Philosophy: metaphysics and ontology Books
Oxford University Press Ibn Sn Avicenna A Very Short Introduction Very
Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, InspiringThis book provides an introduction to the most important philosopher of the Islamic world, Ibn Sina, often known in English by his Latinized name Avicenna. After introducing the man and his works, with an overview of the historical context in which he lived, the book devotes chapters to the different areas of Ibn Sina''s thought. Among the topics covered are his innovations in logic, his theory of the human soul and its powers, the relation between his medical writings and his philosophy, and his metaphysics of existence. Particular attention is given to two famous arguments: his flying man thought experiment and the so-called demonstration of the truthful, a proof for the existence of God as the Necessary Existent. A distinctive feature of the book is its attention to the relationship between Ibn Sina and Islamic rational theology (kalam): in which we see how Ibn Sina responded to this tradition in many areas of his thought. A final chapter looks at Ibn Sina''s legacy in both the Islamic world and in Latin Christendom. Here Adamson focuses on the critical responses to Ibn Sina in subsequent generations by such figures as al-Ghazali, al-Suhrawardi, and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi.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 ReviewA distinctive feature of the book is its attention to the relationship between Ibn Sīnā and Islamic rational theology (kalām): in which we see how Ibn Sīnā responded to this tradition in many areas of his thought. * Morteza Hajizadeh, Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. *Table of Contents1: Life works 2: Logic epistemology 3: Human person 4: Physics 5: God and world 6: Legacy Further reading Index
£9.49
Oxford University Press Philosophical Manuscripts
Book SynopsisDavid Lewis (1941-2001) was a celebrated and influential figure in analytic philosophy. When Lewis died, he left behind a large body of unpublished notes, manuscripts, and letters. This volume contains two longer manuscripts which Lewis had originally intended to turn into books, and thirty-one shorter items. The longer manuscripts are ''The Paradoxes of Time Travel'', his David Gavin Young Lectures at the University of Adelaide, and ''Confirmation Theory'', which is based on a graduate course on probability and logic that he gave at UCLA. Lewis''s described his purposes in ''The Paradoxes of Time Travel'' as being, `(1) to solve a philosophical problem hitherto largely ignored or casually mis-solved by philosophers []; (2) to introduce the layman to various topics in metaphysics, since our problem turns out to connect with many more familiar ones; and (3) to show of several of my favorite doctrines and methods in metaphysics''. By contrast, ''Confirmation Theory'' is a technical work Table of ContentsFrederique Janssen-Lauret and Fraser MacBride: Editors' Introduction Frederique Janssen-Lauret and Fraser MacBride : An Intellectual Biography Of The Young David Lewis Part I: Longer Manuscripts The Paradoxes of Time Travel: The Gavin David Young Lectures at the University of Adelaide (1971) 1: Time Travel without Hyperkinesis 2: Mapping Exercise 3: Personal Identity and Personal Time 4: Reversed Causation 5: Changing the Past: Failure 6: Changing the Past: Success References Confirmation Theory (1969) 0: Intensional Semantics 1: Probability Measures 2: Rational Belief: Statistics 3: Rational Belief: Kinematics 4: Scientific Method 5: Principles of Indierence 6: Carnap's lm-system: One Family 7: Carnap's lm-system: Many Families 8: Hintikka's lm-pa-system Confirmation Theory Bibliography Part II: Short Posthumously Published Papers (1965-2001) 1: Particular and General Causal Claims (c. 1965-66) 2: On the Nature of Certain Nonidentities: A Reply to Montague (1968) 3: Reply to Sommers (1969) 4: Contagion without Rigidity (1971) 5: Counterfactual Probability (1971) 6: Reply to Davidson (1972) 7: Insatiable Quantifiers (1972) 8: Counterfactual and Objective Probability (1973) 9: Counterpart Theory Mk. II (1974) 10: To the Thursday Logic Seminar (1976) 11: Reply to Pollock (1979) 12: Supervenience of Chances (1979) 13: Reply to Adams (1979) 14: From Phenomenal to Epiphenomenal (1981) 15: The Monty Hall Problem (c. 1982) 16: Richter's Problem (1983) 17: Russian Roulette (1984) 18: Mass and Value (1985) 19: De Se Detectivism (1986) 20: A Fifth Solution to the Problem of Temporary Intrinsics (c. 1987) 21: Acceptance Speech for the Behrman Award (1991) 22: Reply to Cresswell (1991) 23: Exclusion (1991) 24: Modal Demifictionalism (1994) 25: Merlin and Morgana (1999) 26: Reply to Martin's reply (1999) 27: Nihil Obstat: An Analysis of Ability (2001) 28: Divine Evil (2001) 29: Double Explanation by Double Having (2001) 30: Jack Is Unprovable (2001) 31: You Can't Win (2001)
£28.50
Oxford University Press Medieval Philosophy
Book SynopsisPeter Adamson presents a lively introduction to six hundred years of European philosophy, from the beginning of the ninth century to the end of the fourteenth century. The medieval period is one of the richest in the history of philosophy, yet one of the least widely known. Adamson introduces us to some of the greatest thinkers of the Western intellectual tradition, including Peter Abelard, Anselm of Canterbury, Thomas Aquinas, John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, and Roger Bacon. And the medieval period was notable for the emergence of great women thinkers, including Hildegard of Bingen, Marguerite Porete, and Julian of Norwich. Original ideas and arguments were developed in every branch of philosophy during this period - not just philosophy of religion and theology, but metaphysics, philosophy of logic and language, moral and political theory, psychology, and the foundations of mathematics and natural science.Trade ReviewAccessible and comprehensive. * Alban McCoy, The Tablet, Books of the Year 2019 *Peter Adamson's Medieval Philosophy gives fantastically compendious account of medieval philosophy. Adamson manages to be accessible, lucid, witty, incisive; luminously conveying the rambunctious ambivalences of the logic-chopping, devout, doubting, bawdy, bloodthirsty, mystical medievals. * Jane O'Grady, The Tablet *a volume that— despite its weight and heft—one could easily give to a non-philosopher as a first introduction to the field. For even the most obscure authors (such as that most prolific of medieval philosophers, Anon) and the most arcane of topics comes to life under Adamson's magic touch. But what is most impressive about the book is its sheer scope of knowledge. . . . If you want a good, light-touch, yet still not glossing over the difficulties, introduction to medieval philosophy, this is the book for you. * Sara L. Uckelman, Philosophical Quarterly *Adamson's history of medieval philosophy has, among its many merits, two great ones. First, is very clearly written and philosophically acute. . . .A second merit is that it proposes an updated interpretation of medieval philosophy, obtained by taking into account the most dominant trends present in literature. This makes Peter Adamson's volume a fine piece of work and a recommended volume. The history of medieval philosophy is investigated in its depth and full development, no significant gap can be found indeed in the proposed reconstruction. * Fabrizio Amerini, Philosophical Inquiries *Let me say at once on the evidence of this volume, [Adamson] succeeds brilliantly. Over some 78 sections he covers a huge range of figures ... Special attention is given - and rightly so - to female philosophers, such as Catherine of Siena ... This book (and the others in the series), which are a delight to read, will be of great interest to general readers, aside from students of culture. * Peter Costello, The Irish Catholic *Adamson writes with a light style, beginning each short chapter with an anecdote, which rewards both sticking with the long narrative and dipping in and out. * Nick Mattiske, Journey, Isolation Reading Recommendations *A staggering philosophical achievement ... the clarity of the animated text is further enhanced by the authors humour, bringing a light touch to complex matters ... This volume will surely attain classic status, and can be read either sequentially or consulted as a detailed encyclopaedia of mediaeval philosophy and its variegated personalities. * Paradigm Explorer *Table of ContentsPreface Early Medieval Philosophy 1: Arts of Darkness: Introduction to Medieval Philosophy 2: Charles in Charge: Alcuin and the Carolingian Period 3: Grace Notes: Eriugena and the Predestination Controversy 4: Much Ado About Nothing: Eriugena's Periphyseon 5: Philosophers Anonymous: The Roots of Scholasticism 6: Virgin Territory: Peter Damian on Changing the Past 7: A Canterbury Tale: Anselm's Life and Works 8: Somebody's Perfect: Anselm's Ontological Argument 9: All or Nothing: The Problem of Universals 10: Get Thee to a Nunnery: Heloise and Abelard 11: It's the Thought that Counts: Abelard's Ethics 12: Learn Everything: The Victorines 13: Like Father, Like Son: Debates over the Trinity 14: On the Shoulders of Giants: Philosophy at Chartres 15: The Good Book: Philosophy of Nature 16: One of a Kind: Gilbert of Poitiers on Individuation 17: Two Swords: Early Medieval Political Philosophy 18: Law and Order: Peter Lombard and Gratian 19: Leading Light: Hildegard of Bingen 20: Rediscovery Channel: Translations into Latin 21: Straw Men: The Rise of the Universities The Thirteenth Century 22: No Uncertain Terms: Thirteenth Century Logic 23: Full of Potential: Thirteenth Century Physics 24: Stayin' Alive: Thirteenth Century Psychology 25: It's All Good: The Transcendentals 26: Do the Right Thing: Thirteenth Century Ethics 27: A Light That Never Goes Out: Robert Grosseteste 28: Origin of Species: Roger Bacon 29: Stairway to Heaven: Bonaventure 30: Your Attention Please: Peter Olivi 31: None for Me, Thanks: Franciscan Poverty 32: Begin the Beguine: Hadewijch and Mechtild 33: Binding Arbitration: Robert Kilwardby 34: Animal, Vegetable, Mineral: Albert the Great's Natural Philosophy 35: The Shadow Knows: Albert the Great's Metaphysics 36: The Ox Heard Round the World: Thomas Aquinas 37: Everybody Needs Some Body: Aquinas on Soul and Knowledge 38: What Comes Naturally: Ethics in Albert and Aquinas 39: What Pleases the Prince: The Rule of Law 40: Onward Christian Soldiers: Just War Theory 41: Paris When it Sizzles: The Condemnations 42: Masters of the University: "Latin Averroism" 43: The Neverending Story: The Eternity of the World 44: Let Me Count the Ways: Speculative Grammar 45: Love, Reign Over Me: the Romance of the Rose 46: Frequently Asked Questions: Henry of Ghent 47: Here Comes the Son: The Trinity and the Eucharist 48: Once and for All: Scotus on Being 49: To Will or Not to Will: Scotus on Freedom 50: On Command: Scotus' Ethics 51: One in a Million: Scotus on Universals and Individuals The Fourteenth Century 52: Time of the Signs: the Fourteenth Century 53: After Virtue: Marguerite Porete 54: To Hell and Back: Dante Alighieri 55: Church and State: Theories of Political Authority 56: Keeping the Peace: Marsilius of Padua 57: Do As You're Told: Ockham on Ethics and Political Philosophy 58: A Close Shave: Ockham's Nominalism 59: What Do You Think? Ockham on Mental Language 60: Keeping it Real: Responses to Ockham 61: Back to the Future: Divine Foreknowledge 62: Trivial Pursuits: Fourteenth Century Logic 63: Quadrivial Pursuits: the Oxford Calculators 64: Get to the Point: Fourteenth Century Physics 65: Portrait of the Artist: John Buridan 66: Seeing is Believing: Nicholas of Autrecourt's Skepticism 67: On the Money: Medieval Economic Theory 68: Down to the Ground: Meister Eckhart 69: Men in Black: The German Dominicans 70: A Wing and a Prayer: Angels in Medieval Philosophy 71: Alle Maner of Thyng Shall be Welle: English Mysticism 72: Say it With Poetry: Chaucer and Langland 73: The Good Wife: Gender and Sexuality in the Middle Ages 74: The Most Christian Doctor: Jean Gerson 75: Morning Star of the Reformation: John Wyclif 76: The Prague Spring: Scholasticism Across Europe 77: Renaissance Men: Ramon Llull and Petrarch
£12.34
Oxford University Press Objective Imperatives An Exploration of Kants
Book SynopsisObjective Imperatives defends the validity of Kant's Categorical Imperative as an account of objective moral imperatives. Ralph C. S. Walker argues that most of the common objections can be shown to be due to misunderstandings.Trade ReviewAiming at a succinct yet wide-ranging reconsideration of Kant's moral theory. * Choice *
£76.00
Oxford University Press P. F. Strawson and His Philosophical Legacy
Book SynopsisThis volume offers a collective study of the work of P. F. Strawson (1919-2006) and an exploration of its relevance for current philosophical debates. It is the first book since Strawson''s death to cover the full range of his philosophy, with chapters by world-leading experts about his lasting contributions to the philosophy of language, metaphysics, epistemology, moral philosophy, and philosophical methodology. It aims to achieve a balance between exegesis of Strawson, critical engagement, and consideration of the reception and continuing value of his work. It explores the intellectual relations between Strawson and some of his predecessors and contemporaries and it will be an indispensable source for scholars and students of twentieth-century philosophy and its influence in the twenty-first.Table of ContentsSybren Heyndels, Audun Bengtson, and Benjamin De Mesel: Introduction 1: Anne Bezuidenhout: Strawson on False Presupposition and the Assertive Enterprise 2: Ian Rumfitt: Meaning and Speech Acts 3: Paul Snowdon: Strawson's Basic Particulars 4: Quassim Cassam: Strawson on Other Minds 5: Michelle Montague: P. F. Strawson and the 'Pseudo-Material Shadows' 6: Hans-Johann Glock: Concepts and Experience in Bounds of Sense and Beyond 7: Anil Gomes: Strawson and Metacritique 8: Lilian Alweiss: Seeing (More than) What Meets the Eye: A Critical Engagement with P. F. Strawson 9: Giuseppina D'Oro: To Reply, or Not To Reply, That Is the Question: Descriptive Metaphysics and the Sceptical Challenge 10: A. P. Martinich: P. F. Strawson and Connective Analysis 11: Paul Russell: Responsibility After 'Morality'. Strawson's Naturalism and Williams's Genealogy 12: Lucy Allais: Navigating 'Freedom and Resentment' 13: Victoria McGeer: From Excuse to Exemption: Exploring the Developmental Dimensions of Responsible Agency
£80.00
Oxford University Press The Meme Machine
Book SynopsisHumans are extraordinary creatures, with the unique ability among animals to imitate and so copy from one another ideas, habits, skills, behaviours, inventions, songs, and stories. These are all memes, a term first coined by Richard Dawkins in 1976 in his book The Selfish Gene. Memes, like genes, are replicators, and this enthralling book is an investigation of whether this link between genes and memes can lead to important discoveries about the nature of the inner self. Confronting the deepest questions about our inner selves, with all our emotions, memories, beliefs, and decisions, Susan Blackmore makes a compelling case for the theory that the inner self is merely an illusion created by the memes for the sake of replication.Trade ReviewAnyone who hopes or fears that memetics will become a science of culture will find this surefooted exploration of the prospects a major eye-opener. * Daniel Dennett *Any theory deserves to be given its best shot, and that is what Susan Blackmore has given the theory of the meme I am delighted to recommend her book. * Richard Dawkins *
£12.59
Oxford University Press Out of Time A Philosophical Study of Timelessness
Book SynopsisAlmost every experience we have tells us that time must exist. This book aims to make the absence of time thinkable. Beginning with an examination of the 'folk' concept of time, it explores the implications this has for our understanding of agency and the extent to which our best physics and metaphysics are compatible with a timeless reality.Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I 1: Folk Concepts of Time 2: Empirical Results 3: Study Methodology 4: The Sydney Time Studies Part II 5: A Quick Argument for Timelessness 6: Metaphysical Emergence 7: Approximating Spacetime 8: Causation and Time Part III 9: An Error Theory about Time 10: The Trouble with Error Theory 11: Time and Agency Future Directions
£86.93
Oxford University Press Two Arguments for the Identity of Indiscernibles
Book SynopsisGonzalo Rodriguez-Pereyra presents two arguments for the principle that no two objects can differ only numerically. He shows that the principle cannot be reduced to a triviality, and that restricted versions concerning only qualitative propeties face problems.Trade ReviewThe book contains four new arguments about the Identity of Indiscernibles. * MathSciNet *
£56.00
Oxford University Press Phenomenalism
Book SynopsisJ.S. Mill famously equated physical things with permanent possibilities of sensation. This view, known as phenomenalism, holds that a rock is a tendency for experiences to occur as they do when people perceive a rock, and similarly for all other physical things. In Phenomenalism, Michael Pelczar develops Mill''s theory in detail, defends it against the objections responsible for its current unpopularity, and uses it to shed light on important questions in metaphysics, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of mind. Identifying physical things with possibilities of sensation establishes a transparent connection between the world of physics and the world of sense, provides an attractive alternative to currently fashionable structuralist and panpsychist metaphysics, offers a fresh perspective on the problem of consciousness, and yields a satisfying theory of perception, all by taking two things notoriously resistant to reduction, chance and experience, and constructing everything eTrade ReviewThe text is clearly written, elegant in its presentation, and effectively implements all the tools of the analytic philosopher. * Choice *Table of Contents1: The World as Hypertext 2: Mill's Metaphysics 3: A Signal in the Noise 4: Possibilities for What? 5: What Kind of Possibility? 6: A Revealing Correspondence 7: Phenomenalism and Science 8: Phenomenalism and Consciousness 9: A Phenomenalist Theory of Perception 10: Choose Your Own Adventure Appendix: Defining Spacetime Relations
£76.00
Oxford University Press Oxford Studies in Epistemology 7
Book SynopsisOxford Studies in Epistemology is a periodical publication which offers a regular snapshot of state-of-the-art work in this important field. Under the guidance of a distinguished editorial board, it publishes exemplary papers in epistemology, broadly construed. Anyone wanting to understand the latest developments in the discipline can start here.Table of ContentsEditors' Preface Contributors 1: Nicolas Bommarito and Jonardon Ganeri: Selfless Receptivity: Attention as an Epistemic Virtue 2: Nilanjan Das: Knowledge and Independent Checks in M=im=a.ms=a 3: Robin Dembroff and Dennis Whitcomb: Content-Focused Epistemic Injustice 4: Jason Konek: The Art of Learning 5: Harvey Lederman: Conceptions of Genuine Knowledge in Wang Yangming 6: Sarah Moss: Knowledge and Legal Proof 7: C. Thi Nguyen: Trust as an Unquestioning Attitude 8: Catherine Prueitt and Katia Samoilova: There's More to Transparency than Windows 9: Hagop Sarkissian: Me-Knowledge and Effective Agency 10: Miriam Schoenfield: Meditations on Beliefs Formed Arbitrarily 11: Justin Tiwald: "Getting It Oneself" as an Alternative to Testimonial Knowledge and Deference to Tradition 12: Anand Vaidya: Elements of Knowledge-First Epistemology in Ga:nge'sa 13: Timothy Williamson: Vaidya on Ny=aya and Knowledge-First Epistemology
£112.64
Oxford University Press The True and the Good
Book SynopsisPhilosophical thinking about truth has revolved around two key questions. First, what is the nature of truth? Second, why should we value it? It has proven difficult to answer both questions at once.Some theories analyse truth in terms of goodness. Truth is a specific kind of goodness for beliefs. They have an easy explanation of truth''s value, but they obscure the connection between truth and how things are. What does belief have to do with whether it''s true that there is water on Mars? Other theories treat truth as a descriptive feature: a claim is true when things are as it says they are. Such theories face a version of G. E. Moore''s open question problem. How could a claim''s purely descriptive features make it good or right to believe?The problem of truth''s value is the problem of reconciling a good theory of what truth is with a good theory of why truth is valuable. This is the first monograph focused on solving it for theories that construe truth in the purely descriptive waTable of Contents1: The Problem of Truth's Value 2: Truth and Virtue 3: Truth-Orientated Desires 4: Against Normativism 5: Truth and Instrumental Value 6: Truth and Intrinsic Value 7: Truth and Epistemic Standards 8: Truth as the Goal of Inquiry 9: Conclusion: The Strong Virtue Theory
£66.50
Oxford University Press Causalism
Book SynopsisIn this volume, Carolina Sartorio makes the case for big-picture causalism: a naturalistic conception of agency and free agency that unifies the two phenomena under a common thesis. This is the thesis that actions/free actions are behaviors that have the right kinds of causes or explanations. The book discusses how a causalist view of action and free action fit together--the latter as a natural extension of the former--and how they are motivated by similar considerations having to do with causal control. The result is a compelling package deal view of our practical agency, one that is put forth as the default view (the view that deserves to be regarded as the starting point of our theorizing). Sartorio examines both the skeleton of the causalist view as well as potential enrichments that result from exploiting the grounds of the relevant causal facts. The discussion is enriched by an account of the role played in causalism by key metaphysical notions such as causation, grounding, absences, and powers.Table of Contents1: Three Causalisms 2: Motivations 3: Causalism under the Microscope 4: Reasons and their Absences 5: Enriched Causalism 6: Causalism under Indeterminism 7: Conclusions References
£45.00
Oxford University Press Pragmatist Semantics
Book SynopsisJosé L. Zalabardo defends a pragmatist account of what grounds the meaning of central semantic discoursesascriptions of truth, of propositional attitudes, and of meanings. He argues that it is the procedures that regulate acceptance and rejection that give the sentences of these discourses their meanings, and explores the application of the pragmatist template to ethical discourse.The pragmatist approach is presented as an alternative to representationalist accounts of the meaning grounds of declarative sentences, according to which a sentence has the meaning it has as a result of links with the bits of the world that it purports to represent. Zalabardo develops a version of the open-question argument to support the claim that the meaning grounds of the discourses he focuses on cannot receive representationalist accounts. It is generally assumed that a declarative sentence cannot perform the function of representing the world unless it has a representationalist meaning ground. Zalabardo rejects this assumption, arguing that sentences with pragmatist meaning grounds can represent the world in exactly the same sense that sentences with representationalist meaning grounds do. This requires that there are states of affairs that the target sentences represent as obtaining, and Zalabardo develops an account of the nature of the states of affairs that can play this role for sentences with pragmatist meaning grounds.Pragmatist Semantics concludes by developing the suggestion that the meaning grounds of all our representational discourses might be ultimately pragmatist.Table of ContentsPreface 1: Representational discourse 2: The open-question argument in ethics 3: The open-question argument in semantics 4: Some reactions 5: Pragmatist meaning grounds 6: Belief and desire 7: Meaning and truth 8: Harmony and abstraction 9: The primacy of practice Epilogue: The meaning grounds of meaning-ground specifications
£73.79
Oxford University Press Background Independence in Classical and Quantum
Book SynopsisIt is often claimed that Einstein''s magnum opus---his 1915 theory of General Relativity---is distinguished from other theories of space and time in virtue of its background independence. It''s also often claimed that background independence is an essential feature of any quantum theory of gravity. But are these claims true? This book aspires to offer definitive answers to both of these questions, by (a) charting the space of possible definitions of background independence, and (b) applying said definitions to various classical and quantum theories of gravity. The outcome, in brief, is as follows: General Relativity is not unique by virtue of its background independence (and, indeed, fails to be background independent on some popular definitions); moreover, the situation in the case of quantum theories of gravity is delicate, because (i) there are viable such theories which (by some accounts, at least) fail to be background independent, but also (ii) theories (e.g. perturbative string Table of Contents1: Introduction 2: Models and Gauge 3: Classical Background Independence 4: Classical Theories of Spacetime 5: Quantum Theories of Spacetime 6: Conclusions
£70.00
Oxford University Press Principles and Persons The Legacy of Derek Parfit
Book SynopsisPrinciples and Persons contains twenty-one new essays addressed to themes drawn from the work of the late Derek Parfit. Topics include the nature of reasons and duties, the rationality of our attitudes to time, and the question of personal identity.Table of ContentsJeff McMahan: Introduction 1 Personal Identity, Prudence, and Ethics 1: David O. Brink: Special Concern and Personal Identity 2: James Goodrich: Separating Persons 3: Tim Campbell: Personal Identity and Impersonal Ethics 4: Samuel Scheffler: Temporal Neutrality and the Bias toward the Future 5: Shelly Kagan: What is the Opposite of Well-Being? 6: Roger Crisp: Parfit on Love and Partiality 2 Normative Ethical Theory 7: Elizabeth Ashford: Individualist Utilitarianism and Converging Theories of Rights 8: Ingmar Persson: Parfit s Reorientation: From Revisionism to Conciliationism 9: Brad Hooker: Parfit s Final Arguments in Normative Ethics 10: Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek and Peter Singer: Parfit on Act Consequentialism 11: Liam Murphy: Nonlegislative Justification: Against Legalist Moral Theory 3 Reasons 12: Stephen Darwall: Doing Right by Wrong 13: John Broome: Giving Reasons and Given Reasons 4 Moral Mathematics: Aggregation, Overdetermination, and Harm 14: John Taurek: Reply to Parfit's "Innumerate Ethics" 15: Jeff McMahan: Defence Against Parfit's Torturers 16: Victor Tadros: Overdetermination and Obligation 17: Molly Gardner: What is Harming? 5 Egalitarianism and Prioritarianism 18: Nils Holtug: Prioritarianism, Risk, and the Gap Between Prudence and Morality 19: Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen: Relational Egalitarianism: Telic and Deontic 6 Supererogation 20: F. M. Kamm: Duties That Become Supererogatory or Forbidden? 21: Thomas Hurka and Evangeline Tsagarakis: More Supererogatory
£73.14
Oxford University Press Imitation of Rigor An Alternative History of
Book SynopsisMark Wilson aims to reconnect analytic philosophy with the evolving practicalities within science from which many of its grander concerns originally sprang. He offers an alternative history of how the subject might have developed had the insights of its philosopher/scientist forebears not been cast aside in the vain pursuit of "ersatz rigor".Table of Contents1: Ersatz Rigor 2: Prospectus 3: Inductive Warrant Appendix: Historical Complexities 4: The Mystery of Physics 101 Appendix: Hertz' Critique of the Third Law 5: Multiscalar Architectures Appendix: Further Comments on Homogenization 6: Diversity in "Cause" 7: Dreams of a Final Theory T 8: Linguistic Scaffolding and Scientific Realism 9: Truth in a Multiscalar Landscape
£76.00
Oxford University Press Anselms Argument Divine Necessity
Book SynopsisAnselm of Canterbury gave the first "ontological" argument for God's existence as necessary. Yet philosophers have mostly neglected to examine what modal concepts he uses, and what their metaphysical basis is. Brian Leftow sets out Anselm's modal metaphysics, and defends all but one premise of Anselm's best argument for God's existence.Trade Reviewa detailed and robustly defended Anselmian account of perfect being necessity against challenges that have emerged in the history of philosophy after St Anselm * Gaven Kerr, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: The Metaphysics 2: The Applications 3: The Problems 4: The Argument 5: Brouwer 6: Hume 7: Kant 8: Swinburne 9: The Parallel Argument 10: Imagining Nothing 11: Thinking of Nothing 12: Five More Objections 13: Perfect Being Contingency? 14: Essence Options 15: Other Non-Concreta 16: Contingency Concluded 17: The Less-Maker Argument 18: Envoi
£87.46
Oxford University Press, USA Platos Parmenides
Book SynopsisThis treatise offers a new solution to the famous puzzle of the so-called "gymnastic" half of Plato's "Parmenides". The author shows that the work serves to introduce a metaphysics which had outgrown problems commonly associated with Plato's middle dialogues, creating a bridge to his later work.Trade Review`Constance Meinwald's commentary on the Parmenides is both highly original and extremely illuminating ... She offers what I think is a brilliant reconstruction of the antinomies as presented by Parmenides ... Not the least merit of Meinwald's book is that it is accessible to a wide audience ... her arguments are neatly divided into manageable sections; and she writes in a style which is lucid, free of unnecessary jargon, and wholly straightforward ... On the evidence of this book, her future works will be well worth waiting for.' Heythrop Journal'M.'s analysis is generally illuminating. She is notably successful in assessing the strategic functions ... Her analyses work more convincingly, I believe, where the first four sections - the consequences of the positive hypothesis - are concerned than they do with the consequences of the negative hypothesis. Constance Meinwald has produced an intelligent and well argued book, which deserves to be widely discussed - and surely will be. The style is clear and spare, and her case is geenerally well presented.' J.D.G. Evans, Queen's University, Belfast, The Classical Review, 1992
£64.80
Oxford University Press Inc Essays in QuasiRealism
Book SynopsisThis volume collects together some influential essays in which Simon Blackburn explores one of the most profound and fertile of philosophical problems: the way in which our judgements relate to the world. This debate has centered on realism, or the view that what we say is validated by the way things stand in the world, and a variety of oppositions to it. Prominent among the latter are expressive and projective theories, but also a relaxed pluralism that discourages the view that there are substantial issues at stake. The figure of the `quasi-realist'' dramatizes the difficulty of conducting these debates. Typically philosophers thinking of themselves as realists will believe that they alone can give a proper or literal account of some of our attachments - to truth, to facts, to the independent world, to knowledge, and to certainty. The quasi-realist challenge, developed by Blackburn in this volume, is that we can have those attachments without any metaphysic that deserves calling realTrade Review`The papers span nearly twenty years, and although some are well known, it is useful to have them in one volume ... a rich field.' * Times Literary Supplement *All these essays have been published previously, and everyone in the field will be glad to have them conveniently collected. They well display their author's virtues in advancing philosophical debate...He is alwya candid rather than cagey, laying his cards on the table and not pretending to a stronger hand than he can display.He reminds us that the truth is to be sought in the open air of frank discussion and not in the hermetic chambers of dominant fashion. * Utilitas *
£36.12
Oxford University Press Essays in the Metaphysics of Modality
Book SynopsisThis volume collects the most important articles on the metaphysics of modality by noted philosopher Alvin Plantinga. The book chronicles Plantinga''s thought from the late 1960''s to the present. Plantinga here is concerned with fundamental issues in metaphysics: what is the nature of abstract objects like possible worlds, properties, propositions, and such phenomena? Are there possible but non-actual objects? Can objects that do not exist exemplify properties? In this thorough and searching book, Plantinga addresses these and many other questions that continue to preoccupy philosophers in the field. This volume contains some of the best work in metaphysics from the past 30 years, and will remain a source of critical contention and keen interest among philosophers of metaphysics and philosophical logic for years to come.
£43.20
Oxford University Press Inc African Philosophy
Book SynopsisAfrican Philosophy is a collection of previously unpublished essays that address epistemological and metaphysical concerns that have emerged from the sub-Saharan regions of Africa. The primary focus of the book is on traditional African conceptions of mind, person, personal identity, truth, knowledge, understanding, objectivity, and reality. The collection also discusses traditional African conceptions of causation, destiny, and free will.Trade ReviewThis anthology is one of a kind in the growing literature in African philosophy: it is a breath of fresh air. * African American Review *Table of ContentsContributors 1: Introduction: Seeing through the Conceptual Languages of Others 2: K. Anthony Appiah: Akan and Euro-American Concepts of the Person 3: Kwasi Wiredu: Truth and an African Language 4: Segun Gbadegesin: An Outline of a Theory of Destiny 5: Leke Adeofe: Personal Identity in African Metaphysics 6: D. A. Masolo: The Concept of the Person in Luo Modes of Thought 7: I. A. Menkiti: Physical and Metaphysical Understanding: Nature, Agency, and Causation in African Traditional Thought 8: Albert Mosley: Witchcraft, Science, and the Paranormal in Contemporary African Philosophy 9: Lee M. Brown: Understanding and Ontology in Traditional African Thought Selected Bibliography of Epistemological and Metaphysical Perspectives in African Philosophical Thought Index of Names Index of Subjects
£30.17
Oxford University Press Leibniz
Book SynopsisThis is a paperback reprint of a cloth edition published in 1994. Adams presents an in-depth interpretation of three important parts of Leibniz''s metaphysics, thoroughly grounded in the texts as well as in philosophical analysis and critique. The three areas discussed are the metaphysical part of Leibniz''s philosophy of logic, his essentially theological treatment of the central issues of ontology, and his theory of substance. Adams'' work helps make sense of one of the great classic systems of modern philosophy.Trade ReviewA finely detailed and elaborately worked-out apology for the German metaphysician ... This is an austere and often daunting work which makes few concessions to those who are not already closely interested in Leibniz's philosophy. Its range is impressive ... On any showing, it must be counted a formidable scholarly achievement. * Times Literary Supplement *Leibniz could not have hoped for a more thoughtful and penetrating, more careful, sensitive, and positive, examination of his ideas than this ... Given the evident "love of truth" exhibited in Adam's book, he surely would have welcomed it. * Times Higher Education Supplement *Adams offers a detailed analysis of an impressive range of texts ... This is an important contribution to Leibniz studies. Not only does Adams display a most impressive mastery both of Leibniz's writings and of those of other philosophers of his era, but his interpretations are ingenious and his arguments subtle and original. I am sure that this is a book that Leibniz scholars will need to consult, and that it will stimulate much discussion ... it is an outstanding example of its kind. * G.H.R. Parkinson, University of Reading, British Journal for the History of Philosophy, Vol. 4/No. 2, 1996 *A thorough and well-researched book that deserves to be placed in every library, next to Russell's classic Leibniz text. * Choice *
£42.07
Oxford University Press, USA Spinoza Metaphysical Themes
Book SynopsisThis collection of previously unpublished essays on Spinoza provides a representative sample of new and interesting research on the philosopher. Spinoza''s philosophy still has an underserved reputation for being obscure and incomprehensible. In these chapters, Spinoza is seen mostly as a metaphysician who tried to pave the way for the new science. The essays investigate several themes, notably Spinoza''s monism, the nature of the individual, the relation between mind and body, and his place in 17th century philosophy including his relation to Descartes and Leibniz. The top scholars working on Spinoza today are all represented, including John Carriero, Michael Della Rocca, and Don Garrett.Trade ReviewThis will, I am sure, prove to be a most useful collection ... scholars who have a good knowledge of Spinoza will find in it much that is worthy of their attention. The editors, Olli Koistinen and John Biro, have clearly taken great pains with their work, and the volume has been well produced by the Oxford University Press. * British Journal for the History of Philosophy *... eleven papers, none of which has previously been published devoted to important topics in Spinoza's metaphysics. * British Journal for the History of Philosophy *
£121.50
Oxford University Press The Human Animal
Book SynopsisMost philosophers writing about personal identity in recent years claim that what it takes for us to persist through time is a matter of psychology. In this groundbreaking new book, Eric Olson argues that such approaches face daunting problems, and he defends in their place a radically non-psychological account of personal identity. He defines human beings as biological organisms, and claims that no psychological relation is either sufficient or necessary for an organism to persist. Rejecting several famous thought experiments dealing with personal identity, he instead argues that one could survive the destruction of all of one''s psychological contents and capabilities as long as the human organism remains alive.Trade ReviewA very clear and powerfully argued defence of a most important and surprisingly neglected view. * Derek Parfit, author of Reasons and Persons (All Souls College, Oxford) *For hundreds of years, almost all philosophers writing on the topic have supposed that personal identity is either entirely a matter of psychology or at least has an important and essential psychological component. This important book presents a powerful challenge to that assumption. If Dr. Olson is right, we are living animals and what goes on in our minds is wholly irrelevant to questions about our persistence through time. If this book receives the attention it deserves, it will transform philosophical thinking about personal identity. * Peter van Inwagen, author of An Essay on Free Will, Material Beings, and Metaphysics (University of Notre Dame) *Olson's excellent and enjoyable book should be read by everyone with an interest in metaphysics. For those seriously interested in the philosophy of personal identity, or in our existence and identity, the matter is more serious; without much delay, you've got to get your hands on The Human Animal * Peter Unger, New York University *A significant contribution to the field. It issues several important challenges to proponents of a psychological approach to personal identity. * Carol Rovane, Yale University *Olson develops his main argument with a masterly touch. It is particularly refreshing to read a discussion of personal identity which is metaphysically serious. He has produced in me a deepened sense of the virtues of animalism, and I expect his book to do so in anyone who reads it. * Times Literary Supplement *The book as a whole is admirably succinct, clear, and forcefully argued, and is a fresh and enjoyable read. * IMind *This is the most original piece of writing on these matters that I have read in several years. I recommend it highly. * Philosophical Books *
£54.40
Oxford University Press The Quest for Reality
Book SynopsisWe say the grass is green or lemons are yellow to state what everyone knows. But are the things we see around us really colored, or do they only look that way because of the effects of light rays on our eyes and brains? Is color somehow unreal or subjective and dependent on our human perceptions and the conditions under which we see things? Distinguished scholar Barry Stroud investigates these and related questions in The Quest for Reality. In this long-awaited book, he examines what a person would have to do and believe in order to reach the conclusion that everyone''s perceptions and beliefs about the color of things are illusions and do not accurately represent the way things are in the world as it is independently of us. Arguing that no such conclusion could be consistently reached, Stroud finds that the conditions of a successful unmasking of color cannot all be fulfilled. The discussion extends beyond color to present a serious challenge to many other philosophical attempts to dTrade ReviewThis strange and absorbing book sets out to undermine the central metaphysical ambition which has dominated philosophy since the 17th century - that of reachinga comprehensive understanding of the world, consistent with modern science, which distinguishes between what exists objectively, independent of our minds, and what is merely subjective - due to the effects of the world on our minds and our responses to it. Barry Stroud writes against the temper of the times. His style is clear, explicit, methodical and relentless. He tries to block every exit. The Quest for Reality displays a profound grasp of the history and logical structure of philosophical problems and theories, and a feeling for the derangement of thought that underlies them. Whatever one thinks of the conclusion, it is illuminating to think through the argument. This is philosophy of an exemplary purity, tenacity, and depth. * Thomas Nagel, The London Review of Books *Table of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction: The Philosophical Project ; Chapter 2. The Philosophical Conception of an Independent Reality ; Chapter 3. The Idea of Physical Reality ; Chapter 4. Unmasking Explanation and the "Unreality" of Colour ; Chapter 5. Perception, Predication, and Belief ; Chapter 6. Perceptions of Colour and the Colour of Things ; Chapter 7. Perception, Judgement, and Error ; Chapter 8. Discomforts and Distortions of Metaphysical Theory ; Chapter 9. Engagement, Invulnerability, and Dissatisfaction ; Chapter 10 Morals ; Bibliography ; Index
£33.14
Oxford University Press Persons Causes
Book SynopsisWhat happens when someone acts? We suppose that we are often morally responsible for what we do, that our creations merit credit, and the unfolding of our relationships with others find their ultimate source within us -- in the choices we have freely made. But how is such freedom of choice possible? What are the springs of free will?In this carefully-argued and provocative study, O''Connor systematically develops an account of human agency intended to shed light on these basic questions. Central to his account is the traditional concept of ''agent'' of ''personal'' causation, a concept that has been largely abandoned in contemporary discussions of free will. O''Connor critically assesses the previous account of this notion by Thomas Reid, Richard Taylor, and Roderick Chisholm, before reformulating it in relation to more general discussions of contemporary causation. He then provides an original account of how reasons can explain actions whose causes are their agents. He concludes by arTrade ReviewThe book is intelligent throughout. O'Connor is unafraid to defend an unfashionable view, and to do so in a bold and imaginative way. * John Martin Fischer, MIND *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Freedom and Determinism ; 2. Freedom and Indeterminism: Some Unsatisfactory Proposals ; 3. The Agent as Cause: Reid, Taylor, and Chisholm ; 4. The Metaphysics of Free Will ; 5. Reasons and Causes ; 6. Agency, Mind, and Reductionism ; Bibliography ; Index
£32.29
Oxford University Press Augustines Invention of the Inner Self
Book SynopsisIn this book, Phillip Cary argues that Augustine invented the concept of the self as a private inner space-a space into which one can enter and in which one can find God. Although it has often been suggested that Augustine in some way inaugurated the Western tradition of inwardness, this is the first study to pinpoint what was new about Augustine''s philosophy of inwardness and situate it within a narrative of his intellectual development and his relationship to the Platonist tradition. Augustine invents the inner self, Cary argues, in order to solve a particular conceptual problem. Augustine is attracted to the Neoplatonist inward turn, which located God within the soul, yet remains loyal to the orthodox Catholic teaching that the soul is not divine. He combines the two emphases by urging us to turn in then up--to enter the inner world of the self before gazing at the divine Light above the human mind. Cary situates Augustine''s idea of the self historically in both the Platonist and the Christian traditions. The concept of private inner self, he shows, is a development within the history of the Platonist concept of intelligibility or intellectual vision, which establishes a kind of kinship between the human intellect and the divine things it sees. Though not the only Platonist in the Christian tradition, Augustine stands out for his devotion to this concept of intelligibility and his willingness to apply it even to God. This leads him to downplay the doctrine that God is incomprehensible, as he is convinced that it is natural for the mind''s eye, when cleansed of sin, to see and understand God. In describing Augustine''s invention of the inner self, Cary''s fascinating book sheds new light on Augustine''s life and thought, and shows how Augustine''s position developed into the more orthodox Augustine we know from his later writings.Trade Review"...a first-rate study of the influences on the great bishop and the innovations he made to his intellectual/spiritual inheritance."--Theology Today
£24.29
Oxford University Press Problems from Kant
Book SynopsisThis rigorous examination of Kant''s Critique of Pure Reason provides a comprehensive analysis of the major metaphysical and epistemological questions of Kant''s most famous work. Author James Van Cleve presents clear and detailed discussions of Kant''s positions and arguments on these themes, as well as critical assessments of Kant''s reasoning and conclusions. Expansive in its scope, Van Cleves study covers the overall structure of Kant''s idealism, the existence and nature of synthetic a priori knowledge, the epistemology of geometry, and the ontological status of space, time, and matter. Other topics explored are the role of synthesis and the categories in making experience and objects of experience possible, the concepts of substance and causation, issues surrounding Kant''s notion of the thing in itself, the nature of the thinking self, and the arguments of rational theology. A concluding chapter discusses the affinities between Kant''s idealism and contemporary antirealism, in Trade Review"This book will be enjoyed not only by those philosophers interested in Kant, but by those interested in metaphysics and epistemology more generally. He writes with directness and accessibility and care; there can be few recent books on the problems of Kant's First Critique that treat so great a range of arguments with such seriousness and sophistication. Van Cleve is a sympathetic interpreter, often finding himself on Kant's side. Clarity and rigor are among the book's notable virtues. There is an impressive knowledge of the contemporary English language. In their precision, originality and brevity, these are gems of analysis, which prove as useful for introducing students to these topics as for shedding light on Kant. This is a splendid book."--The Philosophical Review
£39.09
Oxford University Press What Are We A Study in Personal Ontology Philosophy of Mind
Book SynopsisFrom the time of Locke, discussions of personal identity have often ignored the question of our basic metaphysical nature: whether we human people are biological organisms, spatial or temporal parts of organisms, bundles of perceptions, or what have you. The result of this neglect has been centuries of wild proposals and clashing intuitions.What Are We? is the first general study of this important question. It beings by explaining what the question means and how it differs from others, such as questions of personal identity and the mind-body problem. It then examines in some depth the main possible accounts of our metaphysical nature, detailing both their theoretical virtues and the often grave difficulties they face.The book does not endorse any particular account of what we are, but argues that the matter turns on more general issues in the ontology of material things. If composition is universal--if any material things whatever make up something bigger--then we are temporal parts of organisms. If things never compose anything bigger, so that there are only mereological simples, then we too are simples--perhaps the immaterial substances of Descartes--or else we do not exist at all (a view Olson takes very seriously). The intermediate view that some things compose bigger things and others do not leads almost inevitably to the conclusion that we are organisms. So we can discover what we are by working out when composition occurs.Trade ReviewIn this invigorating new book, Eric Olsen investigates what we are, metaphysically speaking...The book is engagingly written in a conversational style...filled with many stimulating arguments. * Lynne Rudder Baker MIND *For anyone who wants to understand the question "What are we?"- and who wants to see how to begin to answer that question in a principled way- there is no better guide than Olson's book. * Trenton Merricks, Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents1. The Question; 2. Animals; 3. Constitution; 4. Brains; 5. Temporal Parts; 6. Bundles; 7. Souls; 8. Nihilism; 9. What Now?
£61.20
Oxford University Press Whats It All About
Trade ReviewUseful and provocative. * Wall Street Journal *Looking for a clear guide to what contemporary philosophy has to say about the meaning of life? Baggini takes us through all the plausible answers, weaving together Kierkegaard, John Stuart Mill, Monty Python, and Funkadelic in an entertaining but always carefully reasoned discussion. * Peter Singer, author of How Are We To Live *A work of popular philosophy that is simple, serious and devoid of ostentation. The question of the meaning of life has long been a byword for pretentious rambling. It takes some nerve to tackle it in a brisk and no-nonsense fashion. * New Statesman *Informative, thought-provoking, and entertaining in the process. The book takes a refreshingly personal approach and offers an encounter with a vigorous mind at work, puzzling through the issues in a trenchantly argued but subtly reasoned way. * New Humanist *It's egalitarianism of style and content is admirable. There is nothing here to put off someone who has never read a book of philosophy, yet the book is doing philosophy, not just talking about it. * Scotland on Sunday *
£11.87
Oxford University Press The Situated Self
Book SynopsisJ.T. Ismael''s monograph is an ambitious contribution to metaphysics and the philosophy of language and mind. She tackles a philosophical question whose origin goes back to Descartes: What am I? The self is not a mere thing among things-but if so, what is it, and what is its relationship to the world? Ismael is an original and creative thinker who tries to understand our problematic concepts about the self and how they are related to our use of language in particular.Trade ReviewAn exciting read because it is a fresh and vivid challenge to dualist and physicalist views about the mind, language, and the self.... Ismael's book is not just another philosophy book - it is feminist scientific theory in the making about mind and language.... Dynamic, thought provoking, and innovative is the only way to describe J. T. Ismael's The Situated Self. It is a definite must read for those wanting to get their heads into a serious scientific theory driven work in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of language. * Feminism and Philosophy *An exciting read because it is a fresh and vivid challenge to dualist and physicalist views about the mind, language, and the self.... Ismael's book is not just another philosophy book - it is feminist scientific theory in the making about mind and language.... Dynamic, thought provoking, and innovative is the only way to describe J. T. Ismael's The Situated Self. It is a definite must read for those wanting to get their heads into a serious scientific theory driven work in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of language. * Feminism and Philosophy *Table of ContentsI: THE SITUATED MIND ; II: UNDERSTANDING ARGUMENTS FOR DUALISM ; III: SELVES
£34.84
Oxford University Press, USA Berkeleys Idealism
Book SynopsisIn George Berkeley''s two most important works, the Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous, he argued that there is no such thing as matter: only minds and ideas exist, and physical things are nothing but collections of ideas. In defense of this idealism, he advanced a battery of challenging arguments purporting to show that the very notion of matter is self-contradictory or meaningless, and that even if it were possible for matter to exist, we could not know that it does; and he then put forward an alternative world-view that purported to refute both skepticism and atheism. Using the tools of contemporary analytic philosophy, Georges Dicker here examines both the destructive and the constructive sides of Berkeley''s thought, against the background of the mainstream views that he rejected. Dicker''s accessible and text-based analysis of Berkeley''s arguments shows that the Principles and the Dialogues dovetail and complement each other in a seamless way, rather than being self-contained. Dicker''s book avoids the incompleteness that results from studying just one of his two main works; instead, he treats the whole as a visionary response to the issues of modern philosophy- such as primary and secondary qualities, external-world skepticism, the substance-property relation, the causal roles of human agents and of God. In addition to relating Berkeley''s work to his contemporaries, Dicker discusses work by today''s top Berkeley scholars, and uses notions and distinctions forged by recent and contemporary analytic philosophers of perception. Berkeley''s Idealism both advances Berkeley scholarship and serves as a useful guide for teachers and students.Trade ReviewThose who want to examine what Dicker is offering, a realist's critique of Berkeley's case for idealism, will find much to interest them in Dicker's book. * Margaret Atherton, Mind *
£37.79
Oxford University Press Inc Free Will An Opinionated Guide
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewCongratulations to Alfred Mele for another outstanding book! Free Will: An Opinionated Introduction is a superb tour through the ins and outs of the debate over whether normal folks have free will. Mele is certainly one of the world's leading philosophers working on the nature of action and the related topic of free will. In this book, he faces the questions of what free will is, the best arguments for why we do not have it, and his own forceful arguments for why, indeed, most of us do have it. This wonderful, accessible book will be interesting and fun to read for any educated person who wants a fair and clear-minded assessment of the current state of the free will debate. I also highly recommend it for use in an introductory college course, or even an advanced high school course. * Michael McKenna, University of Arizona *This wonderful book offers a lucid and entertaining introduction to a classic philosophical debate about a key aspect of the human essence, namely free will. The author is a highly respected and distinguished philosopher himself, and one who has for years scrupulously respected both sides of the debate. Using plain language and vivid examples, the book illuminates why thinkers have come to different conclusions. The title says the book is opinionated, but the author's opinions are judicious, so the reader can appreciate the best arguments on either side, as well as the weak points in each side's arguments. While this is a terrific book for readers seeking an up-to-date introduction to the disputes, seasoned readers familiar with the field will also find much that is new, helpful, and informative. * Roy F. Baumeister, author of The Self Explained: Why and How We Become Who We Are *In this vibrant, succinctly written book, Mele (Florida State Univ.) takes readers on a philosophical journey that provides "a good feel for the interesting issues, options, and arguments that need to be dealt with in any respectable attempt to arrive at a bottom line on free will."...Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; general readers. * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1. Getting Started Chapter 2. A Straight Perspective on Free Will Chapter 3. Alternative Possibilities, Frankfurt-Style Stories, and the Consequence Argument Chapter 4. A Whirlwind Tour of a Mixed Perspective on Free Will Chapter 5. Exploring a Mixed Conception of Free Will Chapter 6. Some Sources of Skepticism about Free Will Chapter 7. More Skeptical Arguments Chapter 8. Free Will and Neuroscience Chapter 9. Wrapping Things up
£17.99
Oxford University Press Inc Forms and Structure in Platos Metaphysics
Book SynopsisThis book investigates the thought of two of the most influential philosophers of antiquity, Plato and his predecessor Anaxagoras, with respect to their metaphysical accounts of objects and their properties. The book introduces a fresh perspective on these two thinkers'' ideas, displaying the debt of Plato''s theory on Anaxagoras''s, and principally arguing that their core metaphysical concept is overlap; overlap between properties and things in the world. Initially Plato endorses Anaxagoras''s model of constitutional overlap, and subsequently develops qualitative overlap. Overlap is the crux to our understanding of objects participating in Forms in Plato''s metaphysics; of Plato''s account of relata without relations; of the role of Forms as causes; of the metaphysics of necessity; and of the role of the Great Kinds and of the paradeigma in the development of Plato''s thought. Anna Marmodoro argues that Plato is ground-breaking in the history of metaphysics, in different ways from those acknowledged so far, and with respect to more metaphysical questions than had been hitherto appreciated; e.g. Plato''s treatment of structure as property; of complexity; and his introduction of the first ever account of metaphysical emergence. In addition to these results, Marmodoro makes Anaxagoras''s and Plato''s systems philosophically accessible to us, today''s philosophers, by applying conceptual tools from analytic metaphysics to the study of ancient metaphysics. In this way, the book brings Anaxagoras''s and Plato''s ideas to bear on todays'' philosophical discussions and opens up new venues of research for current philosophical discussions.Trade ReviewAnna Marmodoro's Forms and Structure in Plato's Metaphysics is a historical analysis of Ancient Greek philosophy and its influence on contemporary metaphysics. While the book is essentially historical, it delves into complicated metaphysical topics, making it of interest to readers in both the history of philosophy and metaphysics fields. * Cody Spjut, Department of Philosophy, California State University, Long Beach, CA, USA, History of Philosophy & Logical Analysis (HPLA) *These are classic questions for anyone interested in Platonic ontology and metaphysics but Anna Marmodoro's Forms and Structure in Plato's Metaphysics has the merit of raising them afresh with particular clarity and acuteness, bringing new answers to old questions. * Dimitri El Murr, Mind *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Anaxagoras's Metaphysical Foundations 2. Making Things up 3. Plato's Powers 4. Forms in Objects 5. Overlap, Relations, and Relatives 6. Types of Constitutional Overlap 7. The Paradeigma Shift Conclusion Bibliography
£86.58
Oxford University Press Inc A Convex Mirror
Book SynopsisSchopenhauer is most recognizable as the philosopher of pessimism, the author of a system that teaches how art and morality can help human beings navigate life in the worst of all possible worlds. This dominant image of Schopenhauer has cut off an important branch of his tree of philosophy: the metaphysics of nature and its dialogue with the sciences of the time. A Convex Mirror sheds new light on the development of Schopenhauer''s philosophy and his ongoing engagement with the natural sciences. Understanding Schopenhauer''s metaphysics requires both an insight into his relationship with science and an appreciation of the role of the natural sciences in his philosophical project. In the first edition of The World as Will and Representation (1819), Schopenhauer dealt with science within the framework of Kant and Schelling''s philosophies of nature, but his growing perplexity with them led him to an original, more complex conception of the relationship between science and metaphysics. He
£91.83
Oxford University Press Inc On Life Cells Genes and the Evolution of
Book SynopsisOffering an inside look into the world around us, microbiologist Franklin M. Harold makes life intelligible for readers interested in biology. The book traces living things and how they operate, focusing on questions about the interaction between physics, chemistry, and biology.Trade ReviewThe great success of this book is that it brings together evolution and cell biology into a popular science format. It strongly contributes to biology education and communication, especially in the context of its approach to explaining the evolution of complexity * Franklin M. Harold, Quarterly Review of Biology *Readers finish the book in awe at the still-unanswered questions that continue to confound understanding of the earliest steps toward cellular life and the greater complexity of multicellular organisms. * S. K. Sommers Smith, CHOICE *Franklin M. Harold is a master at finding the humane boundaries of human knowledge. On Life is a finely cut gem for those who are curious about life's biggest questions. His prose is at once clear and poetic, folksy and inspiring. This is the zenith of a lifetime's quest to seek meaning in science. * Nick Lane, Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry, University College London and author of The Vital Question: Why Is Life the Way it Is? *Writing about 'life' can be tricky, but it is a topic I look forward to diving into when it's written by someone like Franklin M. Harold. He has such a long a record of scientific thought and experimentation, and he is able to cover both hard evidence as well as philosophical implications in an accessible way. On Life is an admirable contribution to the field worth reading * Ben McFarland, Professor of Biochemistry, Seattle Pacific University and author of A World from Dust *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Part I: The Nature of Living Things Chapter 1: Strange Objects Chapter 2: Living Cells, Lifeless Molecules Chapter 3: Life Makes Itself Chapter 4: Putting the Cell in Order Part II: The Web That Weaves Itself Chapter 5: The Darwinian Outlook Chapter 6: Evolution of the Cell Chapter 7: The Perennial Riddle of Life's Origin Part III: The Gyre of Complexity Chapter 8: The Expansion of Life Chapter 9: The Tangled Bank Chapter 10: From Egg to Organism Chapter 11: The Outer Banks of Order Epilogue: Comprehensive, but Complex and Perplexing Glossary Notes References Index
£23.27
Oxford University Press Inc Scientific Epistemology
Book SynopsisEpistemology has traditionally been motivated by a desire to respond to skeptical challenges. The skeptic presents an argument for the view that knowledge is impossible, and the theorist of knowledge is called upon to explain why we should think, contrary to the skeptic, that it is genuinely possible to gain knowledge. Traditional theories of knowledge offer responses to the skeptic which fail to draw on the resources of the sciences. This is no simple oversight; there are principled reasons why such resources are thought to be unavailable to the theorist of knowledge. This book takes a different approach. After arguing that appeals to science are not illegitimate in responding to skepticism, this book shows how the sciences offer an illuminating perspective on traditional questions about the nature and possibility of knowledge. This book serves as an introduction to a scientifically informed approach to the theory of knowledge. This book is a vital resource for students and scholars iTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface 1. The Threat of Skepticism 2. The Phenomenon of Knowledge 3. Knowledge from the Outside: The Third-Person Perspective 4. Knowledge from the Inside: The First-Person Perspective 5. From the Individual to the Social 6. Conclusion: Born to Know Notes References Index
£20.99
Oxford University Press Inc Materialism from Hobbes to Locke
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn its great clarity and remarkable conciseness, the work starts from seemingly simple considerations about both classic and familiar questions, and ends up with relatively complex and subtle ones. This subtlety and this prudence are certainly in the image of Locke's thought itself. The concise and careful expression can certainly produce from time to time in the reader eager for certainties a feeling of dissatisfaction. However, taken to its conclusion, reading the work allows one to have a clear, articulated and nuanced vision of the various philosophical questions posed by the alternative between materialism and dualism, an alternative which here plays a structuring role in the construction of the arguments developed by the authors. * Éric Marquer, Archives de philosophie *It will be useful to specialists who work on materialism in a historical context, as well as to those with a general interest in this period in philosophy. * M. A. Michael, CHOICE *Stewart Duncan has written a masterly study of a major debate in seventeenth-century philosophy. Duncan acutely analyses the contributions made by both the canonical philosophers and lesser-known figures; he also illuminates the connections between the debate over materialism and other philosophical issues in the period. The book is written with exceptional clarity, and will be accessible to the general reader as well as to specialists. * Nicholas Jolley, University of California, Irvine *Anyone interested in early modern philosophy will want to read this beautifully written book. Stewart Duncan is a judicious guide to and analyst of key episodes in the seventeenth century debate surrounding materialism. One result is a new appreciation for some subtleties of Locke's infamous and influential defense of the epistemic possibility of thinking matter, as well as a better understanding of where that view stands in relation to a range of positions and arguments that preceded it. * Lisa Downing, The Ohio State University *Duncan's book is noteworthy not just for focusing on non-canonical figures such as Cavendish, but also for breaking new ground by illuminating the connections between the debate over materialism and other issues such as innate ideas... Duncan's book is a fascinating study of a major seventeenth-century debate that has not yet received all the attention it deserves. Although his interpretations are open to question in places, Duncan succeeds in illuminating a host of issues and figures, both canonical and non-canonical. The book is written with exceptional clarity and will be accessible to undergraduates and specialists alike; it should be read by anyone with a serious interest in early modern philosophy. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Stewart Duncan has written an important contribution to ongoing work on early modern materialism, in this case in the English context, focusing on Hobbes and Locke... I can conclude this review in praising Duncan's book once again. It is at times deceptively straightforward and plain-talking, but in fact manages to shed new light on vexed and seemingly familiar topics. * Hobbes Studies *Stewart Duncan's excellent book Materialism from Hobbes to Locke offers an insightful study of the debates concerning materialism during the seventeenth century... Duncan's book makes a major contribution to scholarship on the debates over materialism in seventeenth-century philosophy. He shows with clarity and depth how different philosophers challenge Hobbes's materialism and developed alternative views about the human mind, God, and surrounding philosophical issues...All of this is clearly invaluable work, but I also see scope for future research on this topic, which expands on Duncan's work... I highly recommend this well-researched, engaging, and insightful book to anyone interested in early modern debates over materialism. I expect that it will be an important source for future scholarship on this topic. * British Journal for the History of Philosophy *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Hobbes against Descartes 2. Hobbes's Materialism 3. More and Cudworth against Hobbes 4. Cavendish's Anti-Hobbesian Materialism 5. Locke against Descartes 6. Locke on Substance, Spirit, and the Idea of God 7. Locke, God, and Materialism 8. Locke's Inclinations Epilogue: Lockean materialism Bibliography
£85.94
Oxford University Press Inc Vatsyayanas Commentary on the Nyayasutra
Book SynopsisVatsyayana''s Commentary on the Nyaya-sutra is one of classical India''s most important philosophical works. This Guide offers both a map and interpretation of this challenging canonical text, suitable for any student or novice reader.Treating them as a single hybrid text, the Nyaya-sutra with Vatsyayana''s commentary systematizes in skeletal form centuries of ancient Indian philosophical developments concerning logic, epistemology, and dialectics, while also defending a realist categorial metaphysics. It offers a number of epistemological and methodological insights that inform intellectual inquiry in the Subcontinent for over a millennium. Vatsyayana''s Commentary also provides sophisticated arguments for distinct positions in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, and value theory that stand amongst the best contributions to world philosophy.This guide, accessible to students and researchers not familiar with classical Indian philosophy, provides a distilled, accessible Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction Principles of Selection, Organization, and Translation Outline of the Text Chapter 1 - The Central Topics of Nyaya Chapter 2 - Epistemology and Philosophy of Language Chapter 3 - Objects of Knowledge Chapter 4 - Objects of Knowledge and the Knowledge that Leads to the Supreme Good Chapter 5 - Dialectics Appendix A - Thematic reading plans and recommended scholarship Appendix B - V=atsy=ayana's philosophical commitments summarized Appendix C - Immediate inference, postulation, and contraposition: on V=atsy=ayana's logical
£23.61
Oxford University Press Inc Spinozas Ethics A Guide OXFORD GUIDES TO
Book SynopsisIn this short guide to a masterpiece of early modern philosophy, Michael LeBuffe leads readers through Spinoza's Ethics, focusing on one manageable part of the work's dense argument at a time and pausing frequently to raise questions for further research. This guide is designed to help readers to develop and defend their own sophisticated interpretations of Spinoza.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface: How to Use this Guide Abbreviations Introduction I. Working with the Geometrical Method II. Spinoza's Life III. Sources for the Ethics Chapter 1: One Infinite Substance 1.1 The Definitions and Axioms of Ethics 1 1.2 Existence: 1p1-1p15 1.3 The One and the Many: 1p16-1p36 1.4 Teleology and the Origin of Common Prejudice: Ethics 1 Appendix Chapter 2: The Idea of the Human Body 2.1 From Infinite Substance to Thought and Extension: 2d1-2p9c 2.2 The Human Mind and the Human Body: 2p10-2p18s 2.3 Inadequate Knowledge of the Self and the External World: 2p19-2p36 2.4 Genuine Knowledge: 2p37-2p49s Chapter 3: Desire, Joy, and Sadness 3.1 Human Activity and Passivity: 3 Preface-3p3 3.2 Striving to persevere in being and the Desire for Joy: 3p4-3p10 3.3 Passion, Desire, and Objects of Imagination: 3p11-3p50 3.4 Causation and Human Affects: 3p51-3p59 Chapter 4: Bondage to Passion 4.1 Formal accounts of good and evil: 4 Preface-4p8 4.2 Knowledge is power: 4p8-4p28 4.3 Human society: 4p29-4p37 4.4 Goods and evils: 4p38-4p73 Chapter 5: The Power of the Intellect 5.1 Descartes, Passions of the Soul, and the Pineal Gland: 5 Preface 5.2 Understanding and Imagination against the Passions: 5a1-5p10s 5.3 Self-Knowledge and the Love toward God: 5p11-5p20s 5.4 Eternity, Blessedness, and Salvation: 5p21-5p42s
£23.27
Oxford University Press Inc Naturalism Beyond the Limits of Science How
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. From Content Naturalism to Methodological Naturalism 2. Content Naturalism as the Default View 3. Why Methodological Naturalism Impacts Metaphysical Theorizing 4. Case Study: Pattern Explanation and the Governing Conception of Laws 5. Case Study: Mooreanism and Nihilism about Composition 6. Case Study: Excess Structure 7. Context Dependence in Scientific Methodology 8. Metaphysics Unmoored? Conclusion References Index
£54.00
Oxford University Press Inc Causality and Causal Explanation in Aristotle
Book SynopsisAristotle''s writings about causality and its relation to natural science are at the heart of his philosophical project, and at the origin of a 2,000-year history of inquiry into these topics. Yet for all the work done on various aspects of his thought, there has been no full-length philosophical study of his theory of causality, and some basic questions about it remain under-examined. For example, it is unclear, from what he and his commentators have said, (a) how Aristotle answers the main philosophical questions about causality to which he thinks his predecessors'' answers are flawed, and (b) how his answers bear on the main questions we confront in thinking about causality in general, such that those answers could be usefully critiqued, developed, and compared with others. Nathanael Stein''s book addresses these two questions. It is not a survey of Aristotle''s claims, but rather focuses on a set of key conceptual, metaphysical, and epistemological questions that are important both for understanding Aristotle''s responses to his predecessors and for understanding causality in general. The book thus provides the kind of philosophical engagement with Aristotle that has proven so fruitful in other domains, such as ethics and metaphysics. It also aims to contribute to a more accurate understanding of the differences between ancient and modern approaches to the natural world. This book is meant for anyone interested in philosophical theories of causation and explanation and their history, as well as those who have read Aristotle''s thoughts on the topic of causality and come away wondering what it all really adds up to, and how we might engage with it.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Part I: Conceptual Structure 1. Reading (and Animating) Physics II 3 2. Background 1: Critiques of the Predecessors 3. Background 2: Science and Dialectic 4. Physics II 3 in Argumentative Context Part II: Metaphysics 5. The Realist Challenge 6. Causes, Kinds, and Transformations 7. Causal Kinds and Causal Profiles 8. Discreteness in Agent-Patient Relations Part III: Epistemology 9. Coming to Know Causes 10. Causality and Epistemic Asymmetries 11. The Non-secret Connexion Conclusion Bibliography Index
£54.00
Oxford University Press Inc Living in Time
Book SynopsisHenri Bergson (1859-1941) was once the most famous philosopher in the world, but his reputation waned in the latter half of the 20th century. Barry Allen here makes the case for Bergson as a great philosopher, one whose thought has much to contribute to contemporary philosophical questions. Living in Time presents chapters on each of Bergson''s four major works, explaining his theories of time, perception, memory, and panpsychic consciousness, his innovative concept of virtual existence, his objection to Darwin, his controversy with Einstein, his philosophy of creative evolution, and his social philosophy of closed and open society.In particular Allen focusses on Bergson''s powerful ideas on time. Classical arguments for determinism fallaciously apply spatial concepts to consciousness; once we take time seriously, which means acknowledging its reality as duration and its difference from space, Bergson showed that the arguments for determinism become insupportable. Bergson''s ideas on tTrade ReviewFor practically the first time I get a sense of why Bergson is so important and why his thinking, in some quarters at least, got so much respect. * Michael Ruse, Florida State University *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One. Taking Time Seriously Chapter Two. Making Memory Matter Chapter Three. Élan Vital Chapter Four. Open and Closed Conclusion Index
£31.99
Oxford University Press Inc Analytic Philosophy and Human Life
Book SynopsisThis book collects Thomas Nagel''s recent philosophical reflections on topics of fundamental interest: ethics, moral psychology, science and religion, death, the holocaust, and the metaphysics of mind. Among the figures discussed are Peter Singer, Alvin Plantinga, Christine Korsgaard, Tony Judt, Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Iris Murdoch, T. M. Scanlon, Ronald Dworkin, Samuel Scheffler, Daniel Kahneman, Jonathan Haidt, Joshua Greene, and Daniel Dennett. Nagel consistently defends a realist interpretation of moral truth and resists reductive attempts to subsume ethics to psychology and evolutionary theory. He also defends a pluralistic conception of the content of morality as opposed to utilitarianism, one that includes deontological elements such as rights and special responsibilities. A realist outlook also informs his discussion of metaphysical and epistemological questions. The book closes with tributes to a number of people Nagel has known over the course of his career. The esTrade ReviewThere is much to be savoured in this entertaining and fascinating compendium of views that have done so much to shape the philosophical landscape over the past half century and for which [Nagel] is justly renowned. * A.W. Moore, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of Contents1. Analytic Philosophy and Human Life Life and Death 2. Tony Judt, Life and Memory 3. After We've Gone 4. Can We Survive? 5. Assistance in Dying 6. Theresienstadt Ethics 7. Peter Singer and You 8. Effective Altruism 9. Korsgaard, Kant, and Our Fellow Creatures 10. Regret and Its Limits 11. Four Women 12. Law, Morality, and Truth 13. The Illusion of Tax Fairness Moral Psychology 14. Scanlon on the Reality of Reasons 15. Kahneman's Thinking 16. The Cortex and the Trolley Problem 17. Modular Morality 18. Fictions and Ideals Reality 19. The Core of Mind and Cosmos 20. Plantinga on Science and Religion 21. Is Metaphysics Possible? 22. Creators of the Modern Mind 23. Dennett's Illusions Tributes 24. Betsy Dworkin 1933-2000 25. Robert Nozick 1938-2002 26. John Rawls 2021-2002 27. Bernard Williams 1929-2003 28. Donald Davidson 1917-2003 29. Peter Strawson 1919-2006 30. Ronald Dworkin 2006 31. John Searle 2009 32. Ronald Dworkin 1931-2013 33. Barry Stroud 1935-2019
£19.99
Oxford University Press Inc A Brief History of the Philosophy of Time
Book SynopsisThis thoroughly revised and updated edition of Adrian Bardon''s A Brief History of the Philosophy of Time is a short introduction to the history, philosophy, and science of the study of time--from the pre-Socratic philosophers through Einstein and beyond. Bardon covers subjects such as time and change, the experience of time, physical and metaphysical approaches to the nature of time, the direction of time, time travel, time and freedom of the will, and scientific and philosophical approaches to cosmology and the beginning of time. He employs helpful illustrations and keeps technical language to a minimum in bringing the resources of over 2500 years of philosophy and science to bear on some of humanity''s most fundamental and enduring questions.
£31.70
Oxford University Press Inc Xiong Shilis Treatise on Reality and Function
Book SynopsisXiong Shili (1885-1968) is widely recognized as a founding figure of the modern New Confucian school of philosophy and seen by many as one of the most important and creative Chinese philosophers of the twentieth century. His ultimate concern throughout his long intellectual career was to show that Reality (ti) and function (yong) are non-dual. Reality is the locus that ontologically grounds the phenomenal yet is not different from the phenomenal. His onto-cosmology draws syncretically on a diverse range of resources in the Chinese philosophical tradition to construct his own overarching metaphysical vision, articulated within the broader context of advancing a systematic critique of both Madhyamaka and Yogacara Buddhist thought, the culmination of nearly four decades of critical engagement.Treatise on Reality and Function (Ti yong lun) is the mature expression of Xiong''s signature metaphysical doctrine. Published in 1958, Xiong considered it to be his most important philosophical achiTable of ContentsForeword by Han Yuankai Superfluous Things Chapter 1: Explaining Transformation Chapter 2: Buddhist Teachings, A Chapter 3: Buddhist Teachings, B Chapter 4: Forming Material Things Chapter 5: Explaining the Mind (Listed as "Forthcoming") Works Cited Index
£25.99
Oxford University Press Inc Answering Moral Skepticism
Book SynopsisMost thoughtful people worry at one time or another about whether there can actually be such a thing as objective moral truth. They might wonder, for example, whether the prevalence of moral disagreement makes it reasonable to conclude that there aren''t really any moral facts at all. Or they might be bothered by questions like these: What could objective moral facts possibly be like? Isn''t it obvious that morality is simply relative to particular societies and particular times? If there were moral facts, how could we ever come to know anything about them? Can morality really have the motivating and rational force we normally take it to have? How can one possibly find a place for objective moral values in a scientific worldview?Some people are driven by questions like these to the conclusion that we should embrace skepticism about morality, denying the very existence of anything worthy of the name. In Answering Moral Skepticism, Shelly Kagan shows how those who accept the existence of
£22.99
Clarendon Press The Christian God
Book SynopsisWhat is it for there to be a God, and what reason is there for supposing him to conform to the claims of Christian doctrine? In this pivotal volume of his tetralogy, Richard Swinburne builds a rigorous metaphysical system for describing the world, and applies this to assessing the worth of the Christian tenets of the Trinity and the Incarnation. Part I is dedicated to analysing the categories needed to address accounts of the divine nature - these are substance, cause, time, and necessity. Part II begins by setting out, in terms of these categories, the fundamental doctrine of Western religions - that there is a God. After pointing out some of the different ways in which this doctrine can be developed, Swinburne spells out the simplest possible account of divine nature. He then goes on to clarify the implications of this account for the specifically Christian doctrines of the Trinity (that God is ''three persons in one substance'') and of the Incarnation (that God became incarnate in JTrade ReviewLike his previous works it is marked by the application of philosophically rigorous argumentation to the defence of a broadly orthodox position. This book constitutes a major contribution to philosophical thinking on the divine nature which academic theology will engage with for many years to come. * Theology. *Like his previous works it is marked by the application of philosophically rigorous argumentation to the defence of a broadly orthodox postition...this book constitutes a major contribution to philosophical thinking on the divine nature which academic theology will engage with for many years to come. * Theology *It is a book for those readers interested in the philosophy of religion ... With its sustained, progressive and convincing arguments the book is also the equivalent of a first-class dictionary of the terms of systematic theology and the philosophy of religion. * Methodist Recorder *The debate about theism's self-understanding should be greatly enhanced. * Expository Times *Swinburne's achievement - and it is no mean one - is to give a coherent contemporary account of Christian theism. * Times Higher Education Supplement *The Christian God will offer much of interest to the analytical philosopher of religion. * Themelios *This book is an elegant, incisive, provocative, lucid and concise masterpiece ... it should be required reading for theologians, both to show how difficult their discipline really is, and to expose the absurdity of the claim, still sometimes heard from non-philosophers, that metaphysics is finished ... the book is clear and powerful in argument. It is merciless to woolliness of thought, and it presents views which demand to be taken account of by contemporary theologians. It treats theology as a discipline demanding rigour. Much of it, Christians will surely think, is true, and all of it is worth-while and supremely well said, with the icy clarity and relentless precision that is the mark of much Oxford philosophy. For once the blurb is right: this will no doubt become a classic in the philosophy of religion. * New Blackfriars *His argumentation is subtle and based on extremely careful groundwork, the implications of which only gradually unfold as the work progresses. * The Philosophical Quarterly *An impressive work of sustained argumentation. Swinburne commands a very wide range of philosophical and theological ideas and never shuns hard thinking ... Swinburne's style remains crystal clear. * Religious Studies *It must be admitted that some effort must be made to understand Christian tradition in a coherent way, and that is precisely what Swinburne does. The book is therefore much to be welcomed as a thoroughly contemporary contribution to philosophy and systematic theology. * Heythrop Journal *Swinburne has become one of the eminent and celebrated practitioners of the philosophy of religion. Here, as in his other books, one finds an exceptionally careful, fresh, well-reasoned, and balanced exploration of fundamental human and religious issues. * Theological Studies *In this the third volume of his magisterial series on the philosophy of Christian doctrine, Swinburne deals with belief in the Trinity and the Incarnation. ... Unfortunately, immense scholarly erudition is incompatible neither with intellectual imcompetance nor with triviality of mind; obviously it would be invidious to cite examples, but they are legion. This only serves to set in relief Swinburne's combination of philosophical power, detailed knowledge of orthodox Christian doctrine, and just appreciation of its intellectual riches, for it is as admirable as it is rare. * The Thomist *Swinburne ... follows in this book his preferred pattern of dealing first with philosophical issues, and then applying his philosophical conclusions in a thorough, systematic and concise way to theological issues ... The Christian God is part of a series, a piece of a larger philosophical argument for the faith. However, the work is ultimately self-sufficient, and a reader with a good philosophical background or aptitude can approach The Christian God on its own terms. The book is a central work by one of the leading philosophers of religion of our day. It will be a necessary part of any college, university, or seminary library, and it will be profitably read by anyone who thinks seriously about the attributes of God and about the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation. * Ashland Theological Journal *
£44.64
