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Book SynopsisPsicologia delAlma Tomo I y Tomo II En estos dos libros, mi querido amigo desconocido, se desvelauno de los grandes enigmas acerca del significado de la Evolución de la Consciencia del ser humano, aportando respuestas encuanto a quiénes somos realmente. En el primero de ellos explico el “terreno”dónde la Evolución de nuestra Consciencia tiene lugar, y en el segundo, quedanespecificadas las Nueve Etapas de laEvolución Humana. Uno de los descubrimientos más importantes yrevolucionarios en el conocimiento de laEstructura de la Psique Humana lo realizó Sigmund Freud al demostrar laexistencia de una parte desconocida, oscura y aparentemente autóctona –elInconsciente-, capaz de influir en la conducta racional de todos nosotros –elConsciente-. Afortunadamente, un sabio contemporáneo de Freud, Carl Gustav Jung, mostro un rostro másamable en cuanto a esta Estructura de la Psique Humana al postular laexistencia en éste de un Nivel de Consciencia superior –el Supraconsciente-, capaz de dirigir acertadamente a nuestranaturaleza racional –el Consciente-. De esta manera, Jung –un verdadero expertoen Astrología y Alquimia-, dio una visión no sólo más optimista, sino tambiénmás holística del ser humano al postular en éste no sólo la existencia de unNivel Consciente y otro Inconsciente, sino también la de un Tercer Nivel, elSupraconsciente, lo cual ha tenido como efecto el devolver al hombre “el Alma” quetodavía hoy la Psicología oficial rechaza o, por lo menos, no tiene en cuenta.A partir de Carl Jung han ido apareciendo a lo largo delsiglo XX, y a modo de una progresión a su concepción de la Psique Humana,Escuelas de Psicología Transpersonal dela mano de Roberto Assagioli, Stanislav Grof, Ken Wilber o Douglas Baker, etc…Sin embargo, y a pesar de los grandes logros conseguidos porla Psicología Transpersonal, también es cierto que nunca ha dado una explicaciónclara de las fases o Etapas de que consta la Evolución de la ConscienciaHumana. A través de las páginas de estas dos obras, comprenderásclaramente el sentido y el porqué de esta Evolución, una espiral que se vadesarrollando a lo largo y a lo ancho de sucesivas encarnaciones y que constade Nueve Etapas, así como el NivelEvolutivo en el que nos encontramos cada uno de nosotros. Conocer elSentido de la Vida es hallar la Paz, sea pues ésta siempre contigo, yconviértete tú también en el cambio que quieres ver en el mundo.Un fuerte abrazo, Eva María Monferrer Sena

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisIssues surrounding the status and nature of `nonexistent objects' constitute one of philosophy's oldest and densest thickets. In this book Perszyk takes his readers surefootedly through this thicket, informed both historically and at the level of contemporary discussion of relevant themes. His main aim is to develop a `bundle' or `set of properties' interpretation of Meinong's theory of nonexistent objects (as opposed to a set of properties neo-Meinongian metaphysics), and to defend this nonstandard interpretation against competing views in both the philosophical and scholarly literature on Meinong. The Meinong who emerges is neither the hero nor the villain his friends and foes have commonly led us to believe. This clearly written book is a valuable addition both to the literature on Meinong and to contemporary metaphysics of modality. It is written for students and professionals interested in these, and related, areas.Table of ContentsPreface. 1: Introductory Considerations. 1.1. The impasse. 1.2. What might the claim that there `are' nonexistent objects mean. 1.3. Methodological concerns. 2: Meinong's Theory of Objects. 2.1. The Independence and Indifference principles. 2.2. The Independence principle: initial reaction. 2.3. The Indifference principle: initial reaction. 2.4. Is there a third mode of being? 2.5. Meinong and his historical precursors. 3: The Nature of Meinong's Objects: Existent and Nonexistent. 3.1. Incomplete objects and the nature of existents. 3.2. Incomplete objects and the nature of nonexistents. 3.3. More on the particular-general and concrete-abstract distinctions. 4: Two Main Arguments for Nonexistents. 4.1. The argument from negative existentials. 4.2. The argument from intentionality. 5: Main Arguments against Nonexistents. 5.1. Definitions of object-possiblity and object-impossibility. 5.2. Theories of nonexistents are inconsistent or apt to infringe the law of non-contradiction. 5.3. Nonexistent aren't objects. 5.4. An existence objection. 5.5. There are no impossible worlds or individuals. Bibliography. List of Meinong's Writings Consulted. General Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThe Human Condition prompts our creative strivings beyond the natural round of life toward outstanding achievements. This book explains how the emergence of Human Condition lifts natural endowment of the individual to the level of excellence. It shows how natural forces and promptings of life transmute through creative Human Condition subliminal passions of the soul into innumerable streaks of spiritual significance.Table of ContentsTHEMATIC STUDY: LITERATURE AND THE PASSION OF VIRTUE; L. Kimmel. Part I. HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY VIRTUES AS REFLECTED IN CHINESE LITERATURE; T-I Dow. REVISITING THE TRADITIONAL VIRTUES OF THE HERO: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF WILFRED OWEN’S DISABLED SOLDIER; B. Micallef. BEAUTY, TASTE AND ENLIGHTENMENT IN HUME’S AESTHETIC THOUGH; V.G. Rivas. Part II. VIRTUES OF THE HEART: FEODOR DOSTOEVSKY AND THE ETHIC OF LOVE; E. Cherkasova. THE WILLING SUBJECT AND THE NON-WILLING IN THE TAO TE CHING AND NIETZSCHE’S HYPERBOREAN: TAOIST AND DECONSTRUCTIVE CHALLENGES TO THE IDEA OF VIRTUE; B. Ross. SPIRITUAL VIRTUE IN MARILYNNE ROBINSON’S GILEAD; R.M. Painter. Part III. INHERENT AND INTENTIONAL INQUIRIES ON VIRTUES; A. Ashvo-Munoz. STRIVING AND ACCEPTING LIMITS AS COMPETING META-VIRTUES: GOETHE’S FAUST AND IBSEN’S THE WILD DUCK; R.J. Wilson III. HAPPINESS, DIVISION, AND ILLUSIONS OF THE SELF IN PLATO’S SYMPOSIUM; P. Weigel. THE VIRTUE OF RESPONSIBILITY: FEMININITY, TEMPORALITY, AND SPACE IN MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM’S THE HOURS; A. Ljung-Baruth. Part IV. ENLIGHTENMENT, HUMANIZATION AND BEAUTY IN THE LIGHT OF SCHILLER’S LETTERS ON THE AESTHETIC EDUCATION OF MAN; V.G. Rivas. BEYOND ADAPTATION: STOICISM, TRANSCENDENCE, AND MOVIEGOING IN WALKER PERCY AND STANLEY CAVELL; L.F. Rhu. BETWEEN THE IRONIC AND THE IRENIC: HAPPINESS, CONTINGENCY AND THE POETICS OF RECURRENCE; J. Baldacchino. PHENOMENOLOGICAL TEMPORALITY AND PROUSTIAN NOSTALGIA; R. Kaushik. Part V. ART AND AWARENESS; J. Jandovitz. THE IMAGE OF HISTORY IN THOUGHT; E. Escher. NARRATIVE, CONVENTION, AND REALITY 2; M. Holt. POLITICAL SYMBOLISM IN THE SAINT ANTOINE GATE, 1585-1672; W. Roberts. MUSIC THEORYAND PHENOMENOLOGY OF MUSICAL PERFORMANCE, A CASE STUDY: FIVE NOTES IN JOEL DURAND’S UN FEU DISTINCT; M. Beken

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Book Synopsis“There is no greater gift to man than to understand nothing of his fate”, declares poet-philosopher Paul Valery. And yet the searching human being seeks ceaselessly to disentangle the networks of experiences, desires, inward promptings, personal ambitions, and elevated strivings which directed his/her life-course within changing circumstances in order to discover his sense of life. Literature seeks in numerous channels of insight the dominant threads of “the sense of life”, “the inward quest”, “the frames of experience” in reaching the inward sources of what we call ‘destiny’ inspired by experience and temporality which carry it on. This unusual collection reveals the deeper generative elements which form sense of life stretching between destiny and doom. They escape attention in their metamorphic transformations of the inexorable, irreversibility of time which undergoes different interpretations in the phases examining our life. Our key to life has to be ever discovered anew.Table of ContentsINAUGURAL ADDRESS: Anna-Teresa TymienieckaSECTION I: THE SENSE OF LIFEPRESENT ETERNITY: QUESTS OF TEMPORALITY IN THE LITERARY PRODUCTION OF THE <> IN FRANCE (THE WRITINGS OF DOMINIQUE FOURCADE AND EMMANUEL HOCQUARD)Silvia RivaA SENSE OF LIFE IN LANGUAGE LOVE AND LITERATURELawrence KimmelTHE GARDEN THEN AND NOW; SENSE OF LIFE – CONTEMPORARY AND IN GENESISBernadette ProchaskaTHE STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: LITERARY PSYCHOLOGY AS THE FIRST UNIQUELY AMERICAN EXPRESSION OF PHENOMENOLOGY IN WILLIAM JAMES AND HIS SWEDENBORGIAN AND TRANSCENDENTALIST MILIEUEugene TaylorSECTION II: THE INWARD QUESTTHE EVOLUTION OF JUSTICE IN THE ORESTEIAHeidi SilcoxA DOUBLE PHENOMENOLOGICAL SENSE OF THE HYBRID OF FATE AND DESTINY IN COMMUNITY IN ACHEBE’S ARROW AND HEAD’S TREASURESImafedia OkhamafeWHAT MASIE KNEW IN WHAT MASIE KNEWVictor Gerald RivasSTYLE MATTERS: THE LIFE-WORLDS OF ANCIENT LITERATUREDamian StockingJAMES JOYCE’S IVY DAY IN THE COMMITTEE ROOM AND THE FIVE CODES OF FICTIONRaymond WilsonSECTION III: HISTORICITY AND LIFETEMPORALITY IN FITZGERALD’S BABYLON REVISITEDBernadette ProchaskaON THE METAPHYSICAL BRUTISHNESS OF LIFE IN THE LIGHT OF ZOLA’S THE HUMAN BEASTVictor G. Rivas“MAIS PERSONNE NE PARAISSAIT COMPRENDRE” (“BUT NO ONE SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND”): ATHEISM, NIHILISM, AND HERMENEUTICS IN ALBERT CAMUS’ L’ETRANGER / THE STRANGERGeorge HeffernanHISTORICAL DISTORTIONS AND LITERARY DISCLOSURES IN D.M. THOMAS’S THE WHITE HOTELLewis LivesayMORAL SHAPES OF TIME IN HENRY JAMESMeili SteeleSECTION IV: THE LIMITS OF ORDINARY EXPERIENCE“THE LIMITS OF ORDINARY EXPERIENCE”: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL READING OF RAPPACCINI’S DAUGHTERR. Kenneth KirbyGOING BEYOND THE SELF AS THE KNOWLEDGE OF ONESELF AND THE SENSE OF THE UNIVERSEBronislaw BombalaTHE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS: EPIPHANY AND SOCIAL COMMUNION IN PAUL THEROUX’S TRAVEL WRITINGBruce RossEMERSON AFFINITIES: READING RICHARD FORD THROUGH STANLEY CAVELLLawrence F. RhuFAULKNER’S THE SOUND AND THE FURY AS ANTI-ENTROPIC NOVELJerre Collins SECTION V: DESTINY, EXPERIENCE AND TIMEW.B. YEATS, UNITY OF CULTURE, AND THE SPIRITUAL TELOS OF IRELANDR. Kenneth KirbyDOOM, DESTINY, AND GRACE: THE PRODIGAL SON IN MARILYNNE ROBINSON’S HOMERebecca M. PainterMAN’S DESTINY IN TISCHNER’S PHILOSOPHY OF DRAMALeszek PyraTHE SOURCE FORM, AND GOAL OF ART IN ANTON CHEKHOV’S THE SEA GULLRaymond J. Wilson, IIISECTION VI: THE ARTISTIC QUEST VERSUS THE DISCERNMENT OF TRUTH A SHORT STUDY OF THE JAPANESE RENGA: THE TRANS-SUBJECTIVE CREATION OF POETIC ATMOSPHERE: Tadashi OgawaALTERED STATES: THE ARTISTIC QUEST IN THE STONE FLOWER AND LA SYLPHIDEBruce RossTOO MUCH HAPPINESS, TOO MUCH SUFFERING… NEVER ENOUGH REALITY TRANSFORMED BY NARRATIVERebecca PainterTHE PHENOMENOLOGY OF MERLEAU-PONTY AND LITERARY ARTSPiotr MrozREVISITING STEINBECK’S LITTORAL PHENOMENOLOGY: HUSSERLIAN ELEMENTS IN THE LOG FROM THE ‘SEA OF CORTEZ’Gretchen GusichTHE ROLE OF ART IN CAMUS AND SARTREJoanna Handerek STAGING HEIDEGGER: CORPOREAL PHILOSOPHY, COGNITIVE SCIENCE, AND THE THEATERThomas BlakeINDEX OF NAMESPROGRAMS FROM THE 2009 AND 2010 PHENOMENOLOGY AND LITERATURE CONFERENCES

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Book SynopsisThis volume marks a phase of accomplishment in the work of the World Phenomenology Institute in unfolding a dialogue between Occidental phenomenology and the Oriental/Chinese classic philosophy. Going beyond the stage of reception, the Oriental scholars show in this collection of studies their perspicacity and philosophical skills in comparing the concepts, ideas, the vision of classic phenomenology and Chinese philosophy toward uncovering their common intuitions. This in-depth probing aims at reviving Occidental thinking, reaching to its intuitive sources, as well as providing Chinese thinking with a precise apparatus of expression toward its rejuvenation in a new significance. Studies by Korean and Chinese phenomenologists: Nam-In Lee, Inhui Park, Benjamin I. Schwartz, Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, Sitansu Ray, Zhang Xian, Zhang Qingxiong, Tsung-I Dow, Ashok K. Gangadean, Yushiro Takei, Louise Sunderarajan, Gregory Tropea, James Sellmann, Tyong Bok Rhie, Sang-Ki Kim, Daniel Zelinski, Qingjie Wang, Calvin O. Schrag, Jung-Sun Han. Table of ContentsThe Theme: The Metaphysical Harmony of Life as the Vocation of Philosophy: Oriental Philosophy in a Dialogue with Phenomenology. Inaugural Reflections. The Ethical and the Meta-Ethical in Chinese High Cultural Thought; B.I. Schwartz. Part I: Phenomenology of Life Answering the Call of our Times for the Harmony of the Spheres of Existence: Cosmos, Bios, Culture. Nature in the Ontopoiesis of Life: From the Cosmic Dissemination to the Human Cultivation of the Logos; A-T. Tymieniecka. Wissenschaftliche Lebensphilosophie als Grundcharakter der Phänomenologie; Nam-In Lee. The Natural and the Cultural; Inhui Park. The Tagore-Einstein Conversations: Reality and the Human World, Causality and Chance; S. Ray. Part II: Constituting/Reconstituting the Human World of Life: Consciousness, Subject, Intentionality, Mind. Husserl's Intentionality and the `Mind' in Chinese Philosophy; Zhang Xian. Die Grundstruktur des Bewußtseins: Husserl und Xiong Shili im Vergleich; Qingxiong Zhang. The Twofold Phenomenon in Naming: a Reflection from the Confucian-Taoist Yin-Yang Dialectical, Monistic Perspective; Tsung-I Dow. Phenomenology as a Critique of Cognition - A Dialogue on Husserl's `The Idea of Phenomenology'; Zhang Qingxiong. Meditative Reason and the Holistic Turn to Natural Phenomenology; A.K. Gangadean. Part III: The Poetic Divination as the Gist of Life. The Aesthetics of Process and Human Life; Y. Takei. Dwelling Poetically: a Heideggerian Interpretation of Ssu-K'ung T'u's Poetics; L. Sundararajan. I'Ching Divination and the Absolutely Poetic Reconstruction of Intentionality; G. Tropea. Part IV: Heaven and Earth and In-Between. On the Myth ofCosmogony in Ancient China; J. Sellmann. Eine Hermeneutik des Symbols im `Buch der Wandlungen' und die Seinserhellung; Tyong Bok Rhie. The Religious-Mythical Attitudes of the East Asians and Husserl's Phenomenology; Sang-Ki Kim. Towards a Phenomenology of Mystical Being; D. Zelinski. Part V: Metaphysical Underpinnings of the Intercultural Dialogue. Heidegger and Inter-Cultural Dialogue; Qingjie Wang. Communication in the Context of Cultural Diversity; C.O. Schrag. Kritik an der neokonfuzianischen Vernunft; Jung-Sun Han. Annex: Opening Statement of the Conference in Seoul, August 17th&endash;18th, 1992; Young-Ho Lee. Index of Names.

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Book SynopsisThe role of freedom in assigning moral responsibility is one of the deepest problems in metaphysics and moral theory. Incompatibilism’s Allure provides original analysis of the principal arguments for incompatibilism. Ishtiyaque Haji incisively examines the consequence argument, the direct argument, the deontic argument, the manipulation argument, the impossibility argument and the luck objection. He introduces the most important contemporary discussions in a manner accessible to advanced undergraduates, but also suited to professional philosophers. The result is a unique and compelling account for incompatibilism’s continuing allure.Trade Review“Incompatibilism’s Allure offers by far the most comprehensive and accessible treatment of the thesis that determinism is incompatible with both free will and moral responsibility. Haji has carefully examined every major argument for incompatibilism, exposing each to thorough scrutiny, and offering a judicious assessment of the credibility of this age old thesis. An especially noteworthy asset of Incomaptibilism’s Allure is its teachability. It is clear, accessible, and organized in the best way possible for the purposes of introducing these complex ideas to the uninitiated. Nevertheless, Haji also manages to make important contributions to work on free will and moral responsibility. Anyone with an interest in this topic will certainly profit from Haji’s fine effort.” — Michael McKenna, Florida State University“Haji lucidly explains and critically assesses the leading arguments for the view that determinism is incompatible with free will and moral responsibility. I strongly recommend Incompatibilism’s Allure for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on free will and moral responsibility. Students will find this book extremely useful, and people who publish on Haji’s topics will benefit from it as well.” — Alfred R. Mele, Florida State UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsONE INTRODUCTION The Robert Harris Case The Ann/Beth Cases Responsibility, Causal Determinism, and Free Action Two Views About the Concept of Responsibility Free Action Causal Determinism Some Definitions: Incompatibilism, Compatibilism, and Libertarianism Different Pathways to Incompatibilism Prospectus TWO THE CONSEQUENCE ARGUMENT The Consequence Argument The Logical Modalities Peter van Inwagen’s Version of the ConsequenceArgument A Problem Concerning the Interpretation of ‘Can’ The Hypothetical Sense of ‘Can’ The Categorical Sense of ‘Can’ The Reformulated Consequence Argument Control Active Control The Event Causal Theory of Action and Deviance Ultimate Control The Negative Conception of Ultimate Origination The Positive Conception of Ultimate Origination Compatibilist Conceptions of Ultimate Origination Assessing the Reformulated Consequence Argument The Basic Version of the Consequence Argument Appendix Local Miracle CompatibilismA.1 Local Miracle CompatibilismA.2 An Objection to Local Miracle CompatibilismTHREE ALTERNATIVE POSSIBILITIES AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY The Consequence Argument and Freedom to do Otherwise Frankfurt-Type Examples and Freedom to do Otherwise The Dilemma Objection Mele and Robb’s Reply to the Dilemma Objection Another Reply to the Dilemma Objection Luck and Alternative Possibilities FOUR THE DIRECT ARGUMENT Introduction The Direct Argument Transfer NR and Two-Path Cases David Widerker’s Response to the Direct Argument Widerker’s Concerns Reply to Widerker A New Counterexample On the Epistemic Condition of Moral Responsibility A Requirement of Alternative Possibilities for Obligation An Informal Presentation of the Counterexample to Transfer NR Filling in the Details of the Counterexample FIVE THE DEONTIC ARGUMENT Introduction The Deontic Argument Problems with the Deontic Argument Genuine Moral Dilemmas and “Ought” Implies “Can” Self-Imposed Impossibility and “Ought” Implies “Can” Changing Obligations with Passing Time Reply to the Objection Negative Duties and “Ought Not” Implies “Can Refrain From” Does Blameworthiness Require Wrongness and Does Praiseworthiness Require Obligatoriness? A Counterexample to the Principle that Blameworthiness Requires Wrongness Supererogatory and Suberogatory Actions The Coming Apart of Blameworthiness and Wrongness Blameworthiness and Frankfurt Examples SIX THE MANIPULATION ARGUMENT The Basic Contours of the Argument The Manipulation Argument Hard Incompatibilism and the Four-Case Argument McKenna’s Hard-Line Response to the Argument The Hard-Line Reply Concerns with the Hard-Line Reply On Pereboom’s Principle O of Ultimate Origination Principle O, Magical Agents, and God Principle O and Indoctrination Principle O and Control A Proposal SEVEN AUTHENTIC SPRINGS OF ACTION Toward a Soft-Line Reply to the Manipulation Argument Internalism versus Externalism Magical Agents and Global Manipulation: An Argument forInternalism Why the Argument Fails An Agency Requirement of Responsibility Children and the Authenticity of their Developing Evaluative Schemes Authentic Evolved Schemes Some Objections and Responses Evaluative Schemes and Personal Identity Evaluative Schemes and Drastic Change Evaluative Schemes and Ambiguity of ‘Autonomy’ Reply to the Magical Agents Argument Internalism’s Domain A Soft-Line Reply to the Four-Case Argument EIGHT THE IMPOSSIBILITY ARGUMENT Introduction The Impossibility Argument Assessing the Impossibility Argument A Problem Concerning Magical Agents and God A Problem Concerning Agency A Problem Concerning Control The Impossibility Argument and Negative Ultimate Control The Impossibility Argument and Agent-Causal Ultimate Control The Impossibility Argument and Compatibilist Ultimate Control NINE LIBERTARIANISM AND THE LUCK OBJECTION Libertarianism and Luck Event Causal Modest Libertarianism Nonaction-Centered Modest Libertarianism Action Centered Modest Libertarianism Introducing the Luck Objection Luck, Explanation, and Control Akratic Action Modest Libertarianism, Luck, and Akratic Action Luck’s Persistence Clarke’s Hybrid Account and the Luck Objection Accounts of Causation Clarke’s Hybrid Agent-Causal Account The Hybrid Account and Luck Mele’s Daring Soft-Libertarian Reply Akratic Action vs. Actions that Manifest Agency Breakdown The Daring Reply Brief Wrap-Up ReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisSince antiquity, opposed concepts such a s t he One and the Many, the Finite and the Infinite, and the Absolute and the Relative, have been a driving force in philosophical, scientific, and mathematical thought. Yet they have also given rise to perplexing problems and conceptual paradoxes which continue to haunt scientists and philosophers. In Oppositions and Paradoxes, John L. Bell explains and investigates the paradoxes and puzzles that arise out of conceptual oppositions in physics and mathematics. In the process, Bell not only motivates abstract conceptual thinking about the paradoxes at issue, he also offers a compelling introduction to central ideas in such otherwise-di¬ cult topics as non-Euclidean geometry, relativity, and quantum physics.These paradoxes are often as fun as they are flabbergasting. Consider, for example, the Tristram Shandy paradox: an immortal man composing an autobiography so slowly as to require a year of writing to describe each day of his life—he would, if he had infinite time, never complete the work, although no individual part of it would remain unwritten … Or imagine an English professor who time-travels back to 1599 to offer a printing of Hamlet to William Shakespeare, so as to help the Bard overcome writer’s block and author the play which will centuries later inspire an English professor to travel back in time … These and many other of the book’s paradoxes straddle the boundary between physics and metaphysics, and demonstrate the hidden difficulty of many of our most basic concepts.Trade Review“Who else but John Bell could write a book like this one? One of the leading logicians of our day, Bell uses the role of conceptual oppositions and the paradoxes to which they occasionally give rise to take readers on a whirlwind tour through great swaths of the history of human thought. The sophisticated discussion of deep and difficult topics is highly digestible thanks to Bell wearing his expertise lightly and presenting things with dollops of his clever—and sometimes silly—humour.” — David DeVidi, University of Waterloo“Bell is a master of simplicity and clarity, while sacrificing nothing of accuracy and erudition. His enthusiasm for his subject is palpable and infectious. Oppositions and Paradoxes is a pleasure to read.” — Graham Priest, CUNY Graduate Center“John L. Bell is the true philosophical heir of Bertrand Russell, and his new book, Oppositions and Paradoxes, exemplifies all the best traits in Russell’s legacy. His presentation of philosophical paradoxes and perplexities in logic, mathematics, and physics is a model of lucidity and economy, and his analysis of these problems is secure and sane. Oppositions and Paradoxes is readily accessible and a sure path into some of philosophy’s greatest themes.” — Bradley Bassler, University of GeorgiaTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsWhat Is This Book About?Chapter I: The Continuous and the DiscreteContinuity and DiscretenessThe Pythagorean School and Incommensurable MagnitudesAtomismThe Stoics and the Continuum Theory of MatterZeno’s ParadoxesContemporary Versions of Zeno’s Paradoxes: SupertasksInfinitesimalsChapter II: Oppositions and Paradoxes in Mathematics: Set Theory and the InfiniteSet Theory and the One/Many OppositionParadoxes of the InfiniteUncountable InfinitiesSet-Theoretic AntinomiesThe Axiom of ChoiceChapter III: The Strange Universe of Non-Euclidean GeometryHyperbolic GeometryRiemannian GeometryChapter IV: Puzzles and Paradoxes of Time TravelTime Travel into the Past: Branching TimelinesTemporal LoopsTime Travel into the FutureThe Future Time ViewerTwo-Dimensional TimeTemporal InterdictsTime Travel as a Physical PossibilityChapter V: Puzzles and Paradoxes of Relativity TheorySpecial RelativitySpacetimeFaster-than-Light Particles in Special Relativity: TachyonsGeneral Relativity: The Principle of EquivalenceBlack HolesChapter VI: Puzzles and Paradoxes in Quantum PhysicsWaves vs. ParticlesHeisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle and Bohr’s Principle of ComplementarityQuantum TunnelingThe Riddle of PolarizationSchrödinger’s Cat ParadoxInterpretations of Quantum TheoryThe EPR Paradox and NonlocalityChapter VII: Cosmic EnigmasThe Beginnings of CosmologySteady-State vs. Big BangThe Problem of the Origin of the UniverseDark Matter, Dark Energy, and Cosmic AccelerationThe Argument from Design vs. the MultiverseA Philosophical CodaAppendix 1: Paradoxes in Logic and LanguageThe Liar ParadoxThe Liar, the Truth-Teller, and the Dice ManCurry’s ParadoxThe Grelling-Nelson ParadoxBerry’s ParadoxRichard’s ParadoxThe Paradox of the HeapAppendix 2: Reflections on the Constant and the ChangingAppendix 3: Oppositions in Kant’s PhilosophyAppendix 4: The Principle of Microstraightness, Nilpotent Infinitesimals, and the Differential CalculusFurther ReadingList of OppositionsList of ParadoxesIndex

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Book SynopsisKnowing Reality is a guided introduction to metaphysics and epistemology. Each of the book's twelve chapters contains extended excerpts from influential historical and contemporary philosophers, as well as a guided exposition of their views and their locations within the logical space of the issues at play. Topics are introduced through engaging thought experiments, with relevant philosophical puzzles sprinkled throughout. Complex issues are explained using down-to-earth examples, with illustrations provided to connect with readers and assist them in understanding the sophisticated concepts under discussion.Trade Review“Dwayne Moore’s book is a real advance on the usual introductions to metaphysics and epistemology, which are often too difficult (as with dense anthologies) or too superficial (as with single-author ‘here’s what I think’ glosses). Moore structures and explains each topic, making clear the main debates and what’s at stake in different positions held by historical and contemporary philosophers, excerpting from original texts and drawing illuminating connections to current culture along the way. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a lively and informed introduction to the eye-opening world of ‘M&E.’” — Jessica Wilson, University of Toronto“Knowing Reality is a wonderful textbook for use in an introduction to metaphysics and epistemology course. It is a complete resource, in that it includes excerpts from primary sources, targeted commentaries on those excerpts, and general discussions of philosophical issues written in snappy, engaging, and clear prose. Each chapter opens with a thought experiment, often taken from popular culture, and closes with a list of references to television and film in which ideas from the chapter find expression. The book also provides a lovely introduction to the difference between philosophy and sophistry and an appendix on how to write a philosophy paper.” — Jeremy Fantl, University of Calgary“In Knowing Reality, Moore invites students to make connections between their lives and the major issues in metaphysics and epistemology. I especially appreciate that he illustrates philosophical problems with texts from popular culture (film and television in particular), and he treats these texts with as much respect as he does primary sources. In this way, Moore breaks down divisions between professional discourse and the experiences of students, who can use philosophy to enrich their daily lives.” — Doug Eskew, Colorado State University, PuebloTable of ContentsIntroductionChapter 1: Philosophy and Sophistry 1.1 Ancient Greek Mythology 1.2 Ancient Greek Philosophy 1.3 Sophism 1.4 The Upside of Philosophy 1.5 How to Win an Argument Summary Chapter 2: Truth and Relativism 2.1 Correspondence Theory 2.2 Coherence Theory 2.3 Pragmatic Theory 2.4 Relativism Summary Chapter 3: Substances – Change and Sameness 3.1 Milesian Materialism 3.2 Eleatic Idealism 3.3 Substratum Theory 3.5 Perdurantism Summary Chapter 4: Personal Identity 4.1 Soul Theory 4.2 Bundle Theory 4.3 Psychological Theory Summary Chapter 5: Mind and Brain 5.1 Dualism 5.2 Mind-Brain Identity Theory 5.3 Functionalism 5.4 Eliminative Materialism 5.5 Idealism Summary Chapter 6: Free Will and Determinism 6.1 Hard Determinism 6.2 Libertarianism 6.3 Compatibilism Summary Chapter 7: Knowledge 7.1 Propositional Knowledge 7.2 Descartes’ Rationalism 7.3 Hume's Empiricism 7.4 Naturalized Epistemology 7.5 Social Epistemology Summary Chapter 8: Perception 8.1 Direct Realism 8.2 Skepticism 8.3 Representational Model 8.4 Idealism 8.5 Intentionalism Summary Chapter 9: Self-Knowledge 9.1. Inner Sense Model 9.2 Behaviourism 9.3 Acquaintance Model 9.4 Externalist Models 9.5 Self-Deception 9.6 Rationality and Irrationality Summary Chapter 10: Philosophy of Science 10.1 Aristotle 10.2 Francis Bacon 10.3 David Hume 10.4 Immanuel Kant 10.5 Logical Positivism 10.6 W. V. O. Quine 10.7 Helen Longino Summary Chapter 11: God and Naturalism 11.1 The Cosmological Argument for Theism 11.2 The Naturalistic Argument for Naturalism 11.3 The Teleological Argument for Theism 11.4 The Problem of Evil Summary Chapter 12: Religious Experience, Faith, and Reason 12.1 Varieties of Religious Experience 12.2 Religious Experience as Delusions 12.3 The Principle of Credulity and the Principle of Testimony 12.4 Naturalistic Accounts 12.5 Reason and Faith 12.6 Fideism 12.7 Evidentialism 12.8 The Belief Model Summary Appendix 1: How to Write an 'A' Paper 1. Thesis Statement 2. Roadmap 3. Logical Structure 4. Sentence Structure 5. Original Ideas 6. Accurate Portrayal of Philosophical Positions 7. Effective Critiques of Philosophical Positions 8. Quotations and References

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Aiming to extract life lessons from the philosophy of Spinoza, this vibrant study focusses on the concept of ‘homo liber,’ or the free person, a supremely rational figure continually striving for power and virtue. . . . Spinoza’s work serves as a hopeful, timely statement of what the truth-seeking individual can accomplish." * New Yorker *"As an accessible introduction to the complex thought of Spinoza, it is a success."---Jeffrey Collins, Wall Street Journal"If you want to become a better person, you ought to study the philosophy of Baruch Spinoza. That at least is the message of Steven Nadler’s delightful new book."---Jonathan Rée, Literary Review"A helpful explication of [Spinoza’s] ideas about ethics, the afterlife, and human nature." * Kirkus Reviews *"If you want the clearest and most sympathetic introduction as exists to Spinoza’s ideas . . . then Nadler’s your man. This, his latest book, is a must-read for our present, troubled times."---David Conway, Jewish Chronicle

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Book SynopsisOffers a fascinating interdisciplinary investigation of how ancient Andean people understood their world and the nature of being. Exploring pre-Hispanic ideas of time, space, and the human body, these essays highlight a range of beliefs across the region's different cultures, emphasizing the relational aspects of identity in Andean worldviews.

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Book SynopsisAs featured in THE EDGE OF ALL WE KNOW - the new Netflix documentary about Black HolesFor readers of Stephen Hawking, a fascinating account of the universe from the perspective of world-leading astrophysicist Heino Falcke, who took the first ever picture of a black hole.10th April 2019: a global sensation. Heino Falcke, a man working at the boundaries of his discipline and therefore at the limits of the universe had used a network of telescopes spanning the entire planet to take the first picture of a black hole.Light in the Darkness examines how mankind has always looked to the skies, mapping the journey from millennia ago when we turned our gaze to the heavens, to modern astrophysics. Heino Falcke and Jorg Romer entertainingly and compellingly chart the breakthrough research of Falcke''s team, an unprecedented global community of international colleagues developing a telescope complex enough to look directly into a black hole - a hole wTrade ReviewHeino Falcke's book shows us how much stamina, curiosity, and fascination are required to persevere with a great scientific project against all naysayers * Berliner Zeitung *The technological and logistical challenges that the scientists engaged in the endeavour to produce an image of a black hole were faced with, and how they finally succeeded in the Spring of 2017 - all of this Falcke, with the help of journalist Jörg Römer, has turned into a wonderful book. * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *Light in the Darkness succeeds in making the invisible visible and the unimaginable imaginable * Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger *Falcke asks that we take seriously what black holes have to tell us and that we accept the limits of our knowledge. You don't see it very often that a scientist shows such modesty at the moment of his greatest triumph. One of the many strengths of this book * Neue Zürcher Zeitung *Heino Falcke's very personal book provides surprisingly revealing insights into the life of a researcher. It introduces the reader to the early history of astronomy and its modern foundation and does so in an accessible way * Neue Zürcher Zeitung am Sonntag *Heino Falcke does ground-breaking research into the universe's most mysterious phenomenon and at the very edge of space and time * From the statement of the jury for the Spinoza Prize *For me, Heino Falcke is the Man of the Year 2019, and the image of the black hole in the M87 galaxy that he and his team produced immediately became iconic. But Falcke isn't only a fantastic scientist, but also a gifted storyteller * New Scientist (Dutch edition) *Whoever reads Falcke's book won't just dive into a breathtaking scientific story but will also be in awe of the man himself. In spite - or maybe precisely because? - of his rigorous scientific work, this practicing Christian and minister keeps a room for god in his heart * Neue Ruhr Zeitung *Falcke and Römer pull off the trick of combining an individual and a cosmic perspective in the most illuminating and entertaining fashion * Der Freitag *

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Book SynopsisIn this stimulating and timely book, Amit Goswami, PhD, shatters the widely popular belief held by Western science that matter is the primary stuff of creation and proposes instead that consciousness is the true foundation of all we know and perceive.   His explanation of quantum physics for lay readers, called a model of clarity by Kirkus Reviews, sets the stage for a voyage of discovery through the common ground of science and religion, the entwined nature of mind and body, and our interconnectedness with all of creation.

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Book SynopsisA strong and growing intuition in society today is the idea that our thoughts create our own reality. Yet it seems obvious that, try as we might, our lives are not quite what we fantasize. Is the intuition thus wrong? Through a rational, methodic interpretation of meditative insights, the validity of which is substantiated with a compelling scientific literature review, the author constructs hypotheses that reconcile facts with intuition. Mesmerizing narratives of his expeditions into the unconscious suggest an amazing possibility: just as dreams are seemingly autonomous manifestations of our psyche, reality may be an externalized combination of the subconscious dreams of us all, mixed as they are projected onto the fabric of space-time. Perhaps the laws of physics are an emergent by-product of such synchronization of thoughts. Through computer simulations, the author explores the implications of these hypotheses, with conclusions uncannily reminiscent of observed phenomena.

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Book SynopsisAccording to Peter van Inwagen, visible inanimate objects do not, strictly speaking, exist. In defending this controversial thesis, he offers fresh insights on such topics as personal identity, commonsense belief, existence over time, the phenomenon...Trade Review"A fascinating, densely argued, and highly original book on the metaphysics of material objects. The objections van Inwagen raises to the standard views on material parthood are not easily answered. Moreover, his examination of the topic of personal identity is a significant contribution to the philosophy of the mind."—Philosophical Review"Commonplace things such as hawks and handsaws pose philosophical problems at least as imposing as those presented by abstract objects such as numbers and divine beings. Van Inwagen argues vigorously for the view that our world contains . . . only living organisms, the activity of whose various parts constitute a life and against psychological accounts of personal identity. This gives only a rough idea of the contents of this rich and rewarding book."—Review of Metaphysics"There is much to bee learned from this book. . . . Material Beings is a refreshing example of straight-on, full-speed metaphysics. Van Inwagen goes where his arguments lead him—and they lead him to some remarkable places indeed."—Philosophy and Phenomenological Research

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Book SynopsisKaren L French investigates geometrical mysteries and explains the purposes of geometric shapes that are the unchanging, building blocks of reality, such as time and space. French also reveals the hidden messages of this sacred geometry, as ever-present signs and symbols that commune with our hearts and souls, and guide our spiritual pathway.Trade ReviewA Glorious work that fires the imagination and helps us appreciate the truth of our reality. Nexus Magazine: Through this book Karen French shares a personal view on the nature of sacred geometry. Those looking for a comprehensive reference book on the subject will I am sure find what they are looking for in this compilation. Paradigm Shift; Circles, squares, triangles, crosses and spirals will never seem the same again. Pilgrim's MBSTable of ContentsAcknowledgements 7 Preface: Sharing a journey 8 1 The language of shapes 10 2 Fruits of the imagination 15 PART I The Matrix of Space-Time-Being 29 3 Circular Grid of time 30 4 The single Central Point 36 5 The interplay of duality 39 6 Squared Grid of space 44 7 Triangular Grid of Being 54 8 Creation in motion 67 9 Getting multi-dimensional 82 PART II Our inner journey 99 10 Window of our Mind 100 11 The force of life 114 12 Direction of the Cross 139 13 Loving hearts 158 14 The Great work 165 Summary A 174 PART III Gateway to the Heavens 177 15 Gateway to the Heavens symbol 178 Summary B 186 16 Our inner quest 196 Glossary 212 People, places and periods 216 Index 219

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Book SynopsisEnnead VI.4–5, originally written as a single treatise, contains Plotinus’ most general and sustained exposition of the relationship between the intelligible and sensible realms, addressing and coalescing two central issues in Platonism: the nature of the soul–body relationship and the nature of participation. Its main question is, How can soul animate bodies without sharing in their extension? The treatise seems to have had considerable impact: it is much reflected in Porphyry’s important work, Sententiae, and the doctrine of reception according to the capacity of the recipient, for which this treatise is the main source, resonated in medieval thinkers.Trade ReviewThis new English translation of, and commentary on, Plotinus, Ennead VI.4-5, the joint achievement of the Plotinian scholars Eyjólfur K. Emilsson and Steven K. Strange, combines philological rigor with philosophical insight"". - Bryn Mawr Classical Review

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Book SynopsisHow can human beings, who are liable to error, possess knowledge, since the grounds on which we believe do not rule out that we are wrong? Andrea Kern argues that we can disarm this skeptical doubt by conceiving knowledge as an act of a ratio­nal capacity. In this book, she develops a metaphysics of the mind as existing through knowledge of itself.Trade ReviewThis is an excellent book. It is lucid, forceful, and rich in thought-provoking ideas. I believe it is one of the most interesting and potentially significant contributions to the field of epistemology of the last decade. Given the richness of its discussion, however, Kern’s book will be interesting not just to professional epistemologists, but to a wide philosophical readership. -- Matthew Boyle, University of ChicagoThis is an extraordinary, daring book. It is an original and powerful contribution to epistemology that reorients, or gets beneath, a number of debates that have shaped the discipline in the last few decades. It reaches beyond the limits of epistemology, locating its results concerning human knowledge within a metaphysics of the human mind, a metaphysics that articulates the self-understanding internal to our existence. -- Christoph Menke, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main

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Book SynopsisThe One and the Many presents metaphysics as an integrated whole, drawing on on Aquinas' themes, structure, and insight.Trade Review“Both students and teacher will benefit from a highly readable account of major themes in Aquinas’ metaphysics. The material is presented in a way accessible to those unfamiliar with the formidable Aristotelian apparatus usually presumed in textbook presentations of Aquinas. Clarke divides his book into short, easily digestible chapters.” —Theological Studies“This is the book that many of us have long been waiting for: the systematic exposition of the Thomistically inspired but creative metaphysical system of one of the foremost philosophers in the Thomistic tradition. The work is not a recapitulation of standard Thomistic metaphysics so much as a re-creation, on Thomistic principles, of a contemporary metaphysical view that pushes Thomas’ principles to new developments and applications. Clarke stresses participation in the act of existence, substance as dynamic, system as a new metaphysical category, philosophic ramifications of evolution and relativity, and the great circle of being embodied in the universe. The book is well suited to both as a text in a course in metaphysics and as an historically conscious source of insights for the professional philosopher.” —James W. Felt, S.J., John Nobili Professor of Philosophy, Santa Clara University“This book is rich in metaphysical insight and suggestiveness. At the same time it manages to be a rigorous presentation of Thomistic metaphysics suitable to contemporary life.” —Encounter"Clarke has written a very interesting and provocative book, one that is likely to inspire future students to study metaphysics in the Thomistic tradition. We are especially indebted to Clarke for his willingness to engage modern science and his contribution to the revival of metaphysics as a systematic study." —The Thomist“W. Norris Clarke is one of the giants of North American Thomism. For over fifty years he has been a learned and illuminating interpreter of the metaphysics of Aquinas . . . in this book he provides the most comprehensive presentation to date of his distinctive philosophical and metaphysical thinking. Overall, Clarke had produced a most stimulating and thought-provoking book on the subject of metaphysics. It is replete with insights and written with a rare generosity of spirit which is most uplifting to read.” —The Heythrop Journal“[A] masterly account of the metaphysical system which he has worked out over a lifetime of historical research, teaching, and writing. Those who have been waiting for this account will not be disappointed. The One and The Manyis a very important book and its contribution to speculative metaphysics and to the Thomistic tradition is outstanding.” —Maritain Notebook“...crisp, clear and easy to understand metaphysical arguments. It presents a well-justified Thomistic metaphysical theory. The importance of this book goes far beyond that of a good Thomistic textbook. Its ahistorical approach should enable The One and the Many to become a voice in contemporary discussions of metaphysical issues.” —The Review of Metaphysics“After a lifetime in the study and teaching of philosophy, especially to undergraduates at Fordham University, Norris Clarke has produced a valuable textbook of metaphysics, inspired by St. Thomas, and adapted to issues of the present day. It does not just repeat what St. Thomas said, but retrieves it, completes it, appropriates it, and systematises it.” —Australasian Catholic Record“Norris Clarke is a master of metaphysics, and one to whom others can well appretice themselves, since he is himself so astute an apprentice of classical figures in philosophy. This intended advanced text for systematic metaphysics is just that: advanced yet pedagogically planned; systematic yet suffused with heart. A sterling example from an exemplary oeuvre.” — David Burrell, C.S.C.

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Book SynopsisDelve into the alchemy of the nature's creative process, into the heart of existence and its composition of sacred geometry, energy of light, vibrant colours, and the Classical Elements of water, fire, earth and air. Learn how our own creativity as a science blended with spirituality, invoked by the power of intent, produces living works of art.Trade ReviewBreathtaking in its scope and fascinating in its detail, The Hidden Geometry of Life is nothing less than a comprehensive and coherent account, in words and images, of the nature and meaning of reality, a vision in which science and spirit unite. The harmony in our world and the cosmos is awe-inspiring, and is brilliantly portrayed here in images and words which reveal the connection between art, geometry, science, consciousness and spirituality. An illuminating book indeed! NEXUS MAGAZINE; Karen L French provides the key into the doorways of understanding so as to empower artists in their calling and begin their journey into truly 'seeing'. ARTLYST; Karen L French has given us a tour de force of accessible science that will appeal to budding scientists as well as to anyone with an enquiring mind. A sumptuously illustrated and hugely inspirational book. Physicist JOHN STUART REID; This lavishly illustrated in and erudite book takes the reader on a journey through the formative forces of the physical world. The narrative draws on many cultures, and contains many inspiring and instructive quotations from scientists, artists and philosophers. Key details are explained in special boxes, enabling the reader to deepen their understanding of specific points. The last chapter ends with a metaphysical poem, I AM, HERE, NOW, celebrating the joy of learning through life experience. A richly textured and revealing book. NETWORK REVIEW Journal of the Scientific and Medical NetworkTable of ContentsIntroduction 6 PART I Shaping Reality 8 1 Language of Numbers and Their Shapes 10 2 Circle, Unity and the Duals 18 3 Square, Space-Time and the Cross 28 4 Triangles and Being 34 5 Matrix of Space-Time-Being 42 6 Spiral Life Force 46 7 Numbers 5 and 10 54 8 Pattern-Sharing and Fractal Geometry 62 PART II Structure of Being 72 9 To Be and Being 74 10 Mind and Sentience 79 11 Classical Elements as Metaphors 88 12 Classical Elements and the Platonic Solids 96 13 What is Matter? 102 14 Geometry in Multiple Dimensions 112 PART III Medium of Sound 130 15 Sound as a Vehicle for Geometry 132 16 Sacred Sounds 142 17 Music, Rhythm and Harmony 148 PART IV Let There Be Light 158 18 Light Beings 160 19 Colours of Light 170 20 Music and Colour 180 PART V Gateway to Becoming 188 21 Holographic Universe 190 22 Illumination and Intention of the Mind 193 23 Gateway to the Heavens 197

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Book SynopsisA definitive and invaluable re-assessment of the last decade of speculative realism.

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Book SynopsisCarol Zaleski''s book is the first objective, comprehensive survey of the mass of evidence surrounding near-death experiences: the extraordinary visions and ecstatic feelings reported by people who have survived a close brush with death. Comparing recent near-death narratives with those of a much earlier period she finds both profound similarities and striking contrasts.Trade Review' An extremely interesting piece of work, and one that offers many shrewd insights.' New York Times'one of those books which ... has elegance and readability in direct proportion to its historical and anthropological learning ... whether one is wired to accept a religious or a hardcore naturalist interpretation of the constancy of such intimations, it is good to know they may be there.' City Limits

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Book SynopsisArgues that 'nobility of spirit' is the quintessence of a civilized world. This book identifies nobility of spirit in the life and work of Spinoza and of Thomas Mann; explores the quest for the good society in our own times; and addresses the pursuit of truth and freedom that engaged figures as disparate as Socrates and Leone Ginzburg.Trade Review“Rob Riemen has written a rare and much needed book, one which we appreciate not because we necessarily agree with its views, but for its commitment to ideas and its passion for imagination. It is a timely reminder of how imaginative knowledge can become a way of questioning, connecting to and changing the world as well as ourselves.”—Azar Nafisi -- Azar Nafisi“The author’s vast cultural knowledge, his firm commitment to liberal ideals and the agility of his pen make these essays an invaluable guide to orient us amid the great political and cultural problems—and the ideological confusions—of the world in which we live.”—Mario Vargas Llosa -- Mario Vargas Llosa“Rob Riemen's essays spring from a deep and firm conviction—they are like water from artesian wells and this is, I think, the main reason why they are so important and refreshing.”—Adam Zagajewski -- Adam Zagajewski“Written with such elegance, erudition and skill, a singular reflection of fundamental problems, virtues and vices, of our time.”—Ivan Klima -- Ivan Klima"Mr. Riemen's Nobility of Spirit is intended as a meditation on the forces that threaten civilization and, no less important, on the forces that are desperately needed to sustain it."—Darrin M. McMahon, Wall Street Journal -- Darrin M. McMahon * Wall Street Journal *"Agree or disagree with Riemen's profound, ambitious and high-minded plea, you will be thinking about his words for a long time. It's been ages since a work of non-fiction moved us this way. Read it."—The Elegant Variation (Blog) * The Elegant Variation (Blog) *"Riemen's study is beautifully crafted and luminously intelligent."—Richard Wolin, Dissent -- Richard Wolin * Dissent *"With beautiful clarity, Rob Riemen renders complex ideas simple and accessible to every earnest reader. His work is the embodiment of civilization: what it has sometimes briefly been, and what it can be again."—Cynthia Ozick -- Cynthia Ozick

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Book SynopsisThis is the first comprehensive book on the philosophy of time. Leading philosophers discuss the metaphysics of time, our experience and representation of time, the role of time in ethics and action, and philosophical issues in the sciences of time, especially quantum mechanics and relativity theory.Table of ContentsI: TIME AND METAPHYSICS; II: THE DIRECTION OF TIME; III: TIME, ETHICS, AND EXPERIENCE; IV: TIME IN CLASSICAL AND RELATIVISTIC PHYSICS; V: TIME IN A QUANTUM WORLD

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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 SynopsisAre there such things as merely possible people, who would have lived if our ancestors had acted differently? Are there future people, who have not yet been conceived? Questions like those raise deep issues about both the nature of being and its logical relations with contingency and change. In Modal Logic as Metaphysics, Timothy Williamson argues for positive answers to those questions on the basis of an integrated approach to the issues, applying the technical resources of modal logic to provide structural cores for metaphysical theories. He rejects the search for a metaphysically neutral logic as futile. The book contains detailed historical discussion of how the metaphysical issues emerged in the twentieth century development of quantified modal logic, through the work of such figures as Rudolf Carnap, Ruth Barcan Marcus, Arthur Prior, and Saul Kripke. It proposes higher-order modal logic as a new setting in which to resolve such metaphysical questions scientifically, by the constrTrade ReviewI am inclined to say that Modal Logic as Metaphysics is the greatest ever integrated study of the logic and the metaphysics of modality: it is almost certainly the most comprehensive. [It] is also, in my judgment, the most important book on the metaphysics of modality since On The Plurality of Worlds. * John Divers, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research *a very important addition to the literature... clear, meticulous, and ingenious... This tightly argued book contains a large number of interesting arguments, claims, observations, and comments on a wide variety of topics in modal logic and metaphysics. It reminds us that there is much useful philosophizing to be done beyond an incredulous stare. * Takashi Yagisawa, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *the issues raised by the book are among the most important in current work on modal metaphysics, and I very much hope that all metaphysicians of modality make the effort required to come to terms with its many ideas and arguments. * M. L. Cresswell, The Philosophical Quarterly *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Contingentism and Necessitism ; 2. The Barcan Formula and its Converse: Early Developments ; 3. Possible Worlds Model Theory ; 4. Predication and Modality ; 5. From First-Order to Higher-Order Modal Logic ; 6. Intensional Comprehension Principles and Metaphysics ; 7. Mappings between Contingentist and Necessitist Discourse ; 8. Consequences of necessitism ; Methodological Afterword ; Bibliography ; Index

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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 SynopsisIn the interdisciplinary tradition of Buckminster Fuller's work, Gregory Bateson's Mind and Nature, and Fritjof Capra's Tao of Physics, Metapatterns embraces both nature and culture, seeking out the grand-scale patterns that help explain the functioning of our universe.Table of ContentsPrologue: What Are Metapatterns?1. Spheres2. Sheets and Tubes3. Borders4. Binaries5. Centers6. Layers7. Calendars8. Arrows9. Breaks10. CyclesEpilogue: What Are Metapatterns?— RevisitedAcknowledgmentsNotesReferencesIllustration CreditsIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHaase and Sinclair render the German into a readable and fluent English. They make potentially clunky and jargon laden passages from the original seem natural, and also do a good job of dealing with the specific difficulties thrown up by this text. In particular, they confront well the problem of distinguishing between Historie, the study of the past, and Geschichte, which is the past in general, as it underpins reality. * Phenomenological Reviews *Table of ContentsTranslators' Introduction A. Preliminary Remarks 1. Remarks Preliminary to the Exercises 2. Title 3. The Appearance of our Endeavours B. Section I. Structure. Preparation and Preview of the Guiding Question. Historiology—Life 4. Historiology—The HistoricalOn the Unhistorical/Supra-historical and the Relation to Both 5. Section I. 1 6. Section I. 2 7. Section I 8. Comparing 9. The Determination of the Essence of the Human Being on the Basis of Animalityand the Dividing Line between Animal and Human Being 10. Nietzsche's Procedure. On the Determination of the Historicalfrom the Perspective of Forgetting and Remembering 11. 'Forgetting'—'Remembering'. The Question of 'Historiology' as the Question of the 'Human Being'. The Course of our Inquiry. One Path among Others. 12. Questions Relating to Section I 13. Forgetting 14. Nietzsche on Forgetting 15. 'Forgetting' and 'Remembering' 16. Historiology and 'the' Human Being 17. 'The Human Being'. 'Culture'. The 'People' and 'Genius' 18. Culture—Non-Culture, Barbarism 19. Human Being and Culture and the People 20. Nietzsche's Concept of 'Culture' 21. The Formally General Notion of 'Culture'. 'Culture' and 'Art' 22. 'The' Human Being and a Culture—a 'People' 23. 'Art' (and Culture) 24. Genius in Schopenhauer 25. The People and Great Individuals 26. Great Individuals as the Goal of 'Culture', of the People, of Humanity 27. 'Worldview' and Philosophy C. Section II. The Three Modes of Historiology 1. Monumental Historiology 28. The Question of the Essence of 'the Historical', i.e. of the Essence of Historiology 29. Section II. Structure (7 Paragraphs) D. Section III 30. The Essence of Antiquarian Historiology 31. Critical Historiology E. Nietzsche's Three Modes of Historiology and the Question of Historical Truth 32. 'Life' 33. 'Life'. Advocates, Defamers of Life 34. Historiology and Worldview 35. How is the Historical Determined? 36. The Belonging Together of the three Modes of Historiology and Historical Truth 37. The Three Modes of Historiology as Modes of the Remembering Relation to the Past 38. Section II F. The Human Being. Historiology and History. Temporality 39. Historiology—the Human Being—History (Temporality) 40. The Historical and the Unhistorical G. 'Historiology'. Historiology and History. Historiology and the Unhistorical 41. 'The Unhistorical' 42. The Un-historical 43. The Un-historical 44. History and Historiology 45. Nietzsche as 'Historian' 46. Historiology and History 47. 'Historiology' 48. History and Historiology H. Section IV 49. On Section IV ff., Hints 50. Section IV 51. Section IV (Paragraphs 1-6) I. Section V 52. Section V 53. Section V, Divided into Five Parts 54. Oversaturation with Historiology and with Knowledge Generally J. Concerning Section V and VI: Truth. 'Justice'. 'Objectivity'. Horizon. 55. Life—'Horizon' 56. Objectivity and 'Horizon' 57. Justice 58. Justice—Truth 59. Life—and Horizon 60. Beings as a Whole—the Human Being 61. 'Truth' and the 'True' 62. The True and Truth 63. Truth and the Human Being 64. Will (Drive) to 'Truth' 65. Nietzsche on the 'Will to Truth' K. On Sections V and VI. Historiology and Science (Truth). (cf. J. Truth. 'Justice'. 'Objectivity'. Horizon) 66. The Human Being—The Gods 67. Why the Primacy of 'Science' in Historiology? 68. 'Positivism' 69. Historiology 70. Historiology and Science 71. The Impact of Historiology on the Past 72. Truth 73. Historiology as Science 74. 'Historiology' and 'Perspective' and 'Objectivity' L. Section VI (Justice and Truth) 75. Section VI 76. Section VI (Paras. 1-7) 77. 'Objectivity' and 'Justice' 78. On the Structure of Section VI as a Whole 79. Nietzsche's Question of a 'Higher Justice' 80. Morality and Metaphysics 81. Justice—Truth—Objectivity—Life 82. Justice as 'Virtue' 83. Justice—Truth 84. Truth and Art (Cognition) 85. On Nietzsche's Treatise "On Truth and Lie in an Extra-Moral Sense" 86. Truth and 'Intellect'—Justice 87. Truth and 'Intellect' 88. Nietzsche's Conception of Truth (Determined from the Ground Up by Western Metaphysics) 89. Justice and Truth 90. Truth, and Science Conditioned by Worldview 91. Truth and Science 92. Historiology Science Truth—Justice M. Nietzsche's Metaphysics 93. Nietzsche's Metaphysics 94. 'Life' in the Two Senses of World and Human Being N. 'Life' 95. Nietzsche's Projection of Beings as a Whole and of the Human Being as 'Life' 96. Disposition 97. Recapitulation According to the Basic Questions 98. Concluding Remark 99. Nietzsche's Early Characterisation of his own Thinkingas 'Inversion of Platonism' 100. 'Life' (ego vivo) 101. The Philosophical Concept 102. On the Critical Meditation 103. Decisive Questioning 104. 'Life' O. The Question of the Human Being: 'Language'. 'Happiness'. Language (cf. 15, 'Forgetting' and 'Remembering') 105. Language as Use and Using-Up of Words 106. Word and Meaning 107. 'Happiness' and Da-Sein 108. 'Happiness' P. The Fundamental Stance of the Second Untimely Meditation 109. The Guiding Demand of the Meditation 110. Guiding Stance 111. Concept Formation in Philosophy and the Sciences 112. 'Life' 113. 'Life' 114. 'Life' 115. Nietzsche's Fundamental Experience of 'life' and Opposition to 'Darwinism' 116. Life 117. 'Life' 118. 'Life' 119. 'Life' 120. 'Life' 121. 'Life' 122. Life and 'adaptation' 123. Life—Health and Truth 124. Life as 'Dasein' 125. 'Life' and 'Death' Q. Animality and Life. Animal—. The 'Living Body'. cf. Lectures of Winter Semester 1929/30 126. Milieu and Environment (World) 127. Soul—Living Body—Body 128. Embodying 129. The Animal has Memory 130. Animal (Questions) 131. Delimitation of the Essence of 'Life' (Animality) 132. Animality R. The Differentiation of Human Being and Animal 133. The Un-historical and the Historical 134. The Unhistorical—(of the Human Being) 135. Animal and Human Being S. 'Privation' 136. What Happens to us as 'Privation' 137. 'Privation'—Inter-ruption T. Structure and Composition of the Second Untimely Meditation 138. On the Advantages and Disadvantages of History for Life Addenda I. Seminar Reports II. Summary by Hermann Heidegger III. Editorial Postscript

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Book SynopsisDemonstrates the interdependence of science and philosophy by examining a number of crucial problems on the nature of space and time - problems that require for their resolution the resources of philosophy and of physics.

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Book SynopsisJohn Locke is widely acknowledged as the most important figure in the history of English philosophy and An Essay Concerning Human Understanding is his greatest intellectual work, emphasising the importance of experience for the formation of knowledge. The Routledge Guidebook to Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding introduces the major themes of Locke's great book and serves as a companion to this key work, examining: The context of Locke's work and the background to his writing Each part of the text in relation to its goals, meaning and impact The reception of the book when it was first seen by the world The relevance of Locke's work to philosophy today, its legacy and influence With further reading suggested throughout, this text follows Locke's original work closely, making it essential reading for all students of philosophy, and all those wishing to get to grips with this classic work.Table of ContentsSeries Editor Preface Author Preface 1. Introduction: Locke’s Life and Work 2. Ideas 3. Perception 4. Substance 5. Identity 6. Action 7. Language 8. Knowledge Epilogue: The Legacy of Locke's Essay Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisQuantum Non-Locality and Relativity is recognized as the premier philosophical study of Bell s Theorem and its implication for the relativistic account of space and time. The third edition has been carefully updated to reflect significant developments.Trade Review"Maudlin's book is outstanding, and is particularly remarkable for three central achievements: the clearest exposition of Bell's theorem I know of; a careful discussion of the (in)compatibility between the implications of that theorem and relativity; and astute suggestions for how one could deal with this problem. Maudlin is a professional philosopher who writes on this most fundamental issue of physics in a way that is far clearer than the work of most physicists." -Jean Bricmont, University of LouvainTable of ContentsPreface to First Edition vi Preface to Second Edition x Preface to Third Edition xii Introduction 1 1 Bell’s Theorem: The Price of Locality 6 Appendix A: The GHZ Scheme 24 2 Relativity and Space-time Structure 27 3 Finger Exercise: Superluminal Matter Transport 55 4 Controlling the Connection: Signals 74 Appendix B: Bohmian Mechanics 106 5 Causation 114 6 Secret Messages 148 7 Points of View 173 8 Life in Elastic Space-time 205 9 Morals 221 10 New Discoveries and Deeper Insights: The View from 2010 224 An Overview of Quantum Mechanics 260 References 284 Index 290

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Book SynopsisSt. Joseph of Copertino began having mystical visions at the age of seven, but it was not until he began practicing his faith as a Franciscan priest that he realized the full potential of his mind's power over his bodyhe was able to levitate. Throughout his priesthood St. Joseph became famous for frequent levitations that were observed on hundreds of occasions and by thousands of witnesses, including many skeptics. Michael Grosso delves into the biography of the saint to explore the many strange phenomena that surrounded his life and develops potential physical explanations for some of the most astounding manifestations of his religious ecstasy. Grosso draws upon contemporary explorations into cognition, the relationship between the human mind and body, and the scientifically recorded effects of meditation and other transcendent practices to reveal the implications of St. Joseph's experiences and abilities.Trade ReviewGrosso, former humanities and philosophy teacher at Marymount Manhattan College, canvasses the spiritual awakenings of St. Joseph of Copertino, the 17th century Italian friar who was purportedly could levitate, dedicating ample space to his troubled childhood. After an introduction that grounds St. Joseph’s miraculous feats in contemporary arguments against strict scientific, materialist views on reality—particularly the work of philosopher Paul Feyerabend—Grosso guides readers through St. Joseph’s private and public life, detailing the many primary accounts of supernatural events that seemingly encircled St. Joseph: levitation, psychokinesis, poltergeists, inedia, and materialization. He asks the why and how questions of 'is it possible?' Readers who are interested in the mystery surrounding historical figures shunned by the church will discover tidbits of fascinating information regarding this oft-suffering soul. Grosso’s work here is thorough. * Publishers Weekly *A miracle, to quote St. Augustine,'does not occur contrary to nature, but contrary to what we know of nature.' So what happens when a miracle occurs, repeatedly, what can it tell us about the nature of the nature we inhabit and, more importantly perhaps, about its meaning? This is the subject of Michael Grosso’s searching, beautifully written and challenging book.... The Man Who Could Fly is not only an exemplary case study of a levitating saint but an agenda both for further research, search and reconfiguration of what it might mean to be human in a universe the knowledge of which remains enticingly and enjoyably uncertain, open and inviting. * Network Review *The Man Who Could Fly is a story of considerable interest to parapsychologists, and one which Grosso tells very well indeed, with the attention to relevant detail one expects from a well-informed philosopher. * Journal of the Society for Psychical Research *Provocatively, happily, Michael Grosso’s elegant book on the ecstasies and flights of Joseph does not leave the reader with an easy escape from the conclusion that St. Joseph of Copertino really was ‘the man who could fly.’ -- Jeffrey J Kripal, author of Authors of the Impossible: The Paranormal and the SacredGrosso’s enthralling study immerses us in the strange world of a levitating, seventeenth-century mystic, but does much more too. Above all, it invites us to question present-day assumptions about the dependence of mind on brain and, ultimately, the nature of reality. -- Paul Marshall, PhD, BSc, RGN, RMNThe Man Who Could Fly is a thrilling examination of our evolving understanding of consciousness and human abilities. Michael Grosso inverts the conventional dogma that matter makes mind by showing that mind shapes matter. Beautifully written and tightly reasoned, this book is a potent antidote to the suffocating, deadening effects of the materialist ideology of our time. The Man Who Could Fly is one of the most important explorations of consciousness thus far in the twenty-first century. -- Larry Dossey, MD, Author of Healing Beyond the Body, Reinventing Medicine and Healing Words

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A] wonderful accomplishment: to have provided us with a highly original and ambitious reinterpretation of the moral domain and to thereby have paved the way for a potential paradigm shift in moral theorizing against the background of the basic idea that “no individual is either more or less important than any other” (p. 20)."---Jonas Vandieken, Journal of Moral Philosophy"[The Moral Nexus] brilliantly explores, with nuance and in detail, the reasons embedded in ordinary moral thought that undergird the appeal of a relational interpretation in moral reasoning. . . . It presents the appeal of a relational interpretation of morality in a way that makes it accessible to those who find its attractions mystifying, while simultaneously forcing those of us already drawn to theorizing about morality in relational terms to carefully consider exactly what we take that to involve.—Paul Kumar, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews"

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Book SynopsisCan we trust our senses to tell us the truth?Trade Review"A masterpiece of logic, rationality, science, and mathematics. Read this book carefully and you will forever change your understanding of reality, both that of the universe and your own self." -- Deepak Chopra, author of The Healing Self"Hoffman’s truly radical theory will force us to ponder reality in a completely different light. Handle with care. Your perception of the world around you is about to be dismantled!" -- Chris Anderson, author of TED Talks"Think you know what’s really out there? Read this breathtaking, whistle-stop tour of a book that illuminates all the profound weirdness masked by our experience and assumptions." -- David Eagleman, best-selling author of The Brain and Incognito"A fresh view into who we truly are—one that transcends the perceptions that we accept as reality. Hoffman unapologetically takes us down a rabbit hole where we learn that all reality is virtual and that truth lies solely in you, the creator." -- Rudolph Tanzi, coauthor of Super Brain"Captivating and courageous…anyone who reads this book will likely never look at the world the same way again. Hoffman challenges us to rethink some of the most basic foundations of neuroscience and physics, which could prove to be exactly what we need to make progress on the most difficult questions we face about the nature of reality." -- Annaka Harris, author of Conscious"In the mood to have your mind blown? In this fascinating, deeply original, and wonderfully engaging book, Hoffman takes us on a tour of the uncharted territory where cognitive science, fundamental physics, and evolutionary biology meet— and where the nature of reality hangs in the balance. You’ll never look at the world— or, rather, your interface— the same way again." -- Amanda Gefter, author of Trespassing on Einstein’s Lawn"Woody Allen once said, ‘I hate reality, but . . . where else can you get a good steak dinner?’ Hoffman turns that joke on its head: What we have always been after is the steak dinner; what we call reality is our best adapted strategy for getting it. Sink your teeth into that!" -- Christopher A. Fuchs, professor of physics, University of Massachusetts Boston"This book is a must-read if you want to bring your understanding of ‘reality’ in sync with the way the World is. You are in for some major surprises and mind expanding. A good read that will set you thinking about yourself, others and the world." -- Jan Koenderink, author of Color for the Sciences

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