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Books > Humanities > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy

Conservatives and Right Radicals in Interwar Europe (Hardcover): Marco Bresciani Conservatives and Right Radicals in Interwar Europe (Hardcover)
Marco Bresciani
R3,860 Discovery Miles 38 600 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

This book features a broad range of thematic and national case studies which explore the interrelations and confrontations between conservatives and the radical Right in the European and global contexts of the interwar years. It investigates the political, social, cultural, and economic issues that conservatives and radicals tried to address and solve in the aftermaths of the Great War. Conservative forces ended up prevailing over far-right forces in the 1920s, with the notable exception of the Fascist regime in Italy. But over the course of the 1930s, and the ascent of the Nazi regime in Germany, political radicalisation triggered both competition and hybridisation between conservative and right-wing radical forces, with increased power for far-right and fascist movements. The book will be of great interest to students and scholars of politics, history, fascism, and Nazism.

Zola - An Intellectual Quest for Justice (Hardcover): Ramin Jahanbegloo Zola - An Intellectual Quest for Justice (Hardcover)
Ramin Jahanbegloo
R3,595 Discovery Miles 35 950 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book examines the figure of the public intellectual through the work of Emile Zola in the Dreyfus Affair. It analyses Zola's famous letter "J'Accuse" supporting Alfred Dreyfus and its philosophical and political consequences for the intellectual world, including Indian public intellectuals. The volume is an examination of the critical role which can be played by public intellectuals today by referring to the "J'Accuse" model and an homage to the ideal of living decently and truthfully through the exercise of critical reason and moral excellence. Accessible and comprehensive, the book will be essential reading for students of philosophy and critical reasoning. It will be of interest to general readers as well.

Photographs Objects Histories - On the Materiality of Images (Hardcover): Elizabeth Edwards, Janice Hart Photographs Objects Histories - On the Materiality of Images (Hardcover)
Elizabeth Edwards, Janice Hart
R4,065 Discovery Miles 40 650 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This innovative volume explores the idea that while photographs are images, they are also objects, and this materiality is integral to their meaning and use. The case studies presented focus on photographs active in different institutional, political, religious and domestic spheres, where physical properties, the nature of their use and the cultural formations in which they function make their 'objectness' central to how we should understand them. The book's contributions are drawn from disciplines including the history of photography, visual anthropology and art history, with case studies from a range of countries such as the Netherlands, North America, Australia, Japan, Romania and Tibet. Each shows the methodological strategies they have developed in order to fully exploit the idea of the materiality of photographic images.

Photographs Objects Histories - On the Materiality of Images (Paperback): Elizabeth Edwards, Janice Hart Photographs Objects Histories - On the Materiality of Images (Paperback)
Elizabeth Edwards, Janice Hart
R1,209 Discovery Miles 12 090 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This innovative volume explores the idea that while photographs are images, they are also objects, and this materiality is integral to their meaning and use. The case studies presented focus on photographs active in different institutional, political, religious and domestic spheres, where physical properties, the nature of their use and the cultural formations in which they function make their 'objectness' central to how we should understand them. The international contributors are drawn from disciplines including the history of photogarphy, visual anthropology and art history, and their pieces focus on areas ranging from the Netherlands, North America and Australia to Japan, Romania and Tibet. Each shows the methodological strategies they have developed in order to fully exploit the idea of the materiality of photographic images. Inspiring and instructive, the book can be used either as an overview of this exciting new area of investigation, or as a practical guide to the student or academic on how to understand photographs as objects in diverse contexts.

Sensing Art in the Atmosphere - Elemental Lures and Aerosolar Practices (Paperback): Sasha Engelmann Sensing Art in the Atmosphere - Elemental Lures and Aerosolar Practices (Paperback)
Sasha Engelmann
R1,209 Discovery Miles 12 090 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

This book engages artistic interventions in the aerial elements to investigate the aesthetics and politics of atmosphere. Sensing Art in the Atmosphere: Elemental Lures and Aerosolar Practices traces the potential of artistic, community-driven experiments to amplify our sensing of atmosphere, marrying attentions to atmospheric affect with visceral awareness of the materials, institutions and processes hovering in the air. Drawing on six years of practice-led research with artistic and activist initiatives Museo Aero Solar and Aerocene, initiated by artist Tomas Saraceno, each chapter develops creative relations to atmosphere from the studio to stratospheric currents. Through narrative-led writing, the voices of artists and collaborators are situated and central. In dialogue with these aerographic stories and sites, the book develops a notion of elemental lures: the sensual and imaginative propositions of aerial, atmospheric and meteorological phenomena. The promise of elemental lures, Engelmann suggests, is to reconcile our sensing of atmosphere with the myriad social, cultural and political forces suspended in it. Through tales of floating journeys, shared envelopes of breath and surreal levitations, the book foregrounds the role of art in crafting alternative modes of perceiving, moving and imagining (in) the air. The book ends with a call for elemental experiments in the geohumanities. It makes an important and original contribution to elemental geographies, the geohumanities and interdisciplinary scholarship on air and atmosphere.

Routledge Handbook of Pan-Africanism (Paperback): Reiland Rabaka Routledge Handbook of Pan-Africanism (Paperback)
Reiland Rabaka
R1,415 Discovery Miles 14 150 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

The Routledge Handbook of Pan-Africanism provides an international, intersectional, and interdisciplinary overview of, and approach to, Pan-Africanism, making an invaluable contribution to the ongoing evolution of Pan-Africanism and demonstrating its continued significance in the 21st century. The handbook features expert introductions to, and critical explorations of, the most important historic and current subjects, theories, and controversies of Pan-Africanism and the evolution of black internationalism. Pan-Africanism is explored and critically engaged from different disciplinary points of view, emphasizing the multiplicity of perspectives and foregrounding an intersectional approach. The contributors provide erudite discussions of black internationalism, black feminism, African feminism, and queer Pan-Africanism alongside surveys of black nationalism, black consciousness, and Caribbean Pan-Africanism. Chapters on neo-colonialism, decolonization, and Africanization give way to chapters on African social movements, the African Union, and the African Renaissance. Pan-African aesthetics are probed via literature and music, illustrating the black internationalist impulse in myriad continental and diasporan artists' work. Including 36 chapters by acclaimed established and emerging scholars, the handbook is organized into seven parts, each centered around a comprehensive theme: Intellectual origins, historical evolution, and radical politics of Pan-Africanism Pan-Africanist theories Pan-Africanism in the African diaspora Pan-Africanism in Africa Literary Pan-Africanism Musical Pan-Africanism The contemporary and continued relevance of Pan-Africanism in the 21st century The Routledge Handbook of Pan-Africanism is an indispensable source for scholars and students with research interests in continental and diasporan African history, sociology, politics, economics, and aesthetics. It will also be a very valuable resource for those working in interdisciplinary fields, such as African studies, African American studies, Caribbean studies, decolonial studies, postcolonial studies, women and gender studies, and queer studies.

Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Rousseau and the Social Contract (Hardcover): Christopher Bertram Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Rousseau and the Social Contract (Hardcover)
Christopher Bertram
R3,183 Discovery Miles 31 830 Ships in 12 - 17 working days


Rousseau's Social Contract is a benchmark in political philosophy and has influenced moral and political thought since its publication. Rousseau and the Social Contract introduces and assesses:

*Rousseau's life and the background of the Social Contract
*The ideas and arguments of the Social Contract
*Rousseau's continuing importance to politics and philosophy

Rousseau and the Social Contract will be essential reading for all students of philosophy and politics, and anyone coming to Rousseau for the first time.

The Ethics of Altruism (Paperback, annotated edition): Jonathan Seglow The Ethics of Altruism (Paperback, annotated edition)
Jonathan Seglow
R1,352 Discovery Miles 13 520 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

'The chief problem of human life', wrote Auguste Comte, 'is the subordination of egoism to altruism.' This collection examines the nature and value of altruism as a moral virtue, restoring it to its proper place at the centre of our moral and political thinking.
The first five essays in the collection explore the relationship between altruism and other moral concepts such as self-interest, autonomy, community and impartiality. The five essays in the second part show how altruism is invoked in practical moral problems, including aid to developing countries, the market for human body parts, multiculturalism and the politics of recognition, and medical ethics. Through these discussions, the central role of altruism in moral thinking is brought into sharper focus.

Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Aristotle and the Metaphysics (Hardcover): Vasilis Politis Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Aristotle and the Metaphysics (Hardcover)
Vasilis Politis
R3,350 Discovery Miles 33 500 Ships in 12 - 17 working days


Contents:
Chapter 1: Aristotle's Metaphysics Chapter 2: Metaphysics as the science of the Ultimate explanations of all things Chapter 3: Metaphysics as the science of being Qua being, Primary being and Non-Primary being Chapter 4: The Principle of Non-contradiction Chapter 5: The search for primary being Chaper 6: The first cause of change, God Chapter 7: The criticism of Plato's theory of forms

Contemporary Thought and Politics - Mystic or visionary? (Hardcover, New edition): Ernest Gellner Contemporary Thought and Politics - Mystic or visionary? (Hardcover, New edition)
Ernest Gellner
R5,089 Discovery Miles 50 890 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Gellner's political philosophy in these volumes combines the down-to-earth realism of political sociology with a rational treatment of the normative issues of traditional political thought. In these essays Gellner strives to understand the religions of nationalism, communism and democracy, returning again and again to the basic values of the liberal: social tolerance, rational criticism, human decency and justice.

Religion in French Feminist Thought - Critical Perspectives (Paperback): Morny Joy, Kathleen O'Grady, Judith L. Poxon Religion in French Feminist Thought - Critical Perspectives (Paperback)
Morny Joy, Kathleen O'Grady, Judith L. Poxon
R1,184 Discovery Miles 11 840 Ships in 12 - 17 working days


Religion in French Feminist Thought: Critical Perspectives brings together some of the leading modern religious responses to major French feminist writings on religion. It considers central figures such as Hélène Cixous, Julia Kristeva, Luce Irigaray and Catherine Clément, and its focus on questions of divinity, subjectivity and ethics provides an accessible introduction to an area of growing philosophical interest.
Ilustrating the ways in which French feminism has become a valuable tool in feminist efforts to rethink religion, and responding to its promise as an intellectual resource for religious philosophy in the future, Religion in French Feminist Thought is ideal both for independent use and as a companion book to French Feminism on Religion: A Reader (Routledge, 2001).

Anarchist Accounting - Accounting Principles for a Democratic Economy (Paperback): Anders Sandstroem Anarchist Accounting - Accounting Principles for a Democratic Economy (Paperback)
Anders Sandstroem
R1,145 Discovery Miles 11 450 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

This book is about accounting in an alternative libertarian socialist economic system. It explores what information and transactions we need to enable democratic and effective financial decisions by those affected by the decisions. Based on the economic model, participatory economics, the author proposes a set of accounting principles for an economy comprised of common ownership of productive resources, worker and consumer councils, and democratic planning, promoting the model's core values. The author tackles questions such as how accounting could be organised in an economy with no private equity owners or private lenders and creditors that is not based on greed and competition but instead on cooperation and solidarity. A large part of the book is focused on issues regarding investments; thus, he asks how and on what basis decisions are made about the allocation of an economy's production between consumption today and investments that enable more consumption in the future, and how investments are accounted for. He also considers how investments in capital assets and production facilities would be decided, financed, and valued if they are not owned by private capital owners and if allocation does not take place through markets but through a form of democratic planning. In answering these questions and more, the author demonstrates that alternative economic systems are indeed possible, and not merely lofty utopias that cannot be put into practice, and inspires further discussion about economic vision. By applying accounting to a new economic setting and offering both technical information and the author's bold vision, this book is a comprehensive and valuable supplementary text for courses touching on critical accounting theory. It will also appeal to readers interested in alternative kinds of economies.

Art In Its Time - Theories and Practices of Modern Aesthetics (Hardcover): Paul Mattick Art In Its Time - Theories and Practices of Modern Aesthetics (Hardcover)
Paul Mattick
R3,911 Discovery Miles 39 110 Ships in 12 - 17 working days


Art In Its Time takes a close look at the way in which art has become integral to the everyday 'ordinary' life of modern society. It explores the prevalent notion of art as transcending its historical moment, and argues that art cannot be separated from the everyday as it often provides material to represent social struggles and class, to explore sexuality, and to think about modern industry and our economic relationships.

The way we view art is a phenomenon of modern society and its social order. It is only in the 18th century that we see the exaltation of art through the rise of museums, today sites of mass pilgrimage and focal to modern activity. Paul Mattick explores many of the ideas that surround art in this century including modernism, the sublime and beautiful, the relationship between art and money and particularly philanthropy in the US, the role of photography in producing the aesthetic 'aura' and the limits of political art.

This book is a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate on the role of art, particularly as modern art continues to depart from traditional notions of what art is. Providing a much-needed social history of art, Art In Its Time will be of interest to all students of art theory and art history.

Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt - A Study in Classical African Ethics (Hardcover): Maulana Karenga Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt - A Study in Classical African Ethics (Hardcover)
Maulana Karenga
R4,516 Discovery Miles 45 160 Ships in 12 - 17 working days


Contents:
Preface
Introduction
1. The Maatian Ideal: A Conceptual Framework
2. The Maatian Ideal: From the Old Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom
3. The Maatian Ideal: From the New Kingdom to the Late Period
4. The Declarations of Innocence: Text and Moral Theology
5. Maatian Ontology
6. Maatian Anthropology
7. Maatian Social Practice I
8. Maatian Social Practice II
9. Summary

Does the U.S. Need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission? - A Philosophical Investigation (Paperback): Olufemi Taiwo Does the U.S. Need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission? - A Philosophical Investigation (Paperback)
Olufemi Taiwo
R1,179 Discovery Miles 11 790 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Written from the perspective of a philosopher and African immigrant, this book makes a foreceful moral argument for the need for a Truth and Reconcilation Commission (TRC) in the U.S. to address the long history of injustice to African-Americans. It shows that a TRC-similar to those established in South Africa and Chile-would rescue the ideals embodied in the U.S. Constitution while expanding their promise. Rejecting more recent views of the country's founding as an embodiment of incorrigible racial oppression, Olufemi Taiwo sees in the U.S. Constitution, and the original utopia that was at its foundation, the best available means for achieving liberty and justice. But he simultaneously shows how only a TRC can successfully open the path to moving the U.S. past its long legacy of antiblack racism in particular and racial oppression, generally, towards a more perfect union. Written with an immigrant's love of his new homeland but a clear-eyed view of its major shortcomings, the book rejects the idea of American exceptionalism in prescribing a solution that has worked elsewhere. Key Features A clear view of the wide chasm between the ideals established at the U.S.'s founding and the subsequent society that developed. Combines first-person experiences of the author with close readings of modern political philosophy, W.E.B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King, Jr., Derrick Bell, and others. Traces the link between the denial of citizenship to Blacks, both historically and today, and anti-Black violence. Shows how an obsession with the law and legal reform will never adequately address the fundamental problem of anti-Black oppression. Shows philosophically the necessity of establishing a consensual view of the truth must precede any effective reonciliation.

Does the U.S. Need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission? - A Philosophical Investigation (Hardcover): Olufemi Taiwo Does the U.S. Need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission? - A Philosophical Investigation (Hardcover)
Olufemi Taiwo
R3,613 Discovery Miles 36 130 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Written from the perspective of a philosopher and African immigrant, this book makes a foreceful moral argument for the need for a Truth and Reconcilation Commission (TRC) in the U.S. to address the long history of injustice to African-Americans. It shows that a TRC-similar to those established in South Africa and Chile-would rescue the ideals embodied in the U.S. Constitution while expanding their promise. Rejecting more recent views of the country's founding as an embodiment of incorrigible racial oppression, Olufemi Taiwo sees in the U.S. Constitution, and the original utopia that was at its foundation, the best available means for achieving liberty and justice. But he simultaneously shows how only a TRC can successfully open the path to moving the U.S. past its long legacy of antiblack racism in particular and racial oppression, generally, towards a more perfect union. Written with an immigrant's love of his new homeland but a clear-eyed view of its major shortcomings, the book rejects the idea of American exceptionalism in prescribing a solution that has worked elsewhere. Key Features A clear view of the wide chasm between the ideals established at the U.S.'s founding and the subsequent society that developed. Combines first-person experiences of the author with close readings of modern political philosophy, W.E.B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King, Jr., Derrick Bell, and others. Traces the link between the denial of citizenship to Blacks, both historically and today, and anti-Black violence. Shows how an obsession with the law and legal reform will never adequately address the fundamental problem of anti-Black oppression. Shows philosophically the necessity of establishing a consensual view of the truth must precede any effective reonciliation.

The “Russian Idea†in International Relations - Civilization and National Distinctiveness (Hardcover): Andrei P. Tsygankov The “Russian Idea†in International Relations - Civilization and National Distinctiveness (Hardcover)
Andrei P. Tsygankov
R4,044 Discovery Miles 40 440 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The "Russian Idea" in International Relations identifies different approaches within Russian Civilizational tradition — Russia’s nationally distinctive way of thinking — by situating them within IR literature and connecting them to practices of the country’s international relations. Civilizational ideas in IR theory express states’ cultural identification and stress religious traditions, social customs, and economic and political values. This book defines Russian civilizational ideas by two criteria: the values they stress and their global ambitions. The author identifies leading voices among those positioning Russia as an exceptional and globally significant system of values and traces their arguments across several centuries of the country’s development. In addition, the author explains how and why Russian civilizational ideas rise, fall, and are replaced by alternative ideas. The book identifies three schools of Russian civilizational thinking about international relations – Slavophiles, Communists, and Eurasianists. Each school focuses on Russia’s distinctive spiritual, social, and geographic roots, respectively. Each one is internally divided between those claiming Russia’s exceptionalism, potentially resulting in regional autarchy or imperial expansion, and those advocating the Russian Idea as global in its appeal. Those favoring the latter perspective have stressed Russia’s unique capacity for understanding different cultures and guarding the world against extremes of nationalism and hegemony in international relations. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of Russian foreign policy, Russia–Western relations, IR theory, diplomatic studies, political science, and European history, including the history of ideas.

International Attention and the Protection of Human Rights Defenders - Campaigning for Agents of Change (Hardcover): Janika... International Attention and the Protection of Human Rights Defenders - Campaigning for Agents of Change (Hardcover)
Janika Spannagel
R4,056 Discovery Miles 40 560 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book uses a practice-driven and empirically founded approach to address the question of whether and how international attention can protect and enable domestic human rights activists in authoritarian settings. It examines the untold origin story of the ‘human rights defender’ term and its uptake among international advocacy organizations, which coalesced with the rise of a theory of human rights change centered around the support for local actors. Rich with analyses of original qualitative and quantitative data, the author spells out this theory of change and tests its assumptions in two case studies: the individual casework of the UN special procedures, and the case of Tunisia under Ben Ali. This book is of key interest to scholars and students of human rights, of the United Nations, and more broadly of international relations and politics in general, and to practitioners working with human rights defenders at risk.

Russell on Metaphysics - Selections from the Writings of Bertrand Russell (Paperback): Bertrand Russell Russell on Metaphysics - Selections from the Writings of Bertrand Russell (Paperback)
Bertrand Russell; Edited by Stephen Mumford
R1,154 Discovery Miles 11 540 Ships in 12 - 17 working days


Is the world of appearances the real world?

Are there facts that exist independently of our minds?

Are there vague objects?

Russell on Metaphysics brings together for the first time a comprehensive selection of Russell's writing on metaphysics in one volume. Russell's major and lasting contribution to metaphysics has been hugely influential and his insights have led to the establishment of analytic philosophy as a dominant stream in philosophy. Stephen Mumford chronicles the metaphysical nature of these insights through accessible introductions to the texts, setting them in context and understanding their continued importance. Russell on Metaphysics is both a valuable introduction to Bertrand Russell as a metaphysician, and an introduction to analytic philosophy and its history.

Modality (Hardcover): Joseph Melia Modality (Hardcover)
Joseph Melia
R3,614 Discovery Miles 36 140 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This introduction to modality places the emphasis on the metaphysics of modality rather than on the formal semetics of quantified modal logic. The text begins by introducing students to the "de re/de dicto" distinction, conventionalist and conceptualist theories of modality and some of the key problems in modality, particularly Quine's criticisms. It then moves on to explain how possible worlds provide a solution to many of the problems in modality and how possible worlds themselves have been used to analyse notions outside modality such as properties and propositions. Possible worlds introduce problems of their own and the book argues that to make progress with these problems a theory of possible worlds is required. The pros and cons of various theories of possible worlds are then examined in turn, including those of Lewis, Kripke, Adams, Stalnaker and Plantinga.

Modality (Paperback): Joseph Melia Modality (Paperback)
Joseph Melia
R1,174 Discovery Miles 11 740 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This introduction to modality places the emphasis on the metaphysics of modality rather than on the formal semetics of quantified modal logic. The text begins by introducing students to the "de re/de dicto" distinction, conventionalist and conceptualist theories of modality and some of the key problems in modality, particularly Quine's criticisms. It then moves on to explain how possible worlds provide a solution to many of the problems in modality and how possible worlds themselves have been used to analyse notions outside modality such as properties and propositions. Possible worlds introduce problems of their own and the book argues that to make progress with these problems a theory of possible worlds is required. The pros and cons of various theories of possible worlds are then examined in turn, including those of Lewis, Kripke, Adams, Stalnaker and Plantinga.

Teaching with Integrity - The Ethics of Higher Education Practice (Hardcover): Bruce Macfarlane Teaching with Integrity - The Ethics of Higher Education Practice (Hardcover)
Bruce Macfarlane
R4,206 Discovery Miles 42 060 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This is a book about the ethics of teaching in the context of higher education. While many books focus on the broader socially ethical topics of widening participation and promoting equal opportunities, this unique book concentrates specifically on the lecturer's professional responsibilities. It covers the real-life, messy, everyday moral dilemmas that confront university teachers when dealing with students and colleagues - whether arising from facilitated discussion in the classroom, deciding whether it is fair to extend a deadline, investigating suspected plagiarism or dealing with complaints. Bruce Macfarlane analyses the pros and cons of prescriptive professional codes of practice employed by many universities and proposes the active development of professional virtues over bureaucratic recommendations. The material is presented in a scholarly, yet accessible style, and case examples are used throughout to encourage a practical, reflective approach. Teaching With Integrity seeks to bridge the pedagogic gap currently separating the debate about teaching and learning in higher education from the broader social and ethical environment in which it takes place.

Paradox (Paperback): Doris Olin Paradox (Paperback)
Doris Olin
R1,175 Discovery Miles 11 750 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Paradoxes are more than just intellectual puzzles - they raise substantive philosophical issues and offer the promise of increased philosophical knowledge. In this introduction to paradox and paradoxes, Doris Olin shows how seductive paradoxes can be, why they confuse and confound, and why they continue to fascinate. Olin examines the nature of paradox, outlining a rigorous definition and providing a clear and incisive statement of what does and does not count as a resolution of a paradox. The view that a statement can be both true and false, that contradictions can be true, is seen to provide a challenge to the account of paradox resolution, and is explored. With this framework in place, the book then turns to an in-depth treatment of the Prediction Paradox, versions of the Preface/Fallibility Paradox, the Lottery Paradox, Newcomb's Problem, the Prisoner's Dilemma and the Sorites Paradox. Each of these paradoxes is shown to have considerable philosophical punch. Olin unpacks the central arguments in a clear and systematic fashion, offers original analyses and solutions, and exposes further unsettling implications for some of our most deep-seated principles and convictions.

Paradox (Hardcover): Doris Olin Paradox (Hardcover)
Doris Olin
R3,914 Discovery Miles 39 140 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Paradoxes are more than just intellectual puzzles - they raise substantive philosophical issues and offer the promise of increased philosophical knowledge. In this introduction to paradox and paradoxes, Doris Olin shows how seductive paradoxes can be, why they confuse and confound, and why they continue to fascinate. Olin examines the nature of paradox, outlining a rigorous definition and providing a clear and incisive statement of what does and does not count as a resolution of a paradox. The view that a statement can be both true and false, that contradictions can be true, is seen to provide a challenge to the account of paradox resolution, and is explored. With this framework in place, the book then turns to an in-depth treatment of the Prediction Paradox, versions of the Preface/Fallibility Paradox, the Lottery Paradox, Newcomb's Problem, the Prisoner's Dilemma and the Sorites Paradox. Each of these paradoxes is shown to have considerable philosophical punch. Olin unpacks the central arguments in a clear and systematic fashion, offers original analyses and solutions, and exposes further unsettling implications for some of our most deep-seated principles and convictions.

On Enlightenment (Hardcover): David Stove On Enlightenment (Hardcover)
David Stove
R3,916 Discovery Miles 39 160 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The idea of enlightenment entails liberty, equality, rationalism, secularism, and the connection between knowledge and human well being. In spite of the setbacks of revolutionary violence, political mass murder, and two world wars, the spread of enlightenment values has become the yardstick by which moral, political, and even scientific advances are measured. Indeed, most critiques of the enlightenment ideal point to failure in implementation rather than principle. By contrast, David Stove, in On Enlightenment, attacks the intellectual roots of enlightenment thought, to define the limitations of its successes and the areas of its likely failures.

Stove is not insensitive to the many valuable aspects of enlightenment thought. He champions the use of reason and rationality, and recognizes the falsity of religious claims as well as the importance of individual liberty. What he rejects is the enlightenment's uncritical optimism regarding social progress and its willingness to embrace revolutionary change. What evidence is there that the elimination of superstition will lead to happiness? Or that it is possible to accept Darwinism without Social Darwinism? Or that the enlightenment's liberal, rationalistic outlook will ever lead to the kind of social progress envisioned by its advocates.

Despite their best intentions, social reformers who attempt to improve the world as a whole inevitably make things worse. He advocates a conservative "go slow" approach to change, pointing out that today's social structures are so large and complex that any widespread social reform will have innumerable unforeseen consequences. For example, the welfare state may diminish individual initiative, the use ofpesticides may increase the food supply while polluting the water supply, the popularizing of university education may lead to a decline in academic standards. Since government has a virtual monopoly on large-scale change, it follows, in Stove's view, that its powers must be limited in order to prevent large-scale damage. Instead, he argues that reforms, when they are to be made at all, must be realistic, local, necessary and never coercive.

Writing in the conservative tradition of Edmund Burke with the same passion for clarity and intellectual honesty as George Orwell, David Stove was one of the most precise, articulate, and insightful philosophers of his day.

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