Philosophy Books

Book SynopsisA classic work of political theory and practise, this book makes available an account of the modern Machiavellians, a remarkable group who have been influential in Europe and practically unknown in the United States: Gaetano Mosca, Georges Sorel, Robert Michels and Vilfredo Pareto. In addition, there is a long section on Machiavelli himself. James Burnham contends that the writings of these men hold the key both to the truth about politics and to the preservation of political liberty.Trade Review'The stoic, detached, empirical, hard-boiled, penetrating, realist mind of James Burnham is something to behold, to admire, to emulate' - National Review

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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 SynopsisThis book, by one of the most respected scholars of the Romantic era, offers an explanation of Romanticism that not only restores but enhances understanding of the movement's origins, development, aims, and accomplishments—and of its continuing relevance.Trade ReviewThis is an excellent book. Its ten chapters are much more accessible and often clearer than the larger classic tomes on the subject. Each takes up a very significant topic and is sure to be read with profit by a wide range of readers - whether they are new to the field or already quite familiar with it. The book concerns an era, Early German Romanticism, that is properly becoming a major focus of new research. This volume could become one of the most helpful steps in making the area part of the canon for Anglophone scholars in all fields today. It is surely one of the best remedies for correcting out of date images of the work of the German romantics as regressive, obscurantist, or irrelevant. Early German Romanticism extends and modifies the project of the Enlightenment. The author shows that it deserves our attention not only because it is an era represented by some of the most interesting and creative personalities in our cultural history, but also because its main line of thought is responsible for a way of thinking central to our own time, namely a naturalism that might be expansive enough to do justice to traditional interests in the unique value of human freedom. -- Karl Ameriks, Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre DameThis book is a very fine and erudite study. It is impressively wide-ranging: literature, metaphysics, political philosophy, science, ethics, and religion all come seriously into play. It almost functions as an introduction to Early German Romanticism at a very high though not forbidding level. -- Ian Balfour, Professor of English, York UniversityThe author writes clearly and lucidly, arguing forcefully and convincingly on the basis of sovereign knowledge of the material. [A] most excellent volume. -- Joe K. Fugate * German Studies Review *The historically-minded philosopher Frederick Beiser has established himself as one of the clearest and most insightful interpreters of German thought in the age of idealist philosophy and romanticism. His latest contribution to the field reinforces that reputation and will certainly influence future debates about the nature and implications of German romanticism in its early years around 1800...Ultimately, Beiser's new book will be useful for those wanting a quick introduction to the early German romantics and to the scholarly literature about them. Above all, it should help to get literary critics, philosophers and historians talking to one another about an expanded range of issues fundamental to the study and legacy of early German romanticism. -- Brian Vick * European History Quarterly *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: Romanticism Now and Then 1. The Meaning of "Romantic Poetry" 2. Early German Romanticism: A. Characteristic 3. Early Romanticism and the Aufklarung 4. Fruhromantik and Platonic Tradition 5. The Sovereignty of Art 6. The Concept of Bildung Early German Romanticism 7. Friedrich Schlegel: The Mysterious Romantic 8. The Paradox of Romantic Metaphysics 9. Kant and the Naturphilosophen 10. Religion and Politics in Fruhromantik Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index

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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?We continue to live within the intellectual shadow cast by Nietzsche.??New York Times Book ReviewReissued for the age of fake news, On Truth and Untruthcharts Nietzsche?s evolving thinking on truth, which has exerted a powerful influence over modern and contemporary thought. This original collection features the complete text of the celebrated early essay ?On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense? (?a keystone in Nietzsche?s thought??Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy), as well as selections from the great philosopher?s entire career, including key passages fromThe Gay Science,Beyond Good and Evil,On the Genealogy of Morals,The Will to Power,Twilight of the Idols, andThe Antichrist.In times of crisis, the great works of philosophy help us make sense of the world. The Harper Perennial Resistance Library is a special five-book series highlighting short classic works of independent thought that illuminate the nature of truth, humanity''s dangerous attraction to authoritarianism, the influence of media and mass communication, and the philosophy of resistance?all critical in understanding today''s politically charged world.

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Book SynopsisWaiting is an inescapable part of life in modern societies. We all wait, albeit differently and for different reasons. What does it mean to wait for a long period of time? How do people narrate their waiting? Waiting is about the senses. If you do not sense it, there is no waiting. We sense waiting in the form of boredom, despair, anxiety and restlessness, but also anticipation and hope. Prolonged waiting is like insomnia - a state of wakefulness, a kind of mood, an emotional state. But it is also about politics; affecting and affected by gender, citizenship, class, and race. Blending ethnography, philosophy, poetry, art, and fiction, this book is a collection of works by scholars, visual artists, writers, architects and curators, exploring different forms of waiting in diverse geographical contexts, and the enduring effects of history, power, class, and coloniality.

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Book Synopsis"The Nectar of Instruction" by Srila Prabhupada offers enlightenment for seekers through guidelines on advanced spiritual consciousness, following the lineage of Gaudiya Vaishnavas like Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Maharaja and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

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Book SynopsisReconciling contrasting philosophical strands to unify aesthetics and philokalia in Orthodox theologyTrade ReviewAn important and very engaging book that reads as a deep intellectual dialogue. Stamoulis has re-aligned the philosophical and theological debate around aesthetics with a delightfully fresh stance re-presenting Byzantine Orthodox traditions in a way that is neither obscurantist or triumphalist but energised in a presentation that shows the Christian ancients as significant heirs of Aristotle, and the moderns as acute conversational partners with Marx. Prof. John A. McGuckin, Faculty of Theology, Oxford University Stamoulis' work is a window into an Orthodox vision of philokalic aesthetics, in which beauty is tethered to dogmatic theology. He also, however, welcomes non-Orthodox theologians to the discussion table of ancient and modern voices. They, too, may pull up a chair and glean from observations regarding a beauty which is united to truth and goodness and is revealed in the grandeur of creation. Paul A. Hartog, Professor of Theology, Faith Baptist Seminary Holy Beauty is a profound and intricate presentation of a holistic Eastern Orthodox understanding of aesthetics. Refusing false dialectics - aesthetics vs philokalia, East vs West - this study critically searches in the Fathers of the Church to rediscover a full picture of divine beauty, anchored in the goodness of creation, and presents a fascinating survey of contemporary writers and artists who exemplify how a theology of divine beauty may be expressed today. A precious gift to all. Dr. Daniel Keating, Professor of Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit MITable of ContentsTranslator's Introduction Author's Preface Part I. Philokalia or Aesthetics? The 'Dilemma' of Contemporary Orthodoxy 1. Kostas Zouraris: 'What We Call "Philokalia" Is Not the Same as Western Good Taste' 2. Father Alexander Schmemann: 'One Cannot Banish the Senses' 3. Nikos Matsoukas: 'Aesthetics Is a Lasting Victory over Distraction and Fragmentation' Part II. Orthodoxy's Philokalic Aesthetics: The 'Both Together' of Patristic Teaching 4. 'Supra-Substantial Good': Dionysius the Areopagite and the Church Fathers on the Holy Trinity 5. 'Where Has Your Beauty Gone?': Anthropological Notes on the Beauty Lost by the Fall 6. 'The Heavens Tell of the Glory of God': The Orthodox Doctrine of Creation and the Problem of the Environment Part III. 'Unutterable Beauty': Examples of a Philokalic Reading of Ecclesial Life 7. Nikos Gabriel Pentzikis: A Walk 'by the Seashore' and the Boundaries of the Church 8. The Elder Sophrony of Essex: The Remembrance of Death and the 'Conflict' with a Passion for Painting 9. The Elder Porphyrios, the Nightingale and the Current Debate on Aesthetics: Parallel Readings of the Elder's Discourses and Theodor W. Adorno's Aesthetic Theory Afterword: Saints and Poets Perhaps . Who's Who Select Bibliography Index

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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 SynopsisIn recent years, developments in experimental philosophy have led many thinkers to reconsider their central assumptions and methods. It is not enough to speculate and introspect from the armchair–philosophers must subject their claims to scientific scrutiny, looking at evidence and in some cases conducting new empirical research. The Theory and Practice of Experimental Philosophy is an introduction and guide to the systematic collection and analysis of empirical data in academic philosophy.This book serves two purposes: first, it examines the theory behind “x-phi,” including its underlying motivations and the objections that have been leveled against it. Second, the book offers a practical guide for those interested in doing experimental philosophy, detailing how to design, implement, and analyze empirical studies. Thus, the book explains the reasoning behind x-phi and provides tools to help readers become experimental philosophers.Trade Review“This book is an amazing accomplishment. The first four chapters offer an up to the minute overview of work in experimental philosophy and a persuasive response to x-phi’s critics. The remaining ten chapters provide a sophisticated and authoritative how-to-do-it guide for those who want to do experimental philosophy: research design, statistics and even IRB approval—it’s all here.” — Stephen Stich, Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of Philosophy & Cognitive Science, Rutgers University.“Experimental philosophy is by far the most significant and exhilarating development in philosophy during the 21st century. Justin Sytsma and Jonathan Livengood’s book vividly conveys the enthusiasm embodied by this philosophical movement, introduces philosophers to the tools needed to do experimental philosophy, and explores the philosophical significance of experimental philosophy in depth and with great care. A must-read for beginners and advanced philosophers alike.” — Edouard Machery, University of Pittsburgh“This book is the real thing—a beautifully accessible, wonderfully well-informed introduction to the field from two highly accomplished practitioners. It is a perfect point of entrance for people who want to find out what experimental philosophy is all about.” — Joshua Knobe, Yale University“A clear-headed, up-to-date introduction to the nature and methods of experimental philosophy, by two leading contributors to the field.” — Eric Schwitzgebel, University of California, Riverside“This book is a one-stop shop to bring yourself up to speed on both the theory and practice of experimental philosophy. Get this book, and get in on the fun!” — Ron Mallon, Washington University in St. Louis“The Theory and Practice of Experimental Philosophy represents a tremendously important accomplishment—the creation of a genuinely interdisciplinary “how to” manual, something of interest to philosophers and social scientists alike. It has already become a “must read” for students interested in working in my lab.” — Jen Cole Wright, College of CharlestonTable of ContentsFigures and TablesAcknowledgments Introduction: An Anti-Manifesto PART I: THEORYChapter 1: The New Experimental Philosophy What Is Experimental Philosophy? Experimental Philosophy of Experimental Philosophy Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 2: Motivations and Categorizations Philosophical Inquiry The Wonderment Account The Historical Contingency Account The Normative Account The Modal Account The Rational Account The Conceptual Account A Classification Scheme Non-Intuitional vs. Intuitional Experimental Philosophy Intuitional Experimental Philosophy The Evidential Approach The Neutral Approach Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 3: Programs and Examples The Non-Intuitional Program The Negative Program Knowledge Reference The Positive Program Compatibilism about Free Will Playing Defense The Cognitive Program Sources of Moral Intuitions Sources of Attributions of Intentionality Sources of Attributions of Consciousness The Descriptive Program Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 4: Criticisms and Responses The Mischaracterization Objection Explaining Away Appeals to Intuitions Against the Mischaracterization Objection’s Empirical Claim Against the Critical Inference The Error Objection Sosa’s Version of the Error Objection Kauppinen’s Version of the Error Objection Three Replies to the Error Objection The Expertise Objection The Expertise Objection and Intuitions about Reference Four Replies to the Expertise Objection Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading PART II: PRACTICE Chapter 5: How to Conduct Empirical Research in Philosophy Empirical Inquiry and Statistical Inference Experiments and Control The Research Process Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 6: Developing a Research Question Formulating an Argument Deriving a Hypothesis Deciding on a Strategy Goals Type of Claim Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 7: Determining the Research Design Simple Designs and Factorial Designs Between-Participants, Within-Participants, and Mixed Model Designs Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 8: Advanced Research Designs Pretests and Posttests Blocking Complete, Incomplete, and Fractional Factorial Designs Counterbalancing Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 9: Constructing an Instrument Conversational Pragmatics Types of Questions Types of Variables Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 10: A Brief Introduction to R Getting Started with R Naming and Retrieval Reading Files Loading Packages Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 11: Conducting a Study Pilot Testing and Institutional Approval Sampling, Probably by Convenience Data Visualization and Summary Statistics Histograms Means and Standard Deviations Medians Boxplots Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 12: Analyzing Estimation Claims Parametric Estimation Example: Drawing Marbles from a Bucket Confidence Intervals for Population Proportions Confidence Intervals for Population Means Non-Parametric Estimation Confidence Intervals for Population Proportions The Wilcoxon Procedure Bootstrap Resampling Bayesian Estimation Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 13: Analyzing Comparison Claims Parametric Comparison Comparing a Location Parameter to a Fixed Value Comparing Multiple Location Parameters Effect Size and Statistical Power Non-Parametric Comparison Comparing Population Proportions The Wilcoxon Procedure Bootstrap Resampling Bayesian Comparison A Bayesian Alternative to the t-test Bayesian Power Calculations Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading Chapter 14: Analyzing Relation Claims Simple Linear Regression Diagnostics for Simple Linear Regression One-Way Analysis of Variance Logistic Regression and Ordered Logistic Regression Multiple Regression and Advanced Experimental Designs An Introduction to Causal Search Summary and Suggestions for Further Reading ReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisCritical Thinking is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the essential skills of good reasoning. The authors provide a thorough treatment of such central topics as deductive and inductive reasoning, logical fallacies, how to recognize and avoid ambiguity, and how to distinguish what is relevant from what is not. Later chapters discuss the application of critical thinking skills to particular topics and tasks, including scientific reasoning, moral reasoning, legal reasoning, media analysis, and essay writing. The book also provides complimentary access to a companion website containing additional questions, flashcards, and other useful critical thinking resources.Trade Review“This textbook stands out from others for its clarity, which is due in large part to the conceptual organization of the material it covers. Rather than artificially carving out various aspects of critical thinking for individual treatment, the authors simply and carefully develop ideas, step by step. This approach makes clear how various aspects of careful, critical thinking come together, allowing students to develop their skills along the way.” — Joshua Smith, Central Michigan UniversityTable of Contents Acknowledgements Online Materials PART ONE: INTRODUCTION Chapter 1: Reasoning and Critical Thinking PART TWO: MEANING Chapter 2: Meaning and Definition Chapter 3: Clarifying Meaning Chapter 4: Reconstructing Arguments PART THREE: ASSESSING ARGUMENTS Chapter 5: Strategies for Assessing Arguments Chapter 6: Assessing Truth-Claims Chapter 7: Assessing Relevance Chapter 8: Assessing Adequacy Chapter 9: Deductive Reasoning Chapter 10: Inductive Reasoning PART FOUR: APPLICATIONS Chapter 11: Scientific Reasoning Chapter 12: Moral Reasoning Chapter 13: Legal Reasoning Chapter 14: Arguing Back Chapter 15: Irrational Techniques of Persuasion Chapter 16: Critiquing the Media Chapter 17: Writing and Assessing Argumentative Essays Chapter 18: Strategies for Organizing an Argumentative Essay Appendix I: Paradoxes and Puzzles Appendix II: Answers to Self-Tests Glossary Permission Acknowlegments Index

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Book SynopsisAn anthology of Buddhist stories translated by Eugene Watson Burlingame from the Dhammapada Commentary, Buddhist Legends. Published by the Pali Text Society since 1969, now issued by the Buddhist Publication Society in booklet form. Permission granted by the Pali Text Society. Contact them for the complete three-volume collection.

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Book SynopsisThis thought-provoking book examines the philosophical issues arising from the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series, revealing how the ragtag fleet's outward journey to Earth is also an inward exploration for the human survivors and their Cylon pursuers.Trade Review“The contributors to Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy strive to make things relevant to fans of the show, and they put their information ou t in a way that is accessible to folks who wouldn't know Heidegger from Heineken.” (Green Man Review, Spring 2009) "Blackwell’s Philosophy and PopCulture series sets itself the remarkable task of making phi­losophy "relevant," lamenting the subject’s ongoing "public relations problem" and resolving to change things for the better. …[I]f this volume is indicative of the series as a whole then I will happily review each and every one, for I found it to be, by and large, a stimulating and worthwhile read… Philosophy, it seems, is no longer under the guardianship of office-bound professors fluent in Latin but ignorant of popular culture. Jason T. Eberl’s "ragtag fleet" of contributors has helped in some small way to redress the balance, and I for one applaud their efforts." (Claire Graham, Kaleidoscope, October 2008) "The essays are … quite good, and to me they seem to satisfactorily serve the purpose of introducing fans of BSG to classic and contemporary philosophical problems and questions, and even professional philosophers might learn a thing or two. The essays in the anthology are both accessible and quite easy to read, and can be commended to those interested in philosophy and Battlestar Galactica." (Metapsychology, October 2008) "The writers are well versed in their subjects … .The book is most effective at making the reader rethink what they thought they knew." (Neo-opsis)Table of ContentsGiving Thanks to the Lords of Kobol. “There Are Those Who Believe …”. Part I Opening the Ancient Scrolls: Classic Philosophers as Colonial Prophets. Erik D. Baldwin, How to be Happy After the End of the World. Robert Sharp, When Machines Get Souls: Nietzsche on the Cylon Uprising. J. Robert Loftis, “What a Strange Little Man”: Baltar the Tyrant?. Jason P. Blahuta, The Politics of Crisis: Machiavelli in the Colonial Fleet. Part II I, Cylon: Are Toasters People, Too?. Robert Arp and Tracie Mahaffey, “And They Have a Plan”: Cylons as Persons. Amy Kind, “I’m Sharon, but I’m a Different Sharon”: The Identity of Cylons. Jerold J. Abrams, Embracing the “Children of Humanity”: How to Prevent the Next Cylon War. Brian Willems, When the Non-Human Knows Its Own Death. Part III Worthy of Survival: Moral Issues for Colonials and Cylons. Randall M. Jensen, The Search for Starbuck: The Needs of the Many vs. the Few. Andrew Terjesen, Resistance vs. Collaboration on New Caprica: What Would You Do?. George A. Dunn, Being Boomer: Identity, Alienation, and Evil. David Roden, Cylons in the Original Position: Limits of Posthuman Justice. Part IV The Arrow, the Eye, and Earth: The Search for a (Divine?) Home. Jason T. Eberl and Jennifer A. Vines, “I Am an Instrument of God”: Religious Belief, Atheism, and Meaning. Taneli Kukkonen, God Against the Gods: Faith and the Exodus of the Twelve Colonies. David Kyle Johnson, “A Story That Is Told Again, and Again, and Again”: Recurrence, Providence, and Freedom. Eric J. Silverman, Adama’s True Lie: Earth and the Problem of Knowledge. Part V Sagittarons, Capricans, and Gemenese: Different Worlds, Different Perspectives. James McRae, Zen and the Art of Cylon Maintenance. Elizabeth F. Cooke, “Let It Be Earth”: The Pragmatic Virtue of Hope. Sarah Conly, Is Starbuck a Woman?. David Koepsell, Gaius Baltar and the Transhuman Temptation. There Are Only Twenty-Two Cylon Contributors. The Fleet’s Manifest

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Book Synopsisaeo New in paperback, this is a major contribution to the highly topical post--modernity debates. aeo Gianni Vattimo is the leading Italian philosopher of post--modernism, and an expert on Nietzsche, Heidegger and Gadamer. aeo Vattimo presents a distinct philosophical position based on his well--known notion of 'weak thoughta .Trade Review'An important contribution to the current philosophical debate about ... 'The Post-Modern Condition'.' Times Higher Education Supplement 'In the last few years, Gianni Vattimo has emerged as the leading Italian philosopher of post-modernism. His book The End of Modernity is a splendid contribution to modern philosophy ... There is no doubt that it will be one of the classics of the decade.' David Wood, University of Warwick 'Vattimo's is a most welcome philosophical contribution to a debate that all too often fails to acknowledge its historical dimension.' Comparative Literature 'Vattimo is a leading interpreter of Heidegger and a cultural critic of extraordinary scope and originality. The End of Modernity is a major contribution to the current debate over post-modernism.' Hayden White 'Vattimo has a lively mind, eclectic tastes, and a flair for making theoretical philosophical discourse interesting and arresting.' ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction. Part I: Nihilism as Destiny. . 1. An Apology for Nihilism. 2. The Crisis of Humanism. Part II: The Truth of Art. 3. The Death or Decline of Art. 4. The Shattering of the Poetic Word. 5. Ornament/Monument. 6. The Structure of Artistic Revolutions. Part III: The End of Modernity. . 7. Hermeneutics and Nihilism. 8. Truth and Rhetoric in Hermeneutic Ontology. 9. Hermeneutics and Anthropology. 10. Nihilism and the Post-modern in Philosophy. Bibliographical Note. Index.

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Book SynopsisVon Absenz" bis Zeitalter/Epoche" - Das Wörterbuch umfasst 170 monografisch angelegte Artikel, erarbeitet von renommierten internationalen Wissenschaftlern zahlreicher Disziplinen. Ziel ist es, das gegenwärtige ästhetische Wissen in einem inter- und transdisziplinär angelegten Lexikon zu erschließen. Ausgehend von der Gegenwart und ihrer Medienwelt wird die jeweilige Begriffsentwicklung im europäischen Kulturvergleich aufgezeigt. Im Vordergrund stehen jene Epochen, die durch die Ausbildung des Systems der Künste, die Geburt der Ästhetik als Disziplin und die Entstehung der Kunstphilosophie des deutschen Idealismus geprägt sind. Als Nachschlagewerk erweist das historische Wörterbuch nicht nur Dozenten und Studenten wertvolle Dienste. Gerade in einer Zeit sich beschleunigenden Kulturwandels und globaler Öffnung aller Lebens- und Erfahrungsbereiche wendet es sich an alle, die sich mit ästhetischem Denken auseinandersetzen. Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisWe long for moments we can slow down and be still. Our days are often filled with too much noise, anxiety, and confusion. What do you do when your life isn't what you expected it to be? What can you do to slow it all down? Stilte encourages readers to focus on stillness and literal silence, creating space for moments of peace.Originally published in Dutch, Stilte reveals a grace-filled lifestyle. It shows practical ways for how to receive inner calmness and serenity. It brings you closer to the heart of yourself, other people, and God.

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Book SynopsisThe important canonical treatise on Buddha nature Ratnagotravibhaga established the doctrine foundation for the Mahayana philosophy. Among the most prominent Tibetan commentaries is that of Sakya master Rongton Sheja Kunrig, a prolific writer during the golden age of Tibetan Buddhist.

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Book SynopsisHow Do You Know? explores problems of knowledge that arise in everyday life. If you are not an expert, how can you know that another person is an expert? If experts are politically biased should you still trust them? More generally, how should you approach the testimony of other people: treat it all as "innocent until proven guilty," or is that too simple? Does the internet make us better knowers, or is it just a minefield of misinformation? Is it always irrational to believe a conspiracy theory? Suppose someone just as intelligent and well-informed as you are disagrees with you about something, how should that affect your belief? Can we have knowledge of what is right and wrong?How Do You Know? approaches these issues through the lens of social epistemology and via the preeminently social genre of philosophical dialogue. Its characters think and speak like real people in the world today, discussing and debating issues that are current, practically relevant, and even controversial—while equipping readers with tools and concepts to see more clearly for themselves.Trade Review"An excellent and engaging introduction to epistemology, with a special focus on issues in social epistemology that are very relevant in today’s world. An accessible guide to practical epistemological questions about which experts you should trust, the pervasiveness of bias in oneself and others, the proliferation of misinformation on the internet, and how you should respond when lots of people disagree with you. Highly recommended." —James Beebee, State University of New York at Buffalo"How Do You Know? is an accessible and engaging foray into the growing field of applied epistemology, and a welcome resource for students or anyone else coming to these issues for the first time." —David Coady, University of Tasmania

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewRoger Ariew and Marjorie Grene, with the help of Hackett's modest pricing scheme, have made this challenging, infuriating, ironic and hilarious classic readily available in a faithful and well-presented translation. . . . Scholars will find this volume a fine choice for introducing students to early modern philosophy. . . . This is a welcome publication. --Craig Walton, Philosophy in Review

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe overall standard of the volume is extraordinarily high, and I have no doubt that this will be the text in philosophy of science for a couple of decades. The coverage is remarkable both in breadth and depth. . . . an amazingly good book. . . . written by an all-star team. . . . --Philip Kitcher, Columbia University

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Book SynopsisThis is an expanded edition of James Ellington's translation of Kant's essay, in which Kant replies to one of the standard objections to his moral theory as presented in the main text: that it requires us to tell the truth even in the face of harmful consequences.Trade ReviewI love teaching this edition of the Groundwork. It is highly readable while accurate, and affordable for undergraduates. --Mark LeBar, Ohio University

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Book Synopsis* Roberto Esposito is one of leading figures in a new generation of Italian philosophers. * This book criticizes the notion of the person and develops an original account of the concept of the impersonal - what he calls the third person.Trade Review'Third Person recasts the nebulous history of biopolitics with insight and ingenuity. Weaving together the biological, anthropological, linguistic and philosophic filaments of its genesis, Esposito finds that both liberal traditions of personalism and the catastrophic biopolitics of the twentieth-century share a common focus in the centrality of personhood.'Evening Haze"In this slim and powerful volume, Roberto Esposito not only diagnoses how this dispositif undermines attempts to secure human rights, but he also provides humankind a means of moving forward, past the person, into the life-validating realm of the impersonal."Marx and Philosophy "Is there a term that dominates thought today more than person? From biotechnology and social networking to corporations, person increasingly appears as the dark heart of contemporary life. In this compelling and at times troubling reflection, Roberto Esposito measures the biopolitical costs of our obsession with everything personal in a failed project of the common. In place of the person, Esposito counsels the impersonal perspective of the 'third person.' Part genealogy, part philosophical guide-book, this book is a bold reflection on life and politics that continues in unexpected ways Esposito's previous readings of biopolitics."Timothy Campbell, Cornell University "Beyond the horizon of Western subjectivity, behind the sacralization of the person, lies Esposito's impersonal life. Deconstructing the 'human' and its juridical-biological constitution, Third Person casts incisive light on the perilous region which silently encircles it - the event, its anonymity and uncanniness."Andrea Rossi, Lancaster UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction i. The double life (The machine of the human sciences) ii. Person, man, thing iii. Third person 1. Non-person 2. The animal 3. The Other (Autrui) 4. He/She 5. The neuter 6. The outside 7. The event

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Book SynopsisBrings together some of the author's most personal philosophical and nonphilosophical essays. This title offers an account of his first trip to India, which includes unforgettable vignettes of encounters with strangers and reflections on poverty and begging. It reveals a personal side of one of the influential philosophers of our time.Trade Review"Finding Oneself in the Other works primarily as a memorial to Gerald Allan Cohen, the man, and not his ideas. Both deserve to be remembered. And so the second volume in this trilogy is worth reading, albeit for different reasons than the first."--Peter Stone, Marx and Philosophy Review of Books "The essays are a joy to read--they are fun, engaging and insightful--and they provide a fascinating perspective on Cohen's philosophical development, on the intellectual context in which he was active, and on the way in which he viewed and experienced the world. Accordingly, they will be of interest not just to those working in moral and political philosophy but to a much broader audience."--Ralf Bader, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews "Cohen renders the subject of linguistic morality accessible through a refreshing admixture of humor and diligent explication... Finding Oneself is at once edifying and sincere."--Ross Mittiga, Political Studies Review "Engaging, perceptive, and empathetic, these writings reveal a more personal side of one of the most influential philosophers of our time."--World Book Industry "Finding Oneself in the Other is ideal for philosophers and non-philosophers alike... [It] is a valuable asset."--Eugene Baron, Ethical PerspectivesTable of ContentsEditor's Preface vii Acknowledgments xiii Chapter 1 Isaiah's Marx, and Mine 1 Chapter 2 Prague Preamble to "Why Not Socialism?" 16 Chapter 3 A Black and White Issue 20 Chapter 4 Two Weeks in India 26 Chapter 5 Complete Bullshit 94 Chapter 6 Casting the First Stone: Who Can, and Who Can't, Condemn the Terrorists? 115 Chapter 7 Ways of Silencing Critics 134 Chapter 8 Rescuing Conservatism: A Defense of Existing Value (All Souls version) 143 Chapter 9 Valedictory Lecture: My Philosophical Development(and impressions of philosophers whom I met along the way) 175 Chapter 10 Notes on Regarding People as Equals 193 Chapter 11 One Kind of Spirituality: Come Back, Feuerbach, All Is Forgiven! 201 Works Cited 209 Index 213

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Book SynopsisAnswers some of the most pressing questions about life's nature and value. This title argues that evidence requires the abandonment of many traditional ideas about the soul, free will, and immortality, and shows how brain science matters for fundamental issues about reality, morality, and the meaning of life.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2011 "[Thagard] offers a tightly reasoned, often humorous, and original contribution to the emerging practice of applying science to areas heretofore the province of philosophers, theologians, ethicists, and politicians: What is reality and how can we know it? Are mind and brain one or two? What is the source of the sense of self? What is love? What is the difference between right and wrong, and how can we know it? What is the most legitimate form of government? What is the meaning of life, and how can we find happiness in it? Thagard employs the latest tools and findings of science in his attempts to answer these (and additional) questions."--Michael Shermer, Science "A thoughtful and well-researched attempt to answer that most fundamental existential question: why not kill yourself? Or, to give it a positive spin, what gives life meaning? Thagard lays out detailed arguments that reality is knowable through science, that minds are nothing other than material brains and that there are no ultimate rights and wrongs handed down by a supernatural being."--New Scientist "Thagard's 'neural naturalism' promises nothing short of a conceptual revolution, or better, a paradigm shift. His evidence-based strategy uses the data from psychology and neuroscience to expose empirically based answers to questions such as, What is the meaning of life? What ought one to do? ... Thagard's reader-friendly text includes a glossary, endnotes, and extensive references."--Choice "The name of this well-written and ambitious book understates the breadth of its scope. The book deals with the relation of modern neuroscience not only to the meaning of life, but also to ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology... The discussion is rich, unorthodox, and frequently exciting."--Iddo Landau, Metapsychology Online Reviews "The book integrates decades of multidisciplinary research, but its clear explanations and humor make it accessible to the general reader."--Gaia Media News "[R]eaders will find much of the author's advice to be beneficial. The book contains many good suggestions for making one's life better including advice on how to be happier and how to make good decisions, all based on solid research in psychology and neuroscience. For anyone who is curious about current research in these fields, Thagard's book provides an accessible introduction to important concepts and theories."--Margery Lucas, Society "Thagard has published a string of distinguished books and papers on reasoning and scientific explanation, and was a pioneer in using cognitive science to study the way scientists think. The sections on reasoning bear the imprint of this work, and pack a lot of philosophy into a short span."--Dominic Murphy, Australian Review of Public AffairsTable of ContentsPreface xi Acknowledgments xv Chapter 1: We All Need Wisdom 1 Why Live? 1 Sources of Wisdom 3 Philosophical Approaches 5 The Relevance of Minds and Brains 6 Looking Ahead 8 Conclusion 12 Chapter 2: Evidence Beats Faith 13 Faith versus Evidence 13 How Faith Works 14 How Evidence Works 20 Evidence and Inference in Science 23 Medicine: Evidence or Faith? 27 Evidence, Truth, and God 32 A Priori Reasoning and Thought Experiments 35 Conclusion 40 Chapter 3: Minds Are Brains 42 The Brain Revolution 42 Evidence That Minds Are Brains 43 Evidence for Dualism? 54 Objections to Mind-Brain Identity 59 Who Are You? 63 Conclusion 64 Chapter 4: How Brains Know Reality 67 Reality and Its Discontents 67 Knowing Objects 69 Appearance and Reality 72 Concepts 76 Knowledge beyond Perception 81 Coherence in the Brain 85 Coherence and Truth 90 Conclusion 92 Chapter 5: How Brains Feel Emotions 94 Emotions Matter 94 Valuations in the Brain 95 Cognitive Appraisal versus Bodily Perception 98 Synthesis: The EMOCON Model 100 Emotional Consciousness 105 Multilevel Explanations 108 Rationality and Affective Afflictions 111 Conclusion 116 Chapter 6: How Brains Decide 119 Big Decisions 119 Inference to the Best Plan 121 Decisions in the Brain 123 Changing Goals 126 How to Make Bad Decisions 133 Living without Free Will 137 Conclusion 140 Chapter 7: Why Life Is Worth Living 142 The Meaning of Life 142 Nihilism 143 Happiness 146 Goals and Meaning 149 Love 152 Work 158 Play 161 Conclusion 165 Chapter 8: Needs and Hopes 168 Wants versus Needs 168 Vital Needs 169 How Love, Work, and Play Satisfy Needs 171 Balance, Coherence, and Change 176 Hope versus Despair 177 Conclusion 182 Chapter 9: Ethical Brains 183 Ethical Decisions 183 Conscience and Moral Intuitions 184 Mirror Neurons 188 Empathy 190 Moral Motivation 192 Ethical Theory 195 Moral Objectivity 201 Responsibility 204 Conclusion 206 Chapter 10. Making Sense of It All 209 Connections Made 209 Wisdom Gained 213 What Kind of Government Should Countries Have? 215 How Can Creative Change Be Produced? 217 What Is Mathematical Knowledge? 221 Why Is There Something and Not Nothing? 224 The Future of Wisdom 226 Notes 231 Glossary 251 References 255 Index 271

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Book SynopsisAn English translation of the Chinese Zhuangzi. It favors an attitude toward life: abandon presuppositions, intellectual debates, and ambitions.Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsGuide to PronunciationMapThe Summer Cicada and the Wonder Tortoise5The Little Sparrow's Small Happiness7Hui Shi's Giant Gourd8The Song Family's Secret Formula10The Useless Shu Tree12The Tattooed Yue People15The Music of the Earth16Zhao Wen Quits the Zither19Does Wang Ni Know?20Is Xi Shi Really Beautiful?22Li Ji's Tears23Zhang Wuzi's Dream24Shadows Talking25The Dream of the Butterfly26Three at Dawn and Four at Dusk27Hui Shi Leans against a Tree28The Cook Carves Up a Cow29Passing on the Flame31The Caged Pheasant32Like A Mantis Stopping a Cart33The Horse Lover35The Earth Spirit's Tree36A Tree's Natural Life Span38The Freak40Oil Burns Itself Out41The Tiger Trainer42Toeless Shu43Nature the Superhero44Forgetting the Dao45Zi Sang Questions His Fate46Digging a Canal in the Ocean Floor47Are a Duck's Legs Too Short?48The Lost Goat49Bandits Have Principles, Too50Good Wine, Bad Wine52The Yellow Emperor Questions Guangcheng53Nature's Friend54The Old Wheelwright55The Earth and the Sky57Crows and Seagulls58Confucius Sees a Dragon59Don't Ring the Bull's Nose60The Wind and the Snake61Courage of the Sage63The Frog in the Well65Learning How to Walk in Handan68A Crow Eating a Dead Rat69You're Not a Fish71Zhuangzi Dreams of a Skeleton72Sea Birds Don't Like Music74The Drunk Passenger76Riding with the Dao77The Sweet Water is Gone First79Lin Hui Forsakes a Fortune81Swallows Nest in the Eaves82The Mantis Getting the Cicada83Fan Was Never Destroyed85Knowledge and the Dao86Gengsang Forsakes Fame88The Yellow Emperor and the Pasture Boy89The Stone Mason and the Ying Man91Two Nations on a Snail's Antennae93Zhuangzi Borrows Grain94The Turtle That Could Predict the Future95Natural Use97Catch the Fish, Discard the Trap98Yang Zhu Studies the Dao99Zi Gong's Snow-White Clothes100The Bandit Speaks102Zhuangzi's Three Swords107Confucius in the Black Forest114The Man Who Hated His Footprints117The Man Who Hated His Shadow118Like a Drifting Boat119The Dragonslayer120Shattering the Dragonpearl122Don't Make Sacrifices124Zhuangzi on His Deathbed125Afterword127

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Book SynopsisThis collection of essays was the last work planned by Ayn Rand before her death in 1982. In it, she summarizes her view of philosophy and deals with a broad spectrum of topics. According to Ayn Rand, the choice we make is not whether to have a philosophy, but which one to have: rational, conscious, and therefore practical; or contradictory, unidentified, and ultimately lethal. Written with all the clarity and eloquence that have placed Ayn Rand’s Objectivist philosophy in the mainstream of American thought, these essays range over such basic issues as education, morality, censorship, and inflation to prove that philosophy is the fundamental force in all our lives.

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Book SynopsisIn premodern China, elite painters used imagery not to mirror the world around them, but to evoke unfathomable experience. Considering their art alongside the philosophical traditions that inform it, this book explores the "nonobject" - a notion exemplified by paintings that do not seek to represent observable surroundings.Trade Review"This is one of those rare, precious, and necessary books that, once you have completed a first reading, you realize you have only just begun." (Magazine Litteraire)"

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Book SynopsisA revolutionary archaeological discovery-considered by some to be as momentous as the revelation of the Dead Sea Scrolls-sheds fascinating new light on one of the most important texts of ancient Chinese civilization.Trade ReviewMeticulously researched...Very readable and enjoyable. Library JournalTable of Contents1. Issues of Dating and Authorship in Light of the Guodian Discovery 2. The Site: Location and Date of the Tomb 3. The Texts Found in the Tomb 4. Laozi A, B, and C 5. Punctuation and the Issue of Chapter Divisions 6. Interesting Cases: Chapters 19, 30, and 63 7. The Philosophy of the "Bamboo Slip Laozi" 8. Conclusion--What Is the "Bamboo Slip Laozi"?

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIf you can get two sworn and unrestrained philosophical enemies such as Daniel Dennett and John Searle to join forces against you, you must at the very least be described as the controversialists of our time. -- Akeel Bilgrami, Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy and director, Heyman Centre for the Humanities, Columbia University Neurophysiology has made astonishing progress in recent decades and has learnt many hitherto unknown facts about the brain and its functioning. But what do these discoveries tell us about the mind? Peter Hacker and Maswell Bennett adopt an avowedly Aristotelian stance. Many cognitive scientists, they maintain, covertly endorse the dualism of Plato and Descartes, merely substituting brain-body dualism for mind-body dualism. If Daniel Dennett and John Searle are right, philosophical psychology is about to be superannuated by a scientific breakthrough in the study of the mind. If Bennett and Hacker are right, then much of cognitive neuroscience is not sound science but muddled philosophy. The resulting four-cornered discussion must rank as one of the great philosophical debates of our generation. The points at issue between these four sophisticated and articulate thinkers concern not only neurophysiology and philosophy of mind but the whole nature of philosophy itself and its relationship to science. The debates here give the reader an unparalleled chance to reach a personal decision on issues of fundamental intellectual importance. -- Anthony Kenny, Fellow Emeritus, St. John's College, Oxford University A useful introduction. -- Barry Dainton Science Readable and accessible. -- James Sage Metapsychology A good introduction to this dynamic subfield. Library Journal [A] rare opportunity to appreciate an encapsulated philosophical debate... Recommended. CHOICETable of ContentsIntroduction, by Daniel Robinson The Argument Selections from Philosophical Foundations of Neuroscience Neuroscience and Philosophy, by Maxwell R. Bennett The Rebuttals Philosophy as Naive Anthropology: Comment on Bennett and Hacker, by Daniel Dennett Putting Consciousness Back in the Brain: Reply to Bennett and Hacker, Philosophical Foundations of Neuroscience, by John Searle Reply to the Rebuttals The Conceptual Presuppositions of Cognitive Neuroscience: A Reply to Critics, by Maxwell R. Bennett and Peter M. S. Hacker Epilogue, by Maxwell R. Bennett Still Looking: Science and Philosophy in Pursuit of Prince Reason, by Daniel Robinson Notes

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Book SynopsisJohn Lemos' Freedom, Responsibility, and Determinism offers an up-to-date introduction to free will (and associated) debates in an engaging, dialogic format that recommends it for use by beginning students in philosophy as well as by undergraduates in intermediate courses in metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and action theory.Trade ReviewThere has been a great deal of philosophical progress in the free will debate in the last two generations, and much of this progress has been complex and rather technical. In less than one hundred pages, John Lemos manages to introduce the reader to this debate, as well as to related debates about religion and science as they relate to free will--without dumbing down and in a pleasant, accessible dialogue form. This is an impressive achievement. --Saul Smilansky, Professor of Philosophy, University of HaifaLemos' dialogue on free will is up to the standards of the very best of Hackett's excellent previous introductory dialogues on philosophical topics. --Robert Kane, University Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy Emeritus and Professor of Law, University of Texas at AustinAccessible, substansive, and well-organized. Intelligent use of the dialogue form. --Raymond Belliotti, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Philosophy, SUNY Fredonia

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