Philosophy Books

Book SynopsisWith half a million copies in print, How to Read a Book is the best and most successful guide to reading comprehension for the general reader, completely rewritten and updated with new material.     Originally published in 1940, this book is a rare phenomenon, a living classic that introduces and elucidates the various levels of reading and how to achieve them—from elementary reading, through systematic skimming and inspectional reading, to speed reading. Readers will learn when and how to “judge a book by its cover,” and also how to X-ray it, read critically, and extract the author’s message from the text.     Also included is instruction in the different techniques that work best for reading particular genres, such as practical books, imaginative literature, plays, poetry, history, science and mathematics, philosophy and social science works.     Finally, the authors offer a recommended reading list and supply reading tests you can use measure your own progress in reading skills, comprehension, and speed.Trade Review"These four hundred pages are packed full of high matters which no one solicitous of the future of American culture can afford to overlook." -- Jacques Barzun"It shows concretely how the serious work of proper reading may be accomplished and how much it may yield in the way of instruction and delight." * The New Yorker *"'There is the book; and here is your mind.' Adler and Van Doren's suggestions on how to connect the two will make you nostalgic for a slower, more earnest, less trivial time." -- Anne FadimanTable of ContentsCONTENTSPrefacePART ONETHE DIMENSIONS OF READING1. The Activity and Art of ReadingActive ReadingThe Goals of Reading: Reading for Information and Reading for UnderstandingReading as Learning: The Difference Between Learning by Instruction and Learning by DiscoveryPresent and Absent Teachers2. The Levels of Reading3. The First Level of Reading: Elementary ReadingStages of Learning to ReadStages and LevelsHigher Levels of Reading and Higher EducationReading and the Democratic Ideal of Education4. The Second Level of Reading: Inspectional ReadingInspectional Reading I Systematic Skimming or PrereadingInspectional Reading II: Superficial ReadingOn Reading SpeedsFixations and RegressionsThe Problem of ComprehensionSummary of Inspectional Reading5. How to Be a Demanding ReaderThe Essence of Active Reading: The Four Basic Questions a Reader AsksHow to Make a Book Your OwnThe Three Kinds of Note-makingForming the Habit of ReadingFrom Many Rules to One HabitPART TWOTHE THIRD LEVEL OF READING: ANALYTICAL READING6. Pigeonholing a BookThe Importance of Classifying BooksWhat You Can Learn from the Title of a BookPractical vs. Theoretical BooksKinds of Theoretical Books7. X-raying a BookOf Plots and Plans: Stating the Unity of a BookMastering the Multiplicity: The Art of Outlining a BookThe Reciprocal Arts of Reading and WritingDiscovering the Author's IntentionsThe First Stage of Analytical Reading8. Coming to Terms with an AuthorWords vs. TermsFinding the Key WordsTechnical Words and Special VocabulariesFinding the Meanings9. Determining an Author's MessageSentences vs. PropositionsFinding the Key SentencesFinding the PropositionsFinding the ArgumentsFinding the SolutionsThe Second Stage of Analytical Reading10. Criticizing a Book FairlyTeachability as a VirtueThe Role of RhetoricThe Importance of Suspending JudgmentThe Importance of Avoiding ContentiousnessOn the Resolution of Disagreements11. Agreeing or Disagreeing with an AuthorPrejudice and JudgmentJudging the Author's SoundnessJudging the Author's CompletenessThe Third Stage of Analytical Reading12. Aids to ReadingThe Role of Relevant ExperienceOther Books as Extrinsic Aids to ReadingHow to Use Commentaries and AbstractsHow to Use Reference BooksHow to Use a DictionaryHow to Use an EncyclopediaPART THREEAPPROACHES TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF READING MATTER13. How to Read Practical BooksThe Two Kinds of Practical BooksThe Role of PersuasionWhat Does Agreement Entail in the Case of a Practical Book?14. How to Read Imaginative LiteratureHow Not to Read Imaginative LiteratureGeneral Rules for Reading Imaginative Literature15. Suggestions for Reading Stories, Plays, and PoemsHow to Read StoriesA Note About EpicsHow to Read PlaysA Note About TragedyHow to Read Lyric Poetry16. How to Read HistoryThe Elusiveness of Historical FactsTheories of HistoryThe Universal in HistoryQuestions to Ask of a Historical BookHow to Read Biography and AutobiographyHow to Read About Current EventsA Note on Digests17. How to Read Science and MathematicsUnderstanding the Scientific EnterpriseSuggestions for Reading Classical Scientific BooksFacing the Problem of MathematicsHandling the Mathematics in Scientific BooksA Note on Popular Science18. How to Read PhilosophyThe Questions Philosophers AskModern Philosophy and the Great TraditionOn Philosophical MethodOn Philosophical StylesHints for Reading PhilosophyOn Making Up Your Own MindA Note on TheologyHow to Read "Canonical" Books19. How to Read Social ScienceWhat Is Social Science?The Apparent Ease of Reading Social ScienceDifficulties of Reading Social ScienceReading Social Science LiteraturePART FOURTHE ULTIMATE GOALS OF READING20. The Fourth Level of Reading: Syntopical ReadingThe Role of Inspection in Syntopical ReadingThe Five Steps in Syntopical ReadingThe Need for ObjectivityAn Example of an Exercise in Syntopical Reading: The Idea of ProgressThe Syntopicon and How to Use ItOn the Principles That Underlie Syntopical ReadingSummary of Syntopical Reading21. Reading and the Growth of the MindWhat Good Books Can Do for UsThe Pyramid of BooksThe Life and Growth of the MindAppendix A. A Recommended Reading ListAppendix B. Exercises and Tests at the Four Levels of ReadingIndex0

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Book Synopsis“There are at least two kinds of games,” states James P. Carse as he begins this extraordinary book. “One could be called finite; the other infinite. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play.”Finite games are the familiar contests of everyday life; they are played in order to be won, which is when they end. But infinite games are more mysterious. Their object is not winning, but ensuring the continuation of play. The rules may change, the boundaries may change, even the participants may change—as long as the game is never allowed to come to an end. What are infinite games? How do they affect the ways we play our finite games? What are we doing when we play—finitely or infinitely? And how can infinite games affect the ways in which we live our lives? Carse explores these questions with stunning elegance, teasing out of his distinctions a universe of obs

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Book SynopsisOn the 20th anniversary of SOPHIE'S WORLD - the world's bestselling book of 1995 - a striking new edition with a fresh jacket look and a foreword by the author.'A simply wonderful, irresistible book' DAILY TELEGRAPHTrade ReviewA simply wonderful, irresistible book * DAILY TELEGRAPH *A unique popular classic * THE TIMES *A marvellously rich book. Its success boils down to something quite simple - Gaarder's gift for communicating ideas * GUARDIAN *Remarkable ... What Jostein Gaarder has managed to do is condense 3,000 years of thought into 400 pages; to simplify some extremely complicated arguments without trivialising them ... SOPHIE'S WORLD is an extraordinary achievement * SUNDAY TIMES *Challenging, informative and packed with easily grasped, and imitable, ways of thinking about difficult ideas * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *A whimsical and ingenious mystery novel that also happens to be a history of philosophy ... What is admirable in the novel is the utter unpretentiousness of the philosophical lessons ... which manages to deliver Western philosophy in accounts that are crystal clear * WASHINGTON POST *A terrifically entertaining and imaginative story wrapped round its tough, thought-provoking philosophical heart * DAILY MAIL *

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Book SynopsisAlain de Botton is the author of the international bestsellers, How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Art of Travel and Religion for Atheists, and other books that try to throw light on the big challenges of our lives. He is the founder of Living Architecture, a social enterprise which gets top architects to build holiday homes for rental by anyone. He is also founder of The School of Life, for which this series has been designed.The School of Life is a London-based enterprise that is dedicated to the most useful ideas relevant to the dilemmas of everyday life. We consider questions like: How can we fulfil our potential? Can work be inspiring? Why does community matter? Can relationships last a lifetime? We don't have all the answers, but we will direct you towards a variety of useful ideas from philosophy to literature, psychology to the visual arts that are guaranteed to stimulate, provoke, nourish and console.Trade ReviewIntelligent, non-self-helpy, yet immensely helpful guides to modern living. * New York Times *The School of Life offers radical ways to help us raid the treasure trove of human knowledge. * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisWith an introduction by Charlotte R. Brown and William Edward Morris. David Hume (1711–1776) was the most important philosopher ever to write in English, as well as a master stylist. This volume contains his major philosophical works. A Treatise of Human Nature (1739–1740), published while Hume was still in his twenties, consists of three books on the understanding, the passions, and morals. It applies the experimental method of reasoning to human nature in a revolution that was intended to make Hume the Newton of the moral sciences. Disappointed with the Treatise’s failure to bring about such a revolution, Hume later recast Book I as An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding (1751), and Book III as An Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals, which he regarded as ‘incomparably the best’ of all his works. Both Enquiries went through several editions in his lifetime. Hume’s works, controversial in his day, remain deeply and widely influential in ours, especially for his contributions to our understanding of the nature of morality, political and economic theory, philosophy of religion, and philosophical naturalism. This volume also includes Hume’s anonymous Abstract of Books I and II of the Treatise, and the short autobiographical essay, ‘My Own Life’, which he wrote just before his death.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE FOYLES NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day and then ages out. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable.Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn't, he has learned that being an artist isn't about your specific output; it's about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone's life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities. The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distils the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime's work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments - and lifetimes - of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us.Trade ReviewThis book is a companion to anyone on the creative path; for me, Rick Rubin's attention, consideration, ideas have dug themselves down deep into my consciousness and grown with my work, so that over time, I have found myself in the shelter of a huge resplendent tree, and remembered that it all started with a word or two from a person who really, really listened. May it start something similar in you -- KAE TEMPESTA gorgeous and inspiring work of art on creation, creativity, the work of the artist. It will gladden the hearts of writers and artists everywhere, and get them working again with a new sense of meaning and direction. A stunning accomplishment -- ANNE LAMOTTThe legendary producer of artists from Adele to Black Sabbath, Johnny Cash to Jay-Z, distils the insights of a glittering career to reveal how to get the best out of musicians - and offers useful lessons for the rest of us in the process * * Financial Times * *An existential enquiry into the nature of creativity, art and being part of the human race . . . a deep look at the most fundamental of human impulses * * Big Issue * *Rick Rubin is the definition of a creative genius and he has put his wisdom in one place and it is possibly the most inspiring book on creativity I have ever read . . . For those wanting to feel some new life and confidence in their creative bones, this book is a godsend -- MATT HAIGYou'll probably read this extraordinary book four times. The first time, you'll gobble it up. The second time, you'll savour it. The third time, you'll take notes in the margins. But the fourth time, the fourth time it will be part of you as you create the work you were ready to ship -- SETH GODINA gorgeous, delicious and wildly practical interrogation of the creative process. A master of his craft, Rubin supplies rich insights, sound advice, helpful suggestions and supreme comfort to anyone living to create, or endeavouring to live creatively -- JJ ABRAMSI want my kids to read it. I want everyone to read it. It is a manual for creativity and creative thinking. A reference book for now which will continue to be of service in the future. Much needed -- MIKE DIn this extraordinary book, Rick Rubin beautifully captures the sacred but commonplace practice of creating. I find it so powerful when someone gives voice or form to what we know but perhaps don't understand. Designers from any discipline will find Rick's words profoundly encouraging and inspiring -- SIR JONY IVEA distillation of the wisdom Rubin has accrued over decades of bringing records to fruition . . . Seductive * * Guardian * *

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Book SynopsisThe world is encountering multiple crises - climate, droughts, floods, energy, food, and pandemics, to name a few. We have a problem, this is the solution.Capitalism and Crises is about how capitalism can fix them - how it can solve not cause them. The reason why it has caused them is that we have misconceived the nature of our capitalist system. We have failed to understand the key institution at the heart of it - business - and as a result we have allowed it to cause as well as solve problems. This book describes why this has happened and what needs to change to address it: it will take you through how the capitalist system operates, where it fails and why, and it will demonstrate that at the core of the problem is the key driver of capitalism and that is profit - the way in which we resource and reward those who run the system. Currently, profit comes from causing as well as solving problems. It must not, if we are to prevent the problems. Drawing on history, philosophy, psycTrade ReviewColin Mayer has been an influential voice in the debate about corporate purpose for many years. In this new book, he tackles the problem of how to rethink the entire capitalist system. His core argument - that we should seek to solve the problems of people and planet in a profitable way - is simple and profound. There are no easy fixes, but this important and carefully-argued book provides individuals, businesses and policymakers a practical route to progress. * - Julian Birkinshaw, Vice Dean and Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, London Business School *The refrain throughout this remarkable book is solving problems for others and not causing problems for others. That is a theme that will resonate with entrepreneurs in early-stage companies who in my observation are passionate about solving problems. Drawing on rich wisdom from a career of helping firms to define and realise their purpose, Colin Mayer moves the agenda from companies simply maximising shareholder value to companies promoting wider prosperity. Everyone who wants to understand this transition and participate in it should read this. * - Andrew Briggs, Emeritus Professor of Nanomaterials, University of Oxford *In this ambitious and insightful book, Colin Mayer untangles some of capitalism's intrinsic problems and offers some detailed proposals to tackle them. Moreover, he introduces the relevance of moral principles back into economics and business and develops the organizational architecture for corporate purpose. The outcome is a very compelling framework on how companies can be governed and managed, how investors should broaden their responsibilities, and how governments can contribute to more prosperous societies. Colin Mayer's book makes a very unique and relevant contribution to the discussion on reinventing capitalism. * - Jordi Canals, IESE Foundation Professor of Corporate Governance, IESE Business School *Reviving Adam Smith's real legacy, this book is a tour de force of one of the most astute thinkers of our time. Colin Mayer's sophisticated and fascinating multi-disciplinary study harshly criticizes contemporary capitalism and develops the notion of problem-solving capitalism as an inspiring alternative. Combining learning and experience, integrity and courage, Mayer urges us to reform the way we conceptualize and regulate the financial system and, most fundamentally, the ownership and governance of firms. While his bold vision is radical, this insightful book shows that this ideal is also practical: firms can and should incur the full costs of the problems they create and profit only from the solutions they produce. * Hanoch Dagan, Professor of Law and Director, Berkeley Center for Private Law Theory, University of California Berkeley Law School *This is a remarkable and profoundly insightful book on both the huge strengths of capitalism as a means of delivering what we want, but also its current massive failures. Based on a wealth of experience, the book is crystal clear in proposing how to transform the capitalist system so as to avoid such crises by a combination of systems thinking and a radical program of values-based action. This will promote human well-being and justice through a reformulated Golden Rule embodied in corporate law and governance. This important book is highly recommended. * - George Ellis, Emeritus Professor of Complex Systems in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town *Mayer provides a compelling journey that documents the baleful consequences when business pursues profit as an end to itself rather than as a means to address societal and ecological problems. He goes on to offer a roadmap to escape from this trap, including a welcome emphasis on the responsibility of the educational system to help shape a socially productive rather than destructive business system. * - Geoffrey Jones, Isidor Straus Professor of Business History, Harvard Business School *As Adam Smith was the Father of Capitalism in the 18th Century, Colin Mayer is the Grandfather in the 21st Century, restoring Capitalism to its central and essential role in society today and in the future. Capitalism and Crises is the third book in the trilogy that is the foundation for the future study of Capitalism and for the adoption of laws and approved practices. It provides a clear, actionable, and timely roadmap for management teams and boards of directors to take into account their impacts on employees, the environment, customers, suppliers, and local and national communities. Meticulously researched, Capitalism and Crises is essential reading for business leaders and investment stewards seeking creative solutions for confronting the pressing corporate and societal questions of our time. * - Martin Lipton, Founding Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz *In Capitalism and Crises: How to Fix Them, Colin Mayer completes a triptych of books - along with Firm Commitment and Prosperity - which exposes a central problem at the heart of contemporary business civilization: an unhealthy obsession with profits über alles. His proposed "fixes" ring convincingly in the tones and traditions of our greatest moralists who are also economists, such as Adam Smith. * Eric W. Orts, Guardsmark Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania *Professor Mayer has provided a master class in why we must, and how we can, reform our capitalist system. By suggesting a reformulation of the 'Golden Rule', he guides the reader to a new framework for the role of business in society. He provides provocative, inspiring, and motivational ideas. This book is for anyone interested in true system change. * Lynn Forester de Rothschild, Chief Executive of E.L. Rothschild LLC *This book is the culmination of thinking over a brilliant career, and it comes just in time. It provides profound but practical ideas for addressing the underlying issues that are creating an ongoing set of crises. The most pressing and overarching one in the U.S. is a culture war based on extreme political polarization. Professor Mayer's book explains why this polarization exists and the transformation in capitalism he calls for should resonate on both the left and the right. * Robert Eccles, Visiting Professor of Management Practice, Said Business School, University of Oxford and Retired Professor of Management Practice, Harvard Business School *We are failing to address the now existential problems of people and planet - our economies and our businesses are not currently designed to address these problems. Colin Mayer's book is an important contribution to the debate about how to ensure that this design problem is addressed. It should also be a salutary reminder to all of us of the urgency to do so. * Colm Kelly, Global Leader Corporate Sustainability, PwC International Ltd *In this passionately argued and deeply intriguing book, Professor Colin Mayer argues that one key to addressing our current crises is to redefine 'profit' to include the costs that firms routinely impose on the natural world on those around them. Drawing on organizational theory, law, finance and politics, and ranging across a wide range of concrete examples, Mayer suggests that such a change would profoundly reorient our economic system to the benefit of the many rather than the few. * Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty McArthur University Professor, Harvard Business School *Both in his books and in his career, Mayer has always sought ways to put his wisdom into practice, provoking complacent businesspeople and policymakers to think again... This is a book of philosophy as much as it is an analysis of how economics, accounting measures and corporate governance might bend to this overarching law. Mayer writes, as ever, with clarity, but he does not dumb his argument down. * Andrew Hill, Financial Times *A work that is not just thought-provoking but also includes clear recommendations for change... Mayer might not have all the answers - who does? - but his latest addition to a well-argued examination of the cause of our ills and how we might yet escape them deserves to play a part in forming some future leader's manifesto. * Roger Trapp, Forbes *Table of ContentsThe Problem 1: The System 2: The Challenge The Duty 3: The Moral Law 4: The Role of Law The Method 5: Owning the Problem 6: Leading Solutions The Prize 7: Valuing the Invaluable 8: Just Profit The Commitment 9: Financing Equity 10: Our Common Purpose The End Acknowledgements Further Readings

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Book SynopsisOxford University Press presents a major new edition of the definitive philosophical reference work for readers at all levels. For ten years the original volume has served as a stimulating introduction for general readers and as an indispensable guide for students; its breadth and depth of coverage have ensured that it is also read with pleasure and interest by those working at a higher level in philosophy and related disciplines. A distinguished international assembly of 249 philosophers contributed almost 2,000 entries, and many of these have now been considerably revised and updated; to these are added over 300 brand-new pieces on a fascinating range of current topics. This new edition offers enlightening and enjoyable discussions of all aspects of philosophy, and of the lives and work of the great philosophers from antiquity to the present day.Trade ReviewMagisterial and unrivalled... the new edition remains the definitive reference guide to the world of philosophy. * Library Journal *A reference work of both great value and pleasurable reading. * Booklist *Philosophy students in search of a crisp (or comparatively crisp) summary are certainly spoilt for choice. Lively. * Nicholas Bagnall, Sunday Times *that rarest of things: a philosophical work that is genuinely entertaining ... by far the best - and best value - philosophical reference book on the market.' * Observer *

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Book SynopsisMost people believe that they were either benefited or at least not harmed by being brought into existence. Thus, if they ever do reflect on whether they should bring others into existence---rather than having children without even thinking about whether they should---they presume that they do them no harm. Better Never to Have Been challenges these assumptions. David Benatar argues that coming into existence is always a serious harm. Although the good things in one''s life make one''s life go better than it otherwise would have gone, one could not have been deprived by their absence if one had not existed. Those who never exist cannot be deprived. However, by coming into existence one does suffer quite serious harms that could not have befallen one had one not come into existence. Drawing on the relevant psychological literature, the author shows that there are a number of well-documented features of human psychology that explain why people systematically overestimate the quality of their lives and why they are thus resistant to the suggestion that they were seriously harmed by being brought into existence. The author then argues for the ''anti-natal'' view---that it is always wrong to have children---and he shows that combining the anti-natal view with common pro-choice views about foetal moral status yield a ''pro-death'' view about abortion (at the earlier stages of gestation). Anti-natalism also implies that it would be better if humanity became extinct. Although counter-intuitive for many, that implication is defended, not least by showing that it solves many conundrums of moral theory about population.Trade ReviewThis isn't a new book, but it is generating increasing discussion in university departments and elsewhere: hence this review... If you enjoy an ethical challenge, then read this book. * Malcolm Torry, Triple Helix *For those who admire really careful and imaginative argumentation, and are interested in either issues of life and death, or the foundations of morality, it's a must read * Harry Brighouse, Out of the Crooked Timber *Benatar's discussion is clear and intelligent. * Yujin Nagasawa MIND *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Why coming into existence is always a harm ; 3. How bad is coming into existence? ; 4. Having Children: The Anti-Natal View ; 5. Abortion: The 'Pro-Death' View ; 6. Population and Extinction ; 7. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe concept of law lies at the heart of our social and political life, shaping the character of our community and underlying issues from racism and abortion to human rights and international war. The revised edition of this Very Short Introduction examines the central questions about law's relation to justice, morality, and democracy.Trade ReviewWith an admirable and elegant economy of expression - which compromises neither subtlety nor nuance - Ray Wacks has written in Philosophy of Law: A Very Short Introduction, a juristic gem that not only shines with clarity but sparkles with insight on topics as diverse as natural law, rights theory, utilitarianism, the sociology of the law, critical legal studies and law-and-economics. An indispensable introduction for the student of legal philosophy, as well as a sound and reliable guide for the seasoned scholar, Wacks' Philosophy of Law makes a knock-down case, concisely and capaciously, for the absolute centrality of jurisprudence to the study of law. * Professor William MacNeil, Griffith Law School *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Natural law ; 2. Legal positivism ; 3. Dworkin: the moral integrity of law ; 4. Rights and justice ; 5. Law and society ; 6. Critical legal theory ; 7. Understanding law: a very short epilogue ; References ; Further reading

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Book SynopsisFew philosophers have been the subject of as much or as intense debate, yet almost everyone agrees on one thing: Jean-Jacques Rousseau is among the most important and influential thinkers in the history of political philosophy. This book brings together fresh translations of three of Rousseau's works.Trade Review"Scott's translations combine great exactness with thoroughly readable English. The outstanding accompanying materials include notes that are illuminating but never intrusive, a chronology of Rousseau's life, a bibliography, and above all a substantial introduction that offers a masterful overview of Rousseau's notoriously complex thought. A genuine contribution that will aid scholars and especially students for many years to come." (Robert C. Bartlett, Boston College) "Scott's is the first single-volume translation of the Discourses and Social Contract to appear in twenty-five years, and instructors who teach all three texts will find the volume particularly useful. The excellent introduction, fluent translation, and detailed notes will make the volume a favorite for many scholars as well. (If one sought to summarize the significance of Rousseau's political thought in three pages or less, it is doubtful that one could do better than the first pages of Scott's introduction.)" (Political Theory)"

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Book SynopsisŽižek as comedian: jokes in the service of philosophy.“A serious and good philosophical work could be written consisting entirely of jokes.”—Ludwig WittgensteinThe good news is that this book offers an entertaining but enlightening compilation of Žižekisms. Unlike any other book by Slavoj Žižek, this compact arrangement of jokes culled from his writings provides an index to certain philosophical, political, and sexual themes that preoccupy him. Žižek's Jokes contains the set-ups and punch lines—as well as the offenses and insults—that Žižek is famous for, all in less than 200 pages.So what's the bad news? There is no bad news. There's just the inimitable Slavoj Žižek, disguised as an impossibly erudite, politically incorrect uncle, beginning a sentence, “There is an old Jewish joke, loved by Derrida...“ For Žižek, jokes are amusing stories that

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1946, History of Western Philosophy went on to become the best-selling philosophy book of the twentieth century. A dazzlingly ambitious project, it remains unchallenged to this day as the ultimate introduction to Western philosophy. Providing a sophisticated overview of the ideas that have perplexed people from time immemorial, it is 'long on wit, intelligence and curmudgeonly scepticism', as the New York Times noted, and it is this, coupled with the sheer brilliance of its scholarship, that has made Russell's History of Western Philosophy one of the most important philosophical works of all time.Trade Review'Remains unchallenged as the perfect introduction to its subject ... exactly the kind of philosophy that most people would like to read, but which only Russell could possibly have written.' - Ray Monk, University of Southampton, UK'Beautiful and luminous prose, not merely classically clear but scrupulously honest.' - Isaiah Berlin'It is a witty bird's-eye view of the main figures in Western thought enlivened by references to the personalities and quirks of the thinkers themselves.' - The Week'A great philosopher's lucid and magisterial look at the history of his own subject, wonderfully readable and enlightening.' - The Observer'Remains unchallenged as the perfect introduction to its subject ... exactly the kind of philosophy that most people would like to read, but which only Russell could possibly have written.' - Ray Monk, University of Southampton, UK'Beautiful and luminous prose, not merely classically clear but scrupulously honest.' - Isaiah Berlin'A great philosopher's lucid and magisterial look at the history of his own subject, wonderfully readable and enlightening.' - The Observer'This came out when Russell's reputation among fellow philosophers was plummeting. It is a witty bird's-eye view of the main figures in Western thought enlivened by references to the personalities and quirks of the thinkers themselves.' - Samuel Brittan, The Week, 2nd April 2005'It is a witty bird's-eye view of the main figures in Western thought enlivened by references to the personalities and quirks of the thinkers themselves.' - The WeekTable of ContentsPreface, Introduction, BOOK ONE - Ancient Philosophy, PART I: The Pre-Socratics, PART II: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, PART III: Ancient Philosophy after Aristotle, BOOK TWO - Catholic Philosophy, Introduction, PART I: The Fathers, PART II: The Schoolmen, BOOK THREE - Modern Philosophy, PART I: From the Renaissance to Hume, Part II: From Rousseau to the Present Day, Index

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Book SynopsisFew philosophers have had a more profound influence on the course of modern philosophy than Bertrand Russell. The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell is a comprehensive anthology of Russellâs most definitive essays written between 1903 and 1959. First published in 1961, this remarkable collection is a testament to a philosopher whom many consider to be one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century. This is an essential introduction to the brilliance of Bertrand Russell.Table of ContentsPreface by Bertrand Russell; Introduction by the Editors; Epigrammatic Insights from the Pen of Russell; Chronological List of Russell’s Principle Works; Chronology of the Life of Bertrand Russell; Acknowledgements; Some Thoughts About Bertrand Russell; PART 1: Autobiographical Asides 1. My Religious Reminiscences 2. My Mental Development 3. Adaptation: An Autobiographical 4. Why I Took to Philosophy PART 2: The Nobel Prize Winning Man of Letters (Essayist and Short Story Writer) 5. How I Write 6. A Free Man's Worship 7. An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish: Hilarious Catalogue of Organized and Individual Stupidity 8. The Metaphysician's Nightmare PART 3: The Philosopher of Language 9. Language 10. Sentences, Syntax, and Parts of Speech 11. The Uses of Language 12. The Cult of 'Common Usage’ PART 4: The Logician and Philosopher of Mathematics 13. Symbolic Logic 14. On Induction 15. Preface to Principia Mathematica 16. Introduction to Principia Mathematica. 17. Summary of Part III, Principia Mathematica 18. Summary of Part IV, Principia Mathematica 19. Summary of Part V, Principia Mathematica 20. Summary of Part VI Principia Mathematica 21. Introduction to the Second Edition, Principia Mathematica 22. Mathematics and Logic 23. The Validity of Inference 24. Dewey’s New Logic 25. John Dewey PART 5: The Epistemologist 26. Knowledge by Acquaintance and Knowledge by Description 27. Theory of Knowledge 28. Epistemological Premisses PART 6: The Metaphysician 29 Materialism, Past and Present 30.Language and Metaphysics 31. The Retreat from Pythagoras PART 7: History of Philosophy 32. Philosophy in the Twentieth Century 33. Aristotle's Logic 34. St Thomas Aquinas 35. Currents of Thought in the Nineteenth Century 36. The Philosophy of Logical Analysis PART 8: The Psychologist 37. Psychological and Physical Causal Laws 38. Truth and Falsehood 39. Knowledge Behaviouristically Considered PART 9: The Moral Philosopher 40. Styles in Ethics 41. The Place of Sex Among Human Values Individual and Social Ethics 42. Individual and Social Ethics 43. 'What I Believe' 44. The Expanding Mental Universe PART 10: The Philosopher of Education 45. Education 46 The Aims of Education 47 Emotion and Discipline 48 The Functions of a Teacher PART 11: The Philosopher of Politics 49 The Reconciliation of Individuality and Citizenship 50 Philosophy and Politics 51 Politically Important Desires 52. Why I am not a Communist PART 12: The Philosopher in the Field of Economics 53. Property 54. Dialectical Materialism 55. The Theory of Surplus Value PART 13: The Philosopher of History 56. On History 57. The Materialistic Theory of History 58 History as an Art PART 14: The Philosopher of Culture: East and West 59. Chinese and Western Civilization Contrasted 60. Eastern and Western Ideals of Happiness PART 15: The Philosopher of Religion 61. The Essence of Religion 62. What is an Agnostic? 63. Why I am not a Christian 64. Religion Cure our Troubles? PART 16: A Philosopher and Expositor of Science 65. Physics and Neutral Monism 66. Science and Education 67. Limitations of Scientific Method 68. The New Physics and Relativity 69. Science and Values 70. Non-Demonstrative Inference PART 17: The Analyst of International Affairs 71. The Taming of Power 72. If We are to Survive this Dark Time- 73. What Would Help Mankind Most? 74. Current Perplexities 75. World Government 76. The Next Half-Century 77. Life Without Fear 78. Science and Human Life 79. Open Letter to Eisenhower and Khrushchev 80. Man’s Peril 81. Methods of Settling Disputes in the Nuclear Age

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Book Synopsis âIf in this book harsh words are spoken about some of the greatest among the intellectual leaders of mankind, my motive is not, I hope, to belittle them. It springs rather from my conviction that, if our civilization is to survive, we must break with the habit of deference to great men.â- Karl Popper, from the PrefaceWritten in political exile during the Second World War and first published in two volumes in 1945, Karl Popperâs The Open Society and Its Enemies is one of the most influential books of all time. Hailed by Bertrand Russell as a âvigorous and profound defence of democracyâ, its now legendary attack on the philosophies of Plato, Hegel and Marx exposed the dangers inherent in centrally planned political systems and through underground editions become an inspiration to lovers of freedom living under communism in Eastern Europe.Popperâs highly accessible style, his erudite and lucid explanations of the thoughts of great philosophers and the recTrade Review'Some time ago a wise old man came to see me in Prague and I listened to him with admiration. Shortly afterwards I learned that this man had died. His name was Karl Popper'. - Vaclav Havel, from the Preface '!a work of first-class importance which ought to be widely read for its masterly criticism of the enemies of democracy, ancient and modern. ..The book is a vigorous and profound defence of democracy, timely, very interesting, and very well written.' - Bertrand Russell 'One of the great books of the century' - The Times '!a modern classic' The Independent 'Few philosophers!have combined such a vast width of knowledge with the capacity to produce important original ideas as he did.' - The Guardian '!a powerful and important book. Dr Popper writes with extreme clarity and vigour. His studies in Greek history and Greek thought have obviously been profound and original. Platonic exegesis will never be the same again. Nor, I think, will Marxist exegesis.' - Gilbert Ryle '! a brilliant polemic. ..It remains the best intellectual defence of liberal democracy against know-it-all totalitarianism.' - The EconomistTable of ContentsForeword Preface: ‘Karl Popper’s The Open Society and Its Enemies in the contemporary global world’ by Václav Havel. ‘Personal Recollections of the Publication of The Open Society’ by E.H. Gombrich. Acknowledgements Preface to the First Edition Preface to the Second Edition Introduction VOLUME 1: THE SPELL OF PLATO THE MYTH OF ORIGIN AND DESTINY 1. Historicism and the Myth of Destiny 2. Heraclitus 3. Plato's Theory of Forms or Ideas PLATO'S DESCRIPTIVE SOCIOLOGY 4. Change and Rest 5. Nature and Convention PLATO'S POLITICAL PROGRAMME 6. Totalitarian Justice 7. The Principle of Leadership 8. The Philosopher King 9. Aestheticism, Perfectionism, Utopianism THE BACKGROUND OF PLATO'S ATTACK 10. The Open Society and its Enemies Addenda VOLUME 2: THE HIGH TIDE OF PROPHECY THE RISE OF ORACULAR PHILOSOPHY 11. The Aristotelian Roots of Hegelianism 12. Hegel and The New Tribalism MARX'S METHOD 13. Sociological Determinism 14. The Autonomy of Sociology 15. Economic Historicism 16. The Classes 17. The Legal and the Social System MARX'S PROPHECY 18. The Coming of Socialism 19. The Social Revolution 20. Capitalism and Its Fate 21. An Evaluation MARX'S ETHICS 22. The Moral Theory of Historicism THE AFTERMATH 23. The Sociology of Knowledge 24. Oracular Philosophy and the Revolt against Reason CONCLUSION 25. Has History any Meaning? Addenda (1961, 1965) NOTES Notes to Volume 1 Notes to Volume 2 Index

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Book SynopsisThis classic, second only to the Bible for religious instruction and inspiration, has brought understanding and comfort to millions for centuries. Written in a candid and conversational style, the topics include liberation from worldly inclinations, preparation and consolations of prayer, and the place of eucharistic communion in a devout life.

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Book SynopsisIn The Slow Professor, Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber discuss how adopting the principles of the Slow movement in academic life can counter the erosion of humanistic education.Trade Review"'Thrilling' isn't a word I often apply to books about higher education, but these pages galvanized me." -- Barbara Hunt National Public Radio (NPR), May 13, 2016 "What Maggie Berg and Barbara Seeber are doing in The Slow Professor is protesting against the "corporatization of the contemporary university", and reminding us of a kind of "good" selfishness; theirs is a self-help book that recognises the fact that an institution can only ever be as healthy as the sum of its parts." -- Emma Rees Times Higher Education, May 26, 2016 "The fact that precarious labour is becoming the norm in the academy impacts everyone, including those with tenure." -- Christina Turner Rabble.ca, May 26, 2016 'A welcome part of a crucial conversation.' -- Rachel Hadas Times Literary Supplement, July 29, 2016 "The Slow Professor recognizes the psychological strains of academic work, but subtly points toward explicitly political responses to the emotional toxins we absorb; but, it also avoids the fate of most subject-centred therapeutic exercises which are mainly courses in adaptation and resignation. Although it is no call to arms, no manifesto, nor a shout of defiance at the authorities, for insightful readers, the next step beyond self-awareness will be obvious." -- Howard A. Doughty CAUT Bulletin, September, 2016 "It's a beguiling book, written in controlled anger at the corporatized university, overrun by administrators and marketers." -- Rick Salutin The Toronto Star, September 9, 2016 'Thoughtful, reflective... The best thing this book accomplishes is its unabashed encouragement to talk to our colleagues in order to increase solidarity and togetherness in the combat against changing and challenging professional environments.' -- Kate Mattocks Journal of Higher Education - September 2016 "While The Slow Professor has already raised some eyebrows as an example of "tenured privilege," it's at once an important addition and possible antidote to the growing literature on the corporatization of the university." -- Colleen Flaherty Inside Higher Education, April 19, 2016Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1. Time Management and Timelessness 2. Pedagogy and Pleasure 3. Research and Understanding 4. Collegiality and Community Conclusion: Collaboration and Working Together

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Book Synopsis''Damasio undertakes nothing less than a reconstruction of the natural history of the universe ... [A] brave and honest book'' The New York Times Book ReviewThe Strange Order of Things is a pathbreaking investigation into homeostasis, the condition of that regulates human physiology within the range that makes possible not only survival but also the flourishing of life. Antonio Damasio makes clear that we descend biologically, psychologically and even socially from a long lineage that begins with single living cells; that our minds and cultures are linked by an invisible thread to the ways and means of ancient unicellular existence and other primitive life-forms; and that inherent in our very chemistry is a powerful force, a striving toward life maintenance that governs life in all its guises, including the development of genes that help regulate and transmit life.The Strange Order of Things is a landmark reflection that spans the Trade Review'Damasio undertakes nothing less than a reconstruction of the natural history of the universe. ... [A] brave and honest book' The New York Times Book Review'Bold and important ... Damasio, by unseating the mind from its elevated throne within the brain, delivers an onslaught on one of the core dogmas of conventional neuroscience ... Compelling and refreshingly original' Nature'In The Strange Order of Things, Antonio Damasio presents a new vision of what it means to be human. For too long we have thought of ourselves as rational minds inhabiting insentient mechanical bodies. Breaking with this philosophy, Damasio shows how our minds are rooted in feeling, a creation of our nervous system with an evolutionary history going back to ancient unicellular life that enables us to shape distinctively human cultures. Working out what this implies for the arts, the sciences and the human future, Damasio has given us that rarest of things, a book that can transform how we think--and feel--about ourselves' John Gray, Literary Review'These pages make enthralling reading ... It is indispensable for any psychoanalyst--and not only for psychoanalysts, of course. Damasio is the closest thing we have in the post-truth era to a great public intellectual' Mark Solms, Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association'Nietzsche would have given four cheers for this intricately argued book, which is at once scientifically rigorous and humanely accommodating, and, so far as this reviewer can judge, revolutionary ... The Strange Order of Things is a fresh and daring effort to identify the true spring and source of human being - of the being, in fact, of all living things - namely feeling' John Banville, The Guardian'A radical revision of how we understand mind, feeling, consciousness, and the construction of cultures ... Damasio draws a visionary link between biology and social science in a fascinating investigation of homeostasis--the delicate balance that underpins our physical existence, ensures our survival, and defines our flourishing' Maria Popova, Brain Pickings'Almost a quarter century after Descartes' Error, Antonio Damasio has done it again--created a grand exploration of the inextricable relationship between mind, body and the source of human feelings. Along the way, Damasio takes the reader on an adventure that starts with the single-celled organisms that existed billions of years ago, proceeds through the development of nervous systems and brains, and culminates with the origin of consciousness and human cultures. Thought-provoking and highly original, this book can change the way you look at yourself, and your species' Leonard Mlodinow, author of Subliminal'The Strange Order of Things is a foundational book. It provides the concepts, the language, and the knowledge to explain in an integrated framework the interplay between Nature and Culture at the heart of the human condition. Damasio unveils the codes and protocols that make humans human ... This is the beginning of a new scientific revolution' Manuel Castells, author of Networks of Outrage and Hope'Following Oliver Sacks, Antonio Damasio may be the neuroscientist whose popular books have done the most to inform readers about the biological machinery in our heads, how it generates thoughts and emotions, creates a self to cling to, and a sense of transcendence to escape by...[the book] mounts his boldest argument yet for the egalitarian role of the brain' Kevin Berger, Nautilus'Damasio takes his reader on an intellectual journey he has made himself, one of discovery, surprise, and insight. He explains his points thoroughly but does not simplify what is complicated. He is handy with a metaphor and avoids unnecessary jargon. In a world in which specialisation has become so refined that the discourse of a given discipline often becomes wholly unintelligible to those outside it, Antonio Damasio conveys his thoughts with clarity and grace and summons the works of composers and writers and philosophers' Siri Hustvedt, Los Angeles Review of Books'Damasio's books are marvels of scientific effervescence, of conceptual invention, and, in the end, of modesty, of that sense of the limits of knowledge that only knowledge is capable of imposing' Le Monde'Here is a new, strange and unassailable definition of life' Slate 'Ever since his first book, Damasio has not wavered in his efforts to rehabilitate emotions and feelings within cognitive processes. In The Strange Order of Things he nails down the effort and goes well beyond' Les Echos '[Damasio] exerts a considerable influence on the fashioning of contemporary thought and on all debates concerning neurology. Damasio is one of the great thinkers of our time. A pioneer in his field' L'Express'[Damasio] has introduced something baroque in a science that has been centered in one single organ, the brain. The Strange Order of Things vibrates with a baroque sensibility' Le Figaro'This disturbing book shakes our conceptions of the mechanisms behind life, mind and culture. The author brings them together in a single perspective centered on homeostasis ... It is incredibly, formidably, refreshing ... A strange and ambitious book, which draws on multiple disciplines and moves across time and space to give us, very simply, a new definition of life' Revue Medicale Suisse

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Book SynopsisIn The Slow Professor, Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber discuss how adopting the principles of the Slow movement in academic life can counter the erosion of humanistic education.Trade Review'Thoughtful, reflective... The best thing this book accomplishes is its unabashed encouragement to talk to our colleagues in order to increase solidarity and togetherness in the combat against changing and challenging professional environments.' -- Kate Mattocks Journal of Higher Education - September 2016 "The Slow Professor recognizes the psychological strains of academic work, but subtly points toward explicitly political responses to the emotional toxins we absorb; but, it also avoids the fate of most subject-centred therapeutic exercises which are mainly courses in adaptation and resignation. Although it is no call to arms, no manifesto, nor a shout of defiance at the authorities, for insightful readers, the next step beyond self-awareness will be obvious." -- Howard A. Doughty CAUT Bulletin, September, 2016 "It's a beguiling book, written in controlled anger at the corporatized university, overrun by administrators and marketers." -- Rick Salutin The Toronto Star, September 9, 2016 'A welcome part of a crucial conversation.' -- Rachel Hadas Times Literary Supplement, July 29, 2016 "'Thrilling' isn't a word I often apply to books about higher education, but these pages galvanized me." -- Barbara Hunt National Public Radio (NPR), May 13, 2016 "What Maggie Berg and Barbara Seeber are doing in The Slow Professor is protesting against the "corporatization of the contemporary university", and reminding us of a kind of "good" selfishness; theirs is a self-help book that recognises the fact that an institution can only ever be as healthy as the sum of its parts." -- Emma Rees Times Higher Education, May 26, 2016 "The fact that precarious labour is becoming the norm in the academy impacts everyone, including those with tenure." -- Christina Turner Rabble.ca, May 26, 2016 "While The Slow Professor has already raised some eyebrows as an example of "tenured privilege," it's at once an important addition and possible antidote to the growing literature on the corporatization of the university." -- Colleen Flaherty Inside Higher Education, April 19, 2016Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1. Time Management and Timelessness 2. Pedagogy and Pleasure 3. Research and Understanding 4. Collegiality and Community Conclusion: Collaboration and Working Together

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Book SynopsisA RALLYING CRY FOR THE WHOLE WORLD, BY ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED LEADERS OF OUR TROUBLED TIMES. This eloquent, impassioned manifesto is possibly the most important message The Dalai Lama can give us about the future of our world. It's his rallying cry, full of solutions for our chaotic, aggressive, divided times: no less than a call for revolution.Are we ready to hear it?Are we ready to act?

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Book Synopsis“A fascinating, thoughtful, and thoroughly enjoyable exploration of a major dimension of human experience.”— Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind Works A maverick scientist reveals the inconsistent and often paradoxical ways humans think, feel, and behave toward animals in this engaging, informative, and though-provoking book, now newly revised.Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat is a highly entertaining and illuminating journey through the full spectrum of human-animal relations. Drawing on his groundbreaking research in the field of anthrozoology, Dr. Hal Herzog tries to make sense of our complex relationships with animals and the challenging moral conundrums we face regarding these creatures who share our world—and some, our homes. A blend of anthropology, behavioral economics, evolutionary psychology, and philosophy, updated to reflect evolving attitudes and the most recent findings, Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat  is a poignant, often challenging, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny trip through a world of animal rights activists, cockfighters, professional dog-show handlers, veterinary students, biomedical researchers, and more. It will forever change the way we think about other living creatures and, ultimately, how we see ourselves.Trade Review“A wonderful book—wildly readable, funny, scientifically sound, and with surprising moments of deep, challenging thoughts. I loved it.” — Robert M. Sapolsky, Neuroscientist, Stanford University, and author of Monkeyluv and A Primate's Memoir “Everybody who is interested in the ethics of our relationship between humans and animals should read this book.” — Temple Grandin, author of Animals Make Us Human “Hal Herzog does for our relationships with animals what Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma did for our relationships with food. . . . The book is a joy to read, and no matter what your beliefs are now, it will change how you think.” — Sam Gosling, Professor of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, author of Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You “Reminiscent of Freakonomics. . . . An agreeable guide to popular avenues of inquiry in the field of anthrozoology.” — The New Yorker “Wonderful. . . . An engagingly written book that only seems to be about animals. Herzog’s deepest questions are about men, women and children.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer “A fun read. . . . What buoys this book is Herzog’s voice. He’s an assured, knowledgeable and friendly guide.” — Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers “A fascinating, thoughtful, and thoroughly enjoyable exploration of a major dimension of human experience.” — Steven Pinker, Harvard College Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of How the Mind Works and The Stuff of Thought “An instant classic. . . . Written so accessibly and personally, while simultaneously satisfying the scholar in all of us.” — Arnold Arluke, Anthrozoös “An intelligent and amusing book that invites us to think deeply about how we define-and where we limit-our empathy for animals.” — Publishers Weekly “Herzog argues that moral absolutes are not readily available in a complex world—one that exists in shades of grey, rather than the black and white of animal rights activists and their opponents. . . . Herzog has a clear eye for the essence of a scientific study, but he leavens his narrative with illuminating personal stories and self-deprecating humor.” — Nature “Both educational and enjoyable, a page-turner that I dare say puts Herzog in the same class as Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Lewis. Read this book. You’ll learn some, you’ll laugh some, you’ll love some.” — BookPage “Herzog writes about big ideas with a light touch. . . . Insightful, compassionate and humorous.” — Kirkus Reviews “Fascinating. . . Herzog looks at the wild, tortured paradoxes in our relationship with the weaker, if sometimes more adorable, species.” — Salon “In his quest to make sense of our complex relationships with animals, psychologist Hal Herzog explores the ethics of E.T. and explains why guys with cute dogs get more dates.” — Parade “Professor Hal Herzog writes lucidly and sometimes with a good touch of humor about the ethics of the relationships between humans and animals. . . . No matter which side of the question you find yourself on, this book is illuminating, and dare I say quite entertaining.” — Biloxi Sun Herald “Engaging and pleasantly cerebral. . . . When [Herzog is] talking to people about their views, the book is fascinating.” — Time Out Chicago “Hal Herzog deftly blends anecdote with scientific research to show how almost any moral or ethical position regarding our relationship with animals can lead to absurd consequences. In an utterly appealing narrative, he reveals the quirky…ways we humans try to make sense of these absurdities.” — ARTnews “One of a kind. I don’t know when I’ve read anything more comprehensive about our highly involved, highly contradictory relationships with animals, relationships which we mindlessly, placidly continue no matter how irrational they may be. . . . This page-turning book is quite something—you won’t forget it any time soon.” — Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Deer “Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat is one of a kind. I don’t know when I’ve read anything more comprehensive about our highly involved, highly contradictory relationships with animals, relationships which we mindlessly, placidly continue no matter how irrational they may be. Readers will welcome Herzog’s eye opening discussions, presented with compassion and humor. This page-turning book is quite something—you won’t forget it any time soon.” — Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Deer: Lessons from the Natural World

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Book SynopsisIn Thomas Ligotti's first nonfiction outing, an examination of the meaning (or meaninglessness) of life through an insightful, unsparing argument that proves the greatest horrors are not the products of our imagination but instead are found in reality.

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Book SynopsisUniting 30 years of scholarship, this book is a comprehensive statement on the founder of modern politics. It reveals the role of sects in Machiavelli's politics, his advice on how to rule indirectly and the ultimately partisan character of his project.

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Book SynopsisThe Neutral ( le neutre) escapes or undoes the paradigmatic binary oppositions that structure and produce meaning in Western thought and discourse. This book centers around 23 "figures," also referred to as "traits" or "twinklings," that are possible embodiments of the Neutral or of the anti-Neutral.Trade ReviewInsightful comments on topics from negative theology to Thomas De Quincy's drug use. Library Journal His thinking in The Neutral, had never been so mournful, so ample, so warm, so unembarrassed, so alive. -- Wayne Koestenbaum Artforum Remarkable for the combination of intensely personal and idiosyncratic preoccupations with immensely wide literary and philosophical reference points.Times Literary Supplement -- Michael Sheringham Times Literary Supplement A powerful lesson about the balanced, engaged life. Rain Taxi, online edition An excellent English translation... This is a beautiful book. -- Sharon M. Meagher Philosophy In Review

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWhen I first picked up this book, I was looking forward to a leisurely reading on obscurantist Heideggerian bullshit. I was wrong. But once I got over my deep disappointment that the book was, in fact, intelligible and not littered with ramblings about Dasein, I began to appreciate the book for what it was. Critical Theory BlogTable of ContentsTranslator's Introduction In Place of a Preface Introduction Part 1. The Categorial Framework of a Systematic Theory of Social Acceleration 1. From the Love of Movement to the Law of Acceleration: Observations of Modernity 2. What Is Social Acceleration? Part 2. Mechanisms and Manifestations: A Phenomenology of Social Acceleration 3. Technical Acceleration and the Revolutionizing of the Space-Time Regime 4. Slipping Slopes: The Acceleration of Social Change and the Increase of Contingency 5. The Acceleration of the "Pace of Life" and Paradoxes in the Experience of Time Part 3. Causes 6. The Speeding Up of Society as a Self-Propelling Process: The Circle of Acceleration 7. Acceleration and Growth: External Drivers of Social Acceleration 8. Power Part 4. Consequences 9. Acceleration 10. Situational Identity: Of Drifters and Players 11. Situational Politics: Paradoxical Time Horizons Between Desynchronization and Disintegration 12. Acceleration and Rigidity: Attempt at a Redefinition of Modernity Conclusion: Frenetic Standstill? The End of History Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewButler's book... is an outstanding one, and deserves to be read by anyone interested in the question of the survival(s) of Hegel in contemporary French philosophy.Annals of Scholarship Annals of Scholarship [Butler] writes clearly and without jargon... The impact of Butler's work is immense.The French ReviewThe French Review The French Review Subjects of Desire gives evidence of long reflection on important texts and issues in the Continental tradition. There is a sure-footedness of judgment here that historians ought to envy. The Journal of Modern History What [Butler's] account suggests is that the most damaging aspect of contemporary French Hegel reception is that its highly critical emphasis on the metaphysical issues of identity, rationality, and historical closure have so obscured Hegel's original idealism, especially his theory of reflection, that the rejection of Hegel brings with it, with a kind of dialectical necessity, the return of the pre-Hegelian, even the pre-Kantian, a kind of naive hope for 'immediacy' and, paradoxically, a commitment to a realism that the idealist tradition was to have finished off. The Philosophical Review

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Book SynopsisUnderstanding capitalism as a psychic strategy.Trade ReviewCapitalism and Desire turns around the predominant leftist whining about the devastating psychic consequences of global capitalism, about how it undermines elementary structures of psychic stability which enable individuals to lead a meaningful life. The focus of Todd McGowan's effort is, rather, the enigma of the success of capitalist ideology: how was it possible for such a destabilizing life practice to fully capture the libidinal lives of billions, how was it possible that continuous crises and states of exception only strengthened its hold? In short, how is it possible that capitalism again and again imposes itself as the cure for the crisis it brings about? In answering these difficult questions, McGowan has produced a classic. -- Slavoj ŽižekMcGowan's argument is positively brilliant—almost every page brings a startling insight and every chapter compels an exciting reorientation of thought. Because of its paradigm-shifting originality, Capitalism and Desire places McGowan among the most prominent critical thinkers of his generation and competes admirably even with the very best work of the generation before him. -- Mari Ruti, author of The Call of Character: Living a Life Worth LivingWith Capitalism and Desire, McGowan provides an admirably accessible and intellectually sophisticated analysis of the real connections between capitalism and psychoanalysis. This is a wonderful book demonstrating immense intellectual vitality—it is simply impossible to ignore. -- Fabio Vighi, author of Critical Theory and the Crisis of Contemporary CapitalismHow many syntheses of Marx and Freud have been forged in an attempt to ground a critique of capitalism—only in the end to fail? After tallying their individual failures, this smart book goes on to confront their underlying problem: a botched reading of Freud. Relying on Lacan's radical re-excavation of Freud, McGowan offers brand-new ideas about the subject's ensnarement in the "freedoms" of capitalism and the possibilities of resistance to them. -- Joan Copjec, author of Read My Desire: Lacan Against the HistoricistsThe immense satisfaction of McGowan's latest and most ambitious book is achieved, appropriately enough, by putting capitalism to the test of a suitably profound (and paradoxical) conception of satisfaction. Astonishingly far-ranging in its references yet written in perfectly limpid prose, Capitalism and Desire sets a new high-water mark in contemporary social and political philosophy. A dazzling work of theory. -- Richard Boothby, author of Sex on the Couch: What Freud Still Has To Teach Us About Sex and GenderMcGowan's book is a reader-friendly and therapeutic dissection of capitalism's success. His examples are readily comprehensible and he avoids heavy academic language. * Scottish Left Review *Although there has been, in some circles, a dismissal of Lacan and psychoanalysis more generally, McGowan’s impressive application of the seemingly intractable Lacanian subject to the conditions of late capitalism enables those who might otherwise be disinterested in psychoanalysis to see its unique and important contribution. * Symposium *

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Book SynopsisThis book explains how and why our brains think in stories. Angus Fletcher, an expert in neuroscientific approaches to narrative, identifies this capacity as “storythinking.”Trade ReviewFletcher’s done it again. His polymathic erudition and word-wizardry elegance pull off the equivalent of a Copernican revolution in our understanding of storytelling—in all its resplendent iterations. With Storythinking he invites us on an extraordinary odyssey that enriches understanding of our deep, instinctive impulse to create stories as makers and transformers of our world. Storythinking is nothing less than a cosmological paradigm shift that puts story making and thinking at the center of all that we do. -- Frederick Luis Aldama, award-winning author and Jacob & Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities, UT AustinAngus Fletcher explains why effective narrative prioritizes the unique, shifts viewpoints, and encourages conflict. Not for their own sake. It makes a writer create and clarify more thoughtful ideas and leads readers to intuit and retain the message. Both revelatory and pragmatic, and so gracefully explained. -- Shane Greenstein, author of How the Internet Became Commercial: Innovation, Privatization, and the Birth of a New NetworkStorythinking is absolutely excellent: a much-needed reminder of and expansion on the transformative power of story, story as an enriched form of learning and as a valid epistemology. The book is a lovely, readable addition to academic and public life. I am eager to see the use of story resurrected! -- Lisa Miller, Ph.D., Professor & Founder, Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Teachers College, Columbia UniversityStory is a basic mental operation. Most of our experience, knowledge, and thinking is formed and organized by story: prediction, evaluation, planning, explanation, agents and actors, processes, goals. Story is an indispensable element of creativity. Human beings project from story to story and blend stories to create new concepts, new proposals, new science. How can we push the cognitive science of story forward? Fletcher, in this captivating and inspiring new book, leads the way. -- Mark Turner, author of The Literary Mind: The Origins of Thought and LanguageThe quickest way to elicit a scoff from 'serious thinkers' is to mention 'story'. But as someone who has built a career as a science communicator, who consistently straddles the line between art and science, and whose work is grounded in neuroscience, I know intuitively that storytelling is fundamental to how we think. Finally, Angus Fletcher brings his deep understanding of narrative together with his keen scientific mind to explain why we think in stories, why embracing story structure is the way forward, and how stories provide an architecture to thought as powerful and important as logic. Read this book. -- Indre Viskontas, Cognitive Neuroscientist, University of San Francisco[Storythinking] is a most unusual book, plumbing the depths of history to find where philosophy went off the rails, examining neurobiology for insight into creativity, and festooned with stories about great characters all the way through. I can honestly report I’ve never read anything like it. And that’s a good thing. * The Straight Dope *Table of Contents1. Story2. Story and Thinking3. The Origin of Story4. Why Our Schools Teach Logic, Not Story5. The Limits of Logic—or Why We Still Need Storythinking6. The Brain Machinery of Storythinking7. Improving Storythinking8. Storythinking for Personal Growth9. Storythinking for Social Growth10. Story’s Answer to the Meaning of LifeCoda: Conversations with a StorythinkerNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisAn inclusive vision of mathematics—its beauty, its humanity, and its power to build virtues that help us all flourishTrade Review“Beautifully written, contains well-chosen and interesting mathematical puzzles, and offers an important viewpoint for mathematicians to consider. . . . The book is aimed at a broader audience and is also a call to being more inclusive, to recognising that there are many paths to success.”—Pamela Gorkin, Mathematical IntelligencerAwarded Book of the Year by Aleo ReviewWinner of the Euler Book Prize, sponsored by the Mathematical Association of AmericaSelected for the 2021 Phi Beta Kappa Award for Science Short List“The ancient Greeks argued that the best life was filled with beauty, truth, justice, play and love. The mathematician Francis Su knows just where to find them.”—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine “Please read this beautiful, compelling, galvanizing book if you care about mathematics, social justice, or humanity, which I hope is everyone.”—Eugenia Cheng, author of The Art of Logic in an Illogical World “The world desperately needs this all‑embracing and deeply human perspective on what mathematics is and why it matters. The key qualities developed by mathematical thinking are characteristics that we should all value and long for.”—Eddie Woo, author of It’s a Numberful World “I was mesmerized by this unusual, sublime book. Original insights and engaging puzzles made me feel young again, discovering a way to Zen and the Art of Mathematics.”—Nalini Joshi, University of Sydney “Francis Su believes that math can make us better humans—and he leads by example. Every page is a work of generosity and compassion. Plus, the puzzles will haunt you for weeks.”—Ben Orlin, author of Math with Bad Drawings “A celebration of mathematics and the human spirit. Learning mathematics enriches our lives, and Su wants everyone to have a seat at the banquet.”—Edward Scheinerman, author ofvThe Mathematics Lover’s Companion “A delightful mixture of philosophy, mathematical illustrations, and compassion.”—John Cook, Singular Value Consulting “Francis Su has written a lyrical meditation on the beauty of mathematics and how it connects to our common humanity.”—John Urschel, author of Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football “Su elegantly uncovers the beauty and power of mathematics as they relate to our desires to be loved, trusted, and accepted. A powerful narrative of mathematical beauty, this book is the antidote for a mathematically fixed mindset.”—Talithia Williams, author of Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics “This is perhaps the most important mathematics book of our time. Francis Su shows mathematics is an experience of the mind and, most important, of the heart.”—James Tanton, Global Math Project“The ancient Greeks argued that the best life was filled with beauty, truth, justice, play and love. The mathematician Francis Su knows just where to find them.”—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine

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Book SynopsisAN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERProvocative and appealing . . . well worth your extremely limited time. Barbara Spindel, The Wall Street JournalThe average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. Assuming you live to be eighty, you have just over four thousand weeks.Nobody needs telling there isn't enough time. We're obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction; and we're deluged with advice on becoming more productive and efficient, and life hacks to optimize our days. But such techniques often end up making things worse. The sense of anxious hurry grows more intense, and still the most meaningful parts of life seem to lie just beyond the horizon. Still, we rarely make the connection between our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks.Drawing o

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Book SynopsisOne of our greatest philosophers and scientists of the mind asks, where does the self come from -- and how our selves can exist in the minds of others. Can thought arise out of matter? Can self, soul, consciousness, I arise out of mere matter? If it cannot, then how can you or I be here? I Am a Strange Loop argues that the key to understanding selves and consciousness is the strange loop-a special kind of abstract feedback loop inhabiting our brains. The most central and complex symbol in your brain is the one called I. The I is the nexus in our brain, one of many symbols seeming to have free will and to have gained the paradoxical ability to push particles around, rather than the reverse. How can a mysterious abstraction be real-or is our I merely a convenient fiction? Does an I exert genuine power over the particles in our brain, or is it helplessly pushed around by the laws of physics? These are the mysteries tackled in I Am a Strange Loop, Douglas Hofstadter''s first book-length journey into philosophy since Gödel, Escher, Bach. Compulsively readable and endlessly thought-provoking, this is a moving and profound inquiry into the nature of mind.Trade Review"(I am a Strange Loop) pulls off some remarkable achievements. For example, in a matter of 40 readable and even enjoyable pages, Hofstadter manages to explain Kurt Godel's incompleteness theorem in a way I have a never seen attempted before... he whisks us away to tangle with ever more layers of paradox and wonderfully mind-wrenching questions... (A) pacy mix of stories, metaphors, questions and explanations..." Nature "(A) brilliant American prof called Douglas Hofstadter has just written a book (about consciousness) that may point us in the right direction. And if I spend the next 700 words raving incoherently about it, that's because it is the most gripping 400 pages I've read in years..." The Times "In this pleasant and intriguing book, Douglas R Hofstadter returns to the themes of his 1979 bestseller Godel, Escher, Bach, ostensibly focusing on the nature of selfhood and consciousness. Hofstadter is a supremely skilful master of an educational alchemy that can, at the turn of a page, transform the most abstract and complex of thoughts into a digestible idea that is both fun and interesting. Times Higher Education Supplement Almost thirty years after the publication of his well-loved Godel, Escher, Bach, Hofstadter revisits some of the same themes. The purpose of the new book is to make inroads into the nexus of self, self-awareness and consciousness by examining self-referential structures in areas as diverse as art and mathematics. Hofstadter is the man for the job. His treatment of issues is approachable and personal, you might even say subjective. His discussion is never over technical and his prose never over-bearing. He stays close to the surface of real life at all times, even as he discusses matters of the highest level of abstraction, and his book is full of fresh and rich real-life examples that give texture and authenticity to the discussion." TLS If you enjoy such brain-bending questions and are willing to struggle with some deep mathematical ideas along the way, then you'll certainly enjoy this book... (I)f this book works its magic on you, you will no longer want to ask "why am I inside this body and not a different one?" Because you'll know what it means to be just a strange loop." BBC Focus Magazine "Nearly thirty years after his best-selling book Godel, Escher, Bach, cognitive scientist and polymath Douglas Hofstadter has returned to his extraordinary theory of self." New Scientist"

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Book SynopsisA Business Week, New York Times Business, and USA Today Bestseller "Ambitious and readable... an engaging introduction to the oddsmakers, whom Bernstein regards as true humanists helping to release mankind from the choke holds of superstition and fatalism. " -The New York Times "An extraordinarily entertaining and informative book.Trade ReviewAGAINST THE GODS appeared in the "Washington Is Also Reading..." section of The Washington Post Book World. The book is described as, "A comprehensive history of man's efforts to understand risk and probability, from ancient gamblers in Greece to modern chaos theory."-The Washington Post Book World, September 20, 1998Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction 1 TO 1200: BEGINNINGS 1. The Winds of the Greeks and the Roleof the Dice 11 2. As Easy as I, II, III 23 1200–1700: A THOUSAND OUTSTANDING FACTS 3. The Renaissance Gambler 39 4. The French Connection 57 5. The Remarkable Notions of the Remarkable Notions Man 73 1700–1900: MEASUREMENT UNLIMITED 6. Considering the Nature of Man 99 7. The Search for Moral Certainty 116 8. The Supreme Law of Unreason 135 9. The Man with the Sprained Brain 152 10. Peapods and Perils 172 11. The Fabric of Felicity 187 1900–1960: CLOUDS OF VAGUENESS AND THE DEMAND FOR PRECISION 12. The Measure of Our Ignorance 197 13. The Radically Distinct Notion 215 14. The Man Who Counted Everything Except Calories 231 15. The Strange Case of the Anonymous Stockbroker 247 DEGREES OF BELIEF:EXPLORING UNCERTAINTY 16. The Failure of Invariance 269 17. The Theory Police 284 18. The Fantastic System of Side Bets 304 19. Awaiting the Wildness 329 Notes 339 Bibliography 353 Name Index 365 Subject Index 369

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Book SynopsisBergson argues for free will by showing that the arguments against it come from a confusion of different conceptions of time. As opposed to physicists'' idea of measurable time, life is perceived in human experience as a continuous and immeasurable flow rather than as a succession of marked-off states of consciousness.

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Book SynopsisOne of philosophy's most accessible and easily understood works, this denunciation of Christianity and organized religion consists of 62 brief chapters, each an aphorism that advances the philosopher's argument.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisOffers a philosophical history of the evolving conceptualizations of place and space in Western thought. In this title, the author begins with mythological and religious creation stories and the theories of Plato and Aristotle and then explores the heritage of Neoplatonic, medieval, and Renaissance speculations about space.Trade Review“A story masterfully told and well worth reading.” * Journal of Phenomenological Psychology *“What exactly is this precious thing called ‘Place,’ which we feel we must defend against the forces of global commodification? This book sets out to answer the question. . . . A thorough and timely investigation.” * Architectural Review *

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Book Synopsis'A man who has attained mastery of an art reveals it in his every action.'--Samurai Maximum.Under the guidance of such celebrated masters as Ed Parker and the immortal Bruce Lee, Joe Hyams vividly recounts his more than 25 years of experience in the martial arts. In his illuminating story, Hyams reveals to you how the daily application of Zen principles not only developed his physical expertise but gave him the mental discipline to control his personal problems-self-image, work pressure, competition. Indeed, mastering the spiritual goals in martial arts can dramatically alter the quality of your life-enriching your relationships with people, as well as helping you make use of all your abilities.

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Book Synopsis* Combines physics, philosophy, and history in a radical new approach to introducing the philosophy of physics. * Emphasizes the integral role that philosophical analysis plays in physics. * Presents many concrete examples in which struggles with conceptual issues drove innovation in physics.Trade Review"Marc Lange uses the philosophical tools of traditional metaphysics to analyze examples drawn from electromagnetic theory and quantum mechanics and in turn uses these examples to refine some of the basic concepts of traditional metaphysics. The result is an excellent introduction to the best sort of metaphysics, the sort that is informed by our best physical theories." Jeffrey Barrett, University of California, Irvine "This is philosophy of physics that meets even Feynman's challenge of making a difference for physics while it attains Hempel's standards of clarity. I can hardly imagine teaching the philosophy of physics, at any level, from introductory to graduate seminar, without using this book!" Alex Rosenberg, Duke University "Eschewing the technical jargon of philosophy of science, though he is a fluent contributor to journals and refers to current issues in appropriate notes, Lange employs a breezy, common language style, complete with discussion questions suitable for an undergraduate introductory class. [...] Highly recommended to philosphically inexperienced physicists as well as current students in philosophy of science. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty." P.D. Skiff, Bard College, Choice, January 2003 "An accomplished philosopher of science, Lange introduces the epistemological consequences of a central idea in physics - locality ... Eschewing the technical jargon of philosophy of science, though he is a fluent contributor to journals and feres to current issues in appropriate notes, Lange employs a breezy, commom language style, complete with discussion questions suitable for an undergraduate introductory class ... his introduction to the issues via concrete example is very effective and unique. Highly recommended to philosophically inexperienced physicists as well as current students in philosophy of science." ChoiceTable of ContentsPreface vi 1 What is Spatiotemporal Locality? 1 1 The Big Picture 1 2 Causal Relations between Events 3 3 Action by Contact 7 4 Spatial, Temporal, and Spatiotemporal Locality Defined 13 5 Intrinsic Properties and Noncausal Connections 17 Discussion Questions 23 Notes 24 2 Fields to the Rescue? 26 1 The Electric Force 26 2 The Electric Field and its Possible Interpretations 32 3 Potentials 42 4 Lines of Force 47 Discussion Questions 61 Notes 65 3 Dispositions and Causes 67 1 Introduction 67 2 Dispositions, Categorical Bases, and Subjunctive Conditionals 71 3 Are the Categorical Bases in Themselves Unknowable? 79 Discussion Questions 90 Notes 92 4 Locality and Scientific Explanation 94 1 Is Action at a Distance Impossible? 94 2 Brute Facts and Ultimate Explanations 95 3 Which Facts are Brute? 100 Discussion Questions 107 Notes 110 5 Fields, Energy, and Momentum 111 1 Introduction 111 2 The Argument from Conserved Quantities 112 3 Why Energy’s Ontological Status Matters 120 4 Energy in Classical Physics 125 5 Energy in the Fields 131 6 Energy Flow and the Poynting Vector 136 7 A Moral Regarding the Testability of Theories 153 Discussion Questions 157 Notes 162 6 Is there Nothing but Fields? 165 1 Is Electric Charge Real? 165 2 Faraday’s Picture 167 Discussion Questions 171 Notes 173 7 Relativity and the Unification of Electricity and Magnetism 175 1 Unification in Physics 175 2 How Relativity Unifies Electricity and Magnetism 180 3 Einstein’s Argument from Asymmetry 186 4 The Interdependence of Philosophy and Physics 199 Discussion Questions 201 Notes 203 8 Relativity, Energy, Mass, and the Reality of Fields 205 1 Classical Physics and the “Relativity of Motion” 206 2 Relativistic Invariants and the Unification that Relativity Achieves: Space and Time 210 3 Relativistic Invariants and the Unification that Relativity Achieves: Energy and Momentum 221 4 Mass and the Meaning of “e = mc2 ” 224 5 Fields – At Last! 240 6 Erasing the Line between Scientific Theory and its Philosophical Interpretation 249 Discussion Questions 250 Notes 252 9 Quantum Metaphysics 255 1 Is Quantum Mechanics Complete? 255 2 The Bell Inequalities 263 3 For Whom the Bell Tolls 271 4 Wrestling with Nonlocality 280 Discussion Questions 298 Notes 300 Final Exam 302 References 305 Index 316

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Book SynopsisThis brilliant and concise account of the lives and ideas of the world''s great philosophers—Plato, Aristotle, Bacon, Spinoza, Voltaire, Kant, Schopenhauer, Spencer, Nietzsche, Bergson, Croce, Russell, Santayana, James, and Dewey—is a delight (The New York Times) and remains one of the most important books of our time.Will Durant chronicles the ideas of the great thinkers, the economic and intellectual environments which influenced them, and the personal traits and adventures out of which each philosophy grew. Durant’s insight and wit never cease to dazzle; The Story of Philosophy is an essential book for anyone who wishes to understand the history and development of philosophical ideas in the Western world.Trade ReviewThe New York Times A delight.Table of ContentsContentsPREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITIONINTRODUCTION: ON THE USES OF PHILOSOPHYCHAPTER IPLATOI. The Context of PlatoII. SocratesIII. The Preparation of PlatoIV. The Ethical ProblemV. The Political ProblemVI. The Psychological ProblemVII. The Psychological SolutionVIII. The Political SolutionIX. The Ethical SolutionX. CriticismCHAPTER IIARISTOTLE AND GREEK SCIENCEI. The Historical BackgroundII. The Work of AristotleIII. The Foundation of LogicIV. The Organization of Science1. Greek Science before Aristotle2. Aristotle as a Naturalist3. The Foundation of BiologyV. Metaphysics and the Nature of GodVI. Psychology and the Nature of ArtVII. Ethics and the Nature of HappinessVIII. Politics1. Communism and Conservatism2. Marriage and Education3. Democracy and AristocracyIX. CriticismX. Later Life and DeathCHAPTER IIIFRANCIS BACONI. From Aristotle to the RenaissanceII. The Political Career of Francis BaconIII. The EssaysIV. The Great Reconstruction1. The Advancement of Learning2. The New Organon3. The Utopia of ScienceV. CriticismVI. EpilogueCHAPTER IVSPINOZAHistorical and Biographical1. The Odyssey of the Jews2. The Education of Spinoza3. Excommunication4. Retirement and DeathII. The Treatise on Religion and the StateIII. The Improvement of the IntellectIV. The Ethics1. Nature and God2. Matter and Mind3. Intelligence and Morals4. Religion and ImmortalityV. The Political TreatiseVI. The Influence of SpinozaCHAPTER VVOLTAIRE AND THE FRENCH ENLIGHTENMENTI. Paris: ŒdipeII. London: Letters on the EnglishIII. Cirey: The RomancesIV. Potsdam and FrederickV. Les Délices: The Essay on MoralsVI. Ferney: CandideVII. The Encyclopedia and the Philosophic DictionaryVIII. Ecrasez l'InfameIX. Voltaire and RousseauX. DénouementCHAPTER VIIMMANUEL KANT AND GERMAN IDEALISMRoads to Kant1. From Voltaire to Kant2. From Locke to Kant3. From Rousseau to KantII. Kant HimselfIII. The Critique of Pure Reason1. Transcendental Esthetic2. Transcendental Analytic3. Transcendental DialecticIV. The Critique of Practical ReasonV. On Religion and ReasonVI. On Politics and Eternal PeaceVII. Criticism and EstimateVIII. A Note on HegelCHAPTER VIISCHOPENHAUERI. The AgeII. The ManIII. The World as IdeaIV. The World as Will1. The Will to Live2. The Will to ReproduceV. The World as EvilVI. The Wisdom of Life1. Philosophy2. Genius3. Art4. ReligionVII. The Wisdom of DeathVIII. CriticismCHAPTER VIIIHERBERT SPENCERI. Comte and DarwinII. The Development of SpencerIII. First Principles1. The Unknowable2. EvolutionIV. Biology: The Evolution of LifeV. Psychology: The Evolution of MindVI. Sociology: The Evolution of SocietyVII. Ethics: The Evolution of MoralsVIII. Criticism1. First Principles2. Biology and Psychology3. Sociology and EthicsIX. ConclusionCHAPTER IXFRIEDRICH NIETZSCHEI. The Lineage of NietzscheII. YouthIII. Nietzsche and WagnerIV. The Song of ZarathustraV. Hero-moralityVI. The SupermanVII. DecadenceVIII. AristocracyIX. CriticismX. FinaleCHAPTER XCONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN PHILOSOPHERSHenri Bergson1. The Revolt Against Materialism2. Mind and Brain3. Creative Evolution4. CriticismII. Benedetto Croce1. The Man2. The Philosophy of the Spirit3. What Is Beauty?4. CriticismIII. Bertrand Russell1. The Logician2. The Reformer3. EpilogueCHAPTER XICONTEMPORARY AMERICAN PHILOSOPHERSIntroductionI. George Santayana1. Biographical2. Scepticism and Animal Faith3. Reason in Science4. Reason in Religion5. Reason in Society6. CommentII. William James1. Personal2. Pragmatism3. Pluralism4. CommentIII. John Dewey1. Education2. Instrumentalism3. Science and PoliticsConclusionGlossaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisIntention is one of the masterworks of 20th-century philosophy. First published in 1957, it has acquired the status of a modern philosophical classic. The book attempts to show in detail that the natural and widely accepted picture of what we mean by an intention gives rise to insoluble problems and must be abandoned.Trade ReviewAnscombe's classic work is the font from which all subsequent philosophical thought about agency flows. -- Robert B. Brandom, University of PittsburghWhat Anscombe has done is to cut through a whole mess of philosophical clichés, and to give us a fresh, detailed picture of the concept of an action, and of related notions such as that of a reason for acting—and this in a way which brings out clearly the sources of a host of philosophical muddles in which one can find oneself in dealing with these concepts. To have done that is to have made a significant contribution to philosophy. -- Judith Jarvis Thomson * Journal of Philosophy *Anscombe's Intention is the most important treatment of action since Aristotle. -- Donald Davidson, University of California, BerkeleyIntention opened for philosophical exploration a territory of thought, and laid out the swamps and thickets capable of trapping unwary philosophers. It is still an indispensable guide. -- Cora Diamond, University of VirginiaAnscombe's fusion of the Aristotelian and analytical traditions is one of the highest peaks of 20th century philosophy; it has lost none of its power to destroy philosophical complacency and excite new philosophical thought. -- Michael Thompson, University of PittsburghOften quoted, sometimes read, rarely understood, Anscombe's Intention is nevertheless the defining moment in 20th-century philosophy of action. -- J. David Velleman, University of MichiganIntention is a classic of modern philosophical psychology. It is unashamedly Wittgensteinian in organization and style--and Wittgensteinian too in its breaking of new ground and unerring sense of a new question, an unnoticed connection, an unexamined assumption. The freshness and intensity of the writing remain most impressive. -- Crispin Wright, University of St. AndrewsElizabeth Anscombe's Intention is an extraordinary work: with penetrating acumen, delightfully dry wit, and not a single wasted breath, over the course of less than a hundred pages, it manages to make signal contributions to the philosophy of action, mind, and language, to moral philosophy, and to the interpretation of Aristotle and Wittgenstein. -- James ConantTable of Contents1. The subject introduced under three heads: expression of intention for the future, intentional action, and intention in acting. 2. Intuitive understanding of the difference between 'prediction' and 'expression of intention' rejected as a foundation for a philosophical account of expressions of intention. Prediction defined so as to comprise orders and expressions of intention as well as estimates of the future. The falsity of expressions of intention in the simple future tense (a) as lying and (b) as falsity because the intention is not carried out. 3. Usefulness of considering the verbal expression of intention for the future in order to avoid various dead ends. Uselessness of an introspective explanation of intention. Expressions of intentions distinguished from estimates of the future by the justification, if any, given for them. 4. Are there any statements of the form 'A intends X' which can be made with fair certainty? Descriptions of a man's actions often descriptions truly substitutable for 'X ' in 'A intends X'. Reasons why we suppose a man the sole authority on his own intentions. 5. Intentional actions defined as those to which a certain sense of the question 'Why?' is given application. Difficulty of defining the relevant sense and danger of moving in a circle in our explanations of 'reason for acting' and 'action'. 'I knocked the cup off the table because I was startled' gives an answer to a question 'Why?' about something done. 6. The question 'Why?' is refused application by the answer 'I did not know I was doing that'. The same action can have many descriptions, in some of which the agent knows it and in some not. 7. The question also refused application when the action was involuntary; but this notion cannot be introduced without treating as solved the very kind of problem we are discussing. Difficulties of the notion 'involuntary'. 8. 'Non-observational knowledge' introduced as e.g. the knowledge one has of some of one's own movements. There is also non-observational knowledge of the causation of a movement, as when I say why I gave a start. We can define one class of involuntary movements without begging any questions, as the class of movements known without observation, but where there is no room for non-observational knowledge of causality: e.g. the muscular spasm one sometimes has in dropping off to sleep. 9. In one sense of 'Why?' the answer mentions evidence; but an answer to a question 'Why?' about an action, which does not mention evidence, does not therefore necessarily give a reason for acting. The cases where it was difficult to distinguish a cause from a reason turn out to be ones where there is non-observational knowledge of the causation. 10. This kind of causation labelled 'mental causality'. Mental causes should be distinguished from motives of actions and objects of feelings. 11. And also from intentions with which a person acts, even though these may be expressed in the form 'I wanted...' Mental causality is not important in itself, but it is important to make these distinctions. 12. Motives have been sharply distinguished from intentions by philosophers, and described as causes. Popularly motive and intention are not so distinct; but 'motive' is a wider notion than' intention'. A motive is not a cause at all. 13. Among motives that are not intentions for the future we can distinguish between backward-looking motives like revenge (I killed him because he killed my brother) and motive-in-general (He did it out of friendship). Motive-in-general can also be called 'interpretative' motive. 14. What distinguishes backward-looking motives from mental causes? The notions of good and harm are involved in them. 15. In some cases the distinction between a mental cause and a reason is not sharp-E.g. 'I put it down because he told me to'. 16. Summary of results reached so far. 17. The question 'Why?' is not refused application when the answer is e.g. 'For no particular reason' or 'I don't know why I did it'. Consideration of the latter answer. 18. The fact that 'For no particular reason' is a possible answer to the question 'Why?' about an action does not shew that this answer always makes sense. But when we speak of it as not making sense, we mean that we cannot understand the man who says it, rather than that 'a form of words is excluded from the language'. The question 'Why?' identified as one expecting an answer in the range we have described, which range we use to define the class of intentional actions. 19. We do not mention any extra feature attaching to an action at the time it is done by calling it intentional. Proof of this by supposing there is such a feature. 20. Discussion whether intentional actions could still have the characteristic of being intentional although there were no such thing as expression of intention for the future, or further intention with which one acts. There would be no such thing as our question 'Why?' or intentional action if the only answer were: 'For no particular reason'. 21. Criticism of the Aristotelian proof of a final end for a man's actions. Still, we can now see that some chains of reasons for acting must occur if there is such a thing as intentional action at all. 22. Discussion of intention with which, when this mentions something future. In order for it to be possible to say that an agent does P in order that Q, he must treat an acknowledgement of 'But if P, Q won't happen 'as incompatible with his having that intention in acting. 23. Is there any description which is the description of an intentional action when intentional action occurs? An example is invented in which to examine the question: a man who moves his arm in pumping water to replenish a house water-supply to poison the inhabitants and is also doing other things with the pump handle at the same time. Any true descriptions of what he is doing which satisfy our criteria, are descriptions of intentional actions. Are there as many actions and as many intentions as there are such descriptions? 24. Difficulties. If 'he is poisoning the inhabitants' is one of these descriptions, when does he do this? How is moving his arm up and down an act of poisoning the inhabitants? 25. Supposing the man to know the water will poison the inhabitants, but to say 'I didn't care about that, I was only doing my job of pumping', this answer does not fall within the range of answers to 'Why?' by which we have defined intentional action. Can one determine one's intentions just by what one says they are? The interest of a man's intentions, apart from what he actually did. 26. Answer to the questions of 23. The A-D order: i.e. the order of descriptions of an action as intentional, such that each term of the series can be said to be an intention in the action as described by the previous term, and the last term an intention of the action as described by the first or any intermediate term. 27. Is there ever any place for an interior act of intention, which really determines what is or is not going on under the tide 'such-and-such a kind of action'? 28. Further enquiry into non-observational knowledge. Knowledge of one's own intentional actions-I can say what I am doing without looking to see. 29. But must there not be two objects of knowledge-.--what I am 'doing', i.e. my intention, and what is actually taking place, which can only be given by observation? Philosophical views on will and intention which have arisen from this problem. 30. An example to prove that it is wrong to try and push the real intention, or act of will, back to something initiating the movements that then take place. 31. Attempt at solution by comparing the facts which may falsify a statement of intentional action to the facts which may make an order fall to the ground. Inadequacy of this solution. 32. Example of man with a shopping list: the relation of this list to what he buys, and of what he buys to a list made by a detective following him. The character of a discrepancy between the list and what is bought in the two cases. Is there such a thing as 'practical knowledge' in the sense of ancient and medieval philosophy? 33. This notion can only be understood by first understanding what Aristotle called 'practical reasoning'. The practical syllogism is not a form of demonstration of what I ought to do. It is a different kind of reasoning from that of the proof syllogism, but this has been misunderstood in modern times. 34. Practical syllogisms are not confined to ones that look parallel to proof syllogisms. The starting point for a piece of practical reasoning is something wanted, and the first premise mentions something wanted. 35. Occurrence of evaluative terms in the first premise of practical syllogisms given by Aristotle. Not every statement of a reason for acting shews practical reasoning. 'I want' does not rightly occur in the premises, but the first premise must mention something wanted. 36. In the relevant sense of 'wanting' 'X' in 'A wants X' does not range over all describable objects or states of affairs. Volition and sense-knowledge cannot be described independently of one another. Problem of wanting a wife, and generally of wanting what the agent does not even suppose to exist yet. 37. If a man wants something, he can always be asked what for, or in what aspect it is desirable; until he gives a desirability-characterisation. 38. The question 'What for?' cannot significantly be asked in a continuation of the series of such questions, once a desirability-characterisation has been reached. The point illustrated by an example: 'It befits a Nazi to spend his last hour exterminating Jews'. This does not mean that the practical reasoning cannot be assailed so long as it is not fallacious. 39. The fact that a desirability-characterisation is required does not shew that any is compulsive in relation to wanting. Bonum est multiplex. 40. Comparison of the problem of the relation of 'wanting' to 'good' with that of the relation of 'judging' to 'true'. 41. The mark of practical reasoning is that the thing wanted is at a distance from the particular action. 42. The 'absurdity' of setting practical reasonings out in full. The point is to describe not what (psychologically) goes on, but an order; the same order as I described in discussing what 'the intentional action' was. 43. Contrast between 'the stove is burning' and 'the man is paying his gas bill': enormous apparent complexity of 'doing' in the latter case. 44. Consideration of 'If I do this, this will happen, if that, that' followed by action: cases in which this is, and in which it is not 'practical reasoning'. 45. Practical knowledge considered as the knowledge of what is done in the man who directs a project without seeing it. Problem: how is this knowledge, if his orders do not get carried out? 46. The description of something as e.g. building a house or writing on the blackboard employs the concept of human action, which we have seen to be defined by means of our question 'Why?' 47. The term 'intentional' relates to a form of description of events. Intention in animals. 48. Many descriptions of events effected by humans are formally descriptions of executed intentions. Elucidation of the notion of practical knowledge. 49. Account of 'voluntary' action. 50. Return to expression of intention for the future. What has been said about intention in present action also applies to future intention. A prediction is an expression of intention when our question 'Why?' applies to it. 51. Consideration of 'I just want to, that's all' in regard to an expression of intention for the future. 52. 'I am not going to-' as an expression of intention, and 'I am going to-' as an expression of belief. Cases where they might occur together.

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Book SynopsisThough the revised edition of A Theory of Justice, published in 1999, is the definitive statement of John Rawls’s view, much of the extensive literature on his theory refers to the first edition. This reissue makes it once again available for scholars and serious students of Rawls’s work.Trade ReviewJohn Rawls draws on the most subtle techniques of contemporary analytic philosophy to provide the social contract tradition with what is, from a philosophical point of view at least, the most formidable defense it has yet received…[and] makes available the powerful intellectual resources and the comprehensive approach that have so far eluded antiutilitarians. -- Marshall Cohen * New York Times Book Review *The most substantial and interesting contribution to moral philosophy since the war. -- Stuart Hampshire * New York Review of Books *I mean...to press my recommendation of [this book] to non-philosophers, especially those holding positions of responsibility in law and government. For the topic with which it deals is central to this country's purposes, and the misunderstanding of that topic is central to its difficulties. -- Peter Caws * New Republic *

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Book SynopsisThis is a primer on the Capabilities Approach, Martha Nussbaum’s innovative model for assessing human progress. She argues that much humanitarian policy today violates basic human values; instead, she offers a unique means of redirecting government and development policy toward helping each of us lead a full and creative life.Trade ReviewA remarkably lucid and scintillating account of the the human development approach seen from the perspective of one of its major architects. -- Amartya Sen, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in EconomicsNussbaum, who has done more than anyone to develop the authoritative and ground-breaking capabilities approach, offers a major restatement that will be required reading for all those interested in economic development that truly enhances how people live. -- Henry Richardson, Georgetown UniversityA marvelous achievement: beautifully written and accessible. With Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum is one of the founders of the 'capability approach' to justice; the most innovative and influential development in political philosophy since the work of John Rawls. This book, for the first time, puts in one place all the central elements of Nussbaum's systematic account of the approach, together with its sources and implications. -- Jonathan Wolff, University College LondonThe very best way to be introduced to the capability approach to international development. It is also a wonderfully lucid account of the origins, justification, structure, and practical implications of her version of this powerful approach to ethically-based change in poor and rich countries. -- David Alan Crocker, The University of Maryland School of Public PolicyOffering a forceful and persuasive account of the failings of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as an accurate reflection of human welfare, the distinguished philosopher Nussbaum provides a framework for a new account of global development based on the concept of capabilities...The author argues that human development is best measured in terms of specific opportunities available to individuals rather than economic growth figures...This small book provides a strong foundation for beginning to think about how economic growth and individual flourishing might coincide. * Publishers Weekly *Nussbaum looks at what it really means for a country to experience prosperity. Traditionally, a country's economic well-being was measured by its gross domestic product. Nussbaum takes a more personal approach by focusing on how economic prosperity plays out in ordinary citizens' lives. She analyzes the life of a woman in India by taking a close look at her situation to see what capabilities and opportunities she--and women like her--might have. The key is not to look simply at the hand they've been dealt, but whether their particular society affords them opportunities to win with it. Nussbaum calls this the "capabilities approach," and it offers a novel way to measure prosperity on a national level by seeing how well a country can provide life-changing prospects for all its citizens...By demonstrating the philosophical underpinnings of this approach and how the theory plays out in the real world, Nussbaum makes a compelling case. Not only is this a more realistic measure of wealth, but it is also a far more compassionate one. For readers who enjoy economics laced with humanity. -- Carol J. Elsen * Library Journal *In her new book, Creating Capabilities, the philosopher and legal scholar Martha Nussbaum argues that we need to refocus our ideas about development on the scale of individuals: on concrete human lives and the way they actually unfold. Quantitative measures like per capita GDP, she writes, are poor measures of development; they can't capture the shape and texture of individual lives, even though individual lives are what matter. Development isn't about how rich your nation is, on average--it's about whether people can live in a way "worthy of human dignity."...Nussbaum's book comes at an interesting time, just as growth in the rich world is slowing. That slowdown makes her ideas relevant for rich people, too. Dignified life in the rich world isn't only about being "well-fed," either...Even amid a slowdown, there are other dimensions in which life can keep improving. -- Josh Rothman * Boston Globe online *Renowned philosopher Nussbaum concisely captures the essential ideas of a new paradigm of social and political thought, the "human development and capabilities" approach to global social justice, founded on the work of Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, and now used by the World Bank, the IMF, the Arab Human Development Report, and the United Nations Development Programme. -- S. A. Mason * Choice *

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Book SynopsisTwenty-five years after his prescient Democracy’s Discontent, Michael Sandel updates his classic work for our more fractious age. He shows how, since the 1990s, Democrats and Republicans embraced a market faith that led to the toxic politics of our time. To rescue democracy, he argues, we must reimagine the economy and revitalize the civic project.Trade ReviewAmericans have lost faith in the possibility of self-government, and they are frightened by the disintegration of community they see happening all around them. Twenty-six years since Democracy’s Discontent was first published, Sandel writes that this way of thinking has brought us to a political precipice—a moment when the combination of frayed social bonds and intense political polarization calls into question the very future of the American experiment. -- Win McCormack * New Republic *Few books are as relevant a quarter-century after their appearance as when published—but Michael Sandel has made his classic Democracy’s Discontent even more so. Rethinking how the political economy of the middle of the twentieth century has mutated to the detriment of American citizenship, substituting consumerism and globalization for community and self-rule, this is a touchstone study for our times. -- Samuel Moyn, author of Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal WorldMichael Sandel’s deeply insightful analysis of the erosion of the political economy of citizenship has never been more timely than at the present moment. Essential—and ultimately hopeful—reading for all those who wonder if our democratic experiment will survive in the twenty-first century. -- Greta R. Krippner, author of Capitalizing on Crisis: The Political Origins of the Rise of Finance

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Book SynopsisJudith Shklar draws from a brilliant array of writers—Molière and Dickens on hypocrisy, Jane Austen on snobbery, Shakespeare and Montesquieu on misanthropy, Hawthorne and Nietzsche on cruelty, Conrad and Faulkner on betrayal—to reveal the nature and effects of the vices.Trade ReviewThese are civilized excursions, literate and sensitive, and I cherish the book for its effort to move us out of the metalanguage and into the heart of darkness. Once we acknowledge the ordinariness of ordinary vices, the banality of normal badness, we may find ourselves not so distant from the moral monsters of human history, who may simply be us, writ large. -- A. C. Danto * Times Literary Supplement *The book is a delight to read. At every turn of the argument it spurs one to think, and gives added pleasure with each new perplexity it raises. Readers who relish thinking for its own sake will be happy to join in the sheer exuberance of it. -- Ronald Beiner * Times Higher Education Supplement *A distinguished book, full of wit, humanity, and insight… It is also, and more importantly, a moral psychology for liberals. -- Michael WalzerTable of ContentsIntroduction: Thinking about Vices 1. Putting Cruelty First 2. Let Us not be Hypocritical 3. What is Wrong with Snobbery? 4. The Ambiguities of Betrayal 5. Misanthropy 6. Bad Characters for Good Liberals Notes Credits Index

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