Philosophy Books

Book SynopsisScience has made a huge impact on human society over hundred years, but how does it work? How do scientists do the things they do? How do they come up with the theories? How do they test them? How do they use these theories to explain phenomena? How do they draw conclusions from them about how the world might be? Now updated, this second edition of Philosophy of Science: Key Concepts looks at each of these questions and more. Taking in turn the fundamental theories, processes and views lying at the heart of the philosophy of science, this engaging introduction illuminates the scientific practice and provides a better appreciation of how science actually works. It features:- Chapters on discovery, evidence, verification and falsification, realism and objectivity- Accessible overviews of work of key thinkers such as Galileo, Einstein and Mullis- A new chapter on explanation- An extended range of easy-to-follow and contemporary examples to help explain more technical ideas- Study eTrade ReviewIf philosophy of science baffles you, this book offers the key to unlock its mysteries. Written by a leading scholar in the field, it provides a superb introduction to core topics ranging from scientific discovery to gender bias. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in philosophical issues relating to scientific knowledge. -- Roman Frigg, Professor in Philosophy, London School of Economics and Political Science, UKThe greatest strength of this book is the use of illustrations from the history of science and of quotations from scientists, to illuminate the various issues facing those who would like to think clearly about the methods, backing, and legitimacy of the sciences. Beginning students are introduced effectively to the tensions among the articulations of scientific practice by scientists themselves. I expect that this will lead many of them to appreciate the distinctive role of philosophers of science. * Metascience *Philosophy of Science: Key Concepts is a lively, engaging and comprehensive introduction to philosophy of science, written by one of its best contemporary practitioners. Steven French explains the mechanics of science by focusing on episodes from past and current scientific practice. He weaves the web of the major concepts that constitute the tools of the philosophical understanding of science and unravels their rich content. This book is like no other introduction I have read in making a complex conceptual terrain accessible to, and viable for, the uninitiated. A masterly achievement. -- Stathis Psillos, University of Athens & Rotman Institute of Philosophy, UWO, GreeceThis is a wonderful book. It engages students with an infectious enthusiasm for science and philosophy, built on provocative examples, fascinating history, patient explanations, and no small amount of good humor. French has a terrific knack for unpacking challenging ideas in an intuitive way, without jargon, and yet rigorously. -- Anjan Chakravartty, Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, USAIn this clearly written, well-organized revision of his Science: Key Concepts in Philosophy (2007), French (philosophy of science, Univ. of Leeds, UK) provides a discussion that is cutting edge in terms of breaking discoveries. He synthesizes knowledge of entire scientific disciplines—physics, astronomy, genetics, biology, math, medicine, chemistry, paleontology, primatology, psychology, and so on—into a coherent, astute account of the whole, presenting the major philosophical concepts of "how science works." He looks at, among much else, how scientific theories are discovered; how they explain phenomena and reality; why, as Alfred North Whitehead said, one cannot know something unless one can measure it; what roles social and political factors play in scientific practice; whether science can ever be purely independent of its social context; the relation between truth, scientific theories, and scientific confirmation; how scientists come to grips with the uncertainty illustrated by the history of changing scientific theories; how social factors in general influence the objectivity of science; and how gender bias impacts science. The best introduction to date to the philosophy of science, the volume includes excellent suggested readings. Summing Up: Essential. All readers. * CHOICE *Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Discovery 3. Heuristics Exercise 1 4. Explanation 5. Justification Exercise 2 6. Observation 7. Experiment Exercise 3 8. Realism 9. Anti-Realism Exercise 4 10. Independence 11. Gender Bias Exercise 5 12. Where we’ve been and Where to Go for More? Further Reading Notes Index

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Book SynopsisZen Buddhism is a form of Mahāyāna Buddhism that originated in China and is strongly focused on meditation. It is characteristically sceptical towards language and distrustful of conceptual thought, which explains why Zen Buddhist sayings are so enigmatic and succinct. But despite Zen Buddhism’s hostility towards theory and discourse, it is possible to reflect philosophically on Zen Buddhism and bring out its philosophical insights. In this short book, Byung-Chul Han seeks to unfold the philosophical force inherent in Zen Buddhism, delving into the foundations of Far Eastern thought to which Zen Buddhism is indebted. Han does this comparatively by confronting and contrasting the insights of Zen Buddhism with the philosophies of Plato, Leibniz, Fichte, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Heidegger and others, showing that Zen Buddhism and Western philosophy have very different ways of understanding religion, subjectivity, emptiness, friendliness and death. This important work by one of the most widely read philosophers and cultural theorists of our time will be of great value to anyone interested in comparative philosophy and religion.Trade Review‘For anyone seriously interested in both Zen Buddhism and Western philosophy, and in what the masters of the former might say to the giants of the latter, this sparkling gem of a book will be astonishingly enlightening.’ Bret W. Davis, author of Zen Pathways: An Introduction to the Philosophy and Practice of Zen BuddhismTable of ContentsPreface A Religion without God Emptiness No one Dwelling nowhere Death Friendliness Notes

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Book SynopsisThe tsunami of information unleashed by digitization is threatening to overwhelm us, drowning us in a sea of frenzied communication and disrupting many spheres of social life, including politics. Election campaigns are now being waged as information wars with bots and troll armies, and democracy is degenerating into infocracy. In this new book, Byung-Chul Han argues that infocracy is the new form of rule characteristic of contemporary information capitalism. Whereas the disciplinary regime of industrial capitalism worked with compulsion and repression, this new information regime exploits freedom instead of repressing it. Surveillance and punishment give way to motivation and optimization: we imagine that we are free, but in reality our entire lives are recorded so that our behaviour might be psychopolitically controlled. Under the neoliberal information regime, mechanisms of power function not because people are aware of the fact of constant surveillance but because they perceive themselves to be free. This trenchant critique of politics in the information age will be of great interest to students and scholars in the humanities and social sciences and to anyone concerned about the fate of politics in our time.Table of ContentsThe Information RegimeInfocracyThe End of Communicative ActionDigital RationalityThe Crisis of TruthNotes

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisWhat does it mean to be a good dog? Are tennis balls always real? Is a bark ever truly worse than a bite? All these questions and more are answered in Philosophers’ Dogs, the groundbreaking treat-ise that has been dog years in the making. The book reveals a long-kept secret: that every human philosopher has stolen their best ideas from their canine companions, shamelessly disguising the dogs’ original thoughts as their own.Featuring beautiful illustrations alongside meticulously researched historical fact,* Philosophers’ Dogs follows the trials, tribulations and tail-wagging of the pooches owned by famous philosophers and essayists. It is a vital addition to the bookshelves of philosophy students and dog lovers alike, packed with insights hitherto (wrongly) attributed to everyone from Confucius to Simone de Beauvoir via Socrates, Karl Marx and Mary Wollstonecraft. *Not necessarily historical or factual.

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Book SynopsisScruton argues that the tragedies and disasters of the history of the European continent have been the consequences of a false optimism and the fallacies that derive from it. In place of these fallacies, Scruton mounts a passionate defence of both civil society and freedom. He shows that the true legacy of European civilisation is not the false idealisms that have almost destroyed it - in the shapes of Nazism, fascism and communism - but the culture of forgiveness and irony which we must now protect from those whom it offends. The Uses of Pessimism is a passionate plea for reason and responsibility, written at a time of profound change.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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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 ReviewWinner of the 2016 PROSE Award in Philosophy, Association of American Publishers "Provides valuable insights into an important and timely subject."--Michiko Kakutani, New York Times Book Review "[T]he book crackles with brilliant insights and erudition, while also managing to explain the arcane preoccupations of analytic philosophy in a way that's accessible to a wider audience."---Bookforum "How Propaganda Works deserves huge praise and should be read by anyone who cares about politics and language. Its trove of tools and insights is impossible to completely summarise here."--The National "As with other books that expose hidden patterns in American political life from a great height (those that come to mind are Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent and Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow), the lofty perspective of How Propaganda Works challenges researchers to fill in gaps with more detailed, particular explanations of how and why."--Stephen Siff, Journalism & Mass Communications Quarterly "Rich and thoughtful... The best way to fight propaganda is to become savvier about how it manipulates, how it actually works, as Stanley does in his work."--Desmog Canada "Brilliant and incisive."--Survival: Global Politics and Strategy "[A] timely and important work that contributes a good deal of theoretical understanding to a crucial yet relatively neglected topic of inquiry."--Spinwatch "A book uniquely suited to its time... An example of political philosophy at its finest."--Voegelinview "Stanley tracks propaganda's history across continents and through decades, illuminating its power to make people vote against their own best interests. And what he has found is [that] the words being used may be as important as the politics behind them."--Nick Osbourne, Boston Globe "Citing examples ranging from historical racism in America to Citizens United, Stanley's critique of propaganda and ideology will only prove more influential as public and political opinion is further polarized... [A] useful examination of propaganda's pervasiveness."--Kirkus Reviews "Stanley has produced a highly stimulating book that brings the issue of propaganda to the attention of political philosophers and draws on an impressive range of philosophical and social scientific sources to illustrate his analysis and provide support for his claims. It is bound to be widely discussed and debated."--Jonathan Wolff, Analysis "A searching, eclectic, lively and personal book."--Matthew Festenstein, Political TheoryTable of ContentsPreface IX Introduction: The Problem of Propaganda 1 1 Propaganda in the History of Political Thought 27 2 Propaganda Defined 39 3 Propaganda in Liberal Democracy 81 4 Language as a Mechanism of Control 125 5 Ideology 178 6 Political Ideologies 223 7 The Ideology of Elites: A Case Study 269 Conclusion 292 Acknowledgments 295 Notes 305 Bibliography 335 Index 347

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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 SynopsisTrade ReviewThis elegant volume has been produced to a very high standard, is easy to handle, affordably priced, and, most importantly, renders Spinoza accurately into clear and graceful English. It will undoubtedly become an indispensable tool for all serious readers of Spinoza. . . . The supporting editorial material of this volume--the work of Michael L. Morgan--is. . . judicious and reliable. His eight-page Introduction offers a succinct interpretive overview of Spinoza's system that will be thought-provoking for specialists, while also basic enough to be accessible to novice Spinozists. Morgan also provides a very useful chronology of Spinoza's life, a brief introduction to each work, and a light apparatus of footnotes. --Adam Sutcliffe, The Jewish Quarterly ReviewSamuel Shirley's translations are fluent, eminently readable, and responsive to current research. Where a particular passage is difficult or obscure, Shirley never attempts to interpose himself between the reader and Spinoza, nor to side with one or another competing school of thought or interpretation. That makes his translations not just an ideal introduction for the reader new to Spinoza, but also a trustworthy source of insight for the more advanced reader. --Lee Rice, Marquette UniversityA truly marvelous accomplishment. . . . Shirley is undoubtedly the most significant translator of Spinoza's writings into English. His translations have the unique ability to integrate accuracy, lucidity, and facility of expression that is unparalleled by other translators of Spinoza. --Douglas Den Uyl, Bellarmine College

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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 SynopsisTrade Review"[Singer] is persuasive on so many topics that he makes you wish we could turn the world off, then on again, in an attempt to reset it."---Dwight Garner, New York Times"A terrific recent book . . . that wrestles with how much we should donate to charity, and whether wearing a $10,000 watch is a sign of good taste, or of shallow narcissism."---Nicholas Kristof, New York Times"Could well inspire conversations—and arguments—that deepen and complicate the crucial moral and ethical issues that Singer presents." * Kirkus Reviews *"An accessible introduction to the work of a philosopher who would not regard being described as ‘accessible' as an insult. . . . Despite their brevity, the essays do not shirk the big moral questions." * The Economist *"Philosophy should be a more public endeavor, and Singer's work is an excellent entry point. In a fall that will be shaped by a political contest in many ways detached from genuinely pressing moral issues, it might also serve as a refreshingly complex source of ethical questioning."---Talya Zax, Forward"Singer demonstrates how to write pungently and succinctly about moral philosophy."---Daniel Johnson, Standpoint"The essays in the present volume address issues well beyond Singer's normal range of commentary. In sum, this book not only provides a broad-based introduction to Singer¹s moral philosophy but also will serve . . . as an excellent textbook for any course in applied ethics. For philosophers, Singer's work provides a model for how to transition from the ivory tower to the domain of public philosophy." * Choice *"Singer is a provocative, well-informed and hands-on philosopher, with a lucid and engaging writing style. The collection provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of themes that are central to Singer's ethics. . . . His essays are well-structured, engaging, and exemplarily clear. Moreover, his arguments tend to be nuanced and non-dogmatic, in spite of his well-known ethical agenda: here is an ethicist not looking for arguments to support a preconceived conclusion, but sincerely pondering the implications of his utilitarian stance."---Jeroen Hopster, Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics"Inspiring and enlivening; each essay is an easily digested nugget of acute, inventive reasoning and moral urgency, focused on practical, achievable results and the resistance of lazy, dogmatic thinking. . . . Any reader will find the book accessible; every reader will find it both thought-provoking and challenging."---Shane N. Glackin, Quarterly Review of Biology"The way Singer approaches his subject matter is awesome and instructive. He picks up news, anniversaries, but also personal encounters, and—within three or four sentences—shows the deeper ethical questions that lie behind these snippets."---Jan Friedrich, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice"This is a lovable book which deserves to be read and discussed."---Tommi Lehtonen, European Legacy"This book of clear analysis and challenging thinking encourages readers towards radical shifts of thinking and action."---David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer"Quick, punchy and clear. . . . [Singer] has an enviable mastery of his form, and the book provides a representative introduction to the breadth of his public thought."---Simone Gubler, Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisSam Harris is a neuroscientist and the author of the New York Times bestsellers The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation. His writing has appeared in Newsweek, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Times, Nature and in many other journals. He holds a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. He is a co-founder of Project Reason.www.samharris.orgTrade ReviewI was one of those who had unthinkingly bought into the hectoring myth that science can say nothing about morals. To my surprise, The Moral Landscape has changed all that for me... As for religion, and the preposterous idea that we need God to be good, nobody wields a sharper bayonet than Sam Harris -- Richard DawkinsSam Harris breathes intellectual fire into an ancient debate. Reading this thrilling, audacious book, you feel the ground shifting beneath your feet. Reason has never had a more passionate advocate -- Ian McEwanA tremendously appealing vision, and one that no thinking person can afford to ignore -- Steven Pinker, Harvard College Professor of PsychologyReaders are bound to come away with previously firm convictions about the world challenged, and a vital new awareness about the nature and value of science and reason in our lives -- Lawrence M. Krauss, Professor at Arizona State UniversityThis is an inspiring book -- John Lloyd * The Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisIf you want to learn how to conform to confound, raze hopes, succeed your successor, order absence in the absence of order, win by losing and think contrapositively, look no further. Here you can unlock the secrets of Plato's void, Wittgenstein's investigations, Schopenhauer's intelligence test, Voltaire's big bet, Russell's slip of the pen and lobster logic. Among your discoveries will be why the egg came before the chicken, what the dishwasher missed and just what it was that made Descartes disappear. Experience the unbearable lightness of logical conclusions in Professor Sorensen's intriguing cabinet of riddles, problems, paradoxes, puzzles and the anomalies of human utterance. As you accompany him on investigations into the mysteries of truth, falsehood, reason and delusion, prepare to be surprised, enlightened, mystified and, above all, entertained.Trade ReviewA dizzying, surprising and amusing compendium of fascinating and odd examples of logic. * The Lady *

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Book SynopsisWhat we call growth today is in fact a tumorous growth, a cancerous proliferation which is disrupting the social organism. These tumours endlessly metastasize and grow with an inexplicable, deadly vitality. At a certain point this growth is no longer productive, but rather destructive. Capitalism passed this point long ago. Its destructive forces cause not only ecological and social catastrophes but also mental collapse. The destructive compulsion to perform combines self-affirmation and self-destruction in one. We optimize ourselves to death. Brutal competition ends in destruction. It produces an emotional coldness and indifference towards others as well as towards one’s own self. The devastating consequences of capitalism suggest that a death drive is at work. Freud initially introduced the death drive hesitantly, but later admitted that he ‘couldn’t think beyond it’ as the idea of the death drive became increasingly central to his thought. Today, it is impossible to think about capitalism without considering the death drive.Trade Review‘These incisive and often disturbing meditations take the reader to the dark heart of contemporary neoliberalism, in which ubiquitous surveillance and the quest for personal gratification eventually threaten human vitality itself.’William Davies, Author of Nervous States: How Feeling Took Over the World

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Book SynopsisIn this book Jürgen Habermas offers a wide-ranging reflection on his life and work and on the factors that shaped the development of his thought. He discusses the motives behind his work, the circumstances under which it emerged and the changes it has undergone over the course of his long and productive career. He speaks about the events and the texts that played a decisive role in his thinking and he recounts key encounters with colleagues. The image that emerges is that of a richly intertwined network of relationships which covers large swathes of the intellectual map of the twentieth century and reaches through to the present day. Looking back at the development of his thought, Habermas discusses the specific historical circumstances that shaped his generation, identifies key experiences with his intellectual mentors, explores recent historical tendencies and political beliefs and talks about his own scholarly works and their reception. Time and again we see the normative impulse that lies behind so much of Habermas's work: I view the attempt to make the world even the tiniest bit better, or even just to be part of the effort to stave off the constant threats of regression that we face, as an utterly admirable motive.'

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Book Synopsis'Brings cooling clarity to the heat of today's culture wars' Priyamvada Gopal, author of Insurgent Empire'Allows us to not only interrogate our own views, but to persuade others using reason and optimism. A must read' Aaron Bastani, author of Fully Automated Luxury CommunismCan white people be victims of racism?Is it sexist to say 'men are trash'?Should we worry about 'cancel culture'?Tired of having the same old arguments? Kicking yourself for not being able to justify your views? Wondering whether individuals can bring about meaningful change?Now imagine that instead of losing another hour of your life in a social media spat or knowing that the only way to make it through lunch was by biting your tongue, you could find a way to talk about injustice - and, just possibly, change someone's mind.Many of us know what we think about inequality, but flounder when asked for our reasoning, leading to a conversational stalemate - especially when faced with a political, generational, or cultural divide. But living in echo chambers blunts our thinking, and if we can't persuade others, we have little hope of collectively bringing about change.In Arguing for a Better World, philosopher Arianne Shahvisi draws on examples from everyday life to show us how to work through a set of thorny moral questions, equipping us to not only identify our positions but to carefully defend them.'Logical, readable, authoritative . . . An everyday manual on how oppression came about, how it works, why it persists, and how to defeat it' Danny Dorling, author of Injustice: Why Social Inequality Still Persists and A Better PoliticsTrade ReviewOften entertaining and funny; always concise, exacting, logical, readable, authoritative and un-put-downable. An everyday manual on how oppression came about, how it works, why it persists, and how to defeat it -- Danny Dorling, author of Injustice: Why Social Inequality Still Persists and A Better PoliticsWe live in an age of information overload, and unfortunately, 'information' is often misinformation. We often don't know how to think about social problems, let alone what to think. Arianne Shahvisi's book cuts through the noise with an eminently sensible discussion of key contemporary 'culture war' issues. It shows us how philosophy, far from being irrelevant, is essential for navigating today's world of client journalism-manufactured, social media-manipulated outrage. It also provides much-needed reassurance that in the struggle to create a better world, being able to 'show our workings' is much more important than always being right -- ALISON PHIPPS, author of Me, Not You: The Trouble with Mainstream FeminismThis brilliant and very enjoyable book brings cooling clarity and patient empathy to the noise and heat of today's so-called 'Culture Wars'. This is insightful explication at its best, essential reading for anyone engaged with many of today's most pressing public arguments -- Priyamvada Gopal, Author of INSURGENT EMPIREGives progressives everything they need to defend their views in an increasingly polarized public sphere . . . Arguing for a Better World belongs on nightstands and in book clubs everywhere -- Carol Hay, author of Think Like a Feminist: The Philosophy Behind the RevolutionAllows us to not only interrogate our own views, but to persuade others using reason and optimism. A must read -- Aaron Bastani, author of Fully Automated Luxury Communism: A ManifestoShahvisi is a bold and necessary new literary voice whose work has the power to transform our world for the better -- Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, author The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams DeferredRefreshing . . . Arguing for a Better World challenges us to go beyond popular or popularising opinions and instead to learn to argue and defend well-reasoned positions * Sunday Business Post *

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Book SynopsisA Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year 2023A New York Times 'Critics' Pick' Book of 2023'A real achievement' New Statesman'Beautifully portrays - and exemplifies - the combined wit and profundity, exuberance and rigour, of Oxford analytic philosophy' TLSA Country Life Best Book of 2023What are the limits of language? How to bring philosophy closer to everyday life? What makes a good human being?These were among the questions that philosophers wrestled with in mid-twentieth-century Britain, a period shadowed by war and the rise of fascism. In response to these events, thinkers such as Gilbert Ryle, J. L. Austin, Elizabeth Anscombe and Iris Murdoch aspired to a new level of watchfulness and self-awareness about language. Being vigilant about their words was their way to keep philosophy true to everyday experience.A Terribly Serious Adventure traces the friendships and the rivalries, the shared preoccupations and the passionate disagreements of Oxford's most brilliant thinkers. Nikh

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Book Synopsis''Viktor Frankl gives us the gift of looking at everything in life as an opportunity'' - Edith Eger, bestselling author of The ChoiceAn inspirational new collection on turning tragedy into triumph by Holocaust survivor and multi-million copy bestselling author of Man''s Search for Meaning.During his lifetime, world renowned psychiatrist and Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl had an unshakably optimistic outlook on life. He believed that regardless of circumstance, we can all find meaning and fulfilment in our lives, even in the face of great adversity.But how much influence do we have on shaping our own lives? How do we seize opportunities and create a meaningful life? And in doing so, can we still respect the dignity of others and tolerate all views?Published in English for the first time, Embracing Hope shows that by exercising our freedoms, we have a duty and responsibility to ourselves, to others and to the world a

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Book SynopsisIn the second edition of this witty and infectious book, Madsen Pirie builds upon his guide to using - and indeed abusing - logic in order to win arguments. By including new chapters on how to win arguments in writing, in the pub, with a friend, on Facebook and in 140 characters (on Twitter), Pirie provides the complete guide to triumphing in altercations ranging from the everyday to the downright serious. He identifies with devastating examples all the most common fallacies popularly used in argument. We all like to think of ourselves as clear-headed and logical - but all readers will find in this book fallacies of which they themselves are guilty. The author shows you how to simultaneously strengthen your own thinking and identify the weaknesses in other people arguments. And, more mischievously, Pirie also shows how to be deliberately illogical - and get away with it. This book will make you maddeningly smart: your family, friends and opponents will all wish that you had never readTrade ReviewA highly thought provoking, enjoyable and entertaining read -- Zoe Page * The BookBag *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. What is an Argument 2. What does a Successful Argument Look Like? 3. What counts as Evidence? 4. Oral Arguments a) arguing with a friend b) arguing in a group c) arguing in a formal debate d) Presenting your case in a meeting 5. Written Arguments a) arguing in a letter, article of newspaper b) arguing on the internet c) how to argue on facebook d) winning an argument in 140 characters (arguing on twitter) 79 A-Z entries, including: Abusive analogy Blinding with science The complex question Damning the alternatives Exclusive premises The gambler's fallacy Hedging Irrelevent humour Loaded words The red herring Shifting ground Trivial objections Wishful thinking

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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 SynopsisMarxist Modernism is a comprehensive yet concise and conversational introduction to the Frankfurt School. It is also a new resource from one of the twentieth century’s most important philosophers: Gillian Rose.Her 1979 lectures on the Frankfurt School explore the lives and philosophies of a range of the school’s members and affiliates, including Adorno, Lukács, Brecht, Bloch, Benjamin, and Horkheimer, and outline the way each theorist developed Marx’s theory of commodity fetishism into a Marxist theory of culture.Edited by Robert Lucas Scott and James Gordon Finlayson

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Book SynopsisSarah Bakewell had a wandering childhood, growing up on the "hippie trail" through Asia and in Australia. She studied philosophy at the University of Essex, and worked for many years as a curator of early printed books at the Wellcome Library, London, before becoming a full-time writer. Her books include How to Live: a life of Montaigne, which won the Duff Cooper Prize and the US National Book Critics Circle Prize, and At the Existentialist Café, a New York Times Ten Best Books of 2016. She was also among the winners of the 2018 Windham-Campbell Literature Prize. She still has a tendency to wander, but is mostly to be found either in London or in Italy with her wife and their family of dogs and chickens.www.sarahbakewell.comTrade ReviewWith this splendidly conceived and exquisitely written double biography - of both Montaigne the man and Montaigne the book - Sarah Bakewell should persuade another generation to fall in love with Montaigne * Sunday Times *How to live is a superb, spirited introduction to the master, and should have its readers rushing straight to the essays themselves -- Adam Thorpe * Guardian *Sarah Bakewell has written a marvellously confident and clear introduction to Montaigne...a rare achievement. Sarah Bakewell deserves congratulations for opening Montaigne to new readers so very appealingly * Evening Standard *Illuminating and humane book... It's rare to come across a biographer who remains so deliciously fond of her subject... How to Live will delight and illuminate * Independent *Bakewell writes with verve. This is an intellectually lively treatment of a Renaissance giant and his world * Daily Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''The question Eilenberger sets out to answer in this ambitious, enthralling book: what use is philosophy in the middle of a war?'' The Sunday TimesThe year is 1933. Hannah Arendt escapes Berlin, seeking refuge among the stateless gathering in Paris. Simone de Beauvoir reimagines the dance between consciousness and the world outside in a Rouen café. Ayn Rand labours in Hollywood exile on the novel she believes destined to reignite the flame of liberty in her adoptive nation. Simone Weil, disenchanted with the revolution''s course in Russia, devotes her entire being to the plight of the oppressed. Over the next decade, one of the darkest in Europe''s history, these four philosophers will conceive in parallel ideas that would circle the globe in the second half of the century, reshaping it. The Visionaries follows in its protagonists'' footsteps from Leningrad to New York, Spain at civil war to France under occupation, as each is uprooted by totali

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Book SynopsisThroughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization, and helped make us who we are.

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Book SynopsisOne of four titles in Thames & Hudson's innovative new Big Idea' series, this intelligent, stimulating book assesses the connections between gender, psychology, culture and sexuality, and reveals how individual and social attitudes have evolved over the centuries.Trade Review'Crams so much detail into one book … while never feeling like an academic text. Frankly, all non-fiction books should be this gorgeously illustrated … this may well be the first book on gender that’s also a coffee table book' - DIVA'A kind of choose-your-own-adventure using fonts: paragraphs are set in type of differing sizes depending on their importance' - The BooksellerTable of ContentsIntroduction • 1. Gender as an Expression of Biological Sex • 2. Gender as a Social Construct • 3. Gender Diversity • 4. Gender Activism • Conclusion

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Book SynopsisIn the final volume of his history of philosophy, Jürgen Habermas offers a series of brilliant interpretations of the thinkers who set the agenda for contemporary philosophy. Beginning with masterful readings of Hume and Kant, he traces the genealogy of their postmetaphysical thinking through the main currents of historicism and German Idealism, and the multifarious reactions to Hegel's influential system, culminating in nuanced readings of Marx, Kierkegaard and Peirce. Through his analysis of their work, Habermas demonstrates the interpretive fecundity of the central themes of his philosophical enterprise his pragmatist theory of meaning, his communicative theories of subjectivity and sociality, and his discursive theory of normativity in its moral, juridical and political manifestations. In contrast to the bland compendia of thinkers and positions generally presented in surveys of the history of philosophy, Habermas's thematically focused interpretations are destined to provoke controversy and stimulate dialogue. With this work one of the indisputably great thinkers of our time presents a powerful vindication of his conception of philosophy as an inherently discursive and not merely analytical or speculative enterprise.

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Book SynopsisAn imagination of possibilities, of miscalculations, of futures off-kilter “Probability is a chimera, its head is true, its tail a suggestion. Futurologists attempt to compel the head to eat the tail (ouroboros). Here, though, we will try to wag the tail.” —Vilém Flusser Two years after his Vampyroteuthis Infernalis, the philosopher Vilém Flusser engaged in another thought experiment: a collection of twenty-two “scenarios for the future” to be produced as computer-generated media, or technical images, that would break the imaginative logjam in conceiving the social, political, and economic future of the universe. What If? is not just an “impossible journey” to which Flusser invites us in the first scenario; it functions also as a distorting mirror held up to humanity. Flusser’s disarming scenarios of an Anthropocene fraught with nightmares offer new visions that range from the scientific to the fantastic to the playful and whimsical. Each essay reflects our present sense of understanding the world, considering the exploitation of nature and the dangers of global warming, overpopulation, and blind reliance on the promises of scientific knowledge and invention. What If? offers insight into the radical futures of a slipstream Anthropocene that have much to do with speculative fiction, with Flusser’s concept of design as “crafty” or slippery, and with art and the immense creative potential of failure versus reasonable, “good” computing or calculability. As such, the book is both a warning and a nudge to imagine what we may yet become and be.Trade Review"While the universe Flusser created with his previous book, Vampyroteuthis Infernalis, explores a single alternate lifeworld coherent in its mirroring of the human species by a cephalopod, each scenario in What If? suggests a variety of new ideas, given the speculative, projecting nature of their setting—in the best and most creative sense of ‘what if’—in the past, the present, or the future."—from the IntroductionTable of ContentsIntroduction: What If? Into the Slipstream of Flusser’s “Field of Possibilities”Anke FingerFirst Scenario: What If . . .Part I. Scenes from Family LifeSecond Scenario: GrandmotherThird Scenario: GrandfatherFourth Scenario: Great UncleFifth Scenario: BrothersSixth Scenario: SonSeventh Scenario: GrandchildrenEighth Scenario: Great-GrandchildrenPart II. Scenes from Economic LifeNinth Scenario: Economic MiracleTenth Scenario: Foreign AidEleventh Scenario: Mechanical EngineeringTwelfth Scenario: AgricultureThirteenth Scenario: Chemical IndustryFourteenth Scenario: Animal HusbandryPart III. Scenes from PoliticsFifteenth Scenario: WarSixteenth Scenario: Aural ObedienceSeventeenth Scenario: Perpetual PeaceEighteenth Scenario: RevolutionNineteenth Scenario: Parliamentary DemocracyTwentieth Scenario: Aryan ImperialismTwenty-First Scenario: Black Is BeautifulPart IV. ShowdownTwenty-Second Scenario: A BreatherAfterwordKenneth GoldsmithAcknowledgmentsNotes

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORKER AND THE ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF 2022"Life Is Hard is a humane consolation for challenging times. Reading it is like speaking with a thoughtful friend who never tells you to cheer up, but, by offering gentle companionship and a change of perspective, makes you feel better anyway" The New York Times Book Review'An eloquent, moving, witty and above all useful demonstration of philosophy's power to help us weather the storms of being human' Oliver Burkeman, author of FOUR THOUSAND WEEKS______________________________________Pain, Loneliness, Grief, Injustice ... Hope?Life is hard - as the past few years have made painfully clear. From personal trauma to the injustice and absurdity of the world, sometimes simply going on can feel too much.But could there be solace - and even hope - in acknowledging the hardships of the human condition? Might doing so free us from the tyranny of striving for our "best lives" and help us find warmth, humanity, and humour in the lives we actually have? Could it inspire in us the desire for a better world?In this profound and personal book, Kieran Setiya shows how philosophy can help us find our way. He shares his own experience with chronic pain and the consolation that comes from making sense of it. He asks what we can learn from loneliness and loss about the value of human life. And he explores how we can fail with grace, confront injustice, and search for meaning in the face of despair. Drawing on ancient and modern philosophy, as well as fiction, comedy, social science and personal essay, Life is Hard is a book for this moment - a work of solace and compassion. It draws us towards justice, for ourselves and others, by acknowledging what it means to be alive.Trade ReviewLife Is Hard is a humane consolation for challenging times. Reading it is like speaking with a thoughtful friend who never tells you to cheer up, but, by offering gentle companionship and a change of perspective, makes you feel better anyway. * The New York Times Book Review *At last a philosopher tackles the meaning of life and comes up with useful answers -- James McConnachie * The Sunday Times *Through carefully crafted examples, [Kieran Setiya] makes the case that philosophy can help us navigate the adversities of human life ... No life worth living is free of suffering and pain. Better to face it with the clarity to which philosophy, at its best, aspires * Guardian *Attentive readers of this humane, intelligent book will come away with a firmer grasp and better descriptions ofwhatever it is that ails them or those they cherish * Economist *Kieran Setiya argues that certain bracing challenges-loneliness, failure, ill health, grief, and so on-are essentially unavoidable ... But it's good, the book shows, to acknowledge hard experiences and ask how they've helped us grow tougher, kinder, and wiser -- Joshua Rothman * New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisClassic teachings on the art of living by the great Roman emperor, statesman, and general.The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius originally wrote the meditations collected here in the form of a personal journal during his military campaigns in the second century. In them, he reflects with great beauty and simplicity upon the Stoic virtues that lead to a happy life: self-mastery, moral strength, duty to oneself and others, detachment, and acceptance of the divine order and the way of Nature. His words of wisdom and courage continue to inspire all who struggle to live a meaningful and productive life in a troubled age. This book is part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series.  The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.

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Book Synopsis'Most of the serious thinking I have done over the past twenty years has been done while running.' Mark Rowlands has run for most of his life. He has also been a professional philosopher. And for him the two - running and philosophising - are inextricably connected. In Running with the Pack he tells us about the most significant runs of his life: from the entire day he spent running as a boy in Wales, to the runs along French beaches and up Irish mountains with his beloved wolf Brenin, and through Florida swamps more recently with his dog Nina. Woven throughout the book are profound meditations on mortality, middle age and the meaning of life. This is a highly original and moving book that will make the philosophically inclined want to run, and those who love running become intoxicated by philosophical ideas.Trade ReviewLife-affirming... gets straight to the heart of why running is has such an important place in our lives... perfectly captures the essence of what happens when we lace up a pair of trainers and close the door behind us... Outstanding -- Robin Harvie, author of Why We RunRowlands is a lovely writer, funny and moving... If you're of an optimistic bent, hopeful that life will offer up moments of wonder and delight, then Rowlands is your kind - my kind - of philosopher -- Miranda Sawyer * Observer *Rowlands's book is an inquiry into contemporary understanding of "what is important or valuable in life"... Enjoyable -- James Vincent * Financial Times *Engrossing -- Ben East * Metro *A joyful reverie on running, its pain and purity... Witty, wry and thought-provoking -- Patrick Neale * Bookseller *A real treat. It's a serious philosophical examination of why we run and the value of it -- Paul Tonkinson * Runner’s World *A powerful read, which weaves in ponderings on everything from ageing to the meaning of life. I defy anyone to read this and not be inspired to lace up their trainers * Top Santé *Rowland's argues that running returns us to something we have lost as humans in our pursuit of goals, material or otherwise * Independent *Recommended -- Paul McGurk * Norwich Evening News *Exercise energises your thoughts, and reading this book is a bit like thinking while you run -- William Leith * Evening Standard *

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