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Books > Philosophy
A passionate, highly accessible clarion call to a world dangerously
threatened by irrational superstitions of all kinds. 'Truly a book
for our time' Steven Pinker 'In Sweden's public square, Christer
Sturmark has done as much as anyone to uphold reason and humane
critical thinking' Richard Dawkins 'As lucid and illuminating as it
is warm and inspiring' Rebecca Goldstein In country after country,
conspiracy theories and religious dogmas that once seemed to have
been overtaken by enlightened thought are helping to lift
authoritarian leaders into power. The effects are being felt by
women, ethnic minorities, teachers, scientists and students - and
by the environment, the ultimate victim of climate change denial.
We need clear thinking now more than ever. Christer Sturmark is a
crusading secular humanist as well as a Swedish publisher and
entrepreneur, and The Flame of Reason is his manifesto for a better
world. It provides a set of simple tools for clear thinking in the
face of populist dogmas, anti-science attitudes and
pseudo-philosophy, and suggestions for how we can move towards a
new enlightenment. From truth to Quantum Physics, moral philosophy
to the Myers-Briggs test, Sturmark offers a passionate defence of
rational thought, science, tolerance and pluralism; a warm and
engaging guide for anyone who wants to better navigate the modern
world. Translated by and co-written with Douglas Hofstadter,
celebrated cognitive scientist, physicist and author of Godel,
Escher, Bach.
These two texts are fundamental for the understanding not only of
Neoplatonism but also of the conventions of biography in late
antiquity. Neither has received such extensive annotation before in
English, and this new commentary makes full use of recent
scholarship. The long introduction is intended both as a beginner's
guide to Neoplatonism and as a survey of ancient biographical
writing.
Authors in this illuminating book probe the social and spiritual
contexts from which select iconic figures emerge as innovators and
cultural leaders and draw material into forms that subsequent
generations consider pioneering and emblematic. The book identifies
creators such as novelists, poets, performers and dramatists who
are leaders in their respective genres, and in culture and society
at large, and examines the influence exerted on and by their works.
Critics and admirers understand the cultural leaders discussed in
this book as significant figures affecting social and political
change. The chapters cover a range of genres, time periods and
individuals, mixing literary and historical analysis with concerns
relevant to leadership studies. The book includes a
cross-disciplinary analysis focusing on its subjects' roles as
leaders within and beyond their fields. Scholars and students of
religion, history and popular culture with wide-ranging interests
in the humanities will find this book a unique and fascinating look
at cultural leadership. Contributors include: J.L. Airey, Y. Ariel,
K.M.S. Bezio, W. Clark Gilpin, T. Fessenden, K. Lofton, E.
Marienberg, C. McCracken-Flesher, S. Paulsell, C.N. Pondrom, J.
Wiesenfarth
Why do we think ourselves superior to all other animals? Are we
right to think so? In this book, Michael Ruse explores these
questions in religion, science and philosophy. Some people think
that the world is an organism - and that humans, as its highest
part, have a natural value (this view appeals particularly to
people of religion). Others think that the world is a machine - and
that we therefore have responsibility for making our own value
judgements (including judgements about ourselves). Ruse provides a
compelling analysis of these two rival views and the age-old
conflict between them. In a wide-ranging and fascinating
discussion, he draws on Darwinism and existentialism to argue that
only the view that the world is a machine does justice to our
humanity. This new series offers short and personal perspectives by
expert thinkers on topics that we all encounter in our everyday
lives.
We know that they prayed, sang, and wore long robes, but what was
it really like to be a monk? Though monastic living may seem
unimaginable to us moderns, it has relevance for today. This book
illuminates the day-to-day of medieval European monasticism,
showing how you can apply the principles of monastic living, like
finding balance and peace, to your life. With wit and insight,
medievalist and podcaster Daniele Cybulskie dives into the history
of monasticism in each chapter and then reveals applications for
today, such as the benefits of healthy eating, streamlining
routines, gardening, and helping others. She shares how monks
authentically embraced their spiritual calling, and were also down
to earth: they wrote complaints about being cold in the manuscripts
they copied, made beer and wine, and even kept bees. How to Live
Like a Monk features original illustrations by Anna Lobanova, as
well as more than eighty colour reproductions from medieval
manuscripts. It is for anyone interested in the Middle Ages and
those seeking inspiration for how to live a full life, even when
we're confined to the cloister of our homes.
As the final work by Ye Xiushan, one of the most famous
philosophers and scholars of philosophy in China, this two-volume
set scrutinizes the historical development of both Chinese and
Western philosophy, aiming to explore the convergence between the
two philosophical traditions. Combining historical examination and
argumentation based on philosophical problematics, the author
discusses the key figures and schools of thought from both
traditions. Far from being a cursory comparison between different
philosophical concepts and categories, the author discusses the
logical paths and conceptual approaches of the two traditions on
the same philosophical issues, thus giving insights into conceptual
categories commonly used in both Chinese and Western philosophies.
The two volumes illuminate the different core spirits and dilemmas
of Western philosophy and Chinese philosophy, encouraging a
constructive dialogue between the two and a new transformation of
Chinese philosophy in itself. The title will appeal to scholars,
students, and general readers interested in philosophical history,
comparative philosophy, Chinese philosophy, and Western philosophy
ranging over Greek philosophy, German classic philosophy, and
contemporary continental philosophy.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1974 and the culmination of a life's work, The Denial of Death is Ernest Becker's brilliant and impassioned answer to the 'why' of human existence. In bold contrast to the predominant Freudian school of thought, Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie - man's refusal to acknowledge his own mortality.
The book argues that human civilisation is a defence against the knowledge that we are mortal beings. Becker states that humans live in both the physical world and a symbolic world of meaning, which is where our 'immortality project' resides. We create in order to become immortal - to become part of something we believe will last forever. In this way we hope to give our lives meaning.
In The Denial of Death, Becker sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates decades after it was written.
The Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment series,
previously known as SVEC (Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth
Century), has published over 500 peer-reviewed scholarly volumes
since 1955 as part of the Voltaire Foundation at the University of
Oxford. International in focus, Oxford University Studies in the
Enlightenment volumes cover wide-ranging aspects of the eighteenth
century and the Enlightenment, from gender studies to political
theory, and from economics to visual arts and music, and are
published in English or French.
This book addresses a perennial challenge for product planners and
designers alike: how to objectively specify and quantify the
aesthetics of products. It provides automotive product planners
with a framework for the grammar of aesthetics and a tool for
quantifying the aesthetics of an intended product. Further, it
equips styling designers with a tool for connecting engineering and
aesthetics. Given the author's extensive experience in motorcycle
design, the motorcycle has been chosen as the frame of reference
for automobiles. Specifically in the field of automobile design,
where engineering and aesthetics go hand in hand, it also becomes
important to clearly and objectively define the relationship
between engineering design and aesthetics. Accordingly, this book
(1) clearly establishes the objective parameters of aesthetics, (2)
puts forward a method for quantifying aesthetics, (3) identifies
the engineering design parameters affecting aesthetics, and (4)
determines the relationship between parameters of aesthetics and
engineering design. As such, it offers a useful guide not only for
design professionals, but also for students and researchers of
design.
A practical guide to finding fulfilling work by understanding
yourself. The idea that work might be fulfilling rather than just
necessary is a recent invention. These days, in prosperous areas of
the world, we don't only expect to get paid, we also expect to find
meaning and satisfaction. A Job to Love is designed to help us
better understand ourselves in order to find a job that is right
for us. It explores the myths, traps and confusions that get in our
way and shows us how to develop new, effective attitudes and
habits.
Understanding the human mind and how it relates to the world that
we experience has challenged philosophers for centuries. How then
do we even begin to think about 'minds' that are not human? Science
now has plenty to say about the properties of mind. In recent
decades, the mind - both human and otherwise - has been explored by
scientists in fields ranging from zoology to astrobiology, computer
science to neuroscience. Taking a uniquely broad view of minds and
where they might be found - including in plants, aliens, and God -
Philip Ball pulls these multidisciplinary pieces together to
explore what sorts of minds we might expect to find in the
universe. In so doing, he offers for the first time a unified way
of thinking about what minds are and what they can do, arguing that
in order to understand our own minds and imagine those of others,
we need to move on from considering the human mind as a standard
against which all others should be measured, and to think about the
'space of possible minds'. By identifying and mapping out
properties of mind without prioritizing the human, Ball sheds new
light on a host of fascinating questions. What moral rights should
we afford animals, and can we understand their thoughts? Should we
worry that AI is going to take over society? If there are
intelligent aliens out there, how could we communicate with them?
Should we? Understanding the space of possible minds also reveals
ways of making advances in understanding some of the most
challenging questions in contemporary science: What is thought?
What is consciousness? And what (if anything) is free will? The
more we learn about the minds of other creatures, from octopuses to
chimpanzees, and to imagine the potential minds of computers and
alien intelligences, the greater the perspective we have on if and
how our own is different. Ball's thrillingly ambitious The Book of
Minds about the nature and existence of minds is more
mind-expanding than we could imagine. In this fascinating panorama
of other minds, we come to better know our own.
The Economics of Sin examines the definition and evolution of sin
from the perspective of rational choice economics, yet is conscious
of the limitations of such an approach. The author argues that
because engaging in activities deemed to be sinful is an act of
choice, it can therefore be subject to the logic of choice in the
economic model. The book considers the formation of religions,
including the new age revival of 'wicca', as regulators of the
quasi-market in sins, and goes on to appraise the role of specific
sins such as lying, envy, jealousy, greed, lust, sloth, and waste
in individual markets and in macroeconomic activity. Empirical
evidence on issues such as cannibalism, capital punishment,
addiction, adultery and prostitution is also explored. Samuel
Cameron concludes that a large percentage of economic activity is
intimately connected with forms of sin which are in some
circumstances highly beneficial to the functioning of markets,
particularly in the presence of market failure. This innovative,
interdisciplinary study of the institution of sin will be of
enormous interest to a wide-ranging readership, including
researchers and teachers of economics, sociology and theology. It
will also be of importance for anthropologists and philosophers.
Originally published in 1961, this book originated in the belief
that there was an urgent need for a greater association between
philosophers and scientists and of both with men of religion. The
problem of bringing this association into being is approached from
different angles by the two authors, who, while agreeing on the
main thesis, differ on many details, and the discussion is largely
concerned with an examination of the points of difference. It
ranges over the significance of scientific concepts, such as ether,
energy, space and time, the place of mathematics in science and of
linguistics in philosophy, the nature of scientific thought in
relation to the universe as a whole, problems of life, mind, ethics
and theology. It also raises questions of importance concerning the
present attitudes of organizations dealing with these matters
towards their respective concerns. While the main purpose is always
kept in view, a certain amount of discursiveness allows for the
introduction of incidental matters of interest in themselves as
well as in their relation to the central theme. The book has been
written for the layman, and the student, while not, by
over-simplification, offending the expert and the erudite.
In this modern tale for the ages, hit Instagram illustrator
@iuliastration takes us a on a healing journey. Following the story
of a traveller as they move from darkness to light through the
rhythm of the seasons, this is a deeply relatable quest for inner
peace told through calming and original illustrations. Using
ancient wisdom and philosophical quotes from around the world -
from Rumi to Emily Dickinson - to anchor her striking visual
storytelling, Iulia Bochis weaves a timeless story of personal
growth and self-love.
A new edition of the bestselling guide to the study of philosophy:
the ideal intellectual 'toolkit' for sharpening analytical skills
and building philosophical acuity Whether used as a guide to basic
principles or a resource for key concepts and methods, The
Philosopher's Toolkit equips readers with all the intellectual
'tools' necessary for engaging closely with philosophical argument
and developing fluency in the methods and language of philosophical
inquiry. Featuring accessible explanations, practical examples, and
expert guidance, this text empowers readers to understand
traditional philosophical thinking and to engage with new ideas.
Focuses on the practical methods and concepts necessary for
philosophical inquiry Presents a versatile resource for both novice
and advanced students in areas of philosophy, critical theory, and
rhetoric Adopts a pluralistic approach to teaching philosophy,
making this a suitable resource for many courses Delivers extensive
cross-referenced entries, recommended readings, and updated online
resources Covers an array of topics, from basic tools of
argumentation to sophisticated philosophical principles Fully
revised and updated to include new topics and entries as well as
expanded recommended reading lists to encourage further study
Pierre Nicole was a major figure in the Jansenist controversy in
seventeenth-century France. His essays, which were widely read and
appeared in various editions during his lifetime, cover a broad
range of religious subjects. John Locke first came across Nicole's
work during his visit to France in the 1670s, and was so struck by
it that he intended to translate all the Essais de morale into
English. When he had translated three of them, however he learned
that the work had been done already, so he abandoned the project
and presented what he had done so far to the countess of
Shaftesbury, wife of his patron. Locke's translation, in a neatly
written presentation copy, is now housed in the Pierpont Morgan
Library in New York. The three essays that he translated -
'Discours (...) de l'existence de Dieu & l'immortalite de
l'ame', 'Traite de la faiblesse de l'homme', and 'Traite des moyens
de conserver la paix avec les hommes' - deal with topics that he
later discusses at length in his own writings: society, morality,
toleration and opinion. This volume reproduces the text of Nicole's
three essays from an early edition facing Locke's deliberately free
and impressionistic rendering into English, a style which he hoped
might convey the sense of the author better than a literal
translation. The choice of these three essays to translate first,
out of the whole of the Essais de morale, and the changes that
Locke made to his French original in the course of translation,
illuminate our understanding of his thought and of its development.
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