Western philosophy from c 1800 Books

Book SynopsisIn capitalism human beings act as if they are mere animals. So we hear repeatedly in the history of modern philosophy. Indifference and Repetition examines how modern philosophy, largely coextensive with a particular boost in capitalism’s development, registers the reductive and regressive tendencies produced by capitalism’s effect on individuals and society. Ruda examines a problem that has invisibly been shaping the history of modern, especially rationalist philosophical thought, a problem of misunderstanding freedom. Thinkers like Descartes, Kant, Hegel, and Marx claim that there are conceptions and interpretations of freedom that lead the subjects of these interpretations to no longer act and think freely. They are often unwillingly led into unfreedom. It is thus possible that even “freedom” enslaves. Modern philosophical rationalism, whose conceptual genealogy the books traces and unfolds, assigns a name to this peculiar form of domination by means of freedom: indifference. Indifference is a name for the assumption that freedom is something that human beings have: a given, a natural possession. When we think freedom is natural or a possession we lose freedom. Modern philosophy, Ruda shows, takes its shape through repeated attacks on freedom as indifference; it is the owl that begins its flight, so that the days of unfreedom will turn to dusk.Table of ContentsForeword: Frank Ruda’s Philosophical Oeuvre by Alain Badiou | vii Preface to the English Edition: Freedom as Slavery | xi List of Abbreviations | xxv Introduction: Indifference and the History of Philosophical Rationalism | 1 1 Descartes and the Transcendental of All My Future Errors | 13 2 Kant and the Fall into Natural Necessity | 47 3 Hegel, the Dead Disposition, and the Mortification of Freedom | 82 Conclusion: Toward Another Type of Indifference | 113 Translator’s Afterword by Heather H. Yeung | 127 Acknowledgments | 133 Notes | 135 Bibliography | 171 Index | 183

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Book SynopsisCatastrophic Historicism unsettles the historicist constitution of Julia de Burgos (1914–53), Puerto Rico’s most iconic writer—a critical task that necessitates redefining the concept of historicism. Through readings of Aristotle, Walter Benjamin, Jacques Derrida, Werner Hamacher, and Frank Ankersmit, Mendoza-de Jesús shows that historicism grounds historical objectivity in the historian’s capacity to compose totalizing narratives that domesticate the contingency of the past. While critiques of historicism as a realism leave untouched the sovereignty of the historian, the book insists that reading the text of history requires an attunement to danger—a modality that interrupts historicism by infusing the past with a contingency that evades total appropriation. After desedimenting the monumental tradition that has reduced de Burgos to a totemic figure, Catastrophic Historicism reads the poet’s first collection, Poema en 20 surcos (1938). Mendoza-de Jesús argues that the historicity of Poema crystallizes in the lyrical speaker’s self-institution as an embodied ipseity, which requires producing racialized/gendered allegorical figures—the bearers of an abject flesh—that lack any ontological resistance to modern alienation. Rather than treating de Burgos’s poetics of selfhood as the ideal image of Puerto Rican sovereignty, Mendoza-de Jesús endangers this idealization by drawing attention to the abjection that sustains our attachments to ipseity as the form of a truly sovereign life. In this way, Catastrophic Historicism not only resets the terms of ongoing critiques of historicism in the humanities—it also intervenes in Puerto Rican historicity for the sake of its transformation.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Reading Danger | 1 Part I: Catastrophic Traditions: Reading the Image of Julia de Burgos, Dangerously | 23 Part II: The Closure of Historicism; or, History in Deconstruction | 98 Part III: Reading Now: The Catastrophic Modernity of Julia de Burgos | 154 Epilogue: After Sovereignty? | 273 Acknowledgments | 277 Notes | 283 Index | 325

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Book SynopsisCatastrophic Historicism unsettles the historicist constitution of Julia de Burgos (1914–53), Puerto Rico’s most iconic writer—a critical task that necessitates redefining the concept of historicism. Through readings of Aristotle, Walter Benjamin, Jacques Derrida, Werner Hamacher, and Frank Ankersmit, Mendoza-de Jesús shows that historicism grounds historical objectivity in the historian’s capacity to compose totalizing narratives that domesticate the contingency of the past. While critiques of historicism as a realism leave untouched the sovereignty of the historian, the book insists that reading the text of history requires an attunement to danger—a modality that interrupts historicism by infusing the past with a contingency that evades total appropriation. After desedimenting the monumental tradition that has reduced de Burgos to a totemic figure, Catastrophic Historicism reads the poet’s first collection, Poema en 20 surcos (1938). Mendoza-de Jesús argues that the historicity of Poema crystallizes in the lyrical speaker’s self-institution as an embodied ipseity, which requires producing racialized/gendered allegorical figures—the bearers of an abject flesh—that lack any ontological resistance to modern alienation. Rather than treating de Burgos’s poetics of selfhood as the ideal image of Puerto Rican sovereignty, Mendoza-de Jesús endangers this idealization by drawing attention to the abjection that sustains our attachments to ipseity as the form of a truly sovereign life. In this way, Catastrophic Historicism not only resets the terms of ongoing critiques of historicism in the humanities—it also intervenes in Puerto Rican historicity for the sake of its transformation.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Reading Danger | 1 Part I: Catastrophic Traditions: Reading the Image of Julia de Burgos, Dangerously | 23 Part II: The Closure of Historicism; or, History in Deconstruction | 98 Part III: Reading Now: The Catastrophic Modernity of Julia de Burgos | 154 Epilogue: After Sovereignty? | 273 Acknowledgments | 277 Notes | 283 Index | 325

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Book SynopsisPhilosophical controversies within contemporary critical theory arise largely from questions about the nature, scope and limits of human reason. As the linguistic turn in twentieth-century philosophy has increasingly given way to a sociocritical turn, traditional ideas of 'pure' reason have been left further and further behind. There is however considerable disagreement about what that shift entails for enlightenment ideals of self-consciousness, self-determination, and self-realization. In this book two prominent philosophers bring these disagreements into focus around a set of familiar philosophical issues concerning reason and the rational subject, truth and representation, knowledge and objectivity, identity and difference, relativism and universalism, the right and the good. But these "perennial problems" are resituated within the context of critical theory as it has developed from the work of the Frankfurt School in the 1930's and 1940's to the multiplicity of contemporary approaches: genealogical, hermeneutic, neopragmatist, deconstructive, and reconstructive.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Part I: Philosophy and Critical Theory: A Reprise (Thomas McCarthy):. 1. On the Idea of a Critical Theory and It's Relation to philosophy. 1.1. Horkheimer on Historicism. 1.2. Traditional and Critical Theory. 1.3. The Aufhebung of Philosophy. 2. Reason in a Postmetaphysical Age. 2.1. Deconstructionist Critiques of Reason. 2.2. Communication and Idealization. 2.3. Accountability and Autonomy. 2.4. Discourse Ethics. 3. On the Pragmatics of Communicative Reason. 3.1. The Rational Properties of Practical Activities. 3.2. Pragmatizing Communicative Rationality. 3.3. On the Methodologies of Critical Social Theory. 3.4. Multicultural Cosmopolitanism. Part II: Critical Theory and Critical History (David Couzens Hoy):. 4. A Deconstructive Reading of the Early Frankfurt School. 4.1. Tensions in Horkheimer. 4.2. Deferrals in Adorno. 4.3. Anticipations of Poststructuralism. 5. Conflicting Versions of Critique: Foucault verses Habermas. 5.1. Foucault and the Frankfurt School. 5.2. Naturalizing Philosophy with Evolutionary Stories. 5.3. From Hegel to Nietzsche. 5.4. Genealogy's Critique of Habermas. 5.5. The Critical Potential of History and of Theory. 6. The Contingency of Universality: Critical Theory as Genealogical Hermeneutics. 6.1. Genealogy For and Against. 6.2. Habermas's Universalism. 6.3. Gadamer's Hermeneutical Pluralism. 6.4. Genealogical Hermeneutics. Part III: For and Against:. 7. Rejoinder to David Hoy (Thomas McCarthy). 7.1. Pragmatism. 7.2. Genealogy. 7.3. Hermeneutics. 7.4. Pluralism. 8. Rejoinder to Thomas McCarthy (David Couzens Hoy). 8.1. Rational Agents or Cultural Dopes. 8.2. Local Solidarity or Universal Audience?. 8.3. Pluralism or Concensus?. 8.4. Identity in Difference?. Index.

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Book SynopsisDRETSKE AND HIS CRITICS Dretske and his Critics Frederick Dretske’s views on the nature of seeing, the possibility of knowledge, the nature of content or non-natural meaning, the nature of behavior, and the role of content in the causal explanation of behavior have been profoundly important. Dretske and his Critics contains original discussions of these issues by John Heil, Stuart Cohen, David H. Sanford, Jaegwon Kim, Fred Adams, Daniel Dennett, Robert Cummins, Terence Horgan and Brian McLaughlin. Each chapter is responded to by Dretske himself. In Seeing and Knowing (1968), Dretske argued that there is a relational sense of seeing according to which, if one sees X, then X exists (or occurs); and if one sees X, and X = Y, then one sees Y. He carefully contrasted seeing in this relational sense with seeing that something is the case. In his contribution to this volume, Heil examines Dretske’s notion of non-epistemic seeing. Dretske is largely responsible for the relevant alternatives response to skepticism about knowledge. In arguing that we cannot know the sorts of things we ordinarily claim to know, the skeptic appeals to irrelevant alternatives that the purported knower cannot eliminate. In their contributions to this volume, Cohen and Sanford examine Dretske’s relevant alternatives response to skepticism about knowledge. In Explaining Behavior: Reasons in a World of Causes (1988), Dretske defended a component account of behavior, and offered original, naturalized accounts of the nature of content and of the role of content in the causal explanation of behavior. In their contributions, Kim, Adams, Dennett, Cummins, and Horgan examine Dretske’s account of behavior and his naturalized account of the role of content in the causal explanation of behavior. McLaughlin focuses on Dretske’s naturalized account of content.Table of ContentsPerceptual experience, John Heil; scepticism, relevance, and relativity, Stewart Cohen; proper knowledge, David H.Sanford; Dretske on how reasons explain behaviour, Jaegwon Kim; actions, reasons, and the explanatory role of content, Terence Horgan; the role of mental meaning in psychological explanation, Robert Cummins; ways of establishing harmony, Daniel C.Dennett; causal contents, Frederick Adams; belief individuation and Dretske on naturalizing content, Brian P.McLaughlin; Dretske's replies.

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Book SynopsisRichard Peet looks in detail at the main trends in human geographic thought over the last thirty years, relating these to broader themes in philosophy and social theory. Beginning with existential phenomenology and humanistic geography, the book covers Marxism and radical geography, structuralism, structuration theory, realism, locality studies, various streams of poststructuralism and postmodernism, and feminism. Each chapter examines a few theories in depth, concentrating on the major works and the nature of their contribution. Many of the ideas covered are dense and complex, but the reader is drawn gradually into the text through notions understandable to students. After spending time with this book the reader should be able to tackle virtually any philosophical theme in contemporary geographic thought. The book will be central to courses in geographical thought and the history of geographical thought, and as part of virtually all courses in human geography whcih entail philosophy and theory.Trade Review"Perhaps not since David Harvey's Explanation in Geography (1969) had the field been so thoroughly and rigorously examined through literatures both within and outside the discipline." ANNALS of the Association of American Geographers. "This is a very useful book for students and others who are unfamiliar with the current 'isms' in contemporary radical thought - not just in geography, but in the social sciences in general ... contains an excellent survey of the origins and growth of radical human geography ... relatively jargon free and very readable." Andrew Ryder, University of Portsmouth "This is an impressive work of erudition, written with authority and conviction." Progress in Human Geography "Modern Geographical Thought is the last, great and definitive work translating philosophy into human Geography" Alisdair Rogers,School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford University.Table of ContentsList of Figures. Preface. 1. Introduction: Geography, Philosophy and Social Theory. 2. Existentialism, Phenomenology and Humanistic Geography. 3. Radical Geography, Marxism, and Marxist Geography. 4. Structuralism and Structural Marxist Geography. 5. Structuration, Realism and Locality Studies. 6. Poststructuralism, Postmodernism and Postmodern Geographies. 7. Feminism Theory and the Geography of Gender. 8. Conclusion. Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisSelf-described "intellectual terrorist" Jean Baudrillard is one of the most important and provocative writers of the contemporary era. Widely acclaimed as the prophet to postmodernity, he has famously announced the disappearance of the subject, political economy, meaning, truth, the social, and the real in contemporary social formations.Trade Review"This work includes an introduction by Kellner and fourteen chapters whose authors creatively deal with many of the contributions, complexities and controversies surrounding one of the most troubling and delightful philosophers of our time. The introduction by Douglas Kellner is a brief, yet insightful preface to the volume. As Kellner effectively began in his earlier works, this new contribution to the growing literature on Baudrillard continues to pave a critical path." Scott Lukas, Perspectives on PostmodernityTable of ContentsNotes on Contributors vii Introduction: Jean Baudrillard in the Fin-de-Millennium 1 Douglas Kellner 1. The System of Objects and the Commodification of Everyday Life: The Early Baudrillard 25 Mark Gottdiener 2. The Commodification of Reality and the Reality of Commodification: Baudrillard, Debord, and Postmodern Theory 41 Steven Best 3. Critical Theory and Technoculture: Habermas and Baudrillard 68 Mark Poster 4. Semiotics, Cybernetics, and the Ecstasy of Marketing Communications 89 Kim Sawchuck 5. Fashion and Signification in Baudrillard 119 Efrat Tseelon 6. Fatal Forms: Toward a (Neo) Formal Sociological Theory of Media Culture 135 Jonathan S. Epstein and Margaarete J. Epstein 7. Symbolic Exchange in Hyperreality 150 Deborah Cook 8. Capitalism and the Code: A Critique of Baudrillard's Third Order Simulacrum 168 Sara Schoonmaker 9. Simulation: The Highest Stage of Capitalism? 189 James Der Derian 10. Aesthetic Production and Cultural Politics: Baudrillard and Contemporary Art 209 Timothy W. Luke 11. Baudrillard, Modernism, and Postmodernism 227 Nicholas Zurbrugg 12. Valorizing “the Feminine” while Rejecting Feminism? – Baudrillard’s Feminist Provocations 257 13. The Drama of Theory: Vengeful Objects and Wily Props 292 Gary Genosko 14. Baudrillard, Time and the End 313 William Bogard

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Book SynopsisFrom Immanuel Kant to Postmodernism, this volume provides an unparalleled student resource: a wide-ranging collection of the essential works of more than 50 seminal thinkers in modern European philosophy. Areas covered include Kant and German Idealism, Existentialism, Phenomenology, Hermeneutics, Marxism and the Frankfurt School, Structuralism, Psychoanalysis, Feminism, Deconstruction, and Postmodernism. Each section begins with a concise and helpful introduction, and all the texts have been selected for accessibility as well as significance, making the volume ideal for introductory and advanced levels in philosophy, cultural studies, literary theory, and the history of modern thought.Trade Review"McNeill and Feldman have assembled a superb and comprehensive collection of crucial texts from Kant to Baudrillard ranging over all the important issues to continental thought. An indispensable tool for any course in continental thought." -- John D. Caputo, Villanova UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part I: The Age of the Systems: Kant and German Idealism 5 Part II: Subjectivity in Question: Existentialism, Phenomenology, and Hermeneutics 57 Part III: Political Thought: Marxism and Critical Theory 203 Part VI: Structuralism and Psychoanalysis 295 Part V: Deconstruction, Feminism, and Postmodernism 339 Index 453

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Book SynopsisPaul Patton brings together an outstanding collection of appraisals by French- and English-speaking scholars of Gilles Deleuze (1925-1995), one of the most important post-war French philosophers. A number of these pieces address Deleuze's original interpretations of key figures in the history of philosophy, including Spinoza, Kant, Hegel and Bergson. Others discuss his work on mathematics, and the relevance of his conceptual creativity for art criticism, feminist, literary, and cultural studies. Several of the contributors here have not been previously published.Table of ContentsContributors. Acknowledgements. 1. Introduction: Paul Patton. 2. The Eye of the Outside: Jean-Clet Martin. 3. Deleuze's Theory of Sensation: Overcoming the Kantian Dulaity: Daniel W Smith. 4. Idea and Destination: Jean-Michel Salanskis. 5. Deleuze-Bergson: an Ontology of the Virtual: Constantin V Boundas. 6.The Deleuzian Fold of Thought: Jean-Luc Nancy. 7. Who's Afraid of Hegelian wolves?: Catherine Malabou. 8.The Encounter with Spinoza: Pierre Macherey. 9. Through a Spinozist Lens: Ethology, Difference, Power: Moira Gatens. 10. Six Notes on the Percept (On the Relation between the Critical and the Clinical): Francois Zourabichvili. 11. The Autonomy of Affect: Brian Massumi. 12. Schizoanalysis and Baudelaire: Some Illustrations of Decoding at Work: Eugene W Holland. 13. Gilles Deleuze: The Aesthetics of Force: Ronald Bogue. 14. Bibliography of the Works of Gilles Deleuze: Timothy S Murphy. Index.

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Book SynopsisPaul Patton brings together an outstanding collection of appraisals by French- and English-speaking scholars of Gilles Deleuze (1925-1995), one of the most important post-war French philosophers. A number of these pieces address Deleuze's original interpretations of key figures in the history of philosophy, including Spinoza, Kant, Hegel and Bergson. Others discuss his work on mathematics, and the relevance of his conceptual creativity for art criticism, feminist, literary, and cultural studies. Several of the contributors here have not been previously published.Table of ContentsContributors. Acknowledgements. 1. Introduction: Paul Patton. 2. The Eye of the Outside: Jean-Clet Martin. 3. Deleuze's Theory of Sensation: Overcoming the Kantian Dulaity: Daniel W Smith. 4. Idea and Destination: Jean-Michel Salanskis. 5. Deleuze-Bergson: an Ontology of the Virtual: Constantin V Boundas. 6.The Deleuzian Fold of Thought: Jean-Luc Nancy. 7. Who's Afraid of Hegelian wolves?: Catherine Malabou. 8.The Encounter with Spinoza: Pierre Macherey. 9. Through a Spinozist Lens: Ethology, Difference, Power: Moira Gatens. 10. Six Notes on the Percept (On the Relation between the Critical and the Clinical): Francois Zourabichvili. 11. The Autonomy of Affect: Brian Massumi. 12. Schizoanalysis and Baudelaire: Some Illustrations of Decoding at Work: Eugene W Holland. 13. Gilles Deleuze: The Aesthetics of Force: Ronald Bogue. 14. Bibliography of the Works of Gilles Deleuze: Timothy S Murphy. Index.

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Book SynopsisFirst English language collection of the writing of French social critic, Paul Virilio. This volume represents his most important work, including five new translations and an exclusive interview with Virlio conducted by the editor reflecting the diverse career of this great social commentator on life in the late twentieth century.Trade Review"... the material could not be in better editorial hands. If there is a scholar within contemporary international relations who has done as much as Virilio outside it to investigate these sort of concerns, and who has the breadth of knowledge and the linguistic and intellectual engagement to offer an overall account of Virilio's corpus, it is Der Derian. His introduction to this volume is characteristically well written, thoughtful, wryly amusing and a model of concise exposition. His interview with Virilio, which forms two chapters of the book, is both a real dialogue and at the same time an illuminating tour d'horizon of Virilio's concerns. Whether you agree or disagree, with Virilio or Der Derian or both, try this book for you will be confronted with an elegant sampling of wide and pespicacious oeuvre that deals with important and difficult issues: a Virilio reader indeed." Nicholas Rengger, University of St Andrews Table of ContentsAcknowledgments. Preface. Introduction by James Der Derian. 1. Interview: Is the Author Dead?. 2. Military Space. 3. The Suicidal State. 4. The State of Emergency. 5. The Critical Space. 6. The Strategy Beyond. 7. A Travelling Shot Over Eighty Years. 8. Polar Inertia. 9. The Vision Machine. 10. The Art of the Motor. 11. The Desert Screen. 12. Continental Drift. A Select Bibliography of Works by Paul Virilio. Index

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Book SynopsisCornelius Castoriadis is presently Director of Studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. He is a philosopher, social critic, professional economist, practicing psychoanalyst and one of Europe's foremost thinkers. The Castoriadis Reader provides for the first time an overview of the author's work and encompasses every aspect of his thought.Trade Review"The Castoriadis Reader, with representative extracts from almost fifty years of political and philosophical writing, reflects his long march from Marx back to Aristotle." Scott McLemmee, Lingua Franca "When so many pay superficial tribute to false prophets, how much better to pay serious attention to this true thinker." Nicolas Walter, New Statesman "For those unfamiliar with the thought of Castoriadis, reading his works for the first time is to encounter one of the most original and creative figures of the last half of the twentieth century." David Wallace, TopiaTable of ContentsEditor's Foreword. Acknowledgements. Abbreviations. 1.'The Only Way to Find out If You Can Swim Is to Get into the Water.' An Introductiory Interview (1974). 2. Presentation of Socialisme ou Barbarie An Organ of Critique and Revolutionary Orienation (1949). 3. On the Content of Bureaucracy to the Idea of the Proletariat's Autonomy (1955). On the Content of Socialism, II (1957). 4. Recommencing the Revolution (1964). 5. Marxism and Revolutionary Theory (1964-65). Excerpts. Marxism: A Provisional Assessment. Theory and Revolutionary Project. 6. The Social Imaginary and the Institution (1975). Excerpt. The Social-Historical. 7. The Social Regime in Russia (1978). 8. From Ecology to Autonomy (1980). 9. The Crisis of Western Societies (1982). 10. The Greek Polis and the Creation of Democracy (1983). 11. The Logic of Magmas and the Question of Autonomy (1983). 12. Radical Imagination and the Social Instituting Imaginary (1994). 13. Culture in a Democratic Society (1994). 14. Psychoanalysis and Philosophy (1996). 15. Done and To Be Done (1989). Index.

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Book SynopsisCornelius Castoriadis is presently Director of Studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. He is a philosopher, social critic, professional economist, practicing psychoanalyst and one of Europe's foremost thinkers. The Castoriadis Reader provides for the first time an overview of the author's work and encompasses every aspect of his thought.Trade Review"The Castoriadis Reader, with representative extracts from almost fifty years of political and philosophical writing, reflects his long march from Marx back to Aristotle." Scott McLemmee, Lingua Franca "When so many pay superficial tribute to false prophets, how much better to pay serious attention to this true thinker." Nicolas Walter, New Statesman "For those unfamiliar with the thought of Castoriadis, reading his works for the first time is to encounter one of the most original and creative figures of the last half of the twentieth century." David Wallace, TopiaTable of ContentsForeword vii Acknowledgements xvi Abbreviations xviii 1.'The Only Way to Find out If You Can Swim Is to Get into the Water’: An Introductory Interview (1974) 1 2. Presentation of Socialisme ou Barbarie: An Organ of Critique and Revolutionary Orientation (1949) 35 3. On the Content of Socialism (1955-1957): Excerpts 40 From the Critique of Bureaucracy to the Idea of the Proletariat's Autonomy (1955) 40 On the Content of Socialism, II (1957) 49 4. Recommencing the Revolution (1964) 106 5. Marxism and Revolutionary Theory (1964-65). Excerpts 139 Marxism: A Provisional Assessment 139 Theory and Revolutionary Project 146 6. The Social Imaginary and the Institution (1975). Excerpt. The Social-Historical 196 7. The Social Regime in Russia (1978) 218 8. From Ecology to Autonomy (1980) 239 9. The Crisis of Western Societies (1982) 253 10. The Greek Polis and the Creation of Democracy (1983) 267 11. The Logic of Magmas and the Question of Autonomy (1983) 290 12. Radical Imagination and the Social Instituting Imaginary (1994) 319 13. Culture in a Democratic Society (1994) 338 14. Psychoanalysis and Philosophy (1996) 349 15. Done and To Be Done (1989) 361 Index 418

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Book SynopsisThis wide-ranging, multidisciplinary collection of newly commissioned articles brings together distinguished voices in the field of Africana philosophy and African-American social and political thought. Provides a comprehensive critical survey of African-American philosophical thought. Collects wide-ranging, multidisciplinary, newly commissioned articles in one authoritative volume. Serves as a benchmark work of reference for courses in philosophy, social and political thought, cultural studies, and African-American studies. Trade Review"A Companion to African-American Philosophy is an indispensable and elegant guide to a constellation of inquiries into and about African-American thought and the production of that thought." Wahneema Lubiano, Duke University "Authoritative, compendious, and detailed, this landmark publication sets a standard against which every other reference work in the field must be judged." Wilson J. Moses, The Pennsylvania State University "A new convergence of reflections on the African-American experience by some of the most active philosophers in the United States. An important reference work for scholars and a useful tool in the classroom." Emmanuel Chukwudi Eze, DePaul University "This is the most thorough compilation of contemporary African-American philosophy I have yet seen. The inclusion of a selection of essays on cultural issues is a great addition. From racism to reparations to rap, these essays show how philosophers can illuminate current debates and eliminate persistent confusions in the mainstream discussions of these topics." Linda Martín Alcoff, Syracuse University "A Companion to African-American Philosophy is a valuable reference source. The editors have done an excellent job of representing the essential themes of African-American philosophical thought as well as notable individuals from the field. Libraries that support black history/studies, philosophy, American studies, and contemporary American thought should definitely purchase the Companion: it is well worth the cost. The novice will especially gain a wealth of information." Reference ReviewsTable of ContentsNotes on Contributors viii Preface xiii Acknowledgments xv Part I Philosophic Traditions Introduction to Part I 3 1 Philosophy and the Afro-American Experience 7 CORNEL WEST 2 African-American Existential Philosophy 33 LEWIS R. GORDON 3 African-American Philosophy: A Caribbean Perspective 48 PAGET HENRY 4 Modernisms in Black 67 FRANK M. KIRKLAND 5 The Crisis of the Black Intellectual 87 HORTENSE J. SPILLERS Part II The Moral and Political Legacy of Slavery Introduction to Part II 107 6 Kant and Knowledge of Disappearing Expression 110 RONALD A. T. JUDY 7 Social Contract Theory, Slavery, and the Antebellum Courts 125 ANITA L. ALLEN AND THADDEUS POPE 8 The Morality of Reparations II 134 BERNARD R. BOXILL Part III Africa and Diaspora Thought Introduction to Part III 151 9 “Afrocentricity”: Critical Considerations 155 LUCIUS T. OUTLAW, JR. 10 African Retentions 168 TOMMY L. LOTT 11 African Philosophy at the Turn of the Century 190 ALBERT G. MOSLEY Part IV Gender, Race, and Racism Introduction to Part IV 199 12 Some Group Matters: Intersectionality, Situated Standpoints, and Black Feminist Thought 205 PATRICIA HILL COLLINS 13 Radicalizing Feminisms from “The Movement Era” 230 JOY A. JAMES 14 Philosophy and Racial Paradigms 239 NAOMI ZACK 15 Racial Classification and Public Policy 255 DAVID THEO GOLDBERG 16 White Supremacy 269 CHARLES W. MILLS Part V Legal and Social Philosophy Introduction to Part V 285 17 Self-Respect, Fairness, and Living Morally 293 LAURENCE M. THOMAS 18 The Legacy of Plessy v. Ferguson 306 MICHELE MOODY-ADAMS 19 Some Reflections on the Brown Decision and Its Aftermath 313 HOWARD McGARY 20 Contesting the Ambivalence and Hostility to Affirmative Action within the Black Community 324 LUKE C. HARRIS 21 Subsistence Welfare Benefits as Property Interests: Legal Theories and Moral Considerations 333 RUDOLPH V. VANTERPOOL 22 Racism and Health Care: A Medical Ethics Issue 349 ANNETTE DULA 23 Racialized Punishment and Prison Abolition 360 ANGELA Y. DAVIS Part VI Aesthetic and Cultural Values Introduction to Part VI 373 24 The Harlem Renaissance and Philosophy 381 LEONARD HARRIS 25 Critical Theory, Aesthetics, and Black Modernity 386 LORENZO C. SIMPSON 26 Black Cinema and Aesthetics 399 CLYDE R. TAYLOR 27 Thanatic Pornography, Interracial Rape, and the Ku Klux Klan 407 T. DENEAN SHARPLEY-WHITING 28 Lynching and Burning Rituals in African-American Literature 413 TRUDIER HARRIS-LOPEZ 29 Rap as Art and Philosophy 419 RICHARD SHUSTERMAN 30 Microphone Commandos: Rap Music and Political Ideology 429 BILL E. LAWSON 31 Sports, Political Philosophy, and the African American 436 GERALD EARLY Index 450

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Book SynopsisEach volume in this series provides a clear, comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the main philosophical topics of contemporary debate.Trade Review"The text includes short exercises printed in bold every few pages. These are excellent devices for testing a student's grasp of the material, and for sparking fresh thoughts about it." Chris Daly, MindTable of ContentsPreface. 1. Metaphysics. 2. Numbers. 3. Platonism. 4. Identity. 5. Is Truth Relative?. 6. Colour. 7. Modality. 8. Things and Their Parts. 9. Determinism, Freedom and Fatalism. 10. Is There Truth in Fiction?. 11. Cosmology. References. Index.

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Book SynopsisEach volume in this series provides a clear, comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the main philosophical topics of contemporary debate.Trade Review"The text includes short exercises printed in bold every few pages. These are excellent devices for testing a student's grasp of the material, and for sparking fresh thoughts about it." Chris Daly, MindTable of ContentsPreface. 1. Metaphysics. 2. Numbers. 3. Platonism. 4. Identity. 5. Is Truth Relative?. 6. Colour. 7. Modality. 8. Things and Their Parts. 9. Determinism, Freedom and Fatalism. 10. Is There Truth in Fiction?. 11. Cosmology. References. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Goffman Reader aims to bring the most complete collection of Erving Goffman's (1922-1982) writing and thinking as a sociologist. Among the most inventive, unique and individualistic of thinkers in American sociology, his works first appeared in the early 1950's at a time when a more formal, traditional sociology dominated the scene. In this collection, Goffman's work is arranged into four categories: the production of self, the confined self, the nature of social life, and the framing of experience. Through this arrangement, readers will not only be presented with Goffman's thinking in chronological order, but also with a framework of analysis that clearly introduces the social theoretical ideas by which Goffman shaped the direction of sociological thought through the late twentieth century.Trade Review"Now, thanks to a well-conceived and elegantly introduced selection of his writings by Charles Lemert and Ann Branaman, those familiar with Goffman can be stimulated once more." Charles Edgley, Oklahoma State University "As readers go, this one, like the genius it celebrates, is truly something special." Charles Edgley, Oklahoma State UniversityTable of Contents"Goffman" by Charles Lemert. Goffman's Social Theory by Ann Branaman. Part I: The Production of Self:. 1. Self Claims On Cooling the Mark Out: Some Aspects of Adaptation to Failure. 2. Self-Presentation The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. 3. The Self as Ritual Object The Nature of Deference and Demeanor. 4. The Self and Social Roles Role Distance. Part II: The Nature of Social Life:. 5. Social Life as Drama The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. 6. Social Life as Ritual On Face-Work The Structure and Function of Situational Properties Supportive and Remedial Interchanges. 7. Social Life as Game Fun in Games Where the Action Is Strategic Interaction. Part III: The Confined Self: . 8. Status, Territory, and the Self Territories of the Self. 9. The Mortified Self On the Characteristics of Total Institutions The Moral Career of the Mental Patient. 10. The Stigmatized Self Stigma. 11. The Recalcitrant Self The Underlife of a Public Institution. Part IV: Frames and the Organization of Experience:. 12. Frame Analysis Frame Analysis. 13. Frame Analysis of Talk Felicitys Condition. 14. The Frame Analysis of Gender The Arrangement Between the Sexes Gender Displays. 15. Social Interaction and Social Structure. The Neglected Situation. The Interaction Order. Bibliography: Erving Goffmans Writings. Bibliography: Secondary Literature. Acknowledgements. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Goffman Reader aims to bring the most complete collection of Erving Goffman's (1922-1982) writing and thinking as a sociologist. Among the most inventive, unique and individualistic of thinkers in American sociology, his works first appeared in the early 1950's at a time when a more formal, traditional sociology dominated the scene. In this collection, Goffman's work is arranged into four categories: the production of self, the confined self, the nature of social life, and the framing of experience. Through this arrangement, readers will not only be presented with Goffman's thinking in chronological order, but also with a framework of analysis that clearly introduces the social theoretical ideas by which Goffman shaped the direction of sociological thought through the late twentieth century.Trade Review"Now, thanks to a well-conceived and elegantly introduced selection of his writings by Charles Lemert and Ann Branaman, those familiar with Goffman can be stimulated once more." Charles Edgley, Oklahoma State University "As readers go, this one, like the genius it celebrates, is truly something special." Charles Edgley, Oklahoma State UniversityTable of Contents"Goffman" by Charles Lemert. Goffman's Social Theory by Ann Branaman. Part I: The Production of Self:. 1. Self Claims On Cooling the Mark Out: Some Aspects of Adaptation to Failure. 2. Self-Presentation The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. 3. The Self as Ritual Object The Nature of Deference and Demeanor. 4. The Self and Social Roles Role Distance. Part II: The Nature of Social Life:. 5. Social Life as Drama The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. 6. Social Life as Ritual On Face-Work The Structure and Function of Situational Properties Supportive and Remedial Interchanges. 7. Social Life as Game Fun in Games Where the Action Is Strategic Interaction. Part III: The Confined Self: . 8. Status, Territory, and the Self Territories of the Self. 9. The Mortified Self On the Characteristics of Total Institutions The Moral Career of the Mental Patient. 10. The Stigmatized Self Stigma. 11. The Recalcitrant Self The Underlife of a Public Institution. Part IV: Frames and the Organization of Experience:. 12. Frame Analysis Frame Analysis. 13. Frame Analysis of Talk Felicitys Condition. 14. The Frame Analysis of Gender The Arrangement Between the Sexes Gender Displays. 15. Social Interaction and Social Structure. The Neglected Situation. The Interaction Order. Bibliography: Erving Goffmans Writings. Bibliography: Secondary Literature. Acknowledgements. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe wide range of disciplines represented here enables the volume to stand as a contextualizing work in Fanon studies. It contains new original essays on Africana philosophy, the human sciences, dialectical humanism, women of color studies, neocolonial and postcolonial studies, violence, and tragedy.Table of ContentsForeword: Leonard Harris (Purdue University) & Carolyn Johnson. Introduction. Part I: Oppression:. 1. Fanon, Oppression and Resentment: The Black Experience in the United States: Floyd W. Hayes III (Purdue University). 2. Perspectives of Du Bois and Fanon on the Psychology of Oppression: Stanley O. Gaines, Jr. 3. Racism and Objectification: Reflections on Themes from Fanon: Richard Schitt (Brown University). Part II: Questioning the Human Sciences:. 4. Fanon's Body of Black Experience: Ronald A. T. Judy (University of Pittsburgh). 5. The Black and the Body Politic: Fanon's Existential Phenomenological Critique of Psychoanalysis: Lewis R. Gordon. 6. To Cure and to Free: The Fanonian Project of Decolonized Psychiatry: Francoise Verges (UC Berkeley). 7. Revolutionizing Theory: Sociological Dimensions in Fanon's Sociologie D'Une Revolution: Renee T. White (Purdue University). Part III: Identity and the Dialectics of Recognition: . 8. Casting the Slough: Fanons New Humanism for a New Humanity: Robert Bernasconi (University of Memphis). 9. Fanon, Sartre and Identity Politics: Sonia Kruks (Oberlin College). 10. The Difference Between the Hegelian and Fanonian Dialectic of Lordship and Bondage: Lou Turner. Part IV: Fanon and the Emancipation of Women of Color: . 11. Antiblack Femininity - Mixed-Race Identity: Engaging Fanon to Reread Capecia: T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting (Purdue University). 12. Violent Women: Surging into Forbidden Quarter: Nada Elia (Western Illinois University-Macomb). 13. To Conquer the Veil: Fanon's Continued Relevance to Algeria: Eddy Souffrant (Marquette University). 14. Invisibility and Super/Vision: Fanon on Race, Veils, and Discourses of Resistance: David Theo Goldberg (Arizona State University). Part V: Postcolonial Dreams, Neocolonial Realities: . 15. Public (Re)Memory, Vindicating Narratives, and Troubling Beginnings: Towards a Postcolonial Psychoanalytical Theory: Maurice Stevens (Santa Cruz). 16. Fanon, African and Afro-Caribbean Philosophy: Paget Henry (Brown University). 17. Fanon and the Contemporary Discourse of African Philosophy: Tsenay Serequeberhan (Simmons College). 18. On the Misadvertures of National Consciousness: A Retrospect on Frantz Fanon's Gift of Prophecy: Olufemi Taiwo (Loyola University, Chicago). Part VI: Resistance and Revolutionary Violence:. 19. Jammin' the Airwaves and Tuning Into the Revolution: The Dialectics of the Radio in L'An Cinq du la Revolution Algerienne: Nigel Gibson (Columbia University). 20. Fanon on the Role of Violence in Liberation: A Comparison to Gandhi and Mandela: Gail M. Presby (Marist College). 21. Fanon's Tragic Revolutionary Violence: Lewis R. Gordon (Purdue University). Afterword: Joy Ann James (University of Massachusetts & University of Colorado). Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThis is the first book devoted to the work of Peter Singer, one of the leaders of the practical ethics movement, and one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewWinner of the Choice Magazine - Outstanding Academic Title of 1999 Award. "Dale Jamieson's introductory essay, "Singer and the Practical Ethics Movement", is designed not just to give the reader a feel for what Singer has written and not just to personalize him, which is important in a volume such as this, but to situate him in a larger social and historical context...The chapter is riveting...Those of us who use Singer's essays in our courses...will want to draw upon Jamieson's chapter for background information." Keith Burgess-Jackson, University of Texas at Arlington, Ethics, July 2000. "Whether the reader is a Singer neophyte or a person well acquainted with his works, this anthology will no doubt enlighten her, not only with respect to Singer's positions, but also with respect to the seeming intractability of ethical problems in general". Antony Skelton, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, December 2001. "No one alive today has had such a large influence on practical ethics as Peter Singer. Furthermore, his contributions to practical ethics have vividly brought to light central issues in moral theory. Thus, a volume of essays on his philosophy was an excellent idea. And the end product is very good...the papers in this collection rank with the very best recent essays in moral philosophy". Brad Hooker, University of Reading, Mind, Jan 2002Table of ContentsNotes on Contributors. Preface. 1. Singer and the Practical Ethics Movement: Dale Jamieson (Carleton College). 2. Noncognitivism, Validity, and Conditionals: Frank Jackson (Australian National University). 3. The Definition of "Moral": Michael Smith (Australian National University). 4. Peter Singer's Expanding Circle: Compassion and the Liberation of Ethics: Robert C. Solomon (University of Texas). 5. Teachers in an Age of Transition: Peter Singer (Monash University) and J. S. Mill: Roger Crisp (St Anne's College). 6. What, if Anything, Renders All Humans Morally Equal? Richard J. Arneson (University of California at San Diego). 7. Must Utilitarians be Impartial? Lori Gruen (Stanford University). 8. Our Duties to Animals and the Poor: Colin McGinn (Rutgers University). 9. Famine Ethics: the Problem of Moral Distance and Singer's Ethical Theory: F. M. Kamm (New York University). 10. Empathy and Animal Ethics: Richard Holton and Rae Langton (University of Sheffield). 11. Why I am Only a Demi-Vegetarian: R. M. Hare (University of Oxford). 12. Respect for Life: Counting What Singer Finds of No Account: Holmes Rolston III (Colorado State University). 13. A Response: Peter Singer (Monash University). 14. Peter Singer: Selected Publications, 1970-1998. Index.

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Book SynopsisTo broaden the interpretive scope of critical theory and increase its usefulness, this text draws tradition-based views of language and anti-humanistic theories from their abstract frameworks into the field of cultural studies. It examines major thinkers and contemporary writers.

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Book SynopsisConcentrating on the role of the imagination in Updike's works, this book shows him to be an original and powerful thinker and not the callow sensationalist that he is sometimes accused of being. This book looks past the frequently discussed autobiographical nature of John Updike's fiction to consider the role in Updike's work of the most powerful and peculiar human faculty: the imagination. Michial Farmer argues that, while the imagination is for Updike a means of human survival and a necessary component of human flourishing, it also has a destructive, darker side, in which it shades into something like philosophical idealism. Here the mind constructs the world around it and then, unhelpfully, imposes this created world between itself and the "real world." In other words, Updike is not himself an idealist but sees idealism as a persistent temptation for the artistic imagination. Farmer builds his argument on the metaphysics of Jean-Paul Sartre, an existentialist thinker who has been largely neglected in discussions of Updike's aesthetics. The book demonstrates the degree to which Updike was an original and powerful thinker and not the callow sensationalist that he is sometimes accused of being. Michial Farmer is Assistant Professor of English at Crown College, Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota.Trade ReviewThroughout the book, Farmer brings Updike's short stories into the discussion, revealing the wide scope of his familiarity with Updike's vast oeuvre. An enjoyable, focused scholarly study, this is an excellent addition to the literature on Updike. Recommended. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Hawthorne, Updike, and the Immoral Imagination John Updike and the Existentialist Imagination "Flight," "His Mother Inside Him," and "Ace in the Hole" The Centaur Of the Farm, "A Sandstone Farmhouse," and "The Cats" "Man and Daughter in the Cold," "Giving Blood," "The Taste of Metal," and "Avec la Bebe-Sitter" Marry Me Couples and "The Hillies" "The Football Factory," "Toward Evening," "Incest," "Still Life," "Lifeguard," "Bech Swings?" and "Three Illuminations in the Life of an American Author" A Month of Sundays Roger's Version S. "Marching through Boston," "The Stare," "Report of Health," "Living with a Wife," and "Slippage" The Witches of Eastwick "In Football Season," "First Wives and Trolley Cars," "The Day of the Dying Rabbit," "Leaving Church Early," and "The Egg Race" Memories of the Ford Administration "The Dogwood Tree," "A Soft Spring Night in Shillington," and "On Being a Self Forever" Conclusion: Updike, Realism, and Postmodernism Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis volume is a collection of original essays by sociologists and intellectual historians who have been leading figures in recent scholarship on the classical sociological theorists.Trade Review"This is the most enjoyable and important book on social theory that I have read in a long time." BSA Network October 1998 Table of ContentsList of Contributors. Introduction: Classical Sociological Theory as a Field of Research: Charles Camic (University of Wisconsin at Madison). 1. A New Look at Auguste Comte: Mary Pickering (San Jose State University). 2. Rethinking Marx: Moishe Postone (University of Chicago). 3. Spencer and His Critics: Valerie A. Haines (University of Calgary). 4. Classical Social Theory with the Women Founders Included: Lynn MacDonald (University of Guelph). 5. The Other Durkheim: History and Theory in the Treatment of Classical Sociological Thought: Robert Alun Jones (University of Illinois at Urbana). 6. Simmel Reappraised: Old Images, New Scholarship: Donald N. Levine (University of Chicago). 7. Max Weber's Sociology: Research Strategies and Modes of Analysis: Stephen Karlberg (Boston University). 8. W. I. Thomas and Robert E. Park: Conceptualizing, Theorizing, and Investigating Social Process: Martin Bulmer (University of Surrey). 9. George Herbert Mead and the Renaissance of American Pragmatism in Social Theory: Hans Joas (University of Berlin). 10. Acclaiming the Reclaimers: the Trials of Writing Sociology History: Alan Sica (Pennsylvania State University). Index.

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Book SynopsisThis volume is a collection of original essays by sociologists and intellectual historians who have been leading figures in recent scholarship on the classical sociological theorists.Trade Review"This is the most enjoyable and important book on social theory that I have read in a long time." BSA Network October 1998 Table of ContentsList of Contributors. Introduction: Classical Sociological Theory as a Field of Research: Charles Camic (University of Wisconsin at Madison). 1. A New Look at Auguste Comte: Mary Pickering (San Jose State University). 2. Rethinking Marx: Moishe Postone (University of Chicago). 3. Spencer and His Critics: Valerie A. Haines (University of Calgary). 4. Classical Social Theory with the Women Founders Included: Lynn MacDonald (University of Guelph). 5. The Other Durkheim: History and Theory in the Treatment of Classical Sociological Thought: Robert Alun Jones (University of Illinois at Urbana). 6. Simmel Reappraised: Old Images, New Scholarship: Donald N. Levine (University of Chicago). 7. Max Weber's Sociology: Research Strategies and Modes of Analysis: Stephen Karlberg (Boston University). 8. W. I. Thomas and Robert E. Park: Conceptualizing, Theorizing, and Investigating Social Process: Martin Bulmer (University of Surrey). 9. George Herbert Mead and the Renaissance of American Pragmatism in Social Theory: Hans Joas (University of Berlin). 10. Acclaiming the Reclaimers: the Trials of Writing Sociology History: Alan Sica (Pennsylvania State University). Index.

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Book SynopsisOne of a pair of books selected from Stanley Rosen’s career as a philosopher, scholar, and teacher over the last half of a century. They represent both the vast range of his learning in the most important philosophers of the tradition and the daring and penetration of his exploration of the fundamental philosophical questions. Yet the essays are written with an accessibility that is an expression of Rosen’s thesis that our ordinary experience and speech provides the only stable ground for understanding and evaluating extraordinary thought and experiences. Rosen proposes that only a qualified Platonism in which the preservation of the link between the good and the rational on the everyday level was preserved on the philosophical level, can do justice to our experience of ourselves. The notions of form and intuition play a central role in his proposal to preserve the spontaneity of the soul and the heterogeneity of its objects. The essays were originally written for a variety of purposes: there are panoramic reviews of his philosophical intentions, intricate analyses of fundamental problems, challenging interpretations of classical texts, reviews of other authors, and informal commentaries on the state of philosophy in our time. Taken together these essays provide a key to the some of the most decisive questions in philosophy and a valuable explication of some the central themes of Rosen’s work. The essays were selected from articles, chapters, and unpublished lectures that were composed over the last five decades. They are distributed into two volumes by their focus upon ancient and modern themes, a convenient division that is not meant to imply a doctrinal chasm. On the contrary, it is one of Rosen’s arguments that those who wish to preserve ancient wisdom are best served by the demonstration of the both parties address the same essential human nature, however much the practical and theoretical demands differ from epoch to epoch.Table of Contents1. Are We Such Stuff as Dreams are Made On? Against Reductionism 2. Kant’s Doctrine of Perception 3. Kant on Happiness 4. Is There a Transition from Consciousness to Self-Consciousness? 5. Review of Alexandre Kojève, Essai d’une histoire raisonnée de la philosophie paienne, Tome 1: Les Présocratiques 6. Negation and Dialectic 7. Is Thinking Spontaneous? 8. Contributions to “Contributions” 9. Freedom and Reason 10. Review of Steven Smith, Spinoza, Liberalism, and the Question of Jewish Identity 11. Paradigms of Philosophizing and the Future of Philosophy 12. Back to the Beginning: Comment on Catherine Zuckert, Postmodern Platos 13. The Absence of Structure 14. Review of Carl Page, Philosophical Historicism and the Betrayal of First Philosophy 15. Philosophy in an Age of Postmodernism 16. Being Unreasonable: Review of Richard Wolin, The Seduction of Unreason. The Intellectual Romance with Fascism From Nietzsche to Postmodernism 17. Postmodernism and the Possibility of Critical Thinking 18. Mind and Body in Nietzsche 19. Thoughts on the Universal Homogeneous State 20. The Identity of, and Difference between, Analytical and Continental Philosophy 21. Hegel and Historicism 22. Memory and Human Time 23. Human Temporality in Plato, Husserl, and Heidegger 24. Freedom and Spontaneity 25. Remarks on Amartya Sen

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Book SynopsisThis title, which at first sight seems curious, shows Pieper’s philosophical work as rooted in the basics. He takes his inspiration from Plato – and his Socrates – and Thomas Aquinas. With them, he is interested in philosophy as pure theory, the theoretical being precisely the non-practical. The philosophizer wants to know what all existence is fundamentally about, what “reality” “really” means. With Plato, Pieper eschews the use of language to convince an audience of anything which is not the truth. If Plato was opposed to the sophists – amongst them the politicians –, Pieper is likewise opposed to discourse that leads to the “use” of philosophy to bolster a totalitarian regime or any political or economic system. A fundamental issue for Pieper is “createdness.” He sees this as the fundamental truth of our being – all being – and the fundamental virtue we can practise is the striving to live according to our perception of real truth in any given situation. The strength and attraction of Pieper’s writing is its direct and intuitive character which is independent of abstract systematization. He advocates staying in touch with the “real” as we experience it deep within ourselves. Openness to the totality of being – in no matter what context being reveals itself – and the affirmation of all that is founded in this totality are central pillars of all his thinking. Given the “simplicity” of this stance, it is no surprise that much of it is communicated – and successfully – through his gift for illustration by anecdote. Like Plato, this philosopher is a story-teller and, like him, very readable.

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Book SynopsisWhat is real and what is noble, as well as what is deranged and wrong, can often be stated briefly. Nietzsche was famous for his succinct aphorisms and epigrams. Aquinas in one of his responses could manage to state clearly what he held to be true. Ultimately, all of our thought needs to be so refined and concentrated that we can see the point. So these are “brief” essays and they are largely of a philosophical “hue.” They touch on things worth thinking about. Indeed, often they consider things we really need to think about if our lives are to make sense. The advantage of a collection of essays is that it is free to talk about many things. It can speak of them in a learned way or in an amused and humorous way. As Chesterton said, there is no necessary conflict between what is true and what is funny. Oftentimes, the greatest things we learn are through laughter, even laughter at ourselves and our own foibles and faults. So these essays are “brief.” And they are largely of philosophical import. At first sight, taxing beer may seem to have no serious principle, except perhaps for the brewer and the consumer. But wherever there is reality, we can find something to learn. Each of these essays begins with the proposition “on”—this is a classical form of essay in the English language. Belloc, one the essay’s greatest masters, wrote a book simply entitled “ON”—and several other books with that introductory “ON” to begin it. The word has the advantage of focusing our attention on some idea, place, book, person, or reality that we happen to come across and notice, then notice again, then wonder about. These essays are relatively short, often lightsome, hopefully always with a consideration that illumines the world through the mind of the reader. These essays are written in the spirit that the things we encounter provoke us, our minds. We need to come to terms, to understand what we come across in our pathways through this world. Often the best way to know what we observe or confront is to write about it, preferably briefly and with some philosophical insight. This is what we do here.

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Book SynopsisThe European Enlightenment is a period that contributed concepts that continue to be authoritative in philosophical conversation, and defined the criteria for what is important in the endeavors of human thought even in our own day. Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy presents the questions that are responsible for a departure from Scholasticism and the dawn of modern philosophy. To understand Continental Philosophy, and the history that precedes the analytical tradition, one cannot overlook Descartes’ precedent. Even into the eighteenth century philosophical bearings were considered a prerequisite to culture. But to understand the transition of philosophy into the keeping of the universities, one cannot sidestep Descartes’ union of philosophy to science. But not only this – in its beginnings, it must be noted that this chapter of the Enlightenment contains one of the most meaningful convergences of God and science. Despite the success or failure of Descartes’ conclusions of innate ideas and the undoubtability of kmo God, the attempt and its commitments define a significant displacement of both faith and reason (even mathematics) that provides the context for recognizing, for example, the likes of Kant and Newton in the fullness of their own projects. Emanuala Scribano’s guide to the reading of the Meditations is both a critical treatment of the content of this text as well as an historical overview of the philosophical climate and conversation of Descartes’ contemporaries. It is an accurate presentation of Descartes’ motivation and immediate influence on the culture, and in particular those aspects which succeeded in altering theology, philosophy, and physics simultaneously. Scribano provides rich references to the Scholastic and Platonic traditions in order to better characterize the way in which nuances of thought lead to momentous shifts in general theory and the construction of concepts. Descartes tries to found an untouchable science, but one that also defends the existence of God. Hence, it is not enough to look forward from Descartes, but also behind to the patrimony of human enterprise in what regards satisfying the need of both gnosis and episteme. Scribano’s commentary is especially helpful for those already familiar with Aquinas and Aristotle, as she employs frequent juxtapositions between these and Descartes’ divergences. Beyond the general interest and scholarship, this book is especially helpful for any liberal arts curriculum that engages original text. It assists the reader in constructing the progression and consequences of Descartes’ thought and provides a bibliography and notes that introduce the reader to the larger body of Cartesian literature. Nevertheless, Scribano’s emphasis is on the concepts and notions proper to Descartes and the novelties of his project. One might say she vindicates Descartes’ attempt without defending him. The reader is shown Descartes’ positive contribution well enough that he might disagree, or reconsider the negative reputation of his work based solely on its consequences. The book is accessible though not compromised in its clarity. It is essential for students who seek to understand Descartes in all his integrity and historical claims. As Scribano writes, “[Descartes’] is a strange adventure of human thought,” and indispensable to a comprehensive understanding of one of the most formidable trends in human intellectual history.Table of ContentsI. The Genesis of the Work 1. At the Heart of the Meditations 2. The Trunk 3. The Roots 4. Descartes’ ProjectII. The Structure of the WorkIII. An Analysis of the Work 1. Doubt, the Indubitable, and What Is True 1.1. Doubt as a Method 1.2. The Object of Doubt 1.3. To Doubt the Undoubtable 2. The Existence and Nature of One’s Self 2.1. The Existence of One’s Self (That I Exist) 2.2. The Nature of the Self 2.3. That the Mind is More Easily Known Than the Body 2.4. Thought 3. Ideas and the Existence of God 3.1. The Nature of Ideas 3.2. The Existence of God and the First a posteriori Proof 3.3. The Existence of God and the Second a posteriori Proof 3.4. The Idea of God 4. Error 4.1. God and Error 4.2. The Theory of Judgment 4.3. Freedom 4.4. The Ends of God 4.5. Some Observations of Method 5. Innatism: The Essence of Material Things and the Existence of God 5.1. Innatism 5.2. The Essence of Material Things 5.3. The a priori Proof of the Existence of God 5.4. The Existence of God and the Truth of Ideas 5.5. The Cartesian Circle 6. The Mind and the Body 6.1. Real Distinction 6.2. The Immortality of the Soul 6.3. The Existence of Material Things 6.4. Substantial Union 6.5. The Errors of NatureIV. The Fate of the Work 1. God 2. Ideas 3. The Mind and the BodyBibliography and Cited WorksIndex of Names

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Book SynopsisFor Pieper, the study of tradition is anything but antiquarian. He begins with a consideration of tradition in a changing world and is well aware of the need to confront the all-too-common perception that “tradition” is nowadays irrelevant. On the basis of his profound knowledge of the Western philosophical tradition from Plato and Aristotle through Augustine, Boethius, Thomas Aquinas, and Descartes, to modern Existentialism and Marxism, Pieper is able to highlight the values established – and challenged – down through the centuries. He sees the need to re-examine these values, to rid them of the false interpretations and misunderstandings that threaten to consign them to oblivion. He attempts to restate them in language which, in fact, not only reflects the clarity of his mind but also expresses his conviction that these values, freshly examined and understood, provide a sound basis for healthy living and for our survival against the dangers that pose a serious threat to the very existence of Western civilization. He illustrates these values by examining the contrast between an exponent of them, like Socrates, and an opportunist, like the Sophist Protagoras; between the man of principle and the nihilistic pragmatist. The book consists of a mixture of articles and speeches, produced by a man who, though often wooed by the academy, was not concerned with achieving personal status as an academic professor. He insisted, for the most part, in combining purely academic teaching with the education of teachers in teacher-training colleges. He would not be removed from close contact with “learners,” and he remained a “learner” himself – from tradition.Table of Contents“Tradition in the changing world” (1960) “What is meant by the ‘Christian West’?” (1956) “What is, in truth, worth preserving” (1959) “Death and Immortality” (1959) “Immortality – a non-Christian idea?” (1959) “Doing and Signifying (1960) “Consecration of the World” (1958) “Life of the Spirit” (1955) “The Theory of Virtues as Statement about Man” (1962) “Hope – of What? (1957) “The Hidden Nature of Hope and Despair” (1955) “The Seed Requires Soil” (1954) “Religion and Freedom” (1960) “Leisure and Human existence” (1959) “The Necessary But Also Impossible Business of Teaching” (1958) * “On Plato’s Concept of Philosophy” (1955) “The equitable interpretation” (1955) “Platonic Figures”Callicles: the man with no rapport to truth (1954)The learners (1954) “Conversation as the place of truth” (1955) “On Plainess of Language in Philosophy” (1954) “Boethius Poems, translated by Konrad Weiß” (1956)* “The Good Publisher”. Birthday greeting to Jakob Hegner (1952) “Late apology to Rudolf Alexander Schröder” (1953)“Support and advancement through a single word”. Romano Guardini’s 70th birthday (1955) * “Where do we stand today?” (1960) * Notes and Index

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Book Synopsis"Realism for the 21st Century" is a collection of thirty essays from John Deely - a major figure in contemporary semiotics and an authority on scholastic realism and the works of Charles Sanders Peirce. The volume tracks Deely's development as a pragmatic realist, featuring his early essays on our relation to the world after Darwinism; crucial articles on logic, semiotics, and objectivity; overviews of philosophy after modernity; and, a new essay on 'purely objective reality'.

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Book SynopsisRené Girard shows that all desires are contagious—and the desire to be thin is no exception. In this compelling new book, Girard ties the anorexia epidemic to what he calls mimetic desire: a desire imitated from a model. Girard has long argued that, far from being spontaneous, our most intimate desires are copied from what we see around us. In a culture obsessed with thinness, the rise of eating disorders should be no surprise. When everyone is trying to slim down, Girard asks, how can we convince anorexic patients to have a healthy outlook on eating? Mixing theoretical sophistication with irreverent common sense, Girard denounces a “culture of anorexia” and takes apart the competitive impulse that fuels the game of conspicuous non-consumption. He shows that showing off a slim physique is not enough—the real aim is to be skinnier than one’s rivals. In the race to lose the most weight, the winners are bound to be thinner and thinner. Taken to extremes, this tendency to escalation can only lead to tragic results. Featuring a foreword by neuropsychiatrist Jean-Michel Oughourlian and an introductory essay by anthropologist Mark R. Anspach, the volume concludes with an illuminating conversation between René Girard, Mark R. Anspach, and Laurence Tacou.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1995, I Am Because We Are has been recognized as a major, canon-defining anthology and adopted as a text in a wide variety of college and university courses. Bringing together writings by prominent black thinkers from Africa, the Caribbean, and North America, Fred Lee Hord and Jonathan Scott Lee made the case for a tradition of ""relational humanism"" distinct from the philosophical preoccupations of the West.Over the past twenty years, however, new scholarly research has uncovered other contributions to the discipline now generally known as ""Africana philosophy"" that were not included in the original volume. In this revised and expanded edition, Hord and Lee build on the strengths of the earlier anthology while enriching the selection of readings to bring the text into the twenty-first century. In a new introduction, the editors reflect on the key arguments of the book's central thesis, refining them in light of more recent philosophical discourse. This edition includes important new readings by Kwame Gyekye, Oyèrónké Oy ewùmí, Paget Henry, Sylvia Wynter, Toni Morrison, Charles Mills, and Tommy Curry, as well as extensive suggestions for further reading.

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Book SynopsisOnce solely the province of ivory tower professors and university classrooms, contemporary philosophy was emancipated from its academic closet in 2010, when The Stone was launched in The New York Times. First appearing online, the column has attracted millions of readers through its accessible examination of topics like the nature of science, consciousness and morality, while also probing more contemporary issues such as the morality of drones, gun control and the gender divide. Collected for the first time, The Stone Reader presents 133 influential pieces, placing nearly the entirety of modern philosophical discourse at a reader’s grasp. With an introduction that details the column’s founding and editorial process, this collection is an intellectual landmark.Trade Review"Philosophy made relevant by writers grappling with thorny issues. [An] eclectic, lively gathering of essays...on the discipline of philosophy; the contribution of science to "the riddle of the human species"; vexing questions about religion, morality, and God; and society, which includes reflections on economics, politics, family, race (including the killing of Trayvon Martin), violence (including the Sandy Hook school shootings, and America's fierce attachment to what Firmin DeBrabander calls "robust individualism and self-determination." Serious pieces that serve as counterweights to the frothy blogosphere." -- Kirkus Reviews "This stimulating collection of 133 essays fully validates the New York Times' decision to launch 'The Stone,' a column devoted to twenty-first-century philosophy in all its perplexing diversity... The Stone writers remind readers that long after Socrates challenged his students in Athens' agora, philosophy still speaks to our deepest human concerns." -- Booklist

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Book SynopsisWhenever Bakhtin, in his final decade, was queried about writing his memoirs, he shrugged it off. Unlike many of his Symbolist generation, Bakhtin was not fascinated by his own self-image. This reticence to tell his own story was the point of access for Viktor Duvakin, Mayakovsky scholar, fellow academic, and head of an oral history project, who in 1973 taped six interviews with Bakhtin over twelve hours. They remain our primary source of Bakhtin’s personal views: on formative moments in his education and exile, his reaction to the Revolution, his impressions of political, intellectual, and theatrical figures during the first two decades of the twentieth century, and his non-conformist opinions on Russian and Soviet poets and musicians. Bakhtin's passion for poetic language and his insights into music also come as a surprise to readers of his essays on the novel. One remarkable thread running through the conversations is Bakhtin's love of poetry, masses of which he knew by heart in several languages. Mikhail Bakhtin: The Duvakin Interviews, 1973, translated and annotated here from the complete transcript of the tapes, offers a fuller, more flexible image of Bakhtin than we could have imagined beneath his now famous texts. Published by Bucknell University Press. Distributed worldwide by Rutgers University Press.Trade Review"Bahktin is one of the giants of 20th Century social and cultural theory." * Voice Literary Supplement *“Bakhtin was never interested in writing his memoirs, nor in making out of himself a work of art. Or even a good story. In his view, we have great novels for that. But Viktor Duvakin, who shared Bakhtin’s deep love of poetry, found just the right tone and timing to put his subject at ease. The result, in this full and fluent rendering of the taped sessions, is as close as we can come to the master’s nimble, irreverent, freely-roaming voice.” -- Caryl Emerson * Princeton University *“The Duvakin recordings were a surprise gift to Bakhtin scholars: a series of intimate but vigorous conversations, led by an expert interviewer, in which Bakhtin described his life and times in striking detail. Now available in a marvelously readable English translation, they are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in Bakhtin and his historical-cultural context, as well as anyone with an interest in the culture and cultural politics of the Soviet Union.” -- Ken Hirschkop * University of Waterloo *“This book is an extraordinary contribution to cultural and intellectual history. Bakhtin’s conversations with Duvakin capture a succession of epochs and dramatic events; they reveal a Bakhtin who is both vulnerable and sovereign, anchored in his time and breaking free of its constraints.” -- Galin Tihanov * Queen Mary University of London *While some readers may not relish working through the thicket of allusions and references that occasion these interviews, there are many rewards to be had for doing so, especially for intellectual historians of twentieth-century Russia, and for Bakhtin scholars everywhere. I recommend it highly. * The Russian Review *Table of ContentsIllustrations IntroductionSlav N. Gratchev Translator’s IntroductionMargarita Marinova Interview One, February 22, 1973 Interview Two, March 1, 1973 Interview Three, March 8, 1973 Interview Four, March 15, 1973 Interview Five, March 22, 1973 Interview Six, March 23, 1973 Afterword: Six Interviews about the Death and Resurrection of the WordDmitriy Sporov Acknowledgments Bibliography, of the Introductions and Afterword ...IndexAbout the Editors and Translator

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Book SynopsisThis book makes the argument that Machado de Assis, hailed as one of Latin American literature’s greatest writers, was also a major theoretician of the modern novel form. Steeped in the works of Western literature and an imaginative reader of French Symbolist poetry, Machado creates, between 1880 and 1908, a “new narrative,” one that will presage the groundbreaking theories of Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure by showing how even the language of narrative cannot escape being elusive and ambiguous in terms of meaning. It is from this discovery about the nature of language as a self-referential semiotic system that Machado crafts his “new narrative.” Long celebrated in Brazil as a dazzlingly original writer, Machado has struggled to gain respect and attention outside the Luso-Brazilian ken. He is the epitome of the “outsider” or “marginal,” the iconoclastic and wildly innovative genius who hails from a culture rarely studied in the Western literary hierarchy and so consigned to the status of “eccentric.” Had the Brazilian master written not in Portuguese but English, French, or German, he would today be regarded as one of the true exemplars of the modern novel, in expression as well as in theory. Published by Bucknell University Press. Distributed worldwide by Rutgers University Press.Trade Review"Earl E. Fitz advances the question of language as key to innovation and modernity in the mature works of Machado de Assis. Fitz attributes his departure from realism to a new awareness of the mutability, instability, self-referentiality and inescapable ambiguity of language in relation to meaning. What the novels are really about is not what they seem." -- K. David Jackson * Yale University *Is Machado de Assis a theoretician of the novel? Earl Fitz’s book is a fascinating response to such a question. In this exciting journey through the writer’s late novels, we learn that Machado didn’t tell us what he was thinking; differently, he showed us the very act of thinking through language. It’s worth reading: Fitz’s passion for Machado is contagious. -- Pedro Meira Monteiro, Arthur W. Marks ’19 Professor of Spanish and Portuguese * Princeton University *"A masterwork of original and seminal scholarship that rescues a critically important Latin American writer from an undeserved obscurity." * Midwest Book Review *"Earl Fitz’s book should be appreciated as a complement to the many other excellent studies of Machado’s relation to a plentiful external landscape. Lest we become overly confident about our ability to know these realities, we should pause and, considering perspectives like those of this book, clean our glasses." * Journal of Lusophone Studies *"Fitz’s study provides a strong argument for why scholars interested in narrative theory and form should give, if not renewed, then new attention to the work of Machado de Assis." * Bulletin of Spanish Studies *"[A] passionate and convincingly argued monograph...Fitz’s study makes a vital contribution to Machadoan criticism in that it highlights, perhaps more clearly, more forcefully, and in more detail than previously offered, the holistic view Machado came to embrace of narrative as a dynamic confluence of unstable signs capable of creating seemingly stable realities." * Hispania *"Along with the translation of more works by Brazilian writers and scholars alike, books like Machado de Assis and Narrative Theory pave the way for the reception of literary works that, otherwise, remain regrettably off the radar even among many in academia." * Hispanic Review *"Earl E. Fitz advances the question of language as key to innovation and modernity in the mature works of Machado de Assis. Fitz attributes his departure from realism to a new awareness of the mutability, instability, self-referentiality and inescapable ambiguity of language in relation to meaning. What the novels are really about is not what they seem." -- K. David Jackson * Yale University *Is Machado de Assis a theoretician of the novel? Earl Fitz’s book is a fascinating response to such a question. In this exciting journey through the writer’s late novels, we learn that Machado didn’t tell us what he was thinking; differently, he showed us the very act of thinking through language. It’s worth reading: Fitz’s passion for Machado is contagious. -- Pedro Meira Monteiro, Arthur W. Marks ’19 Professor of Spanish and Portuguese * Princeton University *"A masterwork of original and seminal scholarship that rescues a critically important Latin American writer from an undeserved obscurity." * Midwest Book Review *"Earl Fitz’s book should be appreciated as a complement to the many other excellent studies of Machado’s relation to a plentiful external landscape. Lest we become overly confident about our ability to know these realities, we should pause and, considering perspectives like those of this book, clean our glasses." * Journal of Lusophone Studies *"Fitz’s study provides a strong argument for why scholars interested in narrative theory and form should give, if not renewed, then new attention to the work of Machado de Assis." * Bulletin of Spanish Studies *"[A] passionate and convincingly argued monograph...Fitz’s study makes a vital contribution to Machadoan criticism in that it highlights, perhaps more clearly, more forcefully, and in more detail than previously offered, the holistic view Machado came to embrace of narrative as a dynamic confluence of unstable signs capable of creating seemingly stable realities." * Hispania *"Along with the translation of more works by Brazilian writers and scholars alike, books like Machado de Assis and Narrative Theory pave the way for the reception of literary works that, otherwise, remain regrettably off the radar even among many in academia." * Hispanic Review *Table of ContentsAbbreviations .. ivA Note on Translations... v Introduction ... 1 One - The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas ... 95 Two - The Psychiatrist ... 132 Three - Quincas Borba ... 169 Four - Dom Casmurro ... 196 Five - Esau and Jacob ... 235 Six - Counselor Ayres Memorial ... 260 Conclusion ... 283Acknowledgements ... 310Bibliography ... 311Index ... 324About the Author ... 325

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Book SynopsisA key figure in British literary circles following the French Revolution, novelist and playwright Thomas Holcroft promoted ideas of reform and equality informed by the philosophy of his close friend William Godwin. Arrested for treason in 1794 and released without trial, Holcroft was notorious in his own time, but today appears mainly as a supporting character in studies of 1790s literary activism. Thomas Holcroft’s Revolutionary Drama authoritatively reintroduces and reestablishes this central figure of the revolutionary decade by examining his life, plays, memoirs, and personal correspondence. In engaging with theatrical censorship, apostacy, and the response of audiences and critics to radical drama, this thoughtful study also demonstrates how theater functions in times of political repression. Despite his struggles, Holcroft also had major successes: this book examines his surprisingly robust afterlife, as his plays, especially The Road to Ruin, were repeatedly revived worldwide in the nineteenth century.Trade Review“Thomas Holcroft’s Revolutionary Drama foregrounds the radicalism and the drama in Holcroft’s striking playwriting career. Interweaving episodes from his biography, staged plays, and public reception of both, Garnai’s book demonstrates Holcroft’s centrality to 1790s London radical culture and what analyses of his plays contribute to discussions of performativity, censorship, and the burdens of cultural transmission in his day and ours. A timely revival of a largely unsung but masterful agitator.”— Julie Carlson, author of England’s First Family of Writers: Mary Wollstonecraft, William Godwin, Mary Shelley “This striking book restores Thomas Holcroft—often granted a walk-on part in histories of radicalism in the 1790s or of the Jacobin novel—to his important place in theatre history. Garnai reveals a spectacular career in all its complexity and allows Holcroft the curtain call he has long deserved.”— Jon Mee, author of Print, Publicity, and Popular Radicalism in the 1790s: The Laurel of Liberty “Indicted for high treason, intimately linked to 1790s radicalism, and idealized by Godwinian perfectibility, playwright Thomas Holcroft has been overlooked for too long. His extraordinary life is recovered here in Garnai’s fine study.”— David Worrall, author of Theatric Revolution: Drama, Censorship, and Romantic Period Subcultures, 1773-1832 “Garnai’s wide-ranging and carefully-researched study explores Holcroft’s life and his deeply political work in insightful and thought-provoking ways. Thomas Holcroft’s Revolutionary Drama confirms Holcroft’s important place among the pantheon of radical figures who believed in the power of writing to create lasting social and political change.”— Shawn Lisa Maurer, editor of Art and NatureTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction Chapter One: Thomas Holcroft and the Treason Trials Chapter Two: The Road to Ruin and its Afterlives Chapter Three: Radicalism, Authorship and Sincerity in Holcroft’s Later Plays Chapter Four: Holcroft’s Diary and Other Life Writing Chapter Five: Holcroft’s Melodrama Chapter Six: Final Years and Other Afterlives Bibliography

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Book SynopsisRevolutionary Keywords for a New Left comprises short essays on fifty revolutionary keywords, each word being put to work on a contemporary political issue. With keywords ranging from academicisation to neoliberalism, from postcolonial to Zionism and with subjects including, Badiou, North Korea, sexual violence and Zizek, the book concludes with an essay mapping the development of progressive keywords before our century of revolution, which began in 1917, keywords that emerged in the fifty years of struggle between 1917 and 1967, and revolutionary keywords for the new left today.

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Book SynopsisWith resonance for today, this book explores a significant crisis of German philosophy and national identity in the decades around World War II. German philosophy, famed for its high-minded Idealism, was plunged into crisis when Germany became an urban and industrial society in the late nineteenth century. The key figure of this shift was Immanuel Kant: seen for a century as the philosophical father of the nation, Kant seemed to lack crucial answers for violent and impersonal modern times. This book shows that the social and intellectual crisis that overturned Germany’s traditions—a sense of profound spiritual confusion over where modern society was headed—was the same crisis that allowed Hitler to come to power. It also describes how German philosophers actively struggled to create a new kind of philosophy in an effort to understand social incoherence and technology’s diminishing of the individual.

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Book SynopsisIn 2004, Jacques Derrida gave one of his final interviews prior to his death. Regarding the future of his work, Derrida advanced two contradictory hypotheses: "I will not be read"; and "despite a handful of good readers . . . I am yet to be read". This book is an homage to the spirit of Derrida, and seeks to grasp the significance of his death on the rich corpus of his work, in a voice that remains true to the "faithful betrayals" of Derridas own works of deconstuction. Two key journeys underpin Posthumously. The first is an exploration of both Derrida and deconstruction through the unusual prism of cinema and photography, bringing into play Gilles Deleuze's concept of creative repetition. In the second journey, the author embarks on a detailed engagement with Derrida's oft-neglected book on drawing, Memoirs of the Blind, and provides a subversive reading of that text, arguing that its labyrinthine turns (confession, self-portrait, and mourning) obscure a secret ambition to stage the last battle between its own graphic trait and the image in full colour. Beneath this vivid canopy, Zsuzsa Baross brings together a collection of shorter pieces developing the meaning of the term "posthumous" in the world of writing and literary criticism, interrogating Derrida's posthumous lesson on "learning to live". The final act in this unique volume analyses Derrida's last hand-written note; a note, the author argues, that reopens the question of the posthumous and provides an infinitely moving lesson on life.

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Book SynopsisIn 2004, Jacques Derrida gave one of his final interviews prior to his death. Regarding the future of his work, Derrida advanced two contradictory hypotheses: "I will not be read"; and "despite a handful of good readers . . . I am yet to be read". This book is an homage to the spirit of Derrida, and seeks to grasp the significance of his death on the rich corpus of his work, in a voice that remains true to the "faithful betrayals" of Derridas own works of deconstuction. Two key journeys underpin Posthumously. The first is an exploration of both Derrida and deconstruction through the unusual prism of cinema and photography, bringing into play Gilles Deleuze's concept of creative repetition. In the second journey, the author embarks on a detailed engagement with Derrida's oft-neglected book on drawing, Memoirs of the Blind, and provides a subversive reading of that text, arguing that its labyrinthine turns (confession, self-portrait, and mourning) obscure a secret ambition to stage the last battle between its own graphic trait and the image in full colour. Beneath this vivid canopy, Zsuzsa Baross brings together a collection of shorter pieces developing the meaning of the term "posthumous" in the world of writing and literary criticism, interrogating Derrida's posthumous lesson on "learning to live". The final act in this unique volume analyses Derrida's last hand-written note; a note, the author argues, that reopens the question of the posthumous and provides an infinitely moving lesson on life.

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Book SynopsisThe temptation to resort to violence runs like a thread through Albert Camus works, and can be viewed as an additional key to understanding his literary productions and philosophical writings. His short life and intellectual attitudes were almost all connected with brutality and cruel circumstance. At the age of one he lost his father, who was killed as a soldier of the French army at the outbreak of the First World War. He passed his childhood and youth in colonial Algeria, no doubt experiencing degrees of inhumanity of that difficult period; and in his first years in conquered France he was editor of an underground newspaper that opposed the Nazi occupation. In the years following the Liberation, he denounced the Bolshevist tyranny and was witness to the dirty war between the land of his birth and his country of living, France. Camus preoccupation with violence was expressed in all facets of his work as a philosopher, as a political thinker, as an author, as a man of the theatre, as a journalist, as an intellectual, and especially as a man doomed to live in an absurd world of hangmen and victims, binders and bound, sacrificers and sacrificed, crucifiers and crucified. Three main metaphors of western culture can assist in understanding Camus thinking about violence: the bound Prometheus, a hero of Greek mythology; the sacrifice of Isaac, one of the chief dramas of Jewish monotheism; and the crucifixion of Jesus, the founding event of Christianity. The bound, the sacrificed and the crucified represent three perspectives through which David Ohana examines the place of ideological violence and its limits in the works of Albert Camus.Trade ReviewOhana shows us a Camus who, via World War II and the Holocaust especially, came to the position of Promethean humanism.Melissa Ptacek, Brandeis University, Studies in 20th & 21st Literature, Vol. 42, Iss. 2 (2018)

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Book SynopsisReincarnation is a focus of much debate in modern African thought. In this challenging study, Majeed rejects the denial of the existence of reincarnation in African thought by reference to Akan culture. However, he makes a clear distinction between metempsychosis and transmigration. Linking the past – ancient religious philosophies – with present African thought in sub-Saharan Africa, he strives towards an “African philosophy of mind”. Although Majeed acknowledges the popular scholarly opinion that reincarnation is a “pristine concept”, he shows that it is generally an irrational one. He boldly argues that the philosophical problem of personal identity is central to the rationale of reincarnation. This very irrationality in African thought raises our understanding of the constitution of a person.Table of Contents Part 1 Belief in Reincarnation in Some Ancient Cultures Chapter 1: Egyptian Belief Chapter 2: Greek Belief Chapter 3: Indian Belief Chapter 4: Chinese Belief Chapter 5: Incan Belief Part 2 Personal Identity: A Prelude to Reincarnation Chapter 6: On What Does Personal Identity Depend? Part 3 Reincarnation in African Philosophy Chapter 7: The Doctrine of Reincarnation in African Philosophy Chapter 8: Rationality of Belief in Reincarnation Chapter 9: Conclusion

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The growing importance of reason in philosophy concerns Stanley Rosen in this essay. Rosen's primary objective is to defend Plato and classical philosophy against Martin Heidegger's radical existentialist criticism... Many critics of Heidegger consider his dubious politics during the early days of Nazi rule irrelevant to the understanding of his work. Rosen, argues on the contrary, that Heidegger's philosophy helps explain his initial enthusiasm for, and later submission to, the Nazi regime. The argument yields insight into the connection between philosophical and political nihilism. Furthermore, exposing the evil consequences of nihilistic thoughts adds to his stout defense of the classical tradition." - Elliot Feingold, Book Week; "There is no question of the importance and relevance of the problem of Nihilism, and Rosen treats it with a combination of insight and thoroughness which makes 'Nihilism'an impressive and important book... Deserves to become a classic study." - Kenneth Dorter, Dialogue; "Those who ignore his book, do so at their peril. It vigorously poses issues which have been too long neglected by both political scientists and political theorists." - R.L. Nichols, American Political Science Review; "This is an impressive book... Part of the interest of this book resides in its structure, which analyses moments in the history of ideas to sketch a systematic critique of theoretical and practical reason." - Times Literary Supplement"

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Book Synopsis

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