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Books > Philosophy > Western philosophy > Modern Western philosophy, c 1600 to the present
This collection concentrates on vital themes from Michael Dummett,
one of the most influential and creative analytic philosophers of
our time. The contributors, who include some of Dummett's
distinguished former students, critically reflect on various
concerns of Dummett's ground-breaking work in philosophy of
language, metaphysics, and philosophy of mathematics and logic. The
essays direct towards aspects of Dummett's pioneering work in the
history of analytical philosophy, particularly his interpretations
of the works of Frege and of Wittgenstein, which in conjunction
with Dummett's own highly original ideas on truth and meaning have
shaped decisive contemporary debates concerning notably the
distinction between realism and anti-realism. Further, the volume
includes a cheerfully serious excursion into popular philosophy by
Dummett himself and reveals less known facets of Dummett's
many-sided work and activities such as his political philosophy of
immigration and asylum, and beyond that, his untiring and
warm-hearted campaign for racial justice and humanity.
Contributors: Michael Dummett, Eva Picardi, Crispin Wright, Timothy
Williamson, Ian Rumfitt, Daniel Isaacson, Dag Prawitz, Dale
Jacquette, Alex Burri, Michael Frauchiger.
Why does knowledge of philosophy presuppose knowledge of reality?
What are the characters in Deleuze's theatre and philosophy? How
are his famous metaphysical distinctions secondary to the concept
of philosophy as practice and politics? These questions are
answered through careful analysis and application of Deleuzian
principles.
This volume features a critical evaluation of the recent work of
the philosopher, Prof. Raimo Tuomela and it also offers it offers
new approaches to the collectivism-versus-individualism debate. It
specifically looks at Tuomela's book Social Ontology and its
accounts of collective intentionality and related topics. The book
contains eight essays written by expert contributors that present
different perspectives on Tuomela's investigation into the
philosophy of sociality, social ontology, theory of action, and
(philosophical) decision and game theory. In addition, Tuomela
himself gives a comprehensive response to each essay and defends
his theory in terms of the new arguments presented here. Overall,
readers will gain a deeper insight into group reasoning and the
"we-mode" approach, which is used to account for collective
intention and action, cooperation, group attitudes, social
practices, and institutions as well as group solidarity. This book
will be of interest to a wide range of readers and graduate
students and researchers interested in contemporary philosophy of
sociality, sociological theory, social ontology as well as the
philosophy of mind, decision and game theory, and cognitive
science. Tuomela's book stands as a model of excellence in social
ontology, an especially intractable field of philosophical inquiry
that benefits conspicuously from the devotion of Tuomela's keen
philosophical mind. His book is must reading in social ontology. J.
Angelo Corlett, Julia Lyons Strobel
In the past two and a half decades, Walter Benjamin's early essay
'Towards the Critique of Violence' (1921) has taken a central place
in politico-philosophic debates. The complexity and perhaps even
the occasional obscurity of Benjamin's text have undoubtedly
contributed to the diversity, conflict, and richness of
contemporary readings. Interest has heightened following the
attention that philosophers such as Jacques Derrida and Giorgio
Agamben have devoted to it. Agamben's own interest started early in
his career with his 1970 essay, 'On the Limits of Violence', and
Benjamin's essay continues to be a fundamental reference in
Agamben's work. Written by internationally recognized scholars,
Towards the Critique of Violence is the first book to explore
politico-philosophic implications of Benjamin's 'Critique of
Violence' and correlative implications of Benjamin's resonance in
Agamben's writings. Topics of this collection include mythic
violence, the techniques of non-violent conflict resolution,
ambiguity, destiny or fate, decision and nature, and the relation
between justice and thinking. The volume explores Agamben's usage
of certain Benjaminian themes, such as Judaism and law, bare life,
sacrifice, and Kantian experience, culminating with the English
translation of Agamben's 'On the Limits of Violence'.
This book presents a new introduction to Hume, guiding the student
through the key concepts of Hume's work by examining the overall
development of his ideas. David Hume is widely regarded as the
greatest English thinker in the history of philosophy. His
contributions to a huge range of philosophical debates are as
important and influential now as they were in the eighteenth
century. Covering all the key concepts of his work, "Starting with
Hume" provides an accessible introduction to the ideas of this
hugely significant thinker. Clearly structured according to Hume's
central ideas, the book leads the reader through a thorough
overview of the development of his thought, resulting in a more
thorough understanding of the roots of his philosophical concerns.
Offering comprehensive coverage of Hume's philosophical method, the
book explores his contributions to philosophy of mind, causation,
the foundation of ethics, natural virtues and philosophy or
religion. Crucially the book introduces the major philosophical
movements and thinkers whose work proved influential in the
development of Hume's thought, including Nicolas Malebranche,
Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke. This is the ideal introduction for
anyone coming to the work of this hugely important thinker for the
first time. "Continuum's Starting with..." series offers clear,
concise and accessible introductions to the key thinkers in
philosophy. The books explore and illuminate the roots of each
philosopher's work and ideas, leading readers to a thorough
understanding of the key influences and philosophical foundations
from which his or her thought developed. Ideal for first-year
students starting out in philosophy, the series will serve as the
ideal companion to study of this fascinating subject.
Joseph 1. Kockelmans Pennsylvania State University In July of 1999,
Prof. Dr. Thomas M. Seebohm turned 65 years old, and thus en tered
mandatory retirement. His friends, colleagues, and former students
thought that it would be fitting to celebrate the event of his
retirement with a volume of essays in his honor, in order to render
homage to a great human being, an outstanding and dedicated
teacher, a highly regarded philosopher and scholar, but above all a
dear friend and colleague. When the editors thought about a
unifying theme for the anthology, they finally settled on the
research interests of Professor Seebohm; in their view the vast do
main of his competence and interests would leave all participants
the freedom to select a topic of their own choice that would
nonetheless lie within this large realm as well as within the area
of their own research interests. Professor Seebohm's research
interests encompass work in Phenomenology, Hermeneutics, German
Idealism (Kant in particular), History of Philosophy, Phi losophy
of the formal sciences (of Logic in particular), Philosophy of
History, Methodology and Philosophy of the Human Sciences,
(including Psychology and Sociology), History of 19th Century
British Empiricism (Mill), American Pragma tism, Analytic
Philosophy, Philosophy of Law and Practical Philosophy, the devel
opment of the history of philosophy in Eastern Europe, especially
in the Middle Ages, but also in the nineteenth century."
What is the true worth of Wittgenstein's contribution to philosophy? Answers to this question are strongly divided. However, most assessments rest on certain popular misreadings of his purpose. This book challenges both "theoretical" and "therapeutic" interpretations. In their place, it seeks to establish that, from beginning to end, Wittgenstein regarded clarification as the true end of philosophy. It argues that, properly understood, his approach exemplifies rather than betrays critical philosophy and provides a viable alternative to other contemporary offerings.
In this collection of original papers, leading international
authorities turn their attention to one of the most important
questions in theoretical philosophy: what is truth? To arrive at an
answer, two further questions need to be addressed in this context:
1) Does truth possess any essence, any inner nature? and 2) If so,
what does this nature consist of? The present discussion focuses on
the antagonism between substantial or robust theories of truth,
with correspondence theory taking the lead, and deflationist or
minimalist views, which have been commanding an increasing amount
of attention in recent years. Whereas substantial theories proceed
from the premise that truth has an essence, and that therefore the
objective is to discover this essence, the challenge presented by
deflationism is to dispense with this very premise.
Levinas and Lacan traces the similar concepts and logics of Jacques
Lacan and Emmanuel Levinas, to explicitly render the rigorous
questioning of the philosophic tradition undertaken by these
thinkers, and to articulate the theoretical stakes and practical
consequences of such a conjunction for ethics. In this book,
contemporary philosophers examine this missed encounter between
Levinas and Lacan by tracing their preoccupation with issues that
emerge in late modernity: language, subjectivity, alterity, and
ethics.
The world was first introduced to the expertise and originality of
Japanese scholars in phenomenology in Analecta Husserliana Vol. IX
(1979). The third generation of Japanese scholars, belonging to the
newly-founded Merleau-Ponty Japanese Circle, are now presented.
Following Merleau-Ponty's tendency, the studies collected here seem
to make a fresh phenomenological start in relation to classical
Husserlian phenomenology, turning deliberately towards the
`concrete', `the wild world', `flesh', `embodiment', `natural
signs', `primal nature'. The rule of intentionality, natural
language is thereby devalued. The wealth of insights, the freshness
of intuition and the seminal power of these fascinating enquiries
well merit a close reading.
1.1. Why the Ontology 0/ Time? The intention that directs this
research consists in an attempt to provide a herme- neutic analysis
ofthe drastic changes, which have occurred in 20th century philoso-
phy, in identifying the new role ascribed to the subject of time
and temporality within the scope ofontology. Afterthe fundamental
works ofE. Husserl, M. Heid- egger. P. Rica:ur. and E. Levinas, it
has been understood that the traditional issue (which could be
traced back to Parmenides) between being and time, between the
eternal and the transient (or historical), must once again be
re-examined. Time it- self is recognized now as the deepest ground
of ontological inquiry, which sets in motion the entire system
offundamental philosophical concepts. This does not mean, of
course, that our understanding of time did not change in the course
of these fundamental transformations. In order to comprehend the
new role oftime within "first philosophy," the concept o/time
itselfis to be subjected to a careful investigation and
interpretation. It is necessary to come back to Aristotle's quest
ions in Physics IV: In what sense can we ascribe being to time
itself. and what is the "nature" of time as (a) being'! In other
words, to understand the role oftime within the scope of ontology
means to develop simultaneously the ontology 0/ time. This is what
the title ofthis work intends to designate. Moreover, my aim is to
dem- onstrate that in a defmite sense the postmodern onto-Iogy is
chrono-Iogy.
This is the first major response to the new challenge of
neuroscience to religion. There have been limited responses from a
purely Christian point of view, but this takes account of eastern
as well as western forms of religious experience. It challenges the
prevailing naturalistic assumption of our culture, including the
idea that the mind is either identical with or a temporary
by-product of brain activity. It also discusses religion as
institutions and religion as inner experience of the Transcendent,
and suggests a form of spirituality for today.
Spinoza's political thought has been subject to a significant
revival of interest in recent years. As a response to difficult
times, students and scholars have returned to this founding figure
of modern philosophy as a means to help reinterpret and rethink the
political present. Spinoza's Authority Volume I: Resistance and
Power in Ethics makes a significant contribution to this ongoing
reception and utilization of Spinoza's political thought by
focusing on his posthumously published Ethics. By taking the
concept of authority as an original framework, this books asks: How
is authority related to ethics, ontology, and epistemology? What
are the social, historical and representational processes that
produce authority and resistance? And what are the conditions of
effective resistance? Spinoza's Authority features a roster of
internationally established theorists of Spinoza's work, and covers
key elements of Spinoza's political philosophy, including:
questions of authority, the resistance to authority, sovereign
power, democratic control, and the role of Spinoza's "multitudes".
In this fresh translation of five lectures delivered in 1907 at the
University of Goettingen, Edmund Husserl lays out the philosophical
problem of knowledge, indicates the requirements for its solution,
and for the first time introduces the phenomenological method of
reduction. For those interested in the genesis and development of
Husserl's phenomenology, this text affords a unique glimpse into
the epistemological motivation of his work, his concept of
intentionality, and the formation of central phenomenological
concepts that will later go by the names of `transcendental
consciousness', the `noema', and the like. As a teaching text, The
Idea of Phenomenology is ideal: it is brief, it is unencumbered by
the technical terminology of Husserl's later work, it bears a clear
connection to the problem of knowledge as formulated in the
Cartesian tradition, and it is accompanied by a translator's
introduction that clearly spells out the structure, argument, and
movement of the text.
The concepts of alienation and its overcoming are central to Marx's
thought. They underpin his critique of capitalism and his vision of
future society. Marx's ideas are explained in rigorous and clear
terms. They are situated in the context of the Hegelian ideas that
inspired them and put into dialogue with contemporary debates.
The Phenomenological Mind, Third Edition introduces fundamental
questions about the mind from the perspective of phenomenology. One
of the outstanding books in the field, now translated into eight
languages, this highly regarded exploration of phenomenology from a
topic-driven standpoint examines the following key questions and
issues: what is phenomenology? phenomenology and the cognitive
sciences consciousness and self-consciousness time and
consciousness intentionality and perception the embodied mind
action knowledge of other minds situated and extended minds
phenomenology and personal identity. This third edition has been
revised and updated throughout. The chapter on phenomenological
methodologies has been significantly expanded to cover qualitative
research, and there are new sections discussing important, recent
research on topics such as critical phenomenology, imagination,
social cognition, race and gender, collective intentionality, and
selfhood. Also included are helpful features, such as chapter
summaries, guides to further reading, and boxed explanations of
specialized topics, making The Phenomenological Mind, Third Edition
an ideal introduction to key concepts in phenomenology, cognitive
science, and philosophy of mind.
An examinations of Vattimo's work asking to what extent his
insights present new challenges to Christian thought. Gianni
Vattimo, who has long been a prominent postmodern European
philosopher, has recently taken a more significant interest in
religion. His claim is that postmodern philosophy, with its
incisive critique of rationalist, objectifying ways of thinking,
can help religion once again find a voice in a largely
disinterested Europe and an often fundamentalist America. To
accomplish this, Vattimo contends, religion must attend to certain
contemporary philosophical themes that, he argues, are ultimately
consistent with biblical intentions. To this end, Vattimo employs
his theoretical insights on themes such as: the nature of
modernity/post modernity, the importance of 'weak' as opposed to
'strong' thought, the dissolution of metaphysics; and the end of
the authoritarian, moralistic God. This book will examine the
entire range of Vattimo's work asking to what extent his insights
present new challenges to Christian thought. "The Philosophy and
Theology" series looks at major philosophers and explores their
relevance to theological thought as well as the response of
theology.
Offers an extremely bold, far-reaching, and unsuspected thesis in
the history of philosophy: Aristotelianism was a dominant movement
of the British philosophical landscape, especially in the field of
logic, and it had a long survival. British Aristotelian doctrines
were strongly empiricist in nature, both in the theory of knowledge
and in scientific method; this character marked and influenced
further developments in British philosophy at the end of the
century, and eventually gave rise to what we now call British
empiricism, which is represented by philosophers such as John
Locke, George Berkeley and David Hume. Beyond the apparent and
explicit criticism of the old Scholastic and Aristotelian
philosophy, which has been very well recognized by the scholarship
in the twentieth century and which has contributed to the false
notion that early modern philosophy emerged as a reaction to
Aristotelianism, the present research examines the continuity, the
original developments and the impact of Aristotelian doctrines and
terminology in logic and epistemology as the background for the
rise of empiricism.Without the Aristotelian tradition, without its
doctrines, and without its conceptual elaborations, British
empiricism would never have been born. The book emphasizes that
philosophy is not defined only by the great names, but also by
minor authors, who determine the intellectual milieu from which the
canonical names emerge. It considers every single published work of
logic between the middle of the sixteenth and the end of the
seventeenth century, being acquainted with a number of surviving
manuscripts and being well-informed about the best existing
scholarship in the field. "
Wittgenstein's work, early and later, contains the seeds of an
original and important rethinking of moral or ethical thought that
has, so far, yet to be fully appreciated. The ten essays in this
collection, all specially commissioned for this volume, are united
in the claim that Wittgenstein's thought has much to contribute to
our understanding of this fundamental area of philosophy and of our
lives. They take up a variety of different perspectives on this
aspect of Wittgenstein's work, and explore the significance of
Wittgenstein's moral thought throughout his work, from the
Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, and Wittgenstein's startling claim
there that there can be no ethical propositions, to the
Philosophical Investigations.
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Soren Kierkegaard
(Hardcover)
Todd Speidell, Greg Marcar, Andrew Torrance
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R1,196
R964
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