Karl Jaspers, who died in 1969, had a profound impact on 20th-century theology and philosophy. His central thesis called for, among other things, a de-centering of philosophy from its Eurocentric roots and a renewal of its dialogue with other traditions, especially Asian ones. This collection of essays includes unpublished work by Jaspers himself as well as testimonies to his life and career by colleagues, associates, and translators, some of who knew Jaspers personally. Readers will also find commentary and interpretation by researchers who have explored Jaspers' work for decades, and a biographical account of Jaspers' student Leonard Ehrlich, who handled much of Jaspers' English translation.

The book interrogates Jaspers' conceptions of 'philosophical faith', his philosophy of communication, and the prospects for world philosophy in the future. Focusing on philosophical faith, it assesses Jaspers' interpretations of key philosophers such as Kant, Hegel, Schelling, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Rosenzweig, as well as examining his personal relationships with Bultmann and Heidegger. Contributors also look at Jaspers' philosophies of religion and history, his hypothesis of the 'axial age' (Achsenzeit), and his contributions to metaphysics, periechontology, and economics. Finally, chapters cover Jaspers' philosophy of communication and world history. The latter are informed by a burgeoning interest in Kantian 'Freiheitphilosophie' that influenced Jaspers, as well as concerns over the future of humanity. These concerns in part account for Jaspers' growing popularity in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central/South America, and Asia. Also included are lucid clarifications of the difference between religious and philosophical faith, and the relevance of certainty, trust, and communication for a future of mankind.

Trained as a psychiatrist, Jaspers practiced this profession before becoming a philosopher and thus had a keen insight into the workings of the human mind even as he challenged the philosophical establishment of his time. It is perhaps this depth to his background that adds to the contemporary relevance of his work."

The central conflicts of the world today are closely related to cultural, traditional, and religious differences between nations. As we move to a globalized world, these differences often become magnified, entrenched, and the cause of bloody conflict. Growing out of a conference of distinguished scholars from the MiddleEast, Europe, and the United States, this volume is a singular contribution to mutual understanding and cooperative efforts on behalf of peace. The term paideia, drawn from Greek philosophy, has to do with responsible education for citizenship as a necessary precondition for effective democracy. The problems discussed here are crucial, but not simple. How can we find shared ethical principles on which to build international consensus? How can religious tolerance make inroads in societies accustomed to restrictive fundamentalism? What might bring about de-dogmatization of education in the Middle East as a necessary condition for free and rational inquiry and the broader vistas required by democracy? All of these issues highlight the underlying question, 'What is education really for?' Finally, the volume confronts the promises and perils of economic globalization. Noting that one third of the world's population lives in abject poverty, business has become a battlefield where ethics and trust are clearly at stake.

The central conflicts of the world today are closely related to cultural, traditional, and religious differences between nations. As we move to a globalized world, these differences often become magnified, entrenched, and the cause of bloody conflict. Growing out of a conference of distinguished scholars from the MiddleEast, Europe, and the United States, this volume is a singular contribution to mutual understanding and cooperative efforts on behalf of peace. The term paideia, drawn from Greek philosophy, has to do with responsible education for citizenship as a necessary precondition for effective democracy. The problems discussed here are crucial, but not simple. How can we find shared ethical principles on which to build international consensus? How can religious tolerance make inroads in societies accustomed to restrictive fundamentalism? What might bring about de-dogmatization of education in the Middle East as a necessary condition for free and rational inquiry and the broader vistas required by democracy? All of these issues highlight the underlying question, "What is education really for?" Finally, the volume confronts the promises and perils of economic globalization. Noting that one third of the world's population lives in abject poverty, business has become a battlefield where ethics and trust are clearly at stake.

Karl Jaspers, who died in 1969, had a profound impact on 20th-century theology and philosophy. His central thesis called for, among other things, a de-centering of philosophy from its Eurocentric roots and a renewal of its dialogue with other traditions, especially Asian ones. This collection of essays includes unpublished work by Jaspers himself as well as testimonies to his life and career by colleagues, associates, and translators, some of who knew Jaspers personally. Readers will also find commentary and interpretation by researchers who have explored Jaspers work for decades, and a biographical account of Jaspers student Leonard Ehrlich, who handled much of Jaspers English translation.

The book interrogates Jaspers conceptions of philosophical faith, his philosophy of communication, and the prospects for world philosophy in the future. Focusing on philosophical faith, it assesses Jaspers interpretations of key philosophers such as Kant, Hegel, Schelling, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Rosenzweig, as well as examining his personal relationships with Bultmann and Heidegger. Contributors also look at Jaspers philosophies of religion and history, his hypothesis of the axial age (Achsenzeit), and his contributions to metaphysics, periechontology, and economics. Finally, chapters cover Jaspers philosophy of communication and world history. The latter are informed by a burgeoning interest in Kantian Freiheitphilosophie that influenced Jaspers, as well as concerns over the future of humanity. These concerns in part account for Jaspers growing popularity in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central/South America, and Asia. Also included are lucid clarifications of the difference between religious and philosophical faith, and the relevance of certainty, trust, and communication for a future of mankind.

Trained as a psychiatrist, Jaspers practiced this profession before becoming a philosopher and thus had a keen insight into the workings of the human mind even as he challenged the philosophical establishment of his time. It is perhaps this depth to his background that adds to the contemporary relevance of his work."

"Hegel and the Spirit" explores the meaning of Hegel's grand philosophical category, the category of Geist, by way of what Alan Olson terms a pneumatological thesis. Hegel's philosophy of spirit, according to Olson, is a speculative pneumatology that completes what Adolf von Harnack once called the "orphan doctrine" in Christian theology--the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Olson argues that Hegel's development of philosophy as pneumatology originates out of a deep appreciation of Luther's dialectical understanding of Spirit and that Hegel's doctrine of Spirit is thus deeply interfused with the values of Wurtemberg Pietism. Olson further maintains that Hegel's "Enzyklopdie" is the post-Enlightenment philosophical equivalent of a Trinitatslehre and that his "Rechtsphilosophie" is an ecclesiology. Thus "Hegel and the Spirit" demonstrates the truth of Karl Barth's observation that Hegel is the potential Aquinas of Protestantism. Exploring Hegel's philosophy of spirit in historical, cultural, and personal religious context, the book identifies Hegel's relationship with Holderlin and his response to Holderlin's madness as key elements in the philosopher's religious and philosophical development, especially with respect to the meaning of transcendence and dialectic."

What's that in the sky? It's a bird...it's a plane...No That piece of junk is the 'Intergalactic Detox.' Yes, my friend, welcome to this 2442 nightmare. You can get lost in space, and somehow still be in space ad perpetuity. But wait. It's a dead tie in the election on earth, and with but 2 measly electoral votes, the bums living on the asteroid belt, where the precincts close six hours later, will cast the deciding votes and decide who will become the new president elect. On the other side of the coin, you have just married the girl of your dreams, who you don't know anything about as of yet since you've only talked eleven sentences to her. She's hanging out with two half bearded bums, who follow her around as though she's a rock star; and for some odd reason, they have drawers built inside of them where she ignobly tosses a ratty blonde wig she was wearing the previous evening. You may be in love, yet you also may encounter, along the way, some 'Blown Out Drawers.' Soon the Beardos have been sequestered into two large dice and are, like tumble weed or rolling stones, bouncing down the hills of San Francisco. When all's said and done, will the Beardos be able to read their own spots or is the vast array of feckless human rabble involved in an inveterate coup, not knowing they are chronic gamblers? Join the retarded insanity as nothing makes sense, not even a broken piggy bank.

'Controlled Schizophrenia., ' 'Desperation., ' living a life of 'Pure Existentialism.' How to get through another day like a fugitive from the law, and end up with less bumps and scrapes than you did from the beginning. You know the only thing going for you is you can think.or, at least 'think you think' you can think twice as fast as the rabble on the periphery; although, you know your mental state will eventually be teetering on a high-wire, above an unrelenting maelstrom, that's going on both inside you, as well as surrounding you with an all pervading type of Madness, that has less reason than rhyme-as you bide your time, hoping THEIR mental acumen will capitulate faster than your ability to come up with another plan of escape. Somehow, you wind up in the park systems of Chicago during the Democratic Convention of 1968, and are conversing with Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin as though you've been there the entire time. You don't know where the day is going to take you, or how many psychological contusions you'll witness along the way; but, with 'Pure Existentialism' by your side to hold onto, you know deep down, you're only really 'along for the ride.'