Philosophy: epistemology and theory of knowledge Books
University of Toronto Press Method in Theology Volume 14
Book SynopsisIn Method in Theology, Vol. 14, Lonergan's intention was to provide a set of methods that would guide a collaborative community in the ongoing construction of a theology that would move from recovery of the data through resolution of conflicts to contemporary formulations and applications.Table of ContentsPart 1: Background The Human Good Meaning Religion Functional Specialties Part Two: Foreground Interpretation History History and Historians Dialectic Foundations Doctrines Systematics Communications The Church and the Churches
£35.15
Open Court Publishing Co ,U.S. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
Book SynopsisA superb classroom edition with a detailed introduction and extensive notes by Anthony Flew, author of Hume''s Philosophy of Belief. This also includes Hume''s autobiography, My Own Life; Hume''s An abstract of A Treatise of Human Nature; the key passage Why a Cause is Always Necessary from Hume''s Treatise; three letters by Hume, and the famous letter on Hume''s death by Adam Smith.
£17.99
Princeton University Press Ultimate Questions
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
£12.59
MP-MQU Marquette University On the Teacher Saint Augustine Saint Thomas
Book Synopsis
£18.86
Institute of General Semantics Selections from Science and Sanity Second Edition An Introduction to NonAristotelian Systems and General Semantics
£15.20
Broadview Press Ltd Discourse on Method
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
£10.40
Vintage Publishing The Hemlock Cup
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 *
£15.29
Clarendon Press Plato on Parts and Wholes
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
£52.20
Oxford University Press Objectivity
Book Synopsis- Is objectivity possible?- Can there be objectivity in matters of morals, or tastes?- What would a truly objective account of the world be like?- Is everything subjective, or relative? - Are moral judgments objective or culturally relative? Objectivity is both an essential and elusive philosophical concept. An account is generally considered to be objective if it attempts to capture the nature of the object studied without judgement of a conscious entity or subject. Objectivity stands in contrast to subjectivity: an objective account is impartial, one which could ideally be accepted by any subject, because it does not draw on any assumptions, prejudices, or values of particular subjects. Stephen Gaukroger shows that it is far from clear that we can resolve moral or aesthetic disputes in this way and it has often been argued that such an approach is not always appropriate for disciplines that deal with human, rather than natural, phenomena. Moreover, even in those cases where we seek to be objective, it may be difficult to judge what a truly objective account would look like, and whether it is achievable. This Very Short Introduction demonstrates that there are a number of common misunderstandings about what objectivity is, and explores the theoretical and practical problems of objectivity by assessing the basic questions raised by it. As well as considering the core philosophical issues, Gaukroger also deals with the way in which particular understandings of objectivity impinge on social research, science, and art. 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.Table of ContentsREFERENCES; FURTHER READING
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Social Construction of Reality
Book SynopsisA general and systematic account of the role of knowledge in society aimed to stimulate both critical discussion and empirical investigations.This book is concerned with the sociology of everything that passes for knowledge in society'. It focuses particularly on that common-sense knowledge' which constitutes the reality of everyday life for the ordinary member of society.The authors are concerned to present an analysis of knowledge in everyday life in the context of a theory of society as a dialectical process between objective and subjective reality. Their development of a theory of institutions, legitimations and socializations has implications beyond the discipline of sociology, and their humanistic' approach has considerable relevance for other social scientists, historians, philosophers and anthropologists.
£10.44
Oxford University Press Knowledge
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
£9.49
Oxford University Press Theaetetus
Book Synopsis''What exactly is knowledge?''The Theaetetus is a seminal text in the philosophy of knowledge, and is acknowledged as one of Plato''s finest works. Cast as a conversation between Socrates and a clever but modest student, Theaetetus, it explores one of the key issues in philosophy: what is knowledge? Though no definite answer is reached, the discussion is penetrating and wide-ranging, covering the claims of perception to be knowledge, the theory that all is in motion, and the perennially tempting idea that knowledge and truth are relative to different individuals or states. The inquirers go on to explore the connection between knowledge and true judgement, and the famous threefold definition of knowledge as justified true belief. Packed with subtle arguments, the dialogue is also a work of literary genius, with an unforgettable portrait of Socrates as a midwife of wisdom. This new edition uses the acclaimed translation by John McDowell. It includes a valuable introduction that locates the work in Plato''s oeuvre, and explains some of the competing interpretations of its overall meaning. The notes elucidate Plato''s arguments and draw connections within the work and with other philosophical discussions.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.Trade Reviewstrongly recommended for undergraduates and anyone with a serious interest in Plato. * Colin Leach, Classics for All *
£11.39
St Augustine's Press Tractatus de Signis – The Semiotic of John
Book SynopsisThis is a corrected second impression of the original bilingual critical edition of Poinsot’s work on signs completed in 1632. New materials include a new “Foreword” by the translator and a full table of correlations between the independent Tractatus edition and the original Cursus Philo-sophicus from which that edition was established. The Cursus Philosophicus was one of the two great syntheses of Latin thought made in the lifetime of Descartes. Yet only that of Francis Suarez in 1597, the Disputationes Metaphysicae, was destined to be read by the early moderns. This is a work of immense erudition that synthesizes the matter of signs philosophy from Aristotle and his successors in Greece and Rome to the pre-eminent St. Thomas Aquinas in the Middle Ages and so on through the leading schools of Renaissance thought. Poinsot was instrumental in the twentieth-century revival of Thomism led by Jacques Maritain. His seminal Introduction to the Summa Theologiae of Thomas Aquinas (St. Augustine’s Press, 2004)
£64.60
St Augustine's Press Solipsism – The Ultimate Empirical Theory of
Book SynopsisSolipsism is the ultimate empirical theory of human existence. It is the metaphysical position that there is only one self-conscious person in the universe, i.e., the present selfconscious being reading these paragraphs. A weaker version is the position that one can know for certain that there is only one conscious person in the universe, oneself. The present study is the only book-length examination of solipsism. It treats the origin of solipsism in the works of St. Augustine and René Descartes as well as all serious attempts to refute the thesis of solipsism. Such attempts were made primarily by British empiricists, specifically by George Santayana. Santayana concludes that solipsism cannot be refuted. Watson also concludes that solipsism cannot be refuted. He examines attempts by Descartes, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, British Idealists, Logical Positivists, Sense Datum Philosophers, and in particular Nelson Goodman and Gilbert Ryle (they are just pathetic). The spector haunting Modern Philosophy is not the Ghost in the Machine; it is solipsism. Watson argues that the foundations of Western Philosophy are solipsistic, and that all the major figures recognize this and know that solipsism cannot be refuted, but nevertheless continue by ignoring it, by pretending that it cannot be taken seriously, by offering inadequate solutions, and by treating solipsism as a joke. Watson’s book is the only study of solipsism by a professional philosopher, other than Santayana, in which solipsism is taken seriously as a threat to Modern Philosophy
£19.00
Penguin Books Ltd Critique of Pure Reason
Book SynopsisThe masterpiece of the father of modern philosophyA seminal text of modern philosophy, Immanuel Kant''sCritique of Pure Reason(1781) made history by bringing together two opposing schools of thought: rationalism, which grounds all our knowledge in reason, and empiricism, which traces all our knowledge to experience. Published here in a lucid reworking of Max Müller''s classic translation, the Critique is a profound investigation into the nature of human reason, establishing its truth, falsities, illusions, and reality.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
£17.09
Prometheus Books Evidence and Inquiry: A Pragmatist Reconstruction
Book SynopsisDescribed by Hilary Putnam as "both a fine introduction and a significant contribution" to epistemology, and by Anthony Quinton as "at once comprehensive ... and judicious," Evidence and Inquiry is unique both in its scope and in its originality. C. I. Lewis's foundationalism, BonJour's and Davidson's coherentism, Popper's critical rationalism, Quine's naturalism, and Rorty's, Stich's, and Churchland's anti-epistemological neopragmatism all come under Haack's uniquely thorough critical scrutiny. Core epistemological questions about the nature of belief, the character and structure of evidence, the determinants of evidential quality, the relation of justification, probability, and truth, among others, are given refreshingly novel, and reasonable, answers. Most books in epistemology are written only for other epistemologists. But Evidence and Inquiry has proven of interest not only to specialists but also to many other readers, from thoughtful scientists to thoughtful scholars of law and literature. This new, expanded edition-with a substantial new foreword and several additional papers on topics ranging from feminist epistemology to Peirce's critique of the adversarial legal system and Bentham's critique of exclusionary rules of evidence-should attract longtime readers and newcomers alike.
£15.29
Verso Books Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory
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 *
£17.59
Oxford University Press An Essay concerning Human Understanding
Book SynopsisThis paperback edition reproduces the complete text of the Essay as prepared by professor Nidditch for The Clarendon Edition of the Works of John Locke. The Register of Formal Variants and the Glossary are omitted and Professor Nidditch has written a new foreword.Trade Review`has a wonderful tentative quality to it, not trying to press a point but now and again touching on a wisdom of some sort .. very rewarding.' The ScotsmanTable of ContentsFOREWORD; AN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING; BOOK I; BOOK II; BOOK III; BOOK IV; INDEX
£30.39
MIT Press The Outer Limits of Reason
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£20.00
Oneworld Publications Epistemology: A Beginner's Guide
Book SynopsisEpistemology is the philosophical study of knowledge. Without knowledge, scientific enquiry is meaningless and we can’t begin to analyse the world around us. What is knowledge? How do you know you are not dreaming? Should we trust our senses? Presuming no prior experience of philosophy, this book covers everything in the topic from scepticism and possible worlds to Kant’s transcendentalism. Clear and readable, Epistemology: A Beginner’s Guide is essential reading for students and aspiring thinkers.
£9.49
Prometheus Books The Illusion of Certainty: How the Flawed Beliefs
Book SynopsisIn this examination of religion's influence on society, an anthropologist critiques fundamentalism and all mindsets based on rigid cultural certainties. The author argues that the future can only be safeguarded by a global humanistic outlook that recognizes and respects differing cultural perspectives and endorses the use of critical reason and empiricism. Houk coins the term "culturalism" to describe dogmatic viewpoints governed by culture-specific values and preconceived notions. Culturalism gives rise not only to fundamentalism in religion but also stereotypes about race, gender, and sexual orientation. Turning specifically to Christian fundamentalism, the author analyzes the many weaknesses of what he calls a faith-based epistemology, particularly as such thinking is displayed in young-earth creationism, the reliance on revelation and subjective experiences as a source of religious knowledge, and the reverence accorded the Bible despite its obvious flaws. As he points out, the problem with such cultural knowledge generally is that it is non-falsifiable and ultimately has no lasting value in contrast to the data-based and falsifiable knowledge produced by science, which continues to prove its worth as a reliable source of accurate information. Concluding that there is no future to the fundamentalist mindset in a diverse world where religion often exacerbates conflicts, he makes a strong case for reason and mutual tolerance.
£14.24
Northwestern University Press History and Truth Northwestern University Studies
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.
£23.96
Peter Lang AG The Practice of Knowing and Knowing in Practices
Book SynopsisThis book is a philosophical analysis of knowledge in practices, focused on knowing how, tacit knowledge and expert knowledge. Knowing in action is the key concept. It covers understanding, well-functioning routines as well as successful learning processes. It is argued that knowledge-in-action is more basic than propositional or theoretical knowledge. Key notions are knowing as a kind of attentiveness or a way of being in the world, knowing as continued learning, and knowledge as what leads people in the best way. The book is a contribution to the contemporary philosophical discussions about knowing how, tacit knowledge and expert knowledge. At the same time, it is written as an interdisciplinary and case-based introduction to the epistemology of knowing and learning.Table of ContentsContents: Epistemology of practices – Knowledge in action – Tacit knowledge – Knowing how – Expert knowledge – Practical and theoretical knowledge traditions – Pragmatist analytical framework – William James – Ludwig Wittgenstein.
£42.88
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Epistemology
Book SynopsisIn Epistemology, Laurence Bonjour introduces the serious philosophy student to the history and concepts of epistemology, while simultaneously challenging them to take an active part in its ongoing debates. The text reflects BonJour''s conviction that the place to start any discussion of the theories of knowledge is with the classical problems, beginning with and centered around Descartes. Only after the groundwork for understanding epistemology is laid does BonJour move on to the more contemporary revolutions against the classical approach. A versatile text that can be used in introductory-level epistemology courses, it can also be used by an upper-level epistemology class when supplemented by appropriate readings. This book is not, however, a simple reader of the different theories of knowledge. Epistemology prods students to think independently about the various epistemological approaches presented in the text, and form their own conclusions, thus becoming active participants in thTable of Contents1 Table of Contents 2 Preface Chapter 3 1. Introduction Part 4 I. The Classical Problems of Epistemology Chapter 5 2. Descarte's Epistemology Chapter 6 3. The Concept of Knowledge Chapter 7 4. The Problem of Induction Chapter 8 5. A Priori Justification and Knowledge Chapter 9 6. Immediate Experience Chapter 10 7. Knowledge of the External World Chapter 11 8. Other Minds, Testimony, and Memory Part 12 II. Contemporary Responses to the Cartesian Epistemological Program 13 Introduction to Part II Chapter 14 9. Foundationalism and Coherentism Chapter 15 10. Internalism and Externalism Chapter 16 11. Quine and Naturalized Epistemology Chapter 17 12. Knowledge and Skepticism Chapter 18 Conclusion 19 Bibliography 20 Glossary 21 Index 22 About the Author
£46.80
Taylor & Francis Ltd Is There a God
Book SynopsisBertrand Russell famously quipped that he didn't believe in God for the same reason that he didn't believe in a teapot in orbit between the earth and Mars: it is a bizarre assertion for which no evidence can be provided. Is belief in God really like belief in Russell's teapot? Kenneth L. Pearce argues that God is no teapot. God is a real answer to the deepest question of all: why is there something rather than nothing? Graham Oppy argues that we should believe that there are none but natural causal entities with none but natural causal propertiesand hence should believe that there are no gods. Beginning from this basic disagreement, the authors proceed to discuss and debate a wide range of philosophical questions, including questions about explanation, necessity, rationality, religious experience, mathematical objects, the foundations of ethics, and the methodology of philosophy. Each author first presents his own side, and then they interact through two rounds of objections and repTrade Review"Kenneth Pearce and Graham Oppy are first-rate philosophers of religion. This book offers an engaging and fruitful dialogue between a theist and an atheist, addressing all key concepts and arguments in the contemporary debate on the existence of God. I recommend the book to all readers who are interested in studying both sides of the debate."Yujin Nagasawa, H. G. Wood Professor of the Philosophy of Religion, University of Birmingham, U.K."This exchange between Oppy and Pearce represents the finest in philosophical inquiry. Together they create a new chandelier with structure and detail as they systematically discuss questions of worldview along the cutting edge of philosophical inquiry. Their exchange is professional, productive, and elegant."Joshua Rasmussen, Department of Philosophy, Azusa Pacific University, U.S.A.Table of ContentsForeword: Worldview comparison and religious commitment, by Helen De Cruz Opening Statements 1. Classical Theism: An Exposition and Defense 2. Are There Any Gods? First Round of Replies 3. Reply to Graham Oppy’s Opening Statement4. Reply to Kenny Pearce’s Opening Statement Second Round of Replies 5. Reply to Graham Oppy's Reply 6. Reply to Kenny Pearces’s Reply
£27.99
Oxford University Press Absence and Nothing The Philosophy of What There
Book SynopsisNothing is not. Yet it seems that we invoke absences and nothings often in our philosophical explanations. Negative metaphysics is on the rise. It has been claimed that absences can be causes, there are negative properties, absences can be perceived, there are negative facts, and that we can refer to and speak about nothing. Parmenides long ago ruled against such things. Here we consider how much of Parmenides'' view can survive. A soft Parmenidean methodology is adopted in which we aim to reject all supposed negative entities but are prepared to accept them, reluctantly, if they are indispensable and irreducible in our best theories. We then see whether there are any negative entities this survive this test. Some can be dismissed on metaphysical grounds but other problems are explained only once we reject another strand in Parmenides and show how we can think and talk about nothing. Accounts of perception of absence, empty reference, and denial are gathered. With these, we can show how no truthmakers are required for negative truths since we can have negative beliefs, concerning what-is-not, without what-is-not being part of what is. This supports a soft ontological Parmenideanism, which accepts much though not all of Parmenides'' original position.Table of ContentsPreface 1: Soft Parmenideanism 2: Negative Properties 3: Nonentities 4: Causation by Absence 5: Mere Possibilities 7: Perception of Absence 8: Empty Reference 9: Negative Truth 10: Negation and Denial 11: Negative Belief
£76.00
Harvard University Press The Proof
Book SynopsisHow do we know what we think we know? The answer is evidence, but evidence is no simple thing. What counts as evidence in a scientific context or private dispute may not stand up in court. Frederick Schauer combines perspectives from law, statistics, psychology, and philosophy to assess the nature of evidence in the era of “fake news.”Trade ReviewSchauer displays a level of intellectual honesty one rarely encounters these days…This is delightful stuff, all the more so coming from an author whose political sympathies clearly lie far from the Trump family. Chapters on the state of criminology and the nature of lying are similarly engaging. -- Barton Swaim * Wall Street Journal *[Schauer’s] essential argument is that in assessing evidence, we need, first of all, to recognize that evidence comes in degrees (from weak to strong, from extraneous to relevant) and that probability, the likelihood that the evidence or testimony is accurate, matters…[He] has fascinating things to say about the reliability of eyewitnesses, hearsay and lie detectors, the efficacy of honor codes and courtroom oath taking, and the trustworthiness of letters of recommendation. -- Steven Mintz * Inside Higher Education *I would make Proof one of a handful of books that all incoming law students should read…Essential and timely. -- Emily R. D. Murphy * Law and Society Review *Schauer is inviting us to distrust ourselves, to look for an external ground in our evidence assessments, one that reaches out for empirical evidence and verifiable inferences, instead of feelings, senses, perception, and intuition…The elucidation of this value (of distrusting ourselves) is a great achievement…[A] fascinating book. -- Thomas Bustamante * Jotwell *At a time when the concept of truth itself is in trouble, this lively and accessible account provides vivid and deep analysis of the practices addressing what is reliably true in law, science, history, and ordinary life. Schauer's The Proof integrates knowledge of legal doctrine, social science studies, philosophy, and history and offers both timely and enduring insights. -- Martha Minow, former Dean of Harvard Law School and author of When Should Law Forgive?The Proof is an engaging tour of a range of knotty problems relating to evidence and reasoned inference. Fred Schauer shares a wealth of insights he has developed over several decades of teaching and writing about evidence law and the nature of proof. A pleasure to read. -- David Alan Sklansky, author of A Pattern of ViolenceA thoroughly enjoyable and accessible book on how the insights of evidence law can help all of us make better decisions in our everyday lives. A much-needed guide in a confusing world awash in information and misinformation. The Proof is sure to become a classic! -- Edward K. Cheng, Vanderbilt Law SchoolWith his uncanny ability to blend erudition and accessibility, Fred Schauer unpacks how to think about proof—what people tell us, what we see, what the experts say—in everyday life. An extraordinarily readable book with breathtaking range and clarity, The Proof is an indispensable guide for those who seek to thoughtfully navigate the world. I cannot recommend it highly enough. -- Kimberly Kessler Ferzan, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law SchoolIf you care about evidence, the search for the truth, about what we know and how we know it, you have a lot to learn from this timely and masterful book. -- Lee C. Bollinger, President and Seth Low Professor of the University, Columbia UniversityAssessing evidence: that is the essence of judgment. Schauer’s The Proof imparts the disturbing lesson that we, be we individuals or organizations, are poor judges. Fortunately, this book wields tools from law, psychology, and statistics, plus an array of historic examples and contemporary accounts, to show how we can dramatically improve as assessors. Even better, it does so with wit. -- Richard Zeckhauser, Frank P. Ramsey Professor of Political Economy, Harvard University
£23.36
Prometheus Books Believing Bullshit: How Not to Get Sucked into an
Book SynopsisThis book identifies eight key mechanisms that can transform a set of ideas into a psychological flytrap. The author suggests that, like the black holes of outer space, from which nothing, not even light, can escape, our contemporary cultural landscape contains numerous intellectual black-holes-belief systems constructed in such a way that unwary passers-by can similarly find themselves drawn in. While such self-sealing bubbles of belief will most easily trap the gullible or poorly educated, even the most intelligent and educated of us are potentially vulnerable. Some of the world's greatest thinkers have fallen in, never to escape. This witty, insightful critique will help immunize readers against the wiles of cultists, religious and political zealots, conspiracy theorists, promoters of flaky alternative medicines, and others by clearly setting out the tricks of the trade by which such insidious belief systems are created and maintained.Trade Review""Offers flashes of wit and insight.” —Times Higher Education “I would like to see this book read by college freshmen, and certainly anybody running for public office. The witty, insightful, and often amusing arguments might help to immunize readers against religious and political zealots, conspiracy theorists, and new agers by understanding their stocks in trade….” —San Francisco Book Review “
£14.24
Oxford University Press Inc Surfing Uncertainty
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
£17.99
Temple Lodge Publishing Rudolf Steiner's Path of Initiation and the
Book SynopsisTwo lectures in Bologna: on 31 March 2011 at the International Conference to Mark the Centenary of Rudolf Steiner's Lecture in Bologna, and on 8 April 1911 at the Fourth International Philosophy Congress A special conference took place in Bologna in Spring 2011, marking the hundredth anniversary of a unique lecture Rudolf Steiner delivered to a philosophically-trained audience in the same city. In his key exposition, Steiner had given a concise description of the spiritual-scientific theory of knowledge as well as a brief outline of the anthroposophical path of schooling. In his contribution to the 2011 congress, Sergei O. Prokofieff tackles two principal aspects. On the one hand, he describes how Steiner's Bologna lecture contained the essential foundations for a new 'science of the human ego'. On the other hand, Prokofieff states that Rudolf Steiner was the first person to transform this same theory into a practical path of knowledge, following it to its very conclusion. Thus, the words of Rudolf Steiner's lecture were based entirely on personal experience. Together with a transcript of Rudolf Steiner's full Bologna lecture, Sergei O. Prokofieff's own lecture is reproduced here in an expanded version. In addition, this volume features Rudolf Steiner's important 'summaries of essential points', in which he develops and connects some of his key thoughts with further aspects of anthroposophy, especially in relation to their Christological foundations.Table of ContentsForeword by Sergei O. Prokofieff Part I: Sergei O. Prokofieff RUDOLF STEINER'S PATH OF INITIATION AND THE MYSTERY OF THE EGO Lecture held in Bologna on 31 March 2011 during the International Conference to mark the Centenary of Rudolf Steiner's Lecture in Bologna Part II: Rudolf Steiner THE FOUNDATIONS OF ANTHROPOSOPHICAL METHODOLOGY 1. Lecture held in Bologna on 8 April 1911 at the Fourth International Philosophy Conference The Psychological Foundations of Anthroposophy and its Standpoint in Relation to the Theory of Knowledge A Spiritual-Scientific Mode of Perception Based upon Potential Psychological Facts The Experiences of the Spiritual Researcher and the Theory of Knowledge 2. Two Summaries of Essential Points from the Lecture in Bologna Theosophy and Modern Cultural Life A Statement about Theosophy at the Fourth International Philosophy Conference Notes Bibliography
£11.39
Rowman & Littlefield International Socrates Tenured: The Institutions of
Book SynopsisProfessional philosophy has strayed so far from its roots that Socrates wouldn’t stand a chance of landing tenure in most departments today. After all, he spent his time talking with people from all walks of life rather than being buried in the secondary literature and polishing arguments for peer-reviewed journals. Yet somehow this hypertrophy styles itself ‘real’ philosophy. Socrates Tenured diagnoses the pathologies of contemporary philosophy and shows how the field can be revitalized. The first part of the book sketches the crisis facing philosophy in a neoliberal age and traces its roots back to the 20th-century move to turn philosophy into an academic discipline. In the second part the authors look at various attempts from applied ethics to their own brand of ‘field philosophy’ to confront the resulting problems of insularity and societal irrelevance. Part three connects this evaluation of philosophy with wider discussions in the politics of knowledge about the impacts of research on society. The final chapters consider both what impacts philosophy might have and what a philosophy of impact might look like.Trade ReviewSocrates Tenured argues that academic philosophy has abandoned its roots and lost its way—it is sterile, insular, and largely unengaged with issues that the public cares about. Frodeman and Briggle (both, Univ. of North Texas) are less worried about whether this is defensible than they are about the likely practical upshot of this turn of events. They believe philosophy as currently practiced is unsustainable because the cost cannot be justified to state legislators and administrators at private schools; funds are bound to be cut for philosophy programs and shifted to areas thought to be more relevant, such as STEM programs. But the authors believe the situation is not hopeless. Philosophers can revive their discipline by addressing issues that society cares about and writing about those issues in language that nonspecialists can understand, though that language may be less rigorous than is currently required by professional standards. This process requires philosophers to engage in what the authors call "field philosophy"—to become more interdisciplinary and inter-institutional (by working with state legislatures, hospitals, and local governments, for example). Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. * CHOICE *[A] lively and provocative new book … Socrates Tenured offers a bold diagnosis of philosophy’s malaise and a proposed means to escape it: whatever your view of the proposals, they are worth exploring and debating * LSE Review of Books *Bob Frodeman and Adam Briggle pose a fundamental problem in Socrates Tenured, wondering whether "academic philosophers are ready to help society think.” For the sake of the discipline, to be sure, but more importantly for the sake of society, I hope readers take up the challenges posed in this important book. -- Michael S. Roth, President, Wesleyan UniversityWe have not had such a reflective and thorough study of the institutional setting for philosophy affects since John Dewey’s Reconstruction in Philosophy. Frodeman and Briggle show that academe shapes how philosophy is received as much as how it is practiced. -- Paul Thompson, W. K. Kellogg Chair in Agricultural, Food and Community Ethics, Michigan State UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgements / Foreword, Steve Fuller / The Argument in a Nutshell / Prelude: Philosophy Purified / Part One: Philosophizing in Neoliberal Times / Chapter 1: Philosophy, Know Thyself / Chapter 2: The State of Things / Interlude 1: Philosophical Places / Part Two: Disciplinarity and its Discontents / Chapter 3: Applied Philosophy / Chapter 4: Environmental Ethics / Chapter 5: Bioethics / Interlude 2: Philosophical Spaces/ Part Three: Reaching Escape Velocity / Chapter 6: Field Philosophy / Chapter 7: The Philosophy of Impact / Bibliography / Index
£34.20
Princeton University Press A Passion for Ignorance
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
£16.19
Harvard University Press The Proof
Book Synopsis
£18.00
Oxford University Press Inc PatientCentered Measurement
Book SynopsisContemporary medicine is Janus-faced. Evidence-based medicine is one face, emphasizing evidence, statistics, and method. Patient-centered care is the other, prioritizing patient experiences, judgement, and values. Government agencies, policy makers, major insurers and clinicians have sought ways to bring these approaches together, and the questionnaires that patients must fill out at the doctor''s office or hospital are its most common manifestation. Leah M. McClimans examines one such integrative approach, patient-centered measurement. Patient-centered measurement is the idea that patient perspectives on, for instance, physical functioning or quality of life, should play an evidentiary role in determining how effective a drug is taken to be, the degree to which a hospital provides good quality care or whether a particular intervention should be funded by an insurer. Patient-centered measurement treats patient perspectives on par with more traditional metrics such as mortality, morbi
£78.68
Oxford University Press Aristotle Topics Book VI
Book SynopsisThis volume presents a new translation of Aristotle''s Topics Book VI by Annamaria Schiaparelli, accompanied by a detailed commentary and textual notes providing insight into the history of the transmission of the text with its variants. In the Topics, Aristotle aims at developing his dialectical method. He introduces the four predicables (property, genus, accident, and definition) which are necessary for the classification and application of the topoi, or commonplaces. Book VI of the Topics is entirely devoted to the discussion of definition, the most extended and refined discussion of this subject handed down to us from the classical period. The concept of definition plays a central role not only in Aristotle''s logic but also in his ontology. Issues connected with definitions emerge constantly throughout his works. Moreover, definitions are at the centre of Platonic philosophy and sparked a lively discussion in philosophy of the Hellenistic and late classical periods.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION I: The Place of the Topics in Aristotle's Corpus II: The Contents of the Topics III: The Four Predicables IV: The Classifications of the Predicables V: The Logical Relations among the Predicables VI: The Predicable Definition VII: Types of Definition and their Rules VIII: The Notion of Causality in the Topics IX: Some Prominent Themes concerning Standard Definitions X: Structure and Interpretations of Book VI of the Topics TRANSLATION COMMENTARY Notes on the Text Appendix: The Predicables Logical Relations Select Bibliography Glossary: English-Greek / Greek-English Indexes
£28.94
University of Pennsylvania Press Knowledge True and Useful: A Cultural History of
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 *
£50.40
Princeton University Press On Gaslighting
Book Synopsis
£19.00
Oxford University Press The Philosophy of Money and Finance
Book SynopsisMost people use money almost every day, and financial assets have become so important to modern life that they determine our fate both as individuals and as societies. Yet we seldom stop to think about what all of this means, how it works, and how it ought to work. How can a small piece of paper in your wallet have value? How can so much power be vested in the numbers that roll across bankers'' computer screens? What role should financial assets and financial institutions play in our lives and in society?The philosophy of money and finance inquires into these types of questions, and takes a look ''under the hood'' of money and finance, to address issues concerning the nature of money and the normative foundations of financial systems. Although philosophical theorizing about money and finance dates back to antiquity, the topic has only recently emerged as a central research focus. Economic globalization, technological innovation, the events of the 2008 financial crisis, and the Covid pandemic, have brought new urgency to a broad array of questions in this field.The Philosophy of Money and Finance presents sixteen original chapters providing a comprehensive introduction to this exciting new field. The book is divided into four parts, covering metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy. Within each part, questions that are central to the topic are presented and discussed by leading scholars. The essays are written in a clear and straightforward manner and without presupposing any background in either philosophy or finance.Table of ContentsJoakim Sandberg and Lisa Warenski: Introduction I METAPHYSICS 1: Frank Hindriks: The Social Ontology of Money 2: Asya Passinsky: Cryptocurrency: Commodity or Credit? 3: David G. Dick: How Many People Does It Take to Make a Dollar? 4: Christopher J. Cowton: Truth in Financial Accounting II EPISTEMOLOGY 5: Lisa Herzog: Are Financial Markets Epistemically Efficient? 6: Conrad Heilmann, Marta Szymanowska, and Melissa Vergara-Fernández: Financial Economics: What Kind of Science Is It? 7: Lisa Warenski: JPMorgan Chase's London Whale Trading Losses: A Tale of Human Fallibility 8: Boudewijn de Bruin: Climate Change and Reflexive Law: The EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan III ETHICS 9: Adrian Walsh: Is the Pursuit of Money Incompatible with Morality? Some Historical and Philosophical Reflections 10: Kate Padgett Walsh and Nolan Pithan: Virtue Theory and the Ethics of Finance 11: Richard Endörfer: On the Wrongfulness of Bank Contributions to Financial Crises 12: Aaron James: Money in the Social Contract IV POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY 13: Marco Meyer: Credit and Distributive Justice 14: Joshua Preiss: Freedom and Financial Market Reform 15: Peter Dietsch, Clément Fontan, Jérémie Dion, and François Claveau: Green Central Banking 16: Joakim Sandberg and Lars Lindblom: Bitcoins Left and Right: A Normative Assessment of a Digital Currency
£95.50
The University of Chicago Press Negative Certainties
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Marion argues that being clear about what one cannot know is philosophically important, because such acknowledgement makes one realize that even some properly formed questions will remain unanswerable.” * Choice *“A rich and profound philosophical vision that liberates us from our self-imposed nihilistic chains.” * The Review of Metaphysics *“The concluding work in the phenomenological project in which [Marion] has been engaged for the past twenty-five years: the broadening of the field of phenomenality.” * The Journal of Religion *“Crowned by the Académie Française . . . the philosopher in a bow tie, Jean-Luc Marion, loosens our Borromean knots: the human enigma, the mystery of God, and the unknown of birth as well as death, are so many inexplicable events. Negative Certainties, his latest book, questions the very possibility of these impossibilities.” * Le Monde, on the French edition *“Marion is one of today’s most important philosophers. . . . If certain knowledge is impossible, must we condemn ourselves to hazardous understandings and skepticism? For Marion, there is a third way, through negative certainty.” * Libération, on the French edition *Table of ContentsForeword Translator’s Acknowledgments Introduction § 1 Attempt to Introduce the Concept of Negative Certainties into Philosophy I The Undefinable, or the Face of Man § 2 “What Is Man?” § 3 “Ipse mihi magna quaestio” § 4 What It Costs to Know (Oneself) § 5 Proscription § 6 The Fund of Incomprehensibility § 7 The Indefinite and the Unstable II The Impossible, or What Is Proper to God § 8 The Impossible Phenomenon § 9 The Irreducible § 10 Possibility without Conditions § 11 The (Im)possible: From Contradiction to Event § 12 The (Im)possible from My Point of View § 13 The (Im)possible from God’s Point of View III The Unconditioned, or the Strength of the Gift § 14 The Contradictions of the Gift § 15 The Terms of Exchange § 16 Reducing the Gift to Givenness § 17 Without the Principle of Identity § 18 Without the Principle of Sufficient Reason IV The Unconditioned and the Variations of the Gift § 19 Sacrifice According to the Terms of Exchange § 20 Regiving, Beginning from the Recipient § 21 The Confirmation of Abraham § 22 Forgiveness According to the Terms of Exchange § 23 Regiving, Beginning from the Giver § 24 The Return of the Prodigal Son V The Unforeseeable, or the Event § 25 What the Object Excludes § 26 The Condition of the Object § 27 Concerning the Distinction of Phenomena into Objects and Events § 28 Without Cause § 29 The Original Unknown § 30 The Double Interpretation Conclusion § 31 In Praise of the Paradox Bibliographical Note Notes Index
£26.60
University of Pennsylvania Press Possible Knowledge: The Literary Forms of Early
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 *
£49.30
McGill-Queen's University Press Once upon a Time in the West Essays on the
Book SynopsisWestern civilization is over. So begins Jan Zwicky’s trenchant exploration of the roots of global cultural and ecological collapse. Once Upon a Time in the West documents how a narrow epistemological style has left us blind to critical features of reality, and how the terrifying consequences of that shuttered vision are now unfolding.Trade Review“Zwicky's distinctive voice – warm, wise, sometimes colloquial or cutting – brings together these essays on diverse topics. Her sensibility is of course poetic, but also critical in the best sense: rigorous, probing, and committed. This is an engaging and enlightening portrait of a fine thinker in action.” Mark Kingwell, University of Toronto and author of Singular Creatures: Robots, Rights, and the Politics of Posthumanism“Lyric philosophy of the highest calibre. Jan Zwicky addresses the dilemmas we as a species are faced with today with great lucidity, seamlessly weaving together a wide variety of themes from philosophy, poetry, and ecology. Anyone interested in understanding the more-than-human world and our place in it is bound to find food for thought in these beautifully written and provoking philosophical essays.” Leonor María Martínez Serrano, University of Córdoba and author of Breathing Earth: The Polyphonic Lyric of Robert Bringhurst
£21.59
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Why Delusions Matter
Book SynopsisLisa Bortolotti is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Birmingham (UK). She works in the philosophy of psychology and psychiatry. She is the author of Delusions and Other Irrational Beliefs (2009), which was awarded the American Philosophical Association Biannual Book Prize, Irrationality (2014) and The Epistemic Innocence of Irrational Beliefs (2020).Trade ReviewCan we understand the reasons why people believe ‘irrational’ things? Lisa Bortolotti’s new book makes a helpful contribution to this task ... her book consists of carefully considered distinctions and definitions which enable us to focus on the issues more clearly. * Process North *Why Delusions Matter is an incredible contribution to the philosophy of delusions by the foremost scholar in the field. Bortolotti stresses the continuity of beliefs in clinical and non-clinical contexts, and how we and society should seek to understand the meaning behind delusions and to open up a space of meaning when beliefs are shared. * Matthew Broome, Director of the Institute for Mental Health and Chair in Psychiatry and Youth Mental Health, University of Birmingham, UK *Lisa Bortolotti’s masterful book, Why Delusions Matter, not only provides a concise, current synthesis of the vast philosophical literature on delusions, but also sets out a compelling argument for her signature view that delusions can be purposeful, not pathological. * Justin Garson, Professor of Philosophy, Hunter College and The Graduate Center, USA *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Part I 1. Delusions as Investments 2. Delusions and the World 3. Delusions and Evidence 4. Delusions and Identity Part II 5. Delusions and Dysfunction 6. Delusions and Harm 7. Delusions and Meaning 8. Delusions and Agency Bibliography
£19.99
Oxford University Press Inc Learning to Look
Book SynopsisLearning to Look is a wandering journey through the nature of art - and the ways it can transform us, if we let it. Author of Infinite Baseball, Alva Noë, presents a collection of short, stimulating essays that explore how we experience art and what it means to be an observer. Experiencing art - letting it do its work on us - takes thought, attention, and focus. It requires creation, even from the beholder. And it is in this process of confrontation and reorganization that artworks can lead us to remake ourselves. Ranging far and wide, from Pina Bausch to Robocop, from Bob Dylan to Vermeer, Noë uses encounters with specific artworks to gain entry into a world of fascinating issues - like how philosophy and science are represented in film; what evolutionary biology says about art; or the role of relics, fakes, and copies in our experience of a work. The essays in Learning to Look are short, accessible, and personal. Each one arises out of an art encounter - in a museum, listening to records, or going to a concert. Each essay stands on its own, but taken together, they form an intimate picture of our relationship with art. Carefully articulating the experience of each of these encounters, Noë proposes that, like philosophy, art is a sort of technology for understanding ourselves. Put simply, art is an opportunity for us to enact ourselves anew.Table of ContentsPreface Encounters 1 Soup is an anagram of opus 2 I am sitting in a room 3 40 speakers in a room 4 Two left hands 5 Rock art 6 The power of performance 7 Cheap thrills at the Whitney 8 Whaling with Turner 9 Take my breath away 10 Speak, draw, dance 11 Beach beasts on the move 11 Making the work work 13 Irrational man 14 RoboCop's philosophers 15 Pointing the way to liberation, in Star Trek: Voyager 16 An Awkward Synthesis Pictures 17 The anatomy lesson 18 The importance of being dressed 19 The art of the brain 20 Faces and masks 21 The philosophical eye 22 The camera and the dance 23 Why are 3-D movies so bad? 24 The myth of 3-D immersion 25 Storying telling and the
£20.99
University of Toronto Press Heideggers Way of Being
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
£17.09
Liberty Fund Inc Logic of Liberty
Book Synopsis
£8.50
Harvard University Press Good Enough The Tolerance for Mediocrity in
Book SynopsisPhilosopher Daniel Milo offers a vigorous critique of the quasi-monopoly that Darwin’s natural selection has on our idea of the natural world. In popular thought, Darwinism has even acquired the trappings of an ethical system, focused on optimization, competition, and innovation. Yet in nature, imperfect creatures often have the evolutionary edge.Trade ReviewTakes aim at this image of evolution as relentless improvement. -- Gregory Radick * Times Literary Supplement *Good Enough wonders why evolutionary biologists shun the scientific thinking called the null hypothesis… Some of nature’s wonders might be happy accidents, rather than masterpieces of adaptation… It is a charming argument, suited to lazy, sunny afternoons: ‘Why should we struggle and strain when we are all good enough?’ -- Simon Ings * New Scientist *Bold but carefully reasoned…An argument that pays reverence to Darwin as revolutionary thinker while nonetheless insisting that both he and many others have indeed ‘extend[ed] too far the action of natural selection.’…Milo insists that nature is full not of excellence but of mediocrity—not cut-throat competitive champions but merely the manifold forms of life that survive just well enough not to die…Good Enough is an important intervention that boasts none of the mediocrity that Milo finds everywhere at work—or rather, asleep on the job—in the natural world. -- Ben Murphy * PopMatters *A thought-provoking critique of the dominance of adaptationist explanations. He argues that, while natural selection is important, it is not the only, possibly not even the default mechanism, in evolution. No, Milo claims, the mediocre also survive and thrive…Insightful and unsettling…What a fantastic book! -- Leon Villager * Inquisitive Biologist *Milo aims to give the messy side of nature its due—to stand up for the wasteful and inefficient organisms that nevertheless survive and multiply…Imperfection is not just good enough: it may at times be essential to survival. * Southeastern Naturalist *Stimulating. * La Recherche *Through a marshaling of facts and a careful reading of scientific opinions, Milo shows himself to be a persuasive analyst and historical detective, revealing critical sides of the evolution argument that have often been ignored. The book, full of humor and unexpected examples, showcases Milo’s skill for storytelling. -- Marc Kirschner, Founding Chair, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard UniversityGood Enough is a book that changes key cultural assumptions, offering a radical revision of the ideas of evolution and selection. Daniel Milo argues that nature follows the law of inertia, makes do with mediocrity, and relies on chance rather than maximization. It is a rare book that will leave a lasting impact on scientific discourse and on popular imagination. -- Eva Illouz, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, ParisIn this salutary essay, Daniel Milo tells biologists with delight what they already know but never confess. Rooting his argument in the genesis of Darwin’s theory, Milo emphasizes the place of the mediocre, the useless, and the level-down in natural variation. Without contradicting the power of natural selection, Good Enough suggests that the long tails of trait variation govern survival more than optimization, subsequently shaping the diversity of life. -- Nicolas Gompel, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich
£22.46
Hawthorn Press Humanity on the Threshold
Book SynopsisHumanity on the Threshold focuses on strengthening human resilience though spiritual development. This lets us see beyond the normal inner and outer limits of consciousness into sound knowledge of the higher self. Deeper wonders of nature can also appear. If boundaries break down without preparation, then mental breakdowns might follow. Guidelines are suggested for working therapeutically with such issues with those experiencing threshold issues.
£17.00
Princeton University Press Not Born Yesterday
Book SynopsisTrade Review"A bracing book that might make you less gullible about gullibility."---Barbara Kiser, Nature"At the risk of being seen as credulous, I’d say [Mercier] makes a strong case for gullibility being a far less prevalent and important trait than we thought." * New Scientist *"[Not Born Yesterday] will be of interest to anyone who wonders how to trust what people say and do, especially in the digital, free-for-all age of unfettered, often suspect, information. The breadth and depth of research studies presented by Mercier will be especially appealing to science aficionados."---Karen Koenig, New York Journal of Books"In Not Born Yesterday, the cognitive scientist Hugo Mercier brings the conceptual reversal to a domain in desperate need of new insights: that of truth and falsehood, knowledge and ignorance."---N. J. Enfield, Times Literary Supplement"[Not Born Yesterday] marshals a convincing body of research . . . from history and sociology, from anthropology and from the psychology laboratory."---Timandra Harkness, UnHerd"[Mercier's argument] is refreshingly optimistic."---Daniel Akst, Strategy+Business"[A] thought-provoking book about the science of who we trust." * Paradigm Explorer *"At a time when large swaths seem to believe that we are hopelessly doomed because everyone else is stupid and easily misled or manipulated, Mercier’s book provides a nuanced antidote to such thinking, grounded in a careful examination of a wealth of evidence from psychology and the social sciences."---Felix Simon, Medium"[A] lucidly written introduction to the social psychology of communication and reasoning."---Shreeharsh Kelkar, Public Books
£21.25
