Marxism-Leninism as a way of thinking is foreign to most Westerners, but it permeates the thought of nearly a third of educated mankind. Patterns of Soviet Thought traces the development of the Marxist-Leninist philosophy, clarifies its meaning in theory and practice, and emphasizes its position in the Soviet Union. Based on the writings of Marx, Engels, and Lenin and on contemporary Soviet writings, this book reveals the basic patterns that make up the modern Soviet worldview. How can both the Chinese and the Soviets quote Lenin to support opposing positions? How could an educated Soviet citizen accept the official about-face concerning Stalin? How can the same citizen condemn the United States morally while admiring many of its citizens and emulating its standard of living? To answer questions like these we need to understand the ambiguities and contradictions of Soviet thought. They are its philosophical Achilles' heel, but they also help to shape it and give it resiliency in the face of facts. Written for the intelligent general reader, Patterns of Soviet Thought summarizes the works of major and minor philosophers from Marx to the present and offers a detailed critique of their important ideas. It provides the basis for an understanding of present-day Soviet policies and of the developments that are to mold the future course of the Soviet Union.

Technology and Values provides a highly useful collection of essays organized around issues related to science, technology, public health, economics, the environment, and ethical theory. The editors present effective introductions that provide background information as well as philosophical tools and case studies to facilitate understanding of the variety of issues emanating from the most significant developments in technology, including the effects on privacy of the widespread use of computers to store and retrieve personal information and the ethical considerations of genetic engineering.

Academic freedom and tenure, both cherished institutions of higher education, are currently under attack by many both outside and within the academy. Richard DeGeorge argues that they can be defended on ethical grounds only if they are joined with appropriate accountability, publicly articulated and defended standards, and conscientious enforcement of these standards by academic institutions and the members of the academic community. He discusses the ethical justification of tenure and academic freedom, as well as ethical issues in their implementation. He argues that academic freedom, which is the basis for tenure, is not license nor the same as freedom of speech. Properly understood and practiced, both academic freedom and tenure exist not to benefit faculty members or their institutions, but to benefit an open society in which they thrive and of which they are an important part.