish us. This work carefully formulates these and other objections to divine determinism and investigates possible responses to each of them, providing systematic and balanced discussion of this major philosophical and theological debate.Trade Review'… thoughtful and clear …' Jesse Couenhoven, Modern TheologyTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. A primer on divine determinism; 2. Divine determinism and free will: the consequence argument; 3. Divine determinism and free will: manipulation arguments; 4. Divine determinism and the author of sin objection; 5. Divine determinism and the blameworthiness objection; 6. Divine determinism and the free will defense; 7. God, determined agents, and love; 8. Divine commands, the divine will, and divine blame; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisOn Philosophy and Philosophers is a volume of unpublished philosophical papers by Richard Rorty, a central figure in late-twentieth-century intellectual debates and a primary force behind the resurgence of American pragmatism. The first collection of new work to appear since his death in 2007, these previously unseen papers advance novel views on metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, philosophical semantics and the social role of philosophy, critically engaging canonical and contemporary figures from Plato and Kant to Kripke and Brandom. This book''s diverse offerings, which include technical essays written for specialists and popular lectures, refine our understanding of Rorty''s perspective and demonstrate the ongoing relevance of the iconoclastic American philosopher''s ground-breaking thought. An introduction by the editors highlights the papers'' original insights and contributions to contemporary debates.Trade Review'The Rorty that emerges from these essays is an ardent but not doctrinaire pragmatist and naturalist, who warns about the political dangers inherent in the idealist and anti-naturalist positions, while also seeing the risks of a headlong rush by philosophers into accepting Locke's vision of the philosopher as a follower, not a leader, a mere 'under-labourer, removing some of the Rubbish,' in the wake of 'the incomparable Mr. Newton.' This volume sets a timely example of how a politically engaged philosopher can put hard won expertise to valuable use.' Daniel C. Dennett'[W]e consistently observe in this collection a rigorous, voracious reader developing and refining his metaphilosophical views via analysis of first-order debates and their hidden assumptions. Rorty still has much to teach us about both these debates and about metaphilosophy itself.' Metascience'… will be of interest to scholars who specialize in Rorty's work, to those invested in the nature and development of neopragmatism, and to any philosophical audience who enjoys bracing, clear, and unique perspectives on a range of philosophical topics-from the interpretation of Kant, to discussions of contemporary metasemantics, to, above all, the nature of philosophy itself.' Matthew Shields, MetascienceTable of ContentsIntroduction. Rorty as a Critical Philosopher Wojciech Małecki and Christopher Voparil; Part I. Early Papers: 1. Philosophy as Ethics; 2. Philosophy as Spectatorship and Participation; 3. Kant as a Critical Philosopher; 4. The Paradox of Definitism; 5. Reductionism; 6. Phenomenology, Linguistic Analysis, and Cartesianism: Comments on Ricoeur; 7. The Incommunicability of 'Felt Qualities'; 8. Kripke on Mind-Body Identity; Part II. Later Papers: 9. Philosophy as Epistemology: Reply to Hacking and Kim; 10. Naturalized Epistemology and Norms: Replies to Goldman and Fodor; 11. The Objectivity of Values; 12. What is Dead in Plato; 13. The Current State of Philosophy in the U.S.; 14. Brandom's Conversationalism: Davidson and Making It Explicit; 15. Bald Naturalism and McDowell's Hylomorphism; 16. Reductionist vs. Neo-Wittgensteinian Semantics; 17. Remarks on Nishida and Nishitani.

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