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Books > Philosophy
Politicians, financiers and bureaucrats claim to believe in free
competitive markets, yet they have built the most unfree market
system ever created. In this Gilded Age, income is funnelled to the
owners of property - financial, physical and intellectual - at the
expense of society. Wages stagnate as labour markets are
transformed by outsourcing, automation and the on-demand economy,
generating more rental income while broadening the precariat. Now
fully updated with an introduction examining the systemic issues
exposed by Brexit and Covid-19, The Corruption of Capitalism argues
that rentier capitalism is fostering revolt and presents a new
income distribution system that would achieve the extinction of the
rentier while encouraging sustainable growth.
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The first full-length study of Francesco Patrizi—the most
important political philosopher of the Italian Renaissance before
Machiavelli—who sought to reconcile conflicting claims of liberty
and equality in the service of good governance. At the heart of the
Italian Renaissance was a longing to recapture the wisdom and
virtue of Greece and Rome. But how could this be done? A new school
of social reformers concluded that the best way to revitalize
corrupt institutions was to promote an ambitious new form of
political meritocracy aimed at nurturing virtuous citizens and
political leaders. The greatest thinker in this tradition of virtue
politics was Francesco Patrizi of Siena, a humanist philosopher
whose writings were once as famous as Machiavelli’s. Patrizi
wrote two major works: On Founding Republics, addressing the
enduring question of how to reconcile republican liberty with the
principle of merit; and On Kingship and the Education of Kings,
which lays out a detailed program of education designed to instill
the qualities necessary for political leadership—above all,
practical wisdom and sound character. The first full-length study
of Patrizi’s life and thought in any language, Political
Meritocracy in Renaissance Italy argues that Patrizi is a thinker
with profound lessons for our time. A pioneering advocate of
universal literacy who believed urban planning could help shape
civic values, he concluded that limiting the political power of the
wealthy, protecting the poor from debt slavery, and reducing the
political independence of the clergy were essential to a
functioning society. These ideas were radical in his day. Far more
than an exemplar of his time, Patrizi deserves to rank alongside
the great political thinkers of the Renaissance: Machiavelli,
Thomas More, and Jean Bodin.
In the four volumes of The Development Trajectory of Eastern
societies and the Theories and Practices of Socialism, the author
re-examines Marx and Engels' theories on the development trajectory
of Eastern societies by integrating theoretical analysis of Marxist
theories and an historical investigation of socialist revolution
and socialist construction around the world. The collection
challenges some predominant interpretations of Marx and Engels'
historical materialism by focusing on that materialism, explaining
the general laws of historical development and its particular
trajectory in Eastern societies; discussing the attempts of the
Russian Commune to avoid the torments of the capitalist system and
tracing the victories and failures of the 100-year trajectory of
socialism. The significance of Marx and Engels' socialist theories
for contemporary social development in the Eastern societies is
henceforth laid bare. The book will be a key reference for readers
studying Marxism, Marxist philosophy and the history of philosophy.
It contributes to the field of posthumanism through its application
of posthuman feminism to international law Interdisciplinary
approach. Will appeal to students and scholars with interests in
legal, feminist, and posthuman theory, as well as those concerned
with the contemporary challenges faced by international law.
* Draws on work across multiple disciplines, from astrobiology and
physics to linguistics and the social sciences, making it appealing
to graduates from a wide variety of fields. * The first accessible
introduction into the important work of philosopher Howard Pattee.
* Aims to equip readers with new approaches to simple and complex
systems theory to take into any respective discipline.
What are the limits of language? How to bring philosophy closer to
everyday life? What is a good human being? These were among the
questions that philosophers wrestled with in mid-twentieth-century
Britain, a period shadowed by war and the rise of fascism. In
response to these events, thinkers such as Gilbert Ryle, J. L.
Austin, Elizabeth Anscombe and Iris Murdoch aspired to a new level
of watchfulness and self-awareness about language. Being vigilant
about their words was their way to keep philosophy true to everyday
experience. A Terribly Serious Adventure traces the friendships and
the rivalries, the shared preoccupations and the passionate
disagreements of Oxford's most brilliant thinkers. Far from being
stuck in a world of tweed, pipes and public schools, the Oxford
philosophers drew on their wartime lives as soldiers and spies,
conscientious objectors and prisoners of war in creating their
greatest works, works that are original in both thought and style,
true masterpieces of British modernism. Nikhil Krishnan brings his
knowledge and understanding of philosophy to bear on the lives and
intellectual achievements of a large and lively cast of characters.
Together, they stood for a compelling moral vision of philosophy
that is still with us today.
Three leading thinkers analyze the erosion of democracy's social
foundations and call for a movement to reduce inequality,
strengthen inclusive solidarity, empower citizens, and reclaim
pursuit of the public good. Democracy is in trouble. Populism is a
common scapegoat but not the root cause. More basic are social and
economic transformations eroding the foundations of democracy,
ruling elites trying to lock in their own privilege, and cultural
perversions like making individualistic freedom the enemy of
democracy's other crucial ideals of equality and solidarity. In
Degenerations of Democracy three of our most prominent
intellectuals investigate democracy gone awry, locate our points of
fracture, and suggest paths to democratic renewal. In Charles
Taylor's phrase, democracy is a process, not an end state. Taylor
documents creeping disempowerment of citizens, failures of
inclusion, and widespread efforts to suppress democratic
participation, and he calls for renewing community. Craig Calhoun
explores the impact of disruption, inequality, and transformation
in democracy's social foundations. He reminds us that democracies
depend on republican constitutions as well as popular will, and
that solidarity and voice must be achieved at large scales as well
as locally. Taylor and Calhoun together examine how ideals like
meritocracy and authenticity have become problems for equality and
solidarity, the need for stronger articulation of the idea of
public good, and the challenges of thinking big without always
thinking centralization. Dilip Parameshwar Gaonkar points out that
even well-designed institutions will not integrate everyone, and
inequality and precarity make matters worse. He calls for
democracies to be prepared for violence and disorder at their
margins-and to treat them with justice, not oppression. The authors
call for bold action building on projects like Black Lives Matter
and the Green New Deal. Policy is not enough to save democracy; it
will take movements.
Key Updates to the Second Edition Includes a new opening section on
human nature, borrowing material from elsewhere in the book Adds a
new chapter on evolutionary and developmental arguments for the
innateness of morality Expands coverage of the challenges to
psychological research, including the replication crisis and the
WEIRDness challenge Provides a new section on implicit bias and
moral responsibility Offers enhanced clarity and accessibility
throughout Includes up-to-date Further Reading sections and
Bibliography
• Links the cultural agency of imaginative discourse to its
capacity to address, challenge, and evoke a deep sociality
characteristic of humans; • Brings together two prominent
currents informing contemporary literary theory—affective and
neurocognitive-evolutionary literary studies and work calling for
renewed attentiveness to ethical and aesthetic qualities in
literary works; • Develops and illustrates his arguments through
analyses of a wide range of literary works
What is knowledge? Why is it valuable? How much of it do we have
(if any at all), and what ways of thinking are good ways to use to
get more of it? These are just a few questions that are asked in
epistemology, roughly, the philosophical theory of knowledge. This
is Epistemology is a comprehensive introduction to the
philosophical study of the nature, origin, and scope of human
knowledge. Exploring both classic debates and contemporary issues
in epistemology, this rigorous yet accessible textbook provides
readers with the foundation necessary to start doing epistemology.
Organized around 11 key subtopics, and assuming no prior knowledge
of the subject, this volume exposes readers to diverse, often
contentious perspectives--guiding readers through crucial debates
including Hume's problem of induction, Descartes' engagement with
radical skepticism, rationalist and empiricist evaluations of a
priori justification, and many more. The authors avoid complex
technical terms and jargon in favor of an easy-to-follow, informal
writing style with engaging chapters designed to stimulate student
interest and encourage class discussion. Throughout the text, a
wealth of up-to-date references and links to online resources are
provided to enable further investigation of an array of
epistemological topics. A balanced and authoritative addition to
the acclaimed This is Philosophy series, This is Epistemology is a
perfect primary textbook for philosophy undergraduates, and a
valuable resource for general readers with interest in this
important branch of philosophy.
A deluxe, high-quality edition of Friedrich Nietzsche's seminal
work Beyond Good and Evil is one of the final books by German
philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. This landmark work continues to be
one of the most well-known and influential explorations of moral
and ethical philosophy ever conceived. Expanding on the concepts
from his previous work Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche adopts a
polemic approach to past philosophers who, in his view, lacked
critical sense in accepting flawed premises in their consideration
of morality. The metaphysics of morality, Nietzsche argues, should
not assume that a good man is simply the opposite of an evil man,
rather merely different expression of humanity's common basic
impulses. Controversial in its time, as well as hotly debated in
the present, Nietzsche's work moves beyond conventional ethics to
suggest that a universal morality for all human beings in
non-existent - perception, reason and experience are not static,
but change according to an individual's perspective and
interpretation. The work further argues that philosophic traditions
such as "truth," "self-consciousness" and "free will" are merely
inventions of Western morality and that the "will to power" is the
real driving force of all human behaviour. This volume: Critiques
the belief that actions, including domination or injury to the
weak, can be universally objectionable Explores themes of religion
and "master and slave" morality Includes a collection of stunning
aphorisms and observations of the human condition Part of the
bestselling Capstone Classics Series edited by Tom Butler-Bowdon,
this collectible, hard-back edition of Beyond Good and Evil
provides an accessible and insightful Introduction by leading
Nietzsche authority Dr Christopher Janaway. This deluxe volume is
perfect for anyone with interest in philosophy, psychology,
science, history and literature.
In Ancient Philosophy (2012), Christopher Shields expanded on the
coverage of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in his earlier book,
Classical Philosophy (2003), to include the philosophy of the
Hellenistic era. In this new edition (2023), Shields reaches even
further to include material on Neoplatonism and on Augustine and
Proclus, capturing-from Thales of Miletus to the end of the sixth
century CE-all of what might be called ancient philosophy. It
traces the important connections between the periods and
individuals of more than 1,200 years of philosophy's history
without losing sight of the novelties and dynamics unique to each.
The coverage of the Presocratics, Sophists, Plato, and Stoicism has
also been expanded so as to highlight Plato's responses to the
Sophistic movement in the development of his Theory of Forms. And,
finally, a valuable companion volume, with Shields's focused
translations of the important sources referred to in Ancient
Philosophy, Second Edition, will soon be published, obviating the
need for a massive anthology of discordant voices. Ancient
Philosophy, Second Edition, retains its helpful structure: each
philosophical position receives: (1) a brief introduction, (2) a
sympathetic review of its principal motivations and primary
supporting arguments, and (3) a short assessment, inviting readers
to evaluate its plausibility. The result is a book that brings the
ancient arguments to life, making the introduction truly
contemporary. It continues to serve as both a first stop and a
well-visited resource for any student of the subject. Key updates
in the second edition Extends the range of coverage well into the
sixth century CE by offering a new chapter on Neoplatonism and
early Christian philosophy, featuring discussions of Proclus and
Augustine. Explains the conflicts between Plato and the Sophists by
highlighting their approaches to rhetoric as an instrument of
persuasion, offering a helpful explanation of two senses of
argument. Includes new coverage of Plato's argument from the
Simplicity of the Soul, Argument from Affinity, and Argument
against Rhetoric. Includes coverage of Aristotle's political
naturalism . May be used with a soon-to-be-published companion
volume of primary source material, all of it translated by
Christopher Shields specifically for the reader of this Second
Edition.
The Number One International bestseller 'We need books like this
one' - psychologist Steven Pinker At last, stupidity explained! And
by some of the world's smartest people, among them Daniel Kahneman,
Dan Ariely, Alison Gopnik, Howard Gardner, Antonio Damasio, Aaron
James and Ryan Holiday. Stupidity is all around us, from the
colleagues who won't stop hitting 'reply all' to the former school
friends posting conspiracy theories on Facebook. But in order to
battle idiocy, we must first understand it. In The Psychology of
Stupidity, some of the world's leading psychologists and thinkers -
including a Nobel Prize winner - will show you . . . * Why smart
people sometimes believe in utter nonsense * How our lazy brains
cause us to make the wrong decisions * Why trying to debate with
fools is a trap * How media manipulation and Internet
overstimulation makes us dumber * Why the stupidest people don't
think they're stupid As long as there have been humans there has
been human stupidity, but with wit and wisdom these great thinkers
can help us understand this persistent human affliction.
The first full, philosophical introduction to Descartes for many
years – competitors are either out of date or considerably higher
in level Descartes is the most important Western philosopher after
Plato and studied by virtually all philosophy students at some
point Explains and assesses Descartes’ most important ideas,
arguments and texts, particularly his Meditations Concerning First
Philosophy Ideal for anyone coming to Descartes for the first time
Additional features include a chronology, a glossary and annotated
further reading
In this clear and evocative account, John Gaskin unfolds the
thinking about nature, life, death and other worlds that informed
the culture and society of the Classical world, drawing out its
interest for modern readers. Witty sketches and diagrams enliven
the story, which runs from Homeric Greece to the banning of pagan
religions in ad 391. The book concludes with a gazetteer describing
notable sites and the people and ideas connected with them, making
it an ideal companion for visitors to Classical ruins and for all
armchair travellers curious to explore life's big questions.
Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this piercing work distills three thousand years of the history of power in to forty-eight well explicated laws. As attention--grabbing in its design as it is in its content, this bold volume outlines the laws of power in their unvarnished essence, synthesizing the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun-tzu, Carl von Clausewitz, and other great thinkers. Some laws teach the need for prudence ("Law 1: Never Outshine the Master"), the virtue of stealth ("Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions"), and many demand the total absence of mercy ("Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally"), but like it or not, all have applications in real life. Illustrated through the tactics of Queen Elizabeth I, Henry Kissinger, P. T. Barnum, and other famous figures who have wielded--or been victimized by--power, these laws will fascinate any reader interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.
In the wake of globalization, cultural forms of expression have
become increasingly detached from their places of origin,
circulating in a hyper-domain of culture where there is no real
difference anymore between indigenous and foreign, near and far,
the familiar and the exotic. Heterogeneous cultural contents are
brought together side by side, like the fusion food that makes free
use of all that the hypercultural pool of spices, ingredients and
ways of preparing food has to offer. Culture is becoming un-bound,
un-restricted, un-ravelled: a hyperculture. It is a profoundly
rhizomatic culture of intense hybridization, fusion and
co-appropriation. Today we have all become hypercultural tourists,
even in our 'own' culture, to which we do not even belong anymore.
Hypercultural tourists travel in the hyperspace of events, a space
of cultural sightseeing. They experience culture as cul-tour.
Drawing on thinkers from Hegel and Heidegger to Bauman and Homi
Bhabha to examine the characteristics of our contemporary
hyperculture, Han poses the question: should we welcome the human
of the future as the hypercultural tourist, smiling serenely, or
should we aspire to a different way of being in the world?
This book addresses issues of legal and moral governance arising in
the development, deployment, and eventual uses of emerging
technologies in military operations. Proverbial wisdom has it that
law and morality always lag behind technological innovation. Hence,
the book aims to identify, enumerate, and constructively address
the problems of adequate governance for the development,
deployment, and eventual uses of military technologies that have
been newly introduced into military operations or which will be
available in the near future. Proposals for modifications in
governance, the book argues, closely track the anxieties of many
critics of these technologies to the extent that they will
proliferate, prove destructive in unanticipated ways, and partially
or wholly escape regulation under current treaties and regulatory
regimes. In addition to such concerns in domestic and especially in
international law, the book addresses ethical norms in the
professions involved in the design and eventual use of specific
technologies, principally involving the professional norms of
practice in engineering and the military (as well as biomedical and
health care practice), which impose moral obligations on their
members to avoid reckless endangerment or criminal negligence in
the course of their activities. Thus, in addition to exploring the
application of existing legal regimes and moral norms, the book
examines how these professions might develop or improve the
voluntary constraints on forms of malfeasance that are enshrined in
their histories and codes of best practices. This book should prove
of great interest to students of ethics, military studies,
philosophy of war and peace, law, and international relations.
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.
Western thinking has long been dominated by essence, by a
preoccupation with that which dwells in itself and delimits itself
from the other. By contrast, Far Eastern thought is centred not on
essence but on absence. The fundamental topos of Far Eastern
thinking is not being but 'the way' (dao), which lacks the solidity
and fixedness of essence. The difference between essence and
absence is the difference between being and path, between dwelling
and wandering. 'A Zen monk should be without fixed abode, like the
clouds, and without fixed support, like water', said the Japanese
Zen master D gen. Drawing on this fundamental distinction between
essence and absence, Byung-Chul Han explores the differences
between Western and Far Eastern philosophy, aesthetics,
architecture and art, shedding fresh light on a culture of absence
that may at first sight appear strange and unfamiliar to those in
the West whose ways of thinking have been shaped for centuries by
the preoccupation with essence.
We are experiencing the end of the traditional interpretation of
'work' and the 'workplace', as we have known it for the last three
centuries. Marriage structures, the layout of our cities and even
our school systems will have to adapt to these new challenges. The
author consistently confronts the reader with the question - How
will the lives of individuals and communities be affected by these
probable and possibly unavoidable changes? Equally important are
the practical suggestions offered to enable the reader to cope
optimally with these changes.
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