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Books > Philosophy > Western philosophy
Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and
accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that
students and readers can find especially challenging. Concentrating
specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to
fathom, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas,
guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding
material. Ludwig Wittgenstein is one of the most influential
twentieth century philosophers with his ideas occupying a central
place in the history and study of modern philosophy. Students will
inevitably encounter his major contributions to the philosophies of
language, mind, logic and mathematics. However, there is no
escaping the extent of the challenge posed by Wittgenstein whose
complex ideas are often enigmatically expressed. Wittgenstein: A
Guide for the Perplexed is an authoritative, comprehensive and
lucid commentary on the philosophy of this eminent modern thinker.
It offers sound guidance to reading Wittgenstein and a valuable
methodology for interpreting his works. The illuminating text
covers the entirety of Wittgenstein's thought, examining the
relationship between the early, middle and late periods of his
philosophy. Detailed attention is paid to Wittgenstein's great
works the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and Philosophical
Investigations, as well as to other published writings. Valuably,
the guide also covers ground not commonly explored in studies of
Wittgenstein, including his contributions to aesthetics and
philosophy of religion. This is the most thorough and fully engaged
account of Wittgenstein available - an invaluable resource for
students and anyone interested in philosophy and modern
intellectual history.
Bringing together Leibniz's writings on God and religion for the
very first time, Leibniz on God and Religion: A Reader reflects the
growing importance now placed on Leibniz's philosophical theology.
This reader features a wealth of material, from journal articles
and book reviews published in Leibniz's lifetime to private notes
and essays, as well as items from his correspondence. Organised
thematically into the following sections, this reader captures the
changes in Leibniz's thinking over the course of his career: The
Catholic Demonstrations The existence and nature of God Reason and
faith Ethics and the love of God The Bible Miracles and mysteries
The churches and their doctrines Grace and predestination Sin,
evil, and theodicy The afterlife Non-Christian religions In
preparing this reader, Strickland has returned to Leibniz's
original manuscripts to ensure accurate translations of key texts,
the majority of which have not been available in English before.
The reader also contains a number of texts previously unpublished
in any form. Alongside the translations, this reader contains an
introductory essay, explanatory notes on all of the texts, and
suggestions for further reading. This valuable sourcebook enables
students of all levels to achieve a well-rounded understanding of
Leibniz's philosophical theology.
Syllogism is a form of logical argument allowing one to deduce a
consistent conclusion based on a pair of premises having a common
term. Although Aristotle was the first to conceive and develop this
way of reasoning, he left open a lot of conceptual space for
further modifications, improvements and systematizations with
regards to his original syllogistic theory. From its creation until
modern times, syllogism has remained a powerful and compelling
device of deduction and argument, used by a variety of figures and
assuming a variety of forms throughout history. The Aftermath of
Syllogism investigates the key developments in the history of this
peculiar pattern of inference, from Avicenna to Hegel. Taking as
its focus the longue duree of development between the Middle Ages
and the nineteenth century, this book looks at the huge reworking
scientific syllogism underwent over the centuries, as some of the
finest philosophical minds brought it to an unprecedented height of
logical sharpness and sophistication. Bringing together a group of
major international experts in the Aristotelian tradition, The
Aftermath of Syllogism provides a detailed, up to date and critical
evaluation of the history of syllogistic deduction.
This book describes and analyzes the conceptual ambiguity of
vulnerability, in an effort to understand its particular
applications for legal and political protection when relating to
groups. Group vulnerability has become a common concept within
legal and political scholarship but remains largely undertheorized
as a phenomenon itself. At the same time, in academia and within
legal circles, vulnerability is primarily understood as a
phenomenon affecting individuals, and the attempts to identify
vulnerable groups are discredited as essentialist and
stereotypical. In contrast, this book demonstrates that a
conception of group vulnerability is not only theoretically
possible, but also politically and legally necessary. Two
conceptions of group vulnerability are discussed: one focuses on
systemic violence or oppression directed toward several
individuals, while another requires a common positioning of
individuals within a given context that conditions their agency,
ability to cope with risks and uncertainties, and manage their
consequences. By comparing these two definitions of group
vulnerability and their implications, Macioce seeks a more precise
delineation of the theoretical boundaries of the concept of group
vulnerability.
This handbook brings together a range of global perspectives in the
field of critical studies in education to illuminate multiple ways
of knowing, learning, and teaching for social wellbeing, justice,
and sustainability. The handbook covers areas such as critical
thought systems of education, critical race (and racialization)
theories of education, critical international/global citizenship
education, and critical studies in education and literacy studies.
In each section, the chapter authors illuminate the current state
of the field and probe more inclusive ways to achieve multicentric
knowledge and learning possibilities.
This book provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to
Arendt's key ideas and texts, ideal for students coming to her work
for the first time. Hannah Arendt is considered to be one of the
most influential political thinkers of the twentieth century.
Although her writing is somewhat clear, the enormous breadth of her
work places particular demands on the student coming to her thought
for the first time. "Arendt: A Guide for the Perplexed" provides a
clear, concise and accessible introduction to this hugely important
political thinker. The book examines the most important themes of
Hannah Arendt's work, as well as the main controversies surrounding
it. Karin Fry explores the systematic nature of Arendt's political
thought that arose in response to the political controversies of
her time and describes how she sought to envision a coherent
framework for thinking about politics in a new way.Thematically
structured and covering all Arendt's key writings and ideas, this
book is designed specifically to meet the needs of students coming
to her work for the first time. "Continuum's Guides for the
Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to
thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find
especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering.
Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject
difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and
ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of
demanding material.
This book develops a new account of Socratic method, based on a
psychological model of Plato's dramatic depiction of Socrates'
character and conduct. Socratic method is seen as a blend of three
types of philosophical discourse: refutation, truth-seeking, and
persuasion. Cain focuses on the persuasive features of the method
since, in her view, it is this aspect of Socrates' method that best
explains the content and the value of the dialectical arguments.
Emphasizing the persuasive aspect of Socratic method helps us
uncover the operative standards of dialectical argumentation in
fifth-century Athens. Cain considers both the sophistic style of
rhetoric and contentious debate in Socrates' time, and Aristotle's
perspective on the techniques of argument and their purposes. An
informal, pragmatic analysis of argumentation appropriate to the
dialectical context is developed. We see that Socrates uses
ambiguity and other strategic fallacies with purposeful play, and
for moral ends. Taking specific examples of refutations from
Plato's dialogues, Cain links the interlocutors' characters and
situations with the dialectical argument that Socrates constructs
to refute them. The merit of this interpretation is that it gives
broad range, depth, and balance to Socrates' argumentative style;
it also maintains a keen sensitivity to the interlocutors'
emotional reactions, moral values, and attitudes. The book
concludes with a discussion of the overall value, purpose, and
success of Socratic method, and draws upon a Platonic/Socratic
conception of the soul and a dialectical type of self-knowledge.
This title presents a concise and coherent overview of Locke, ideal
for second- or third-year undergraduates who require more than just
a simple introduction to his work and thought. John Locke is a
clear and lucid writer who wrote on many subjects and founded many
new schools of thought. Yet, while his work is not impossible to
read, his thought is sufficiently subtle, complex and intricate
that he can be agonizingly hard to follow, presenting students of
philosophy with a number of difficulties and challenges. "Locke: A
Guide for the Perplexed" is a clear and thorough account of Locke's
philosophy, his major works and ideas, providing an ideal guide to
the important and complex thought of this key philosopher. The book
covers the whole range of Locke's philosophical work, offering a
thematic review of his thought, together with detailed examination
of his landmark text, "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding".
Geared towards the specific requirements of students who need to
reach a sound understanding of Locke's thought, the book provides a
cogent and reliable survey of his life, political context and
philosophical influences, and clearly and concisely reviews the
competing interpretations of the Essay. This is the ideal companion
to the study of this most influential and challenging of
philosophers. "Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed" are clear,
concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and
subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging
- or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on
what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books
explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader
towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.
This book joins the contemporary recovery of Kant's empirical works
to highlight the relevance of his concept of culture for
understanding the sources of various characteristic modern
dilemmas, such as the tension between culture and happiness, the
morally ambivalent nature of cultural progress, or the existing
conflicts between a factual plurality of cultures and the
historical forces pressing toward a universal civilization. The
book will be of special interest for Kantian scholars, moral and
political philosophers, as well as philosophers of culture.
"Free will: mental energy that poofs into existence from
scratch?"In pairing key ideas from the history of philosophy with
examples from everyday life and culture, David Cunning produces a
clear, incisive and engaging introduction to philosophy. "Everyday
Examples" explores historical philosophy and the contemporary
theory scene and includes ideas from both the analytic and
continental traditions. This broad sweep of topics provides a
synoptic overview of philosophy as a discipline and philosophizing
as an activity.With examples drawn from everything from "The Matrix
"and "Sesame Street "to sleepwalking, driving, dancing, playing a
sport and observing animals, students are pointed to ways in which
they can be a philosopher outside the classroom in the everyday
world.As well as providing entertaining and relatable examples from
everyday life, this book will be especially useful in the
classroom, it is accessible and discussion-oriented, so that
students can get first-hand practice at actually 'doing'
philosophy. This accessibility does not come at the expense of
rigour but, rather, provides a 'way in' to thinking about the major
issues, figures and moments in the history of philosophy. The
chapters are divided into brief sustainable nuggets so that
students can get a definite handle on each issue and also be the
expert for the day on a given section.There are suggested study
questions at the end of each chapter that bring out the force of
each side of the many different issues.An indispensable tool for
those approaching philosophy for the first time.
The thesis that the mind cannot directly apprehend features of the
physical world - what Reid calls the Way of Ideas - is a staple of
Early Modern philosophical tradition. This commitment to the direct
awareness of, and only of, mental representations unifies the
otherwise divergent philosophical systems of Rationalists and
Empiricists. Thomas Reid battles against this thesis on many
fronts, in particular over the nature of perception. Ryan Nichols
lays the groundwork for Reid's theory of perception by developing
Reid's unheralded argument against a representational theory of
thought, which Nichols applies to his discussion of the
intentionality of perceptual states and Reid's appeal to 'signs'.
Reid's efforts to preserve common sense epistemic commitments also
lead him to adopt unique theories about our concepts of primary and
secondary qualities, and about original and acquired perceptions.
About the latter pair, Nichols argues that most perceptual beliefs
depend for their justification upon inferences. The Way of Ideas
holds that sensations are objects of awareness and that our senses
are not robustly unified. Nichols develops Reid's counter-proposals
by examining his discussion of the evolutionary purpose of
sensations, and the nature of our awareness of sensations, as well
as his intriguing affirmative answer to Molyneux's questions.
Nichols brings to the writing of this book a consummate knowledge
of Reid's texts, published and unpublished, and a keen appreciation
for Reid's responses to his predecessors. He frequently
reconstructs arguments in premise/conclusion form, thereby
clarifying disputes that have frustrated previous Reid scholarship.
This clarification, his lively examples, and his plainspoken style
make this book especially readable. Reid's theory of perception is
by far the most important feature of Reid's philosophical system,
and Nichols offers what will be, for a long time to come, the
definitive analysis of this theory.
Thomas Aquinas is the most widely read and arguably most
influential of the medieval philosophers. He is famous for his
impressive and coherent synthesis of Greek Philosophy and Christian
Theology and his magisterial "Summa Theologiae" is a hugely
important, and enduring, text in the history of philosophy. Yet he
is also a very difficult thinker and his ideas present a number of
challenges to his readers.
"Aquinas: A Guide for the Perplexed" is a clear and thorough
account of Aquinas's thought, his major works and ideas, providing
an ideal guide to the important and complex writings of this key
thinker. The book introduces all the key concepts and themes in
Aquinas's thought and examines the ways in which they have
influenced philosophical and theological thought. Geared towards
the specific requirements of students who need to reach a sound
understanding of Aquinas's ideas, the book serves as a clear and
concise introduction to his philosophy and natural theology. This
is the ideal companion to the study of this most influential and
challenging of thinkers.
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Word
(Hardcover)
Daniel Patrick Piskorski
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R886
Discovery Miles 8 860
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Despite the increasing prominence of Klossowski's philosophical
work, there exists no full-length or sustained treatment of his
writings on Nietzsche. This study analyses Klossowski's semiotic of
intensity as a conceptual foundation for his philosophy and
interpretation of Nietzsche, grounded in the central principles of
his theory of signs. It then explores its implications for the
categories of chance, causality, individuation and time, drawing a
series of parallels between Klossowski's texts and the work of
other scholars, such as McTaggart, Eco, D. Z. Albert, M.
Silverstein, Meillassoux, N. Land and J. Stambaugh. Throughout,
this work lends accessibility to Klossowski's often opaque and
idiosyncratic style. It should be relevant to anyone interested in
Klossowski's philosophical work, in contemporary Nietzsche
scholarship, or in the 20th Century linguistic and existential
Continental tradition.
"La vieja y tradicional Logica de Aristoteles y Bacon ya no
satisface a este mundo nuevo de la Cultura. En esta encontramos, ya
no el mundo del "ser" sino fundamentalmente el mundo del "devenir";
ya no la ley "necesaria," sino la finalidad "contingente," ya no la
simplicidad cuantitativa o cualitativa, sino el complejo biologico
y espiritual" -Dr. Adalberto Garcia de Mendoza
David Hume (1711-1776) is one of the greatest of philosophers.
Today he probably ranks highest of all British philosophers in
terms of influence and philosophical standing. His philosophical
work ranges across morals, the mind, metaphysics, epistemology,
religion, and aesthetics; he had broad interests not only in
philosophy as it is now conceived but in history, politics,
economics, religion, and the arts. He was a master of English
prose. The Clarendon Hume Edition will include all of his works
except his History of England and minor historical writings. It is
the only thorough critical edition, and will provide a far more
extensive scholarly treatment than any previous editions. This
edition (which has been in preparation since the 1970s) offers
authoritative annotation, bibliographical information, and indexes,
and draws upon the major advances in textual scholarship that have
been made since the publication of earlier editions-advances both
in the understanding of editorial principle and practice and in
knowledge of the history of Hume's own texts. In this volume, Tom
Beauchamp presents two essays from Four Dissertations (1757), the
last philosophical work written by Hume, which was subsequently
revised by the philosopher in the remaining years of his life.
Whilst the bulk of A Dissertation on the Passions was extracted
from passages in A Treatise of Human Nature, The Natural History of
Religion was an original work when published in 1757, as well as
the only major work devoted exclusively to the subject of religion
that Hume published in his lifetime. Together with Hume's earlier
work on religious topics, this essay drew considerable
philosophical commentary from his contemporaries. The last edition
of the two works in this volume seen through the press by Hume
himself appeared in 1772. It provides the copy-text for this
critical edition. The Editor's primarily historical Introduction
discusses the genesis, revision, and reception of these two
dissertations, which went into ten editions at the author's hand.
It will appeal to scholars across many disciplines. General Editors
of the Clarendon Hume: Professors T. L. Beauchamp (Georgetown
University, USA), D. F. Norton (McGill University, Canada), M. A.
Stewart (University of Lancaster, England). The Edition comprises
(or will comprise): Vols. 1 and 2: A Treatise of Human Nature,
edited by D. F. Norton Vol. 3: An Enquiry concerning Human
Understanding, edited by T. L. Beauchamp Vol. 4: An Enquiry
concerning the Principles of Morals, edited by T. L. Beauchamp Vol.
5: The Natural History of Religion and A Dissertation on the
Passions, edited by T. L. Beauchamp Vols. 6 and 7: Essays, edited
by T. L. Beauchamp and M. Box Vol. 8: Dialogues concerning Natural
Religion and other posthumous publications, edited by M. A. Stewart
This book approaches the topic of the subjective, lived experience
of hate crime from the perspective of Husserlian phenomenology. It
provides an experientially well-grounded account of how and what is
experienced as a hate crime, and what this reveals about ourselves
as the continually reconstituted "subject" of such experiences. The
book shows how qualitative social science methods can be better
grounded in philosophically informed theory and methodological
practices to add greater depth and explanatory power to
experiential approaches to social sciences topics. The Authors also
highlight several gaps and contradictions within Husserlian
analyses of prejudice, which are exposed by attempts to concretely
apply this approach to the field of hate crimes. Coverage includes
the difficulties in providing an empathetic understanding of
expressions of harmful forms of prejudice underlying hate crimes,
including hate speech, arising from our own and others' 'life
worlds'. The Authors describe a 'Husserlian-based' view of hate
crime as well as a novel interpretation of the value of the
comprehensive methodological stages pioneered by Husserl. The
intended readership includes those concerned with discrimination
and hate crime, as well as those involved in qualitative research
into social topics in general. The broader content level makes this
work suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students, even
professionals within law enforcement.
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R477
Discovery Miles 4 770
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