Philosophy Books

Book SynopsisPower to the People examines the teaching of political philosophy in what is taken to be skeptical times. Author Avner de-Shalit encourages political philosophers to remain committed to the analytical achievements of political philosophy while also revising and improving the teachings of the discipline to be more in tune with the demands of democratic society. Using highly accessible language, de-Shalit argues that distinguishing political philosophy from politics is methodologically and normatively wrong; that political philosophy can empower its students; and that political philosophy should be democraticized. De-Shalit''s radical and provocative theory will fascinate anyone involved in politics, philosophy, and education.Trade ReviewWhat is the place of political philosophy in a democratic society? How should political philosophy be taught? Avner de-Shalit’s wise and provocative new book shows how political philosophy does not replace democratic politics but, instead, enhances it. Decrying both ivory tower isolation of contemporary scholars and the Platonic temptation to install philosophers as political kings, de-Shalit offers a vibrant new vision of the mutual dependence of political theory and democratic practice. His book helps us – scholars and citizens alike— to see how political philosophy helps democracy flourish. -- Rob Reich, Stanford UniversityMost political philosophers aim to improve the world (otherwise they'd be bankers or lawyers). But how can they improve the world in the classroom? And how can they improve the world outside the classroom? de-Shalit's excellent book provides answers to these questions. It should be essential reading for all graduate students and professors of political philosophy. -- Daniel Bell, Tsinghua UniversityTable of ContentsPart 1 Teaching and Democratizing Political Philosophy Chapter 2 From Engagement to Detachment and Back Chapter 3 Teaching Political Philosophy and Academic Neutrality Chapter 4 Political Philosophy and Empowering the Citizens Chapter 5 Public Reflective Equilibrium: Private, Contextual, and Public Part 6 Implications Chapter 7 Herbert Marcuse vs. Deliberative Democracy: Two Models for Teaching Political Philosophy at the University Chapter 8 The Relationships Between Political Science, Political Theory, and the History of Ideas Chapter 9 Jeremiah's tragedy

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Book SynopsisPower to the People examines the teaching of political philosophy in what is taken to be skeptical times. Author Avner de-Shalit encourages political philosophers to remain committed to the analytical achievements of political philosophy while also revising and improving the teachings of the discipline to be more in tune with the demands of democratic society. Using highly accessible language, de-Shalit argues that distinguishing political philosophy from politics is methodologically and normatively wrong; that political philosophy can empower its students; and that political philosophy should be democraticized. De-Shalit''s radical and provocative theory will fascinate anyone involved in politics, philosophy, and education.Trade ReviewWhat is the place of political philosophy in a democratic society? How should political philosophy be taught? Avner de-Shalit’s wise and provocative new book shows how political philosophy does not replace democratic politics but, instead, enhances it. Decrying both ivory tower isolation of contemporary scholars and the Platonic temptation to install philosophers as political kings, de-Shalit offers a vibrant new vision of the mutual dependence of political theory and democratic practice. His book helps us – scholars and citizens alike— to see how political philosophy helps democracy flourish. -- Rob Reich, Stanford UniversityMost political philosophers aim to improve the world (otherwise they'd be bankers or lawyers). But how can they improve the world in the classroom? And how can they improve the world outside the classroom? de-Shalit's excellent book provides answers to these questions. It should be essential reading for all graduate students and professors of political philosophy. -- Daniel Bell, Tsinghua UniversityTable of ContentsPart 1 Teaching and Democratizing Political Philosophy Chapter 2 From Engagement to Detachment and Back Chapter 3 Teaching Political Philosophy and Academic Neutrality Chapter 4 Political Philosophy and Empowering the Citizens Chapter 5 Public Reflective Equilibrium: Private, Contextual, and Public Part 6 Implications Chapter 7 Herbert Marcuse vs. Deliberative Democracy: Two Models for Teaching Political Philosophy at the University Chapter 8 The Relationships Between Political Science, Political Theory, and the History of Ideas Chapter 9 Jeremiah's tragedy

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Book SynopsisThe author reads Goethe''s Faust as the first epic written under Spinoza''s influence. He shows how its thematic development is governed by Spinoza''s pantheistic naturalism. He further contends that Wagner and Nietzsche have tried to surpass their mentor Goethe''s work by writing their own Spinozan epics of love and power in The Ring of the Nibelung and Thus Spoke Zarathustra. These Spinozan epics are designed to succeed the Christian epics in the Western literary tradition. Whereas the Christian epics dared to groom human beings for their destiny in the supernatural world, the Spinozan epics try to reinstate humanity as the children of Mother Nature and overcome their alienation from the natural world, which had been dictated by the long reign of Christianity. However, it has been well noted that none of these new epics seems to hang together thematically as a coherent work. By his Spinozan reading, the author not only demonstrates the thematic unity of each of them singly, but furthTrade ReviewThis broad-gauged study is full of engaging and original ideas. The grand itinerary of thought once again displays Seung's characteristic erudition, clarity of argument, and spiritual engagement. It is exactly the sort of book that one wants to read closely, learn from appreciatively, and engage in intense critical debate. -- Stanley Corngold, Professor of German Literature, Princeton UniversityThis ambitious book traces the thread of Spinozism that connects three monuments of European modernity. The author interprets these works as epics of love and power in the Spinozan world. His bold thesis and lucid prose will appeal to students and scholars of philosophy, literature, religion, and European culture. -- Daniel Conway, Professor of Philosophy, Pennsylvania State UniversityThe author has a genius for discovering and mapping paths of thought relating the greatest minds of our heritage. In The Fragile Leaves of the Sibyl, he illuminated Dante's master plan by proposing the original and compelling thesis that the Divina Commedia is an allegorical representation of the Holy Trinity as its epic hero. In Nietzsche's Epic of the Soul, he showed how Spinoza's idea of an immanent God had infused Nietzsche's thought. Now in this book, he deepens our understanding of Goethe, Nietzsche, and Wagner in their poetic renditions of Spinoza's daring vision for human destiny. -- John Silber, University Professor and President Emeritus, Boston UniversityThe novel idea of Spinozan epics is highly illuminating. This book reveals that three poets took upon themselves the awesome historical mission to naturalize the Christian epic tradition and redesign the destiny of humanity as the children of Mother Nature. The author spins out this astounding revelation through his hermeneutic program of cultural thematics. -- Chul Bum Lee, Poet and critic[An] ambitious and attractively pugnacious study....Seung writes lucidly, engagingly, and with a rewarding attention to unremarked interpretive possibilities. * Journal Of Germanic Studies, September 2008 *This fresh interpretation of Goethe's Faust sheds new light on Germany's literary monument. Never before has this work been analyzed so consistently with Spinoza's pantheism as its guiding thought and driving force. The result is a rich and penetrating treatment of the epic hero Faust from a relentlessly striving, often ruthlessly egocentric figure to a human being who discovers his communal self at the end of his life. Students of German literature are in for a number of surprises. The most startling of them all is the bold move to read the ending of Faust II not as a problematic, pseudo-Christian melodrama with the hero's soul on its way to heaven, but as a psychodrama within Faust just before his death. There is plenty in Seung's engaging study to disagree with, but he never presents a weak case, and to wrestle with his arguments is always rewarding. -- Walter Wetzels, Professor Emeritus of German Literature, University of Texas

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Book SynopsisThe author reads Goethe''s Faust as the first epic written under Spinoza''s influence. He shows how its thematic development is governed by Spinoza''s pantheistic naturalism. He further contends that Wagner and Nietzsche have tried to surpass their mentor Goethe''s work by writing their own Spinozan epics of love and power in The Ring of the Nibelung and Thus Spoke Zarathustra. These Spinozan epics are designed to succeed the Christian epics in the Western literary tradition. Whereas the Christian epics dared to groom human beings for their destiny in the supernatural world, the Spinozan epics try to reinstate humanity as the children of Mother Nature and overcome their alienation from the natural world, which had been dictated by the long reign of Christianity. However, it has been well noted that none of these new epics seems to hang together thematically as a coherent work. By his Spinozan reading, the author not only demonstrates the thematic unity of each of them singly, but furthTrade ReviewThis broad-gauged study is full of engaging and original ideas. The grand itinerary of thought once again displays Seung's characteristic erudition, clarity of argument, and spiritual engagement. It is exactly the sort of book that one wants to read closely, learn from appreciatively, and engage in intense critical debate. -- Stanley Corngold, Professor of German Literature, Princeton UniversityThis ambitious book traces the thread of Spinozism that connects three monuments of European modernity. The author interprets these works as epics of love and power in the Spinozan world. His bold thesis and lucid prose will appeal to students and scholars of philosophy, literature, religion, and European culture. -- Daniel Conway, Professor of Philosophy, Pennsylvania State UniversityThe author has a genius for discovering and mapping paths of thought relating the greatest minds of our heritage. In The Fragile Leaves of the Sibyl, he illuminated Dante's master plan by proposing the original and compelling thesis that the Divina Commedia is an allegorical representation of the Holy Trinity as its epic hero. In Nietzsche's Epic of the Soul, he showed how Spinoza's idea of an immanent God had infused Nietzsche's thought. Now in this book, he deepens our understanding of Goethe, Nietzsche, and Wagner in their poetic renditions of Spinoza's daring vision for human destiny. -- John Silber, University Professor and President Emeritus, Boston UniversityThe novel idea of Spinozan epics is highly illuminating. This book reveals that three poets took upon themselves the awesome historical mission to naturalize the Christian epic tradition and redesign the destiny of humanity as the children of Mother Nature. The author spins out this astounding revelation through his hermeneutic program of cultural thematics. -- Chul Bum Lee, Poet and critic[An] ambitious and attractively pugnacious study....Seung writes lucidly, engagingly, and with a rewarding attention to unremarked interpretive possibilities. * Journal Of Germanic Studies, September 2008 *This fresh interpretation of Goethe's Faust sheds new light on Germany's literary monument. Never before has this work been analyzed so consistently with Spinoza's pantheism as its guiding thought and driving force. The result is a rich and penetrating treatment of the epic hero Faust from a relentlessly striving, often ruthlessly egocentric figure to a human being who discovers his communal self at the end of his life. Students of German literature are in for a number of surprises. The most startling of them all is the bold move to read the ending of Faust II not as a problematic, pseudo-Christian melodrama with the hero's soul on its way to heaven, but as a psychodrama within Faust just before his death. There is plenty in Seung's engaging study to disagree with, but he never presents a weak case, and to wrestle with his arguments is always rewarding. -- Walter Wetzels, Professor Emeritus of German Literature, University of Texas

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Book SynopsisExamines the idea of communalism in African cultures as a dominant theme that provides the foundation for African traditional moral thoughts, moral education, values, beliefs, conceptions of reality, practices, and ways of life. This book also argues that when properly understood, it could provide the necessary foundation for Africa's development.Trade ReviewThis book is a much-needed conceptual and pragmatic study of the existence and significance of African communalism and philosophy. * African American Review *This book will stimulate much debate in African philosophy....This is an important contribution to contemporary African political philosophy. * Philosophy in Review, October 2008 *Prof. Ikuenobe is breaking important new ground with this book...it is well-written, engaging, and will appeal to a broad audience. -- H. Gene Blocker, Ohio UniversityTable of ContentsChapter 1 Methodological and Metaphilosophical Issues Chapter 2 African Conceptions of Personhood and Community Chapter 3 Moral Philosophy, Communalism, and Morality Chapter 4 Oral Tradition, Narratives, and Moral Education Chapter 5 Communalism and Epistemic Authoritarianism Chapter 6 Moral Education, Rationality, and Indoctrination Chapter 7 Reflections on Communalism, Responsibility, and Liberal Criticisms

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the social relevance of philosophy as this problem is posed in the contemporary Modernism-Postmodernism debate. Manuel P. Arriaga critically investigates the two sides of the debate in their various presuppositions and their equally diverse ramifications in fields ranging from political theory, philosophy of religion, and theory of knowledge, among others. Making use of the problematic of social justice as touchstone in threshing out the issue and aided particularly by the thought of Emmanuel Levinas, Arriaga then presents a view of the social relevance of philosophy that incorporates the good points of the opposing camps of the debate. The Modernist-Postmodernist Quarrel on Philosophy and Justice will interest anyone wishing to ask about the social relevance of what philosophers do.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Framing the Issue Chapter 2 Modernism, Critical Theory, and Habermas's Reconstructive Science Chapter 3 Habermas's Discourse Ethics and the Question of Justice Chapter 4 Jean-François Lyotard: Justice, Philosophy, and Undecidability Chapter 5 Richard Rorty on the Social Irrelevance of Philosophy Chapter 6 The Dichotomy in Liberally-inspired Views of Justice Chapter 7 Some Integrative Approaches Chapter 8 Levinas's Integrative Views of Justice and Philosophy

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Book SynopsisIn order to better understand the conditions of the twenty-first century, the authors revisit the 20th century in this work. They revisit some of the most significant periods in art and politics in the twentieth century paying close attention to the relationship between aesthetics and politics.Trade ReviewDiscussing art as a function of politics, this book offers a fresh perspective on the place of art in our lives and our society. Writing in a direct and accessible manner, Sassower and Cicotelli bring clarity to a complex range of materials and philosophical positions. -- Adam J. Lerner, The Laboratory of Art and Ideas at Belmar...instructors of art and their students will especially benefit from this thought-provoking and nuanced book. -- Anthony Birch, Gainesville, Georgia * Bridges *In an important and ground-breaking analysis, Sassower and Cicotello dissect the social power of imagery, from art to propaganda. Now more than ever images shape and control our lives, and this book points in a new direction, perhaps toward a new discipline, for understanding them. From politics and economics to structures of the mind, the context and appeal of art is examined through a radical social/aesthetic approach. The right questions are asked—about interests, culture, beauty—and a deep reading of images emerges, a reading increasingly essential for our time. -- Will Wright, Colorado State University-PuebloTable of ContentsChapter 1 The Artistic Predicament of Ideological Complicity Chapter 2 The Visual Framing of Fascism and Democracy Chapter 3 The Universal Faces of Art Chapter 4 The Pedagogical Predicament

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Book SynopsisDrawing from the works of Plato and more philosophers such as Bakhtin, Buber, Taylor, and Gadamer, this book explores the necessity of dialogue to being. It argues that dialogue is not just a form of communication, but it is the very conditio humana. It provides an account of dialogue and its role in philosophy, literature, and oral discourse.Trade ReviewThis wonderful book covers the phenomenon of dialogue from our everyday experience to the philosophical disourses as the manifestation of the uniqueness of each and every single individual. -- Agnes Heller, Professor Emeritus, New School for Social Research, New YorkDialogue is a ubiquitous term in everyday experience and increasingly in recent philosophy. Combining diverse approaches from the history of philosophy, phenomenolongy and the insights of Mikhail Bakhtin, Dimitri Nikulin gives us a clear and illuminating account of dialogues as process, event, and interaction in the world. -- Seyla Benhabib"Since the Bakhtin Boom in the 1980s, 'dialogue' has been everywhere present as a word and too often absent as a disciplined philosophical relation. Nikulin provides the concept with a history, a psychology, and an inventory of its pitfalls, dead-ends, and challenges. But he does more. In devising his own bridge categories to help us flourish in dialogue, he sheds light on its most confounding paradoxes: how I can owe my being to dialogue and yet recognizably cohere and persist over time; and how I am at any moment complete, but at no time finalized. An erudite and inspiring book." -- Caryl Emerson, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsChapter 1 Dialogue in the Past and Extant Tradition Chapter 2 Voice Chapter 3 Incompleteness and Unfinalizability Chapter 4 Eidema Chapter 5 Other Chapter 6 Dialogue Chapter 7 Monologue Chapter 8 Concesus, Dissensus, and Allosensus Chapter 9 Being

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Book SynopsisDrawing from the works of Plato and contemporary philosophers, this book explores the necessity of dialogue to being. It argues that dialogue is not just a form of communication, but it is the very conditio humana. It provides a systematic account of dialogue and its role in philosophy, literature, and oral discourse.Trade ReviewThis wonderful book covers the phenomenon of dialogue from our everyday experience to the philosophical disourses as the manifestation of the uniqueness of each and every single individual. -- Agnes Heller, Professor Emeritus, New School for Social Research, New YorkDialogue is a ubiquitous term in everyday experience and increasingly in recent philosophy. Combining diverse approaches from the history of philosophy, phenomenolongy and the insights of Mikhail Bakhtin, Dimitri Nikulin gives us a clear and illuminating account of dialogues as process, event, and interaction in the world. -- Seyla Benhabib"Since the Bakhtin Boom in the 1980s, 'dialogue' has been everywhere present as a word and too often absent as a disciplined philosophical relation. Nikulin provides the concept with a history, a psychology, and an inventory of its pitfalls, dead-ends, and challenges. But he does more. In devising his own bridge categories to help us flourish in dialogue, he sheds light on its most confounding paradoxes: how I can owe my being to dialogue and yet recognizably cohere and persist over time; and how I am at any moment complete, but at no time finalized. An erudite and inspiring book." -- Caryl Emerson, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsChapter 1 Dialogue in the Past and Extant Tradition Chapter 2 Voice Chapter 3 Incompleteness and Unfinalizability Chapter 4 Eidema Chapter 5 Other Chapter 6 Dialogue Chapter 7 Monologue Chapter 8 Concesus, Dissensus, and Allosensus Chapter 9 Being

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Book SynopsisValues and Objectivity in Science illuminates many of the ethical issues that arise concerning scientific practices and applications, offering an account of how social and ethical values play important roles within science. Hugh Lacey develops and clarifies his previous analysis by arguing for the importance of research being conducted under a plurality of strategies, contrasting ''materialist strategies'' with ''agro-ecological strategies.'' By displaying the structure of current ethical controversies about the legitimacy of planting transgenic crops, this book illustrates that sound thinking on such issues must be grounded on an adequate philosophy of science, one that can clearly distinguish between the proper and the distorting roles of values in scientific practices. This book will prove useful for science students and practitioners as well as those interested in the growing ethical questions involved in scientific practices.Trade ReviewThis book successfully combines an original account of values and objectivity in science with an application to the case of transgenic crops. It brings careful analysis to a politically charged set of issues, and shows through this case study how philosophy of science has global import. -- Miriam Solomon, Professor of Philosophy, Temple UniversityHugh Lacey is one of our most careful thinkers about the interrelations of social values and scientific inquiry. Values and Objectivity in Science updates his philosophical account of these relations and then applies them to illuminating a series of issues in contemporary agricultural science. It is a timely and welcome volume, indeed. -- Helen Longino, University of MinnesotaHugh Lacey places his thoughtful and well-researched observations on the controversy that has surrounded the development of agricultural biotechnology within a new philosophical interpretation of objectivity and values in science. The result is a "must read" for anyone with a serious interest in transgenic crops, including working scientists, science administrators, regulators and scholars of this debate. His approach is also an important contribution to science studies (and especially the philosophy of science) that demonstrates how lack of attention to the philosophical dimensions of scientific inquiry and science policy can blossom into full blown public debate. -- Paul B. Thompson, Michigan State University, W.K. Kellogg Professor of Agricultural, Food, and Community EthicsThis book manifests long and serious engagement with the pressing issue of identifying the impact of social values on the pursuit of science, and then it provides informed arguments for separating legitimate and useful impacts from illegitimate and ideological ones. Its treatment of debates about multicultural science is especially sophisticated. -- Michael R. Matthews, University of New South WalesHugh Lacey‘s new book should be required reading for anyone interested in questions of values (or ethics) and their role in science. His discussion of research strategies also brings new insights concerning the nature and practice of science itself. The second part on transgenic agriculture is a brilliant and exemplary case study. -- Peter Machamer, University of PittsburghTable of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Part 2 Part I: The Interplay of Science and Values Chapter 3 How the Sciences Are and Are Not Value Free Chapter 4 Objectivity and Serving Human Well-Being Chapter 5 The Distinction Between Cognitive and Social Values Chapter 6 Incommensurability and "Multicultural Science" Chapter 7 The Social Location of Scientific Practices Part 8 Part II: Current Controversy About Transgenic Crops Chapter 9 The Controversy ABout Transgenics: Structure and Opposing Interests Chapter 10 Strategies for Research in Agricultural Science Chapter 11 Benefits of Using Transgenics Chapter 12 Environmental Risks of the Development and Use of Transgenics Chapter 13 Alternative ("Better") Forms of Farming Part 14 Prolegomenon to Empirical Investigation of Future Social Possibilities Chapter 15 The Socio-Cultural Location of Alternatives to Transgenics

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Book SynopsisIn Liberating Oedipus?: Psychoanalysis as Critical Theory, Dr. Filip Kovacevic demonstrates how psychoanalytic theory can join political theory in designing alternative political norms and values. Kovacevic proves that political practice without an emancipatory psychology to guide it is potentially dangerous.Trade ReviewFilip Kovacevic has written a compelling critique of liberation theories, starting with Freud and Marx and going up to Alain Badiou. His critique of Mouffe, and Laclau and of Deleuze and Guattari would alone make this book worth reading. But he goes so much further in his thinking than anyone yet. This book is a tour de force and necessary reading for anyone engaged in the contemporary study of politics and critical theory. -- Ellie Ragland, professor of English and literary theory, University of Missouri, professor of English and literary theory, University of MissouriTable of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction 2 Freud's Theses 3 The Liberation Thesis 4 Lacan's Theses 5 Post-Lacanian Theses 6 Contemporary Lacanian Theses: The Liberation Thesis Revisited 7 Conclusion

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Book SynopsisDuBois, Fanon, Cabral is an examination of the overlap of culture, class, and political leadership in the Africana liberation struggle. Focusing on the writings and activism of W.E.B. DuBois, Frantz Fanon, and Amilcar Cabral, this book explores the three theorists'' articulation of the relationship between acculturation and mass popular leadership among colonized elites in the African diaspora. Through the trans-cultural and historic scope of the book, Dr. Charles F. Peterson demonstrates how colonized elite leadership is a problematic to anti-colonial movements. Engaging in cross-disciplinary approach, Peterson analyzes the various voices, perspectives, and media through which this problem has been addressed. DuBois, Fanon, Cabral is a captivating text that will stimulate discussion among academics and others interested in culture and politics in Africana studies.Table of ContentsChapter 1 The Sword and the Primer: Readin', Writin', and Colonizin' Chapter 2 Triumph of the Tragic Elite: Anti-Colonial Leadership and DuBois' "Talented Tenth" Chapter 3 Blue Notes from the Underground: Vox Populi and the Self Critical Elite Chapter 4 From Little Greedy Caste to National Middle Class: Fanon's Politics of the Middle Man Chapter 5 Returning to the African Core: Cabral and the Erasure of the Colonized Elite

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Book SynopsisDuBois, Fanon, Cabral is an examination of the overlap of culture, class, and political leadership in the Africana liberation struggle. Focusing on the writings and activism of W.E.B. DuBois, Frantz Fanon, and Amilcar Cabral, this book explores the three theorists'' articulation of the relationship between acculturation and mass popular leadership among colonized elites in the African diaspora. Through the trans-cultural and historic scope of the book, Dr. Charles F. Peterson demonstrates how colonized elite leadership is a problematic to anti-colonial movements. Engaging in cross-disciplinary approach, Peterson analyzes the various voices, perspectives, and media through which this problem has been addressed. DuBois, Fanon, Cabral is a captivating text that will stimulate discussion among academics and others interested in culture and politics in Africana studies.Table of ContentsChapter 1 The Sword and the Primer: Readin', Writin', and Colonizin' Chapter 2 Triumph of the Tragic Elite: Anti-Colonial Leadership and DuBois' "Talented Tenth" Chapter 3 Blue Notes from the Underground: Vox Populi and the Self Critical Elite Chapter 4 From Little Greedy Caste to National Middle Class: Fanon's Politics of the Middle Man Chapter 5 Returning to the African Core: Cabral and the Erasure of the Colonized Elite

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Book SynopsisExplored by scholars, in some manner the values they find inherent in the world, their nature, and revelence through the thought of Frederick FerrZ, these essays coming from manifold perspectives - ethics, philosophy, theology, and environmental studies, advance an ambitious challenge to intellectual and scholarly fashions.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 On the Soul Chapter 3 Ferré's Postmodern Metaphysical Support for the Soul Chapter 4 Explorations in Personalistic Organicism Chapter 5 Human Reality and The Form of the Good Chapter 6 The Emergentist Alternative: A Critique of Pansubjectivism Chapter 7 Philosophy of Religion After Postmodernism Chapter 8 The Process of Wisdom: Understanding the Contours of Ferré's Being and Value Chapter 9 Frederick Ferré's Epistemic Norms Interpret Evolution Chapter 10 Metaphor and the Limits of Language Chapter 11 Is Ecology a Postmodern Science? Chapter 12 Ferré's Organismic Theory of Natural Values Chapter 13 Value in Nature: The Contribution of Frederick Ferré to Environmental Philosophy Chapter 14 Theism and the Crisis in Moral Theory: Rethinking Modern Autonomy Chapter 15 God Revisited Chapter 16 Ferré Without God: A Shift to a Neo-Whiteheadian Humanistic Naturalism Chapter 17 A Lamp to Our Doubts: Ferré, Hartshorne, and Theistic Arguments Chapter 18 Metascience, Technique and Radiobiology: Using a Contemporary Case to Investigate Ferré's Account of "Technolatry" Chapter 19 Frederick Ferré and Pragmatist Activism Chapter 20 Global Enviormental Givernance: Why We Need a World Environment Organization Chapter 21 On Listening Chapter 22 A Brief Ode to an Intellectual Otter Chapter 23 Frederick Ferré as Mensch: The Personal Side(s) of an Active Scholar Chapter 24 Biographical Essay

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Book SynopsisFoucault''s thought finds innumerable applications across the social sciences, from studies in the social aspects of the medical practices and criminal sociology to juridical and economic sciences. Owing to their philosophical ramifications, his ideas have also impacted the spheres of literary studies, ethics, political thought, and critical ontology. Few thinkers have left such an influence across such a diverse range of studies. Contributors attempt to pay homage to that diversity by presenting a multidisciplinary series of analyses dedicated to the question of power today. Drawn from a number of papers presented at an international conference entitled Michel Foucault and social Control: conducted at Maison de la culture Côte-des-Neiges in Montreal on May 8-10, 2004 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Foucault''s death, the essays that comprise this volume address the issue at both a theoretical level and as it pertains to specific fields of practice. In addition to paying trTrade Review...this selection of papers touches on the importance of Foucault's work for Politics, Law, Psychiatry, Health Care and The French Context....there are some good individual pieces here. * Political Studies Review *Michel Foucault's work was an invitation to think differently and this volume's contributors respond superbly to it in their analyses of how power needs to be thought about today. Foucault would have learned much from it. Readers will take away renewed appreciation for Foucault's legacy and for its timeliness in understanding the twenty-first century's dangerous challenges to each person's care of the self. -- James Bernauer, Boston CollegeTable of ContentsPart 1 Law & Politics Chapter 2 Michel Foucault and the Obsolescent State: Between the American Century and the Dawn of the European Union Chapter 3 The Immanence of Law in Power: Reading Foucault with Agamben Chapter 4 The Hybrid Character of "Control" in the Work of Michel Foucault Part 5 Politics & Culture Chapter 6 No "Copper Tops" Left Behind: Foucault, The Matrix, and the Future of Compulsory Schooling Chapter 7 It Does Too Matter: Michel Foucault, John Coltrane, and Dominant Positions Part 8 Psychiatry Chapter 9 Foucault and Psychiatric Power after Madness & Civilization Chapter 10 From Psychiatry to Bio-Politics or the Birth of the Bio-Security State Part 11 Health Care Chapter 12 Genetic Responsibility and Neo-Liberal Governmentality: Medical Diagnosis as Moral Technology Chapter 13 The Problem with High Maintenance Bodies or The Politics of Care Part 14 The French Context Chapter 15 Subverting Social Order: Foucault and Derrida on the Role of the Intellectual

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Book SynopsisShaping the Future maps out the ascetic practices of a Neitzschean way of life. Hutter structures his argument around the belief that Nietzsche, despite his ostensive enmity to Platonism and Socratism, understood himself to be a Socratic and someone called upon by fate to renew the Platonic task of being a philosophical legislator of modern souls, culture, and political society. Hutter also considers the paths of reasoning opened up by Pierre Hadot in his studies of ancient philosophers as teachers of life and not just as providers of true opinions and doctrines about the world.Shaping the Future applies the reasonings of Hadot to the work of Nietzsche, arguing that Nietzsche himself, throughout his philosophical career, conceived of doctrines as never identical to philosophy itself, but instead as a means of self-creation that had to be related to working on oneself. Hutter makes a great contribution to the study of Nietzsche and the growing movement that sees philosophy as a practicaTrade ReviewHutter argues that the root and branch of Nietzsche's philosophy is classical Greek, that Nietzsche's perspective is accompanied by 'ascetic practices', thus ways of not only viewing life but also ways of living life. Hutter may have shown us the way Nietzsche would have wanted us to view his work. In my opinion, this is a profound and important work. -- Tom Darby, Carleton UniversityHorst Hutter is unique among political theorists today in combining a deep knowledge of modern thought with a sympathetic understanding of the philosophical schools of late antiquity. In this challenging book he applies to Nietzsche Pierre Hadot's notion of philosophy as askesis or a discipline of reshaping oneself in all respects of both body and soul. The result is a Nietzsche rescued from postmodernism and closer than supposed to classical philosophy. Sometimes critical but always sympathetic, insisting on the undiminished urgency of Nietzsche's critique of modern life, Hutter provides a model reading of an indispensable thinker. -- Clifford Orwin, University of TorontoA brilliant treatment of Nietzsche's thought as an exercise in philosophic therapy. Hutter brings the text alive in ways that are clear, consistently illuminating and often surprising. A valuable book both for the beginner and for the well-informed Nietzsche scholar. -- Susan Shell, Boston CollegeHorst Hutter's Shaping the Future: Nietzsche's New Regime of the Soul and Its Ascetic Practices is the wise work of a serious disciple. * Nietzsche Circle *Can philosophy offer not just doctrines and academic theories, but "therapies" and concrete ways of re-orienting one's mode of living? Horst Hutter argues that this is precisely what was offered by ancient schools of philosophy, and that this original goal of philosophizing is renewed most authentically in modern philosophy by Friedrich Nietzsche. Hence, according to Hutter's provocative reading, Nietzsche, in his efforts to become "the philosophical therapist of his culture," expresses his profound fidelity to the original purposes of philosophy as conceived by the philosophers of antiquity. -- Ronald Beiner, University of TorontoTable of ContentsChapter 1 Key to References Chapter 2 Preface Chapter 3 Introduction: A Summary of Arguments Chapter 4 Philosophy as Therapy and the Therapy of Philosophy Chapter 5 Einsamkeitmehre - The Practices of Solitude Chapter 6 The Dialectics of Solitude and Friendship Chapter 7 Writing the Future, Reading the Self Chapter 8 Nutrition and the Casuistry of Selfishness Chapter 9 Dance and the Return of Dionysus Chapter 10 Epilogues: Actio in Distans Chapter 11 Selected Bibliography Chapter 12 Index Chapter 13 About the Author

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Book SynopsisTraces Plato's depiction of how the most basic forms of human functioning and social justice contain the seed of their evolution into increasingly complex structures, as well as the seed of their degeneration. This passage-by-passage analysis also traces Plato's tendency to begin an investigation with models based on rigid distinctions.Trade Review...a richly rewarding study that will amply repay the efforts of any reader. Summing Up: Highly Recommended. General readers, lower-division undergraduates through faculty. -- D.J. Maletz, University of Oklahoma * CHOICE *Dorter...emphasizes the overarching unity of Plato's text through a close and often painstaking analysis of its individual sections, devoting special attention to parts where it seems to shift arbitrarily and abruptly from one topic to another. -- Daniel B. Gallagher * The Classical Bulletin, 2007, Vol 83, No 2 *Dorter's impressive study of Plato's Republic is a comprehensive treatment of the dialogue from beginning to end and helps to resolve vexing and apparently intractable internal contradictions within the dialogue. Dorter argues that Plato often begins with simple models in order to explore them and then transforms them into far more complex and subtle analyses. The attention to the inner development of the argument enables the author to bring to light the dynamic and, ultimately, coherent structure of the work as a whole. The jury commends the book as one of the most significant contributions to Plato's Republic in recent years. It has high praise for Dorter's engaging narrative, which remains centred on the important human questions at stake and in doing so provides a richly rewarding study.. * Canadian Philosophical Association *Dorter's impressive study of Plato's Republic is a comprehensive treatment of the dialogue from beginning to end and helps to resolve vexing and apparently intractable internal contradictions within the dialogue. Dorter argues that Plato often begins with simple models in order to explore them and then transforms them into far more complex and subtle analyses. The attention to the inner development of the argument enables the author to bring to light the dynamic and, ultimately, coherent structure of the work as a whole. The jury commends the book as one of the most significant contributions to Plato's Republic in recent years. It has high praise for Dorter's engaging narrative, which remains centred on the important human questions at stake and in doing so provides a richly rewarding study. * Canadian Philosophical Association *Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 Theories of Justice Chapter 4 The Origin of the City Chapter 5 Education of the Guardians Chapter 6 The Rationally Self-Controlled City Chapter 7 The Three Waves Chapter 8 The Sun, Line, and Cave Chapter 9 Philosopher-Rulers Chapter 10 Decline and Fall Chapter 11 The Superiority of Justice Chapter 12 Art and Death Chapter 13 The Limits of the Timaeus Chapter 14 Conclusion Chapter 15 Bibliography Chapter 16 Index Chapter 17 About the Author

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Book SynopsisAuthor Ken Dorter, in a passage-by-passage analysis traces Plato''s depiction of how the most basic forms of human functioning and social justice contain the seed of their evolution into increasingly complex structures, as well as the seed of their degeneration. Dorter also traces Plato''s tendency to begin an investigation with models based on rigid distinctions for the sake of clarity, which are subsequently transformed into more fluid conceptions that no longer sacrifice complexity and subtlety for clarity. It''s the author''s claim that virtually every positive doctrine put forward in the dialogue is problematized somewhere else in the dialogue. This accounts for the apparent incoherence among various parts of the Republic. The dramatic changes of style and content after Books 1, 4, 7, and 9 give it an appearance of being a pastiche of material written at different times, as it is often interpreted. Dorter locates an underlying structure that explains these changes. It is widely recognized that the dialogue is organized symmetrically in the form of an arch, with the beginning and end sharing related themes, the second and penultimate sections sharing other related themes, and so on until the forward series and the reverse series meet in the middle of the dialogue. Dorter''s original claim is that the symmetrical segments of the arch reflect the levels of the ''Divided Line.'' Dorter contends that the overall organization of the Republic can be seen to illustrate and imitate the philosophers'' ascent from the cave, and their subsequent return to it with altered perspectives. This erudite, salient, and expansive new look at Plato''s Republic is essential for philosophy, political theorists, and anyone interested in Plato scholarship.Trade Review...a richly rewarding study that will amply repay the efforts of any reader. Summing Up: Highly Recommended. General readers, lower-division undergraduates through faculty. -- D.J. Maletz, University of Oklahoma * CHOICE *Dorter...emphasizes the overarching unity of Plato's text through a close and often painstaking analysis of its individual sections, devoting special attention to parts where it seems to shift arbitrarily and abruptly from one topic to another. -- Daniel B. Gallagher * The Classical Bulletin, 2007, Vol 83, No 2 *Dorter's impressive study of Plato's Republic is a comprehensive treatment of the dialogue from beginning to end and helps to resolve vexing and apparently intractable internal contradictions within the dialogue. Dorter argues that Plato often begins with simple models in order to explore them and then transforms them into far more complex and subtle analyses. The attention to the inner development of the argument enables the author to bring to light the dynamic and, ultimately, coherent structure of the work as a whole. The jury commends the book as one of the most significant contributions to Plato's Republic in recent years. It has high praise for Dorter's engaging narrative, which remains centred on the important human questions at stake and in doing so provides a richly rewarding study.. * Canadian Philosophical Association *Dorter's impressive study of Plato's Republic is a comprehensive treatment of the dialogue from beginning to end and helps to resolve vexing and apparently intractable internal contradictions within the dialogue. Dorter argues that Plato often begins with simple models in order to explore them and then transforms them into far more complex and subtle analyses. The attention to the inner development of the argument enables the author to bring to light the dynamic and, ultimately, coherent structure of the work as a whole. The jury commends the book as one of the most significant contributions to Plato's Republic in recent years. It has high praise for Dorter's engaging narrative, which remains centred on the important human questions at stake and in doing so provides a richly rewarding study. * Canadian Philosophical Association *Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 Theories of Justice Chapter 4 The Origin of the City Chapter 5 Education of the Guardians Chapter 6 The Rationally Self-Controlled City Chapter 7 The Three Waves Chapter 8 The Sun, Line, and Cave Chapter 9 Philosopher-Rulers Chapter 10 Decline and Fall Chapter 11 The Superiority of Justice Chapter 12 Art and Death Chapter 13 The Limits of the Timaeus Chapter 14 Conclusion Chapter 15 Bibliography Chapter 16 Index Chapter 17 About the Author

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Book SynopsisTo Broaden the Way suggests that the texts of both the Jewish and Confucian tradition talk in riddles of a special kind: riddles, which are introduced - and answered - by religious forms of life. Using a ''dialogue of riddles,'' Galia Patt-Shamir presents a comparative perspective of Confucianism and Judaism regarding the relatedness between contradictory expressions in texts and living conflicts. The Confucian riddle is characterized here as a mystery to be deciphered by self-reflection, under the assumptions of a harmonious community, and a unity of being. The Jewish riddle is characterized as a test to be responded to, under the assumption of a disharmonious community, and a necessary rapture in reality. This book expands the dialogue between traditions, and offers both a method and an implication of the question, ''what is religion about?''Trade ReviewThe challenging ideas put forth in this rich volume necessarily lead to new considerations regarding one's own and others' traditions. Useful Chinese and Hebrew gloassaries as well as an extensive bibliography supplement the book. -- Irene Eber * The Journal Of Religion *There are many important sections that can captivate and inform the reader. * Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy, Springer Science and Business Media *A unique book by a unique author....It is stimulating. * Journal of Chinese Religions *To Broaden the Way is at once an introduction to Confucianism, a personal statement by a Jewish scholar who, while not 'observant' in any formal sense, still feels reverence for the traditions of halakhic Judaism, and a fascinating comparison of the two. Readers whose ideas of morality have been wholly derived from the Western tradition that stretches from Plato to John Rawls will find their minds stretched by reading this short book. They may even be helped in defining their own 'way.' -- Hilary Putnam, professor emeritus, Harvard UniversityTable of Contents0 Bibliography 0 Introduction:Way and Walk Chapter 1 Where Religions Meet: Dao and Halakh - A Dialogue of Ways Part 1 How to Deal With It? Religious Philosophical and Literary Origins Chapter 2 What Literature Mirrors: Biblical Themes as Universal Themes Part 2 Application: Living Riddle as Test; Living Riddle as Mystery Chapter 3 How Philosophy Suggests: From Understanding Texts to Understanding Life through Living Riddles Chapter 4 From Eden to Babel through the Land of Moriah:Life as Perpetual Text Chapter 5 From Earth to Man through Heaven: Life as Mystery Chapter 6 Confucian Way as Living a Riddle

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Book SynopsisThe poet makes himself a seer by a long, boundless, and systematic derangement of all the senses_. What if he is destroyed in his flight through things unheard of and unnamed: other horrible workers will come; they will begin at the horizons where the other has fallen. In Arthur Rimbaud''s letter to Paul Demeny Rimbaud describes the poet''s role as being something like a trickster. But the poet''s trick, or joke, is self-directed. A long dissociation of the senses from reality creates, for the poet, a new relationship to reality. But the poet''s work with reality is always something like a play at what is real. Play becomes necessary so that the poet doesn''t just change his or her relationship to reality but, in playing, creates a space for poetics; a space for work. The French poet Arthur Rimbaud, American blues musician Robert Johnson, German anarchist intellectual Max Stirner, and the phenomena of the Manson family circle have all appeared as forms and figures on the invisible horizon described by Rimbaud above. Through a reading of EmilZ Durkheim''s Suicide Donald Nielsen demonstrates how, in each case, one can locate hitherto unnoticed similarities in the social experiences of each subject featured in these four cases. Nielsen demonstrates how social experience can lead to forms of cultural expression that are contrary to the logic of the originating experience. In his discussion of experience and expression Nielsen creates a truly unique text that sheds new light on sociological theory, modernism and modernist thought, ethics and religious thought, and new and burgeoning methodologies in cultural studies. Sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists, philosophers of the social sciences, and adherents to cultural studies will find much of interest in Nielsen''s excellent study.Trade ReviewThis is a fascinating little book that deals with characters usually regarded as marginal to or at the margins of Western culture and society. * Culture and Religion, January 2009 *In reworking the famous categories that Durkheim developed in Suicide, Nielsen offers a fascinating and thoroughly engaging account of the moral careers of four figures who on the surface appear to share little in common: Max Stirner, Arthur Rimbaud, Robert Johnson, and Charles Manson. By emphasizing the dialectical interplay of categories and foregrounding the generally neglected concept of fatalism, he offers readers an empirically rich and theoretically sophisticated comparative account of the culturally grounded vocations of these "horrible workers." -- Peter Kivisto, Richard A. Swanson Professor of Social Thought, Augustana CollegeTable of ContentsChapter 1 Polarity and Dialectic in Moral Experience and Cultural Expression Chapter 2 The Religion of the Transcendental Ego: The Case of Max Stirner Chapter 3 Art, Anomism, and Moral Consciousness: The Case of Arthur Rimbaud Chapter 4 Ramblin' for Miles Around: The Life and Art of Robert Johnson Chapter 5 Anomism, Puerilism and the Transmoral Consciousness: The Charles Manson Circle Chapter 6 Horrible Workers in Retrospect: Comparative and Theoretical Reflections

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Book SynopsisIf humans are the creators of meaning and value, rather than the subjects of some higher or prior authority, how must we act in order to be true to this principle? Violence Inevitable explores the unavoidability of violence within any system of justice and examines the paradoxes that lie at the core of justice itself paradoxes that play themselves out on every level of human intersubjectivity. Rick Parrish offers strong critical insight into original and interwoven readings of Jacques Derrida, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Hobbes, and Isaiah Berlin to demonstrate the conflicting relationship between violence and respect in the foundation of political living. Parrish updates these theories by finding significant parallels to contemporary American politics especially following 9/11. contends that justice requires the recognition of the certainty and necessity of both violence and peacefulness in society. This book is a valuable resource for scholars of political theory as well as those interested in post-9/11 security issues.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 The Aporia of Justice and the Economy of Violence Chapter 3 The Economy of Violence in Hobbes' Social Contract Chapter 4 Isaiah Berlin and the Search for a Final Answer Chapter 5 How Long Can We Remain Human?

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Book SynopsisDerrida has been interpreted as a nihilist and relativist. This study demonstrates that he has an ethics and a concern for religion that goes beyond the structures of the philosophical tradition.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction (Aporetology) Chapter 2 Aporia and the Decisions ofUndecidability Chapter 3 Aporia and the Responsibilities ofDissemination Chapter 4 Aporia and the Ethical Subject ofDifferance Chapter 5 Aporia and the Justice ofDeconstruction Chapter 6 Aporetic Scapes Chapter 7 Conclusion (Aporetic Faith)

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Book SynopsisThe volume Moral Cultivation explores an overlooked topic in the renewed interest in virtue ethics, the concept of moral cultivation. While the study of virtue ethics focuses on the concept of virtue itself, an exploration of moral cultivation explores the process of attaining that virtue. The essays in this collection explore the question: How do we develop good character? Brad Wilburn has brought together a range of moral perspectives on this issue. Drawing on many different traditions, the essayists employ many schools of thought and thinkers regarding this issue, including: the Confucian tradition, Ancient Greek philosophy, Classical Rabbinic thought, the moral theory of Hume, and the imperatives of Kant. Although the essays cover a wide breadth, the focus is on a few basic questions: What does moral cultivation look like? What parts of us need to be cultivated and what methods should be used? How do moral theories connect with this aspect of our moral experience? Moral CultivationTrade ReviewAll the essays are clearly written and accessible....The main virtue of the anthology...[is that] it establishes beyond any reasonable doubt that the question of moral cultivation is not the exclusive property of the virtue ethical tradition, but can and should be asked by any reasonably comprehensive ethical theory. -- Carsten Fogh Nielsen, University of Aarhus * Metapsychology Online *Table of ContentsChapter 1 The Ethics of Style and Attitude Chapter 2 Literature and Ethics in the Chinese Confucian Tradition Chapter 3 Moral Philosophy and Moral Cultivation Chapter 4 Moral Self-Improvement Chapter 5 Self-Cultivation and Relations with Others in Classical Rabbinic Thought Chapter 6 Moral Naturalism and the Possibility of Making Ourselves Better Persons Chapter 7 Self-Development as an Imperfect Duty

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Book SynopsisJose Marti contributed greatly to Cuba''s struggle for independence from Spain with words as well as revolutionary action. Although he died before the formation of an independent republic, he has since been hailed as a heroic martyr inspiring Cuban republican traditions. During the twentieth century, traditionally nationalistic literature has reinforced an uncritical idealization of Marti and his influence. However, new approaches have recently explored the formation, reception, uses and abuses of the Marti myth. The essays in this volume analyze the influence of Jose Marti - poet, scholar, and revolutionary - on the formation of often-competing national identities in post-independence Cuba. By exploring the diverse representations and interpretations of Marti, they provide a critical analysis of the ways in which both the left and right have used his political and literary legacies to argue their version of contemporary Cuban reality.Table of ContentsChapter 1 "Otro gallo cantaria": Essay on the First Cuban Republicanism Chapter 2 The 'Apostle' in Stone: Nationalism and Monuments in Honor of Jose Marti Chapter 3 The Struggle to Redefine Marti and "Cuba Libre" in the 1920s Chapter 4 "Rights are Taken, Not Pleaded": Jose Marti and the Cult of the Recourse to Violence in Cuba Chapter 5 Marti in Cuban Schools Chapter 6 Jose Marti, pilar de la Revolucion Cubana Chapter 7 Jose Marti Against Race Chapter 8 Language, Nation, and Empire: Jose Marti's Strategic Multilingualism Chapter 9 Chronicling Empire: Jose Marti on the Avenue of the Americas Chapter 10 Construyendo la imagen literaria de Marti en los Estados Unidos Chapter 11 Jose Marti en la obra de Fernando Ortiz Chapter 12 Inmigracion espanola e imaginario nacional en Cuba, 1900-1920 Chapter 13 Marti y la emigracion cubana de Yucatan frente al nacimiento de la Republica (1902-1925) Chapter 14 Gender Trouble: Jose Marti and Juana Borrero

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Book SynopsisJose Marti contributed greatly to Cuba''s struggle for independence from Spain with words as well as revolutionary action. Although he died before the formation of an independent republic, he has since been hailed as a heroic martyr inspiring Cuban republican traditions. During the twentieth century, traditionally nationalistic literature has reinforced an uncritical idealization of Marti and his influence. However, new approaches have recently explored the formation, reception, uses and abuses of the Marti myth. The essays in this volume analyze the influence of Jose Marti - poet, scholar, and revolutionary - on the formation of often-competing national identities in post-independence Cuba. By exploring the diverse representations and interpretations of Marti, they provide a critical analysis of the ways in which both the left and right have used his political and literary legacies to argue their version of contemporary Cuban ''reality.''Table of ContentsChapter 1 "Otro gallo cantaria": Essay on the First Cuban Republicanism Chapter 2 The 'Apostle' in Stone: Nationalism and Monuments in Honor of Jose Marti Chapter 3 The Struggle to Redefine Marti and "Cuba Libre" in the 1920s Chapter 4 "Rights are Taken, Not Pleaded": Jose Marti and the Cult of the Recourse to Violence in Cuba Chapter 5 Marti in Cuban Schools Chapter 6 Jose Marti, pilar de la Revolucion Cubana Chapter 7 Jose Marti Against Race Chapter 8 Language, Nation, and Empire: Jose Marti's Strategic Multilingualism Chapter 9 Chronicling Empire: Jose Marti on the Avenue of the Americas Chapter 10 Construyendo la imagen literaria de Marti en los Estados Unidos Chapter 11 Jose Marti en la obra de Fernando Ortiz Chapter 12 Inmigracion espanola e imaginario nacional en Cuba, 1900-1920 Chapter 13 Marti y la emigracion cubana de Yucatan frente al nacimiento de la Republica (1902-1925) Chapter 14 Gender Trouble: Jose Marti and Juana Borrero

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Book SynopsisAccording to the author, the subordination of Chinese women continued under different models of sex equality in China in twentieth century. In Reconceiving Women''s Equality in China Lijun Yuan discusses and assesses four models of womenOs equality: first, the traditional Confucian view of women which advocates that womenOs role is to follow and support men; second, the liberal feminist idea of formal equality for women introduced into China at the beginning of the twentieth century, which is anti-Confucian and advocates womenOs equal rights in education, law, and employment; third, MaoOs view of womenOs equality in production, calling for substantive equality between men and women; finally, the idea of equal opportunity in the economic transformation in the post-Mao period, the revival of Confucianism in this period and its convergence with the declining status of women. According to Yuan, each of these models has a variety of problems in dealing with womenOs equality. However, she sees one common thread running through all of them, namely, lack of emphasis on empowering women to develop their own visions of equality. Ideologies imposed from the top-down have rationalized the continuing subordination and exploitation of women, either blatantly (Confucianism) or more subtly (Maoism). After exposing the common feature in their failure to reach the social ideal of womenOs equality, the author proposes a more democratic conception of womenOs equality that will allow ideals to continue changing as material circumstances change in different stages of social development. This book is a seminal work of research on the status of women in China during and after Mao''s cultural revolution. It is essential to studies of Chinese society, politics, and religion, as well as to women''s studies and philosophy.Trade ReviewThis little book is likely to have a big impact. It is both an extraordinarily sound, well-researched historical analysis of women's equality in China during the last 150 years and a philosophic examination of the paradigms used to support (or suppress) women's progress—making intelligent use of sources from both Chinese and international feminist theory. Lijun Yuan's conclusions, drawing on traditional, modern, and western sources to develop a paradigm of democratic equality for women, will be of value for both those interested in women's situation and future in China and those who simply want to enlarge their grasp of feminist analysis. An important contribution to the literature! -- Marjorie C. Miller, professor of philosophy, women's studies, and Asian studies, Purchase College-SUNYTable of ContentsChapter 1 Confucius, Confucianism, and the Confucian Rationale for Women's Inequality Chapter 2 May Fourth Era and Women's Formal Equality Chapter 3 Women's Equality in Mao's Time Chapter 4 Equal Opportunity in the Post-Mao Period Chapter 5 A Democratic Conception of Women's Equality

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Book SynopsisIn Ethic Within Reason, Edward Spence combats the attack against Alan Gewirth''s argument for Principle of Generic Consistency. Gewirth''s work often comes under scrutiny due to its unrelenting rationalist position. Spence bases his defense on Gewirth''s strong justifications and resolution to traditional conflict. Through a close reading ofReason and Morality (1978), Spence uses his voice to give Gewirth''s work a unique contemporary style and meaning while still holding fast to substantial features of moral principle: voluntariness and purposiveness. He uses his voice to generate a rationalist theory of morality that includes rights, virtues and sentiments of the community. Spence examines and argues criticisms against Gewirth in order to solidify his belief that Gewirth''s moral philosophy still stands as one of the leading works in the study of moral philosophy.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Gewirh's Argument for the Principle of Generic Consistency Chapter 2 Objections to Gewirth's Argument Chapter 3 Positive Rights and Community Chapter 4 A Reconstruction of Gewirth's Argument for the PGC Chapter 5 The Unity of the Right and the Good Chapter 6 Conflicts of Duties: Special Obligations Chapter 7 Justification, Motivation, and Compliance Chapter 8 The Conflict Between Self-Interest and Morality Chapter 9 The Ethical Foundations of Professional Practice:The Application of the PGC in Professional Ethics Chapter 10 The Neo-Stoicism of Gewirth's Rationalist Ethics

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsChapter 1 Cosmology Chapter 2 Ritual Chapter 3 Ethnography Chapter 4 The River That Talks: Rivers and Poetic Speech Chapter 5 Round Rivers: Okeanos and Bounded Narrative Chapter 6 Agmen Aquarum: River Catalogues Chapter 7 Up the Creek: Upstream Voyages and Narrative Structure Chapter 8 Overflow: The Reception of River Motifs

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Book SynopsisIn order to better understand the conditions of the twenty-first century Raphael Sassower and Louis Cicotello revisit the twentieth century in Political Blind Spots: Reading the Ideology of Images. Sassower and Cicotello revisit some of the most significant periods in art and politics in the twentieth century paying close attention to the relationship between aesthetics and politics.Trade ReviewDiscussing art as a function of politics, this book offers a fresh perspective on the place of art in our lives and our society. Writing in a direct and accessible manner, Sassower and Cicotelli bring clarity to a complex range of materials and philosophical positions. -- Adam J. Lerner, The Laboratory of Art and Ideas at Belmar...instructors of art and their students will especially benefit from this thought-provoking and nuanced book. -- Anthony Birch, Gainesville, Georgia * Bridges *In an important and ground-breaking analysis, Sassower and Cicotello dissect the social power of imagery, from art to propaganda. Now more than ever images shape and control our lives, and this book points in a new direction, perhaps toward a new discipline, for understanding them. From politics and economics to structures of the mind, the context and appeal of art is examined through a radical social/aesthetic approach. The right questions are asked—about interests, culture, beauty—and a deep reading of images emerges, a reading increasingly essential for our time. -- Will Wright, Colorado State University-PuebloTable of ContentsChapter 1 The Artistic Predicament of Ideological Complicity Chapter 2 The Visual Framing of Fascism and Democracy Chapter 3 The Universal Faces of Art Chapter 4 The Pedagogical Predicament

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Book SynopsisExplored by scholars, in some manner the values they find inherent in the world, their nature, and revelence through the thought of Frederick FerrZ, these essays coming from manifold perspectives - ethics, philosophy, theology, and environmental studies, advance an ambitious challenge to intellectual and scholarly fashions.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 On the Soul Chapter 3 Ferré's Postmodern Metaphysical Support for the Soul Chapter 4 Explorations in Personalistic Organicism Chapter 5 Human Reality and The Form of the Good Chapter 6 The Emergentist Alternative: A Critique of Pansubjectivism Chapter 7 Philosophy of Religion After Postmodernism Chapter 8 The Process of Wisdom: Understanding the Contours of Ferré's Being and Value Chapter 9 Frederick Ferré's Epistemic Norms Interpret Evolution Chapter 10 Metaphor and the Limits of Language Chapter 11 Is Ecology a Postmodern Science? Chapter 12 Ferré's Organismic Theory of Natural Values Chapter 13 Value in Nature: The Contribution of Frederick Ferré to Environmental Philosophy Chapter 14 Theism and the Crisis in Moral Theory: Rethinking Modern Autonomy Chapter 15 God Revisited Chapter 16 Ferré Without God: A Shift to a Neo-Whiteheadian Humanistic Naturalism Chapter 17 A Lamp to Our Doubts: Ferré, Hartshorne, and Theistic Arguments Chapter 18 Metascience, Technique and Radiobiology: Using a Contemporary Case to Investigate Ferré's Account of "Technolatry" Chapter 19 Frederick Ferré and Pragmatist Activism Chapter 20 Global Enviormental Givernance: Why We Need a World Environment Organization Chapter 21 On Listening Chapter 22 A Brief Ode to an Intellectual Otter Chapter 23 Frederick Ferré as Mensch: The Personal Side(s) of an Active Scholar Chapter 24 Biographical Essay

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Book SynopsisTo think about genocide and terrorism is to accept an invitation from hell. In fact, hell may be too benign a term since it makes a kind of sense out of genocide and terrorism and ultimately begs the question: What is genocide? What sense does it make to kill or disable all members of an other group just because they are that other group: men, women, children? What sense can we make of genocide? The very meaning of sense threatens to disintegrate. Get ''Em All! Kill ''Em! is the first systematic attempt to understand what, up until now, has seemed inexplicable. Author Bruce Wilshire uncovers what seems to be the deepest root of the genocidal urge: disgust and dread in the face of abounding, fecund, life itselfswarming, creeping, scurrying, unboundable, and uncontrollable. If his claims about the genocidal urge is true, genocide and terrorism are the ultimate anti-ecology. Get ''Em All! Kill ''Em! is a rare and seminal work by a distinguished and original thinker.Trade ReviewWilshire has taken what most people feel is unfathomable—genocide and terrorism—and illuminated the web of dark forces that can explode forth into such heinous acts. He allows us to see how the cycles of suffering and anxiety work through our collective bodies and group symbolism to trap us all within a nightmare of violence and further suffering. Yet, he doesn't stop there, as he also shows how we can awake from this nightmare through an unconventional sense of the sacred, a way of boundary crossing found within nature, and a different attunement to the universe. Bravo for thinking through "the unthinkable!" -- Glen A. Mazis, author of Earthbodies and Emotion and EmbodimentThis is a provocative, stimulating read. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *Bruce Wilshire's book Get 'Em All! Kill 'Em! is a fascinating and important study of issues that could not be more crucial to our perilous times. . . . I know of no other study that looks to these utterly concrete, yet very elusive, roots of the major destructive actions of the last one hundred years, continuing to this day. It should stand by itself as a book that will draw a lot of attention from the reading public as well as from academics who know WIlshire's previously published distinguished work. -- Edward S. Casey, Professor of Philosophy, SUNY-StonybrookAlready well on his way with Wild Hunger; in Get 'Em All! Kill 'Em! we find the distinctively original discursive style and thematic substance of Bruce Wilshire. The engaging entwinement of style and provocative, thought-provoking content just carried me along to the end. A remarkable achievement! -- Calvin O. Schrag, George Ade Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, Purdue UniversityIt is not only the deceptively simple and lucid theory of genocide that we must honor here, but the way in which Wilshire gradually densifies and intensifies the theory, drawing us inexorably into the dark heart of the world’s polarized present, at the sharp tooth-edge of history and of our own possible extinction. -- David Abram, author ofThe Spell of the SensuousThis is philosophy that matters: soaring thought on a vital topic expressed in an accessible, elegant style. Not everyone will agree with Wilshire's understanding of genocide, but everyone needs to be familiar with it. Wilshire is one of a vanishing breed of public intellectuals who addresses the mind of our community and appeals to its conscience. Must reading. -- John Lachs, Vanderbilt UniversityWilshire is a prophet of disaster and a child with saving news. We find deep insight in this book — from the Qur’an and the Gospels, from Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and William James. We learn from Emerson, that great “optimist,” that along side a human hope is a persisting, sudden, strange-uncanny — say the bare existence of rats and lizards, who are no less a part of our surround than its more noted inhabitants, and alien enough to challenge our grip on those basal human comforts – hope, understanding, health: for what are these to crawling things...? Of course, this is a book, as the title says, on genocide and terror. But it’s also about compassion, crucifixion, King Lear, "poor forked creatures," Black Elk; it lives with that ancient epigraph on our lives: "many are the wonders and terrors, but none more wonderful (and terrible) than we. " It delivers an embodied human spirit, high and low and mediocre, in the flow and out of it, getting ice cream and wrestling with the unspeakable (which Wilshire so ably bespeaks). He is a philosopher in the spirit of Emerson and James, on the go, rushing at us like a Lion on the plain — then turning like a Greek Chorus to reflect soberly on our plight — then turning lightly to play in the curling surf for the moment numinous, enchanted. -- Edward F. Mooney, author of Selves in Discord and Resolve: Essays in Kierkegaard's Moralreligious Psychology from Either/or to Sickness unto DeWilshire's book is not only a good essay on genocide and terrorism, but also an invitation to be intellectually prepared for countering fundamentalism. * Political Studies Review *This is an epic study of genocide and terrorism. Congratulations on a superb achievement and hopes for the widest dissemination and discussion of the urgent issues it involves. -- Dr. Thomas Berry, author of The Dream of the EarthThe prose is forceful, clear, and engaging. The examples are rich, provocative, and far-reaching. Instead of lecturing at his readers. . . . Wilshire invites them to join him in a journey of intellectual exploration. It is philosophical in the admirable tradition of William James. It is an excellent book. -- Richard Kamber, Chair, Philosophy and Religion, The College of New JerseyDeep within our souls there is an archetype of genocide that emerges in times of crisis and sears our historical understanding so we no longer acknowledge moral tenets. Wilshire brings together the diverse strands of genocidal events to demonstrate that at our worst we are an embarrassment to the universe. -- Vine Deloria Jr., author of Red Earth, White Lies: Native Americans and the Myth of Scientific Fact, God is Red: A Native View of Religion, and many othersBruce Wilshire's interpretation of the genocidal impulse as a response to the threat of the annihilation of an organized group's whole cultural world is compelling and profound. Get 'Em All! Kill 'Em! will be of enormous interest to all those who are committed to understanding the experience of being human. -- George Atwood, Professor of Psychology, Rutgers UniversityTable of ContentsChapter 1 Genocide and Terrorism Chapter 2 Initial Cases of Genocide: Nazi Germany, California Indians Chapter 3 The Everyday Illusion of Immortality and its Disruption Chapter 4 Further Cases of Genocide: Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda Chapter 5 A Theory of Genocide and Terrorism Chapter 6 Centering-Down Into the Immediate: Variations on the Theme of Genocide Chapter 7 Thinking the Unthinkable? A Religious Retardant to Genocide and Terrorism?

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Book SynopsisGlobalization and Change: The Transformation of Global Capitalism explores the origins, development, and transformation of globalization from a critical and historical perspective. Berch Berberoglu brings together eight essays authored by prominent sociological scientists from across the nation that examine the dynamics of globalization through an analysis of class relations and class struggles that define the contemporary global political economy. By undertaking a careful examination of the contradictions inherent in capitalist globalization, this book provides a thorough understanding of the issues behind the global capitalist economy and the struggle against globalization, while at the same time offering a viable solution to the growing exploitation of labor throughout the world. This study on global capitalism, informed by class analysis, is essential to anyone interested in the political implications of globalization and the unfolding class struggles.Trade ReviewThis book, highlighting the capitalist nature of globalization and the exploitative nature of the reorganization of production and labor on a world scale, provides an excellent analysis of the globalization process and is a welcome contribution to the current literature. -- Martha Gimenez, University of Colorado, BoulderGlobalization and Change: The Transformation of Global Capitalism, edited by a social scientist of immense international reputation, contains lucid and critical essays that examine this worldwide expansionary process and its contradictions in great detail. This book is a must read, especially for those who are dissatisfied with the prevailing myths about globalization. -- Cyrus Bina, University of Minnesota, Morris CampusThe daily shockwaves of war, poverty, environmental devastation, protest, and revolt leave many of us at a loss to understand, let alone take action against, capitalist globalization. This collection of superb essays provides a succinct framework to expose the contradictions of this process, the human cost of global capitalist expansion, and the mobilization of millions of people to confront the global empire. -- Judy Aulette, University of North Carolina, CharlotteThis sterling collection of essays by premier political economists exposes the real nature of globalization and capitalism. Well analyzed, well edited, and much needed, this book will benefit laypersons and academics alike. -- Michael Parenti, author of The Face of Imperialism and God and His DemonsTable of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Part 2 Development of Global Capitalism and Capitalist Class Structure Chapter 3 The Rise of Global Capitalism: The Concentration and Centralization of Capital on a World Scale Chapter 4 Class Structure and Class Conflict in Advanced Capitalist Society Chapter 5 Class Polarization and Class Struggle Under Advanced Capitalism Part 6 Contradictions and Crises of Global Capitalism Chapter 7 Globalization Unmasked: The Dynamics and Contradictions of Global Capitalism Chapter 8 Globalization of Capital and the Imperial State: Global Capitalism in Crisis Part 9 Transformation of Global Capitalism: Opposition, Resistance, and Change Chapter 10 Global Capital and Labor Internationalism: Workers' Response to Global Capitalism Chapter 11 The Struggle Against Capitalist Globalization: The Worldwide Protests Against the WTO Chapter 12 Global Capitalism, Class Struggle, and Social Transformation

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis is a challenging and timely book which not only argues for the continuing fecundity of the thought of Althusser, but places it in a French Marxist tradition that has often been too hastily dismissed. Lewis's work is critical and concrete history of philosophy worthy of the object of study. -- Gavin Bowd, Lecturer in French, University of St. Andrews, ScotlandTable of ContentsChapter 1 Why Marxism? Why French Marxism? Chapter 2 The PCF and French Intellectual Marxism: Paternity and Patterns Chapter 3 The PCF 1920-1945, Theoretical and Pedagogical Positions on Marx Chapter 4 French Intellectual Marxism, 1920-1939 Chapter 5 The Approaching Crisis: French Marxist Thought, 1940-1956 Chapter 6 The Purification of Theory Chapter 7 Theory for Practice

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Book SynopsisIn Romance and Reason Andrew Koch notes that in the annals of social research the jury is still out on Max Weber. It is for no other reason than Weber''s enormous body of foundational work in sociology that he is continually undergoing several simultaneous versions of integration into contemporary social research. Whether Weber is a central, secondary, or tertiary consideration in social research it behooves any social scientist to take a position on the work of Max Weber. In this erudite new intellectual biography Koch argues that Weber''s understanding of the Enlightenment, in all its epistemological and ontological structures, conveys the Enlightenment itself as an alienating worldview. As a result, Koch contends, the full depth of Weber''s body of work has yet to be excavated and studied. Romance and Reason is an analysis of the genesis of the concept of alienation and, in an imaginative and necessary turn, Koch works to recreate the context in which Weber understood alienation in both the intellectual and lived sense. This book is a fundamental explication on the contemporary Weber and is a salient addition to sociology, cultural studies, cultural anthropology, and any field that is invested in understanding contemporary culture and society.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Max Weber and Alienation Chapter 2 The Historical Roots of Weber's View of Alienation Chapter 3 Max Weber's Methodology: The Limits of Human Knowledge Chapter 4 Max Weber's Ontology: The Limits of the Individual Chapter 5 Rationality and the Roots of Social Alienation Chapter 6 Rationality and Capitalism Chapter 7 Bureaucracy and Formal Rationality Chapter 8 Conclusions Regarding Weber, Alienation, and Human Subjectivity

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Book SynopsisA classic in Chinese Philosophy of Aesthetics for the last twenty years, Li Zehou''s Four Essays on Aesthetics (Meixue-sijiang) is finally translated in English to bring philosophical insight to Western readers. Li''s seminal work focuses on the widely debated philosophies in China concerning the origins, manifestations, importance, and transformative power of beauty, art, and aesthetic experiences. Drawing upon the influences of both Eastern and Western philosophers and writers, Li discusses the origination of the practices of beauty and aesthetics, and the origins of art credited to Shamanistic rituals, while rejecting the concepts of Western aesthetics and embracing the traditional Chinese purpose for art: to mold human minds. He stresses the importance of the involvement of aesthetic philosophers to advocate technology and aspects of society that will contribute to the harmony among individuals, environments, and social relationships.

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Book SynopsisA classic in Chinese Philosophy of Aesthetics for the last twenty years, Li Zehou''s Four Essays on Aesthetics (Meixue-sijiang) is finally translated in English to bring philosophical insight to Western readers. Li''s seminal work focuses on the widely debated philosophies in China concerning the origins, manifestations, importance, and transformative power of beauty, art, and aesthetic experiences. Drawing upon the influences of both Eastern and Western philosophers and writers, Li discusses the origination of the practices of beauty and aesthetics, and the origins of art credited to Shamanistic rituals, while rejecting the concepts of Western aesthetics and embracing the traditional Chinese purpose for art: to mold human minds. He stresses the importance of the involvement of aesthetic philosophers to advocate technology and aspects of society that will contribute to the harmony among individuals, environments, and social relationships. Begun as a series of engaging conversations, L

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Book SynopsisFoucault''s thought finds innumerable applications across the social sciences, from studies in the social aspects of the medical practices and criminal sociology to juridical and economic sciences. Owing to their philosophical ramifications, his ideas have also impacted the spheres of literary studies, ethics, political thought, and ''critical ontology.'' Few thinkers have left such an influence across such a diverse range of studies. Contributors attempt to pay homage to that diversity by presenting a multidisciplinary series of analyses dedicated to the question of ''power today.'' Drawn from a number of papers presented at an international conference entitled ''Michel Foucault and social Control: conducted at Maison de la culture CTte-des-Neiges in Montreal on May 8-10, 2004 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Foucault''s death, the essays that comprise this volume address the issue at both a theoretical level and as it pertains to specific fields of practice. In addition toTrade Review...this selection of papers touches on the importance of Foucault's work for Politics, Law, Psychiatry, Health Care and The French Context....there are some good individual pieces here. * Political Studies Review *Michel Foucault's work was an invitation to think differently and this volume's contributors respond superbly to it in their analyses of how power needs to be thought about today. Foucault would have learned much from it. Readers will take away renewed appreciation for Foucault's legacy and for its timeliness in understanding the twenty-first century's dangerous challenges to each person's care of the self. -- James Bernauer, Boston CollegeTable of ContentsPart 1 Law & Politics Chapter 2 Michel Foucault and the Obsolescent State: Between the American Century and the Dawn of the European Union Chapter 3 The Immanence of Law in Power: Reading Foucault with Agamben Chapter 4 The Hybrid Character of "Control" in the Work of Michel Foucault Part 5 Politics & Culture Chapter 6 No "Copper Tops" Left Behind: Foucault, The Matrix, and the Future of Compulsory Schooling Chapter 7 It Does Too Matter: Michel Foucault, John Coltrane, and Dominant Positions Part 8 Psychiatry Chapter 9 Foucault and Psychiatric Power after Madness & Civilization Chapter 10 From Psychiatry to Bio-Politics or the Birth of the Bio-Security State Part 11 Health Care Chapter 12 Genetic Responsibility and Neo-Liberal Governmentality: Medical Diagnosis as Moral Technology Chapter 13 The Problem with High Maintenance Bodies or The Politics of Care Part 14 The French Context Chapter 15 Subverting Social Order: Foucault and Derrida on the Role of the Intellectual

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Book SynopsisShaping the Future maps out the ascetic practices of a Neitzschean way of life. Hutter structures his argument around the belief that Nietzsche, despite his ostensive enmity to Platonism and Socratism, understood himself to be a Socratic and someone called upon by fate to renew the Platonic task of being a philosophical legislator of modern souls, culture, and political society. Hutter also considers the paths of reasoning opened up by Pierre Hadot in his studies of ancient philosophers as teachers of life and not just as providers of ''true'' opinions and doctrines about the world.Shaping the Future applies the reasonings of Hadot to the work of Nietzsche, arguing that Nietzsche himself, throughout his philosophical career, conceived of doctrines as never identical to philosophy itself, but instead as a means of self-creation that had to be related to working on oneself. Hutter makes a great contribution to the study of Nietzsche and the growing movement that sees philosophy as a pracTrade ReviewHutter argues that the root and branch of Nietzsche's philosophy is classical Greek, that Nietzsche's perspective is accompanied by 'ascetic practices', thus ways of not only viewing life but also ways of living life. Hutter may have shown us the way Nietzsche would have wanted us to view his work. In my opinion, this is a profound and important work. -- Tom Darby, Carleton UniversityHorst Hutter is unique among political theorists today in combining a deep knowledge of modern thought with a sympathetic understanding of the philosophical schools of late antiquity. In this challenging book he applies to Nietzsche Pierre Hadot's notion of philosophy as askesis or a discipline of reshaping oneself in all respects of both body and soul. The result is a Nietzsche rescued from postmodernism and closer than supposed to classical philosophy. Sometimes critical but always sympathetic, insisting on the undiminished urgency of Nietzsche's critique of modern life, Hutter provides a model reading of an indispensable thinker. -- Clifford Orwin, University of TorontoA brilliant treatment of Nietzsche's thought as an exercise in philosophic therapy. Hutter brings the text alive in ways that are clear, consistently illuminating and often surprising. A valuable book both for the beginner and for the well-informed Nietzsche scholar. -- Susan Shell, Boston CollegeHorst Hutter's Shaping the Future: Nietzsche's New Regime of the Soul and Its Ascetic Practices is the wise work of a serious disciple. * Nietzsche Circle *Can philosophy offer not just doctrines and academic theories, but "therapies" and concrete ways of re-orienting one's mode of living? Horst Hutter argues that this is precisely what was offered by ancient schools of philosophy, and that this original goal of philosophizing is renewed most authentically in modern philosophy by Friedrich Nietzsche. Hence, according to Hutter's provocative reading, Nietzsche, in his efforts to become "the philosophical therapist of his culture," expresses his profound fidelity to the original purposes of philosophy as conceived by the philosophers of antiquity. -- Ronald Beiner, University of TorontoTable of ContentsChapter 1 Key to References Chapter 2 Preface Chapter 3 Introduction: A Summary of Arguments Chapter 4 Philosophy as Therapy and the Therapy of Philosophy Chapter 5 Einsamkeitmehre - The Practices of Solitude Chapter 6 The Dialectics of Solitude and Friendship Chapter 7 Writing the Future, Reading the Self Chapter 8 Nutrition and the Casuistry of Selfishness Chapter 9 Dance and the Return of Dionysus Chapter 10 Epilogues: Actio in Distans Chapter 11 Selected Bibliography Chapter 12 Index Chapter 13 About the Author

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Book SynopsisA Search for Unity in Diversity examines the traditional readings of John Dewey''s relationship to Hegel and demonstrates that Dewey''s later pragmatism was a development of the historicist/humanistic Hegel, rather than a turning away from Hegelian philosophy. Good argues that Dewey drew upon resources he found in the writings of St. Louis Hegelians to fashion a non-metaphysical reading of Hegel. A Search for Unity in Diversity reasons that Hegel encouraged Dewey to understand philosophy as an exercise in individual and cultural reconstruction. Beyond exposing fatal flaws in the traditional reading of Dewey''s relationship to Hegel, Good shows that Dewey''s pragmatism is a development, rather than a rejection, of Hegel''s philosophy. This not only explains Dewey''s Hegelian deposit, it also sheds light on why recent Hegel scholars have found elements of pragmatism in Hegel''s thought and provides grounds for rapprochment between American pragmatism and Continental European philosophy.Trade ReviewWith a rare and impressive blend of philosophical sophistication and historical scholarship James Good sheds a penetrating light on John Dewey’s intellectual indebtedness to Hegel, a subject of considerable controversy among Deweyan scholars and biographers. Good’s judicious handling of this contentious topic makes A Search for Unity in Diversity a book that is bound to interest not only Dewey's many critics and admirers but all who are broadly interested in the history and current status of American philosophy. -- Phillip W. Jackson, University of ChicagoIn this work of broad reach and meticulous scholarship, James A. Good illuminates one of the most obscured issues in the history of late nineteenth and early twentieth century philosophy: John Dewey’s relationship to the intellectual legacy of G. W. F. Hegel. His arguments are both novel and convincing. Good is certain to alter the way we think about American philosophy. -- Larry A. Hickman, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleThe standard account of John Dewey’s philosophical development has always presented his break with Hegelianism as one of the central junctures of his career. Dewey himself testified to the importance of this break, which has made its stark factuality seem all the more indisputable. But, as James Good shows in this fascinating and meticulous study, such an assertion depends upon an imperfect understanding of Hegel, and a failure to recognize that there was a permanent “Hegelian deposit” that continued to be an essential factor in the shaping of Dewey’s mature thinking. Good confronts us with the embarrassing possibility that we have fallen into a most un-Deweyan form of dualism in the way we think about the philosopher’s shift “from absolutism to experimentalism.” In doing so, Good also confronts us with the extent to which we have misconstrued and underestimated Hegel’s enduring influence on, and in, American intellectual life. One hopes that the appearance of this valuable book will begin to reverse that state of affairs. -- Wilfred M. McClay, University of OklahomaJames Good makes a compelling case that the 'Hegelian deposit' in John Dewey's thinking was not only a deeper and more persistent vein than others have contended, but also a different, and richer, sort of ore than most have recognized. His is a splendid, eye-opening contribution to American intellectual history, and a welcome case for a Dewey—and a Hegel—who have much still to offer an unsparing yet hopeful cultural criticism. -- Robert Westbrook, professor of history, University of Rochester; author of John Dewey and American DemocracyBy tracing many of John Dewey's most powerful ideas (including his theory of inquiry, holism, functionalism, and even Dewey's approach to experience) to their origin in Hegel, Jim Good's remarkable book opens up new horizons in Deweyan scholarship. Good shows in detail how Dewey reconstructed Hegel into a robust naturalistic pragmatism. Those unfamiliar with Hegel's philosophy will appreciate Good's clear and crisp exposition. Those who already feel comfortable with Dewey's thought will be surprised at how easy they can grasp Hegel. -- Jim Garrison, Virginia TechTable of ContentsChapter 1 Abbreviations Chapter 2 Preface Chapter 3 Acknowledgments Chapter 4 The Humanist/Historicist Hegel Chapter 5 American Hegelianism, 1830-1900 Chapter 6 Dewey in Burlington and Baltimore, 1859-1884 Chapter 7 Dewey in Michigan, 1884-1894 Chapter 8 Dewey's Transitional Years, 1894-1904 Chapter 9 From Actualism to Brutalism, 1904-1916 Chapter 10 Selected Bibliography Chapter 11 Index Chapter 12 About the Author

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Book SynopsisThe recent cross-fruition between analytical philosophy and continental philosophical traditions has stimulated an intense interest in the philosophy of philosophy. At stake in the debate is our understanding of the role of philosophy and of the use of argument and reason in culture.Transformative Philosophy articulates a new conception of philosophy through a discussion of salient themes in the analytical tradition, in the work of the later Wittgenstein, and in critical theory. Wallgren traces the genealogy leading to the present impasse on the discourse of philosophy; discusses authors such as Quine, Peter Winch, Michael Dummett, and Ernst Tugendhat; and considers Wittgenstein''s conception of philosophy and of the private language argument. Drawing on an analysis of the relations between truth, communal agreement, and the role of the personal will in philosophical argumentation, Transformative Philosophy develops an image of philosophy as a transformative care for self and others. This work makes a great contribution to the study of philosophy and social theory.Trade ReviewThomas Wallgren's book Transformative Philosophy is a remarkable, important achievement in modern philosophy…. The importance of the book is that it manages to portray significant positions and debates in modern philosophy both in their own modern terms and as examples of how to deal with some deep and basic problems that have always characterized serious philosophy since Socrates. There is hardly any other book available that analyses "what philosophy is about today" with such profundity as this book. It reveals a fine and valuable insight into important parts of both modern analytic and modern continental philosophy…. It is a book that one can recommend to not only to students of philosophy but to learned scholars, since few living philosophers have managed, with excellence, to present the aspirations of modern philosophy as still answering to the historical roots and original ambitions of the enterprise. -- Steen Brock, Aarhus UniversitetWith great mastery, Wallgren navigates through much of the best in recent Wittgenstein scholarship, introducing us to many lines of interpretation found therein: transcendental, relativistic, naturalistic, corrective therapeutic.... Yet, in the end they are all left behind in favor of a different and new line: "polyphonic grammatical" interpretation, and, more generally, "transformative philosophy"… By presenting Wittgenstein to us as a follower of Socrates, the author succeeds in demonstrating one way in which Wittgenstein may offer us an alternative to choosing between theory and corrective therapy on the one hand and anarchy and irrationalism on the other. And, needless to say, along the way Wittgenstein himself is also scrupulously scanned for faults. -- Alois Pichler, University of BergenTransformative Philosophy is a courageous, profoundly searching examination of the character and value of philosophical theory and practice…. Philosophers as diverse as the pre-Socratics, Socrates, Heidegger, Quine, Dummett, Davidson, Habermas, Apel, Foucault, Deleuze, Guattari, Rorty, and Wittgenstein himself, along with his recent expositors and critics, are scrutinized to determine the extent to which their basic contentions make sense and make a genuine difference to—or instead raise basic difficulties for—our philosophical procedures. Wallgren develops a compelling alternative to first-philosophical pretensions, deflationist quietism, and relativism in the form a "polyphonic" grammatical interpretation of Wittgenstein's later philosophy. He shows how we can be seriously committed philosophically both to rational justification and to the moral relevance of philosophy to our own times…. Wallgren's book is replete with subtle and important insights, above all about Socrates and Wittgenstein; it is a "must read" for philosophers of all persuasions. -- Kenneth R. Westphal, University of East AngliaI found [Transformative Philosophy] a charming [book], philosophically quite astute and wide-ranging, and decidedly bold and inventive in the direction it proposes. -- Joseph Margolis, Temple UniversityWallgren's detailed account of the transformative potential of philosophy — of the way in which, by working to resolve conceptual confusions or to rid oneself of delusions, one can end up transforming one's entire life and even the world itself — has been long-awaited and is most welcome. Wallgren's development of the therapeutic interpretation of philosophy…builds on all that is best in the great voices of philosophy from Socrates to the present day, and focuses most intently around Wittgenstein's thought…. Those who think that admiring Wittgenstein entails conservative political views will be shaken by this book, for Wallgren's philosophy is a deeply-contemporarily-relevant philosophy of emancipation: from the tutelage of scientism and individualism, and from our governance by mentalities such as that of knowledge-fetishism or free-market-ideology. -- Dr. Rupert Read, University of East Anglia, NorwichTable of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Locating the Itch Chapter 3 The Genealogy of "Philosophy" Chapter 4 Paradigms of Analytical Philosophy as First Philosophy and Their Problems Chapter 5 Wittgenstein'sPhilosophical Investigations: Overcoming the Overcoming of First Philosophy Chapter 6 Mapping a Neglected Terrain: Philosophy in Relation to Its Times Chapter 7 Working on Oneself, Caring for Us: Toward a Transformative Philosophy

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Book SynopsisThe Promise of Phenomenology: Posthumous Papers of John Wild includes articles that remained unpublished during Wild''s lifetime, a journal, wherein he recorded conversations with major British and Continental philosophers during 1957-8, as well as a masterful exposition and commentary on Emmanuel Levinas''s book Totality and Infinity. It also contains a complete bibliography of all of Wild''s unpublished writings open for research at the Beinecke Rare Book Library at Yale University. More personal and less reserved than Wild''s published scholarship, yet containing Wild''s characteristic clarity and rigor, the writings in this book cover such subjects as a phenomenological approach to moral relativism, an exploration of lived time, and reflections on the other and religious transcendence. The Promise of Phenomenology gives a lively picture of a master philosopher at work conveying the vitality and importance of philosophy to everyday life.Trade ReviewThis book contains a landmark collection of essays on the foundational issues of existential phenomenology. It displays the depth and versatility of one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century. These posthumous papers of John Wild are a treasure trove of erudition, cogent argumentation, and a jargon-free exploration of timeless philosophical questions. Wild confronts the phenomenological tradition with his own vast knowledge of the history of philosophy. His approach is fresh, surprising, and exciting. A final bonus is Wild's introduction to the thought of Emmanuel Levinas which marks the very first American recognition of Levinas' overall importance. This book is not only an invaluable look at a key historical moment in contemporary philosophy; it is also a challenge to continental thought, calling for a renewed examination of its most basic points of departure. -- Robert J. Anderson, Washington CollegeWith unusual clarity and insight, the American philosopher John Wild used his phenomenological approach to explore what he called "lived experience," which never grasps the world completely but grants us opportunities to glimpse truth and to give meaning to our lives in positive ways if we learn to use our freedom well. Retrieved through the careful attention that Richard Sugarman and Roger Duncan have paid to the posthumous papers of this major twentieth-century philosopher, John Wild's much-needed wisdom shines again in the twenty-first century—sane and sensible, profound and yet down to earth, illuminating and helpful. -- John K. Roth, Edward J. Sexton Professor of Philosophy and director, Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights, Claremont McKenna CollegeIn this volume of carefully selected previously unpublished texts, each perceptively introduced, contextualized and annotated, Professors Sugarman and Duncan masterfully bring to life yet more of the penetrating insights of a rightfully distinguished American philosopher, or as John Wild might have said, they have retrieved and renewed his intellectual inquiries into and for our unfolding “life world.” -- Richard A. Cohen, author of Out of Control: Confrontations between Spinoza and LevinasThis book offers an excellent introduction to phenomenology! It provides the most penetrating critique of relativism even as it constructs a perspectival realism not indifferent to transcendence. More than any other thinker, Wild understands the dissolution of the self wrought by abandoning the world or sinking into nihilism. In his writings, Wild both lives and explains the imperative and the dread of communicating the self in its individuality, its style, by projecting it into writing. I really enjoyed every page and 'studying' with Wild... -- Anne Ashbaugh, Colgate UniversityThe philosophical world stands in debt to Professors Richard Sugarman and Roger Duncan for making available a representative portion of the unpublished works of an internationally eminent twentieth century American philosopher. John Wild, a member of the philosophy faculty at Harvard University over a span of thirty-four years, was the consummate teacher/scholar who in the course of his career influenced generations of instructors and researchers and helped shape the direction of philosophy in the United States as it moved toward a new century. With a veritable mastery of the history of philosophy and a rigor in analysis and argumentation, Professor Wild remained in the forefront of critical assessments of the contributions of twentieth century continental phenomenology and existentialism and became a pioneer in the recovery and revitalization of indigenous American pragmatism. -- Calvin O. Schrag, Purdue UniversityBringing together writings from John Wild's later life, this carefully annotated posthumous collection attests his significance not only as a premier interpreter of phenomenology but as a major original thinker. Juxtaposed against a still unrivalled section by section reading of Emmanuel Levinas's major work, Totality and Infinity, are essays on guilt, responsibility, God, the quest for meaning and a phenomenological response to relativism. Drawing upon realist and pragmatist traditions, Wild reinforces and criticizes an ethics of otherness in which rights and other social issues do not play a key role. His suggestive 1957-58 journals, fragments recounting conversations with analytic philosophers Gilbert Ryle and J. L. Austin among others offer not only engaging portraits but philosophical insights into what unites and ultimately separates these traditions. As its title hints, this work is a remarkable fulfillment of phenomenology's promise. -- Edith Wyschogrod, Rice UniversityThis book offers an excellent introduction to phenomenology! It provides the most penetrating critique of relativism even as it constructs a perspectival realism not indifferent to transcendence. More than any other thinker, Wild understands the dissolution of the self wrought by abandoning the world or sinking into nihilism. In his writings, Wild both lives and explains the imperative and the dread of communicating the self in its individuality, its style, by projecting it into writing. I really enjoyed every page and 'studying' with Wild. -- Anne Ashbaugh, Colgate UniversityTable of ContentsPart 1 Explorations of the Human Life-World Part 2 Conversations, Reflections, and Beliefs Part 3 Toward a Phenomenology of Transcendence Part 4 New Directions, A Philosopher at Work: Toward a Phenomenology of the Other Part 5 Letter to John Wild Part 6 Bibliography of John Wild's Posthumous Papers

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Book SynopsisExamines the political possibilities emerging with poststructuralist epistemology. Beginning with the premises for the construction of knowledge claims, this work explores the dimensions of materialism, democracy, power, leftist politics, and other themes emerging from the twentieth century philosophic movement.Trade ReviewIn a series of articles and books over a period of several years, Professor Andrew Koch has grappled with the most interesting and challenging problems at the center of the methodological and policy debates of the political and social sciences. In this book, accepting that 'all political orders use power and are, on some level, repressive,' and that all present political orders are unyieldingly committed to absolutist secular or sacred conceptions of knowledge and human nature, Professor Koch offers a poststructural reformation of the political that abandons the reliance on absolutes and opens up space for counter-discourses of liberation, diversity, and a more open view of our collective political future. Professor Koch's book is a welcome addition to current debates about the need for a fundamental reorientation of thinking about human prospects on planet Earth. -- Edward M. Wheat, University of Southern MississippiThis is a book well worth reading for its comprehensive sweep and the succinctness of its exposition of all aspects of post-structuralism. -- Horst Hutter, Concordia UniversityTable of ContentsChapter 1 Poststructuralism and Political Philosophy Chapter 2 The Methods of Inquiry: Weber and Poststructuralism Chapter 3 Niklas Luhmann, Jacqeus Derrida and the Politics of Epistemological Closure Chapter 4 Democracy and Personal Autonomy Chapter 5 Marx, Derrida, and the Politics of Emancipation Chapter 6 Conclusion: The Epistemological Crisis in Contemporary Politics

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Book SynopsisBhakti is a remarkable feature and tendency of human existence having to do with one''s devoted involvement with a person, object, deity, or creative project. In Bhakti and Philosophy, R. Raj Singh traces the larger meanings and roles of bhakti as it historically emerged in some of the well-known thought systems of India, such as Vedanta and Buddhism, with a special focus on the seminal texts such as the Vedas, Upanishads, the Bhagvadgita, the Bhakti sutras and the Buddhist sutras. The book specifically outlines the connection between bhakti and philosophy, a connection hitherto missed in most studies on bhakti, which happen to focus on the religious dimension as opposed to the secular and existential meanings of this pivotal tendency. The value of this work lies not only in its substantive contribution to philosophy and religious studies, but also in advancing our understanding of bhakti as a universal tendency and a vital component in resolving the ever-enigmatic philosophical probleTrade ReviewChallenging the narrow religious conception of bhakti linked with Hindu devotionalism, the author successfully presents historical evidence in favour of a broader and richer interpretation of this concept within the various Indian traditions. Essential for a deeper understanding of what living philosophy means from an Indian perspective, bhakti is understood here as an existential loving attitude joining together knowledge and action. -- Rosa Fernandez-Gomez, University of Malaga, SpainOne of the merits of Professor R. Raj Singh's Bhakti and Philosophy is to point the way to a fertile reconsideration of the Indian traditional notion of devotion (bhakti) by bringing to light through knowledge and insight what makes piety a crucial factor in the broader horizon of human experience where ethic, aesthetic and transcendental values play an equal role in the construction of a true self saturated with fervour in the multi-oriented directions of creativity, contemplation and action. -- Grazia Marchianò, University of Siena-Arezzo, ItalyTable of ContentsChapter 1 Prologue Chapter 2 Bhakti as a Perennial Concept Chapter 3 Bhakti and Early Buddhist Thought Chapter 4 Bhakti and Philosophy in the Bhagvadgita Chapter 5 Bhakti and Love: Narada Bhakti Sutra Chapter 6 Bhakti and the Philosophies of Art Chapter 7 Epilogue Chapter 8 Bibliography

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis volume creatively opens up and critically explores an engaging theoretical space and suggestive cultural perspective with the notion of the 'ecoscape'—Backhaus' and Murungi's robust new geographical and philosophical idea. . . . Rooted within the broader framework of 'geophilia'—literally, love of the earth—this work shows the promise and productive power of a novel and emerging concept, one that should be of great interest to environmentalists, social theorists, geographers, and philosophers. -- David Macauley, Penn State UniversityThe volume as a whole offers readers suggestions about new concepts and reaffirmation of critiques, applied to specific historical and contemporary cases. * Environmental Philosophy *The contributors to Ecoscapes convince us that scholars of all disciplines must remain earthbound as we theorize. [It] is a must-read for any serious scholar. -- Lois Ann Lorentzen, University of San FranciscoTable of ContentsChapter 1 Figures Chapter 2 An Introduction to the Conceptual Formation of Ecoscapes Chapter 4 Imperial Gardens: Ecological Imperialism and the Re-Seeding of the New World Chapter 4 Chickens, Eggs, and the Corn that Feeds Them: Exploring the Dialectics of Native and Hybrid Ecoscapes in Mexico Chapter 5 Ecoscapes and Environmental Problems: The Case of Puebla's Municipal Slaughterhouse, Puebla, Mexico Chapter 5 Scape Invaders: Transgenic Animals, Nature and the Ecoscape Chapter 6 Cultivating Famine: In Search of the Miracle Seed Chapter 6 Enlightenment Geography & Local Mapping Initiatives: From the Office to the Field, 1700-1815 Chapter 8 From Farmsteads to Slag Heaps: The Restless Ecoscapeof the Ruhr Valley of Germany, 1830-1930 Chapter 10 Ecology, Technology, and Wilderness Management: A Clash of Eco-Spatial Paradigms Chapter 12 Chronoscapes/Chronos Escapes: A Meditation on Historical Time Chapter 12 Preface: Geophilia: A Transdisciplinary Science Formed on the Basis of Geographicity Chapter 13 Lifeworld Cartography: Echoes, Footprints, and Other Guideposts to the Self Chapter 14 Epilogue: Soiled Work Chapter 15 Selected Bibliography Chapter 16 Index Chapter 17 About the Contributors

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Book SynopsisDrawing on the work of Henri Lefebvre and Barbara Adam, Gender, Space, and Time is a brilliant study that offers a unique and original threefold conceptualization of how space and time is developed and applied in an empirical study of women''s lives. Author Dorothy Moss focuses on the everyday practice and experience of women higher education students at a community college in northern England. Women''s action is considered in relation to the complex and interconnected spheres of paid work, home, leisure, community, and higher education. Through highlighting concepts of space and time, the complex relationship between networks of power and personal action gains visibility. Moss conceptualizes women as centers of action and demonstrates the ways in which they construct personal pathways, connect different spheres of experience, integrate new time demands into the multiple rhythms of their everyday lives, and carve out personal space. Gender, Space, and Time is a timely and compelling woTrade ReviewThis is a fascinating text, which yields valuable insight into the theorisation of space, time, and gender. Dorothy Moss brings together insights from a number of overlapping fields in exploring how women's everyday practices in higher education are shaped by dominant spatial/temporal representations and practices. Moss brings alive the voices of the women in her study across the fields of paid employment, housing and household, including childcare, friendship and relationships. She explores how these differing spatial and temporal modalities impact on women's experience of studying in higher education. She is alive to issues of class, geographical origin, race, and to other aspects of identity, and her sensitive analysis of the data captures the complexity of the lives of the women in her study. Full of wonderful insights, as well as theoretical rigour, this text deserves a wide readership among higher education practitioners and feminists, as well as social scientists with a specialist interest in the theorisation of space and time. -- Sue Clegg, Sheffield Hallam UniversityIn an accessible, clearly argued and eminently reflexive book, Dot Moss focuses on time and space to explore gendered power and diversity. Gender, Space and Time examines women students’ experiences from a critical realist and feminist perspective, to trace their physical, social and emotional movements between home, community, paid employment, and their studies. The sophisticated set of interlinked spatial and temporal concepts developed in this work – practices, representations and action – not only makes visible women students’ struggles and achievements; they are also concepts that have wider purchase for understanding the complexity and range of women’s lives and experiences. -- Rosalind Edwards, London South Bank UniversityTable of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction: Lines of Enquiry Chapter 2 Feminist Theory, a Critical Realist Approach Chapter 3 Theorizing Gender, Space, and Time Chapter 4 The Spatial and Temporal Relations of Women's Everyday Lives Chapter 5 The Spatial and Temporal Relations of Higher Education Chapter 6 Research through the Prism of Space and Time Chapter 7 Spatial and Temporal Practices: Frameworks for Action Chapter 8 Spatial and Temporal Representations: Guidelines for Action Chapter 9 The Framework and Guidelines of Higher Education Chapter 10 Women as Centers of Action Chapter 11 Conclusions: Women Creating Space and Time

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewPickett clearly maps the contemporary debate on Foucault at the same time as offering an innovative contribution to that debate. The book will be of interest to readers who are being introduced to Foucault for the first times as well as scholars in the field looking for provocative new insights into Foucault and his work. -- Simone ChambersRecommended. * CHOICE *Thought provoking. * Political Studies Review *In this highly readable and well informed essay Brent Pickett demonstrates that Foucault's work, however empirically or historically insightful, cannot sustain a coherent theoretical perspective on political reality or action by itself. There is a disjunction between Foucault's analysis of power and institutions and the normative orientations that so clearly animate his work. Contemporary political theorists attempting to appropriate and build upon Foucault's insights have almost invariably interpreted him as an individualistic anarchist, while Professor Pickett effectively argues that a more theoretically coherent interpretation would incorporate these insights into a radical theory of social democracy. He fully realizes, however, that there is textual support for either interpretive strategy, that one of them must be chosen, and that Foucault himself does not provide sufficient guidance for one or the other of these options. This book is clearly among the best I have read on Foucault, and from the perspective of a political theorist it is certainly the most useful. -- Edward B. Portis, Texas A&M UniversityTable of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Power Chapter 3 Resistance Chapter 4 Foucault's Masks and Contested Interpretations Chapter 5 Foucaultian Rights? Chapter 6 Towards a Democracy of Power

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Book SynopsisLiving in the post-modern age, there is a growing sentiment of disenchantment in relation to the most facile aspects of dogmatic feminism. Nevertheless, the question of sexual difference still remains. Sex, Breath and Force asks how we should approach such a questioning today, given the fall of the great narratives and the plethora of theoretical discourses in circulation. What are the conditions of possibility for thinking of sexual difference as a foundational problem in the age of technology? And, how do the disciplines of social science, literary studies, philosophy, and film studies answer this challenge? This collection of essays provides a reassessment of the question of sexual difference, taking into account important shifts in feminist thought, post-humanist theories, and queer studies. The contributors offer new and refreshing insights into the complex question of sexual difference from a post-feminist perspective, and how it is reformulated in various related areas of study, such as ontology, epistemology, metaphysics, biology, technology, and mass media.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 The Force of Sexual Difference Chapter 3 A Difference of Origin Chapter 4 From Sexual Difference to the Way of Breath: Towards a Feminist Ontology of Ourselves Chapter 5 "Traces of Otherness" Chapter 6 Nietzsche in the Feminine? Questioning Nietzche's Will to Power Chapter 7 Matter, Sexual Difference, and Death in Aristotle Chapter 8 Secrets and Drive Chapter 9 The Depressed Sex: Sublimation and Sexual Difference Chapter 10 Out of the National Closet:Show Me Love Chapter 11 Differences That Matter? Or: What Is Feminist Critique? Chapter 12 "Through Desire and Love": Simone de Beauvoir on the Possibilities of Sexual Desire

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Book SynopsisExamines the idea of communalism in African cultures as a dominant theme that provides the foundation for African traditional moral thoughts, moral education, values, beliefs, conceptions of reality, practices, and ways of life. This book also argues that when properly understood, it could provide the necessary foundation for Africa's development.Trade ReviewThis book is a much-needed conceptual and pragmatic study of the existence and significance of African communalism and philosophy. * African American Review *This book will stimulate much debate in African philosophy....This is an important contribution to contemporary African political philosophy. * Philosophy in Review, October 2008 *Prof. Ikuenobe is breaking important new ground with this book...it is well-written, engaging, and will appeal to a broad audience. -- H. Gene Blocker, Ohio UniversityTable of ContentsChapter 1 Methodological and Metaphilosophical Issues Chapter 2 African Conceptions of Personhood and Community Chapter 3 Moral Philosophy, Communalism, and Morality Chapter 4 Oral Tradition, Narratives, and Moral Education Chapter 5 Communalism and Epistemic Authoritarianism Chapter 6 Moral Education, Rationality, and Indoctrination Chapter 7 Reflections on Communalism, Responsibility, and Liberal Criticisms

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