Contents:
Foreword
Introduction
1. Faith without Belief I: Religious Feeling
2. Faith without Belief II: Moral Faith
3. Non-cognitive Grounds for Belief
4. The Intelligibility of Conversion
5. About Knowledge in General
6. About Religious Knowledge
7. The Content of Christian Revelation
8. The Knowledge of God as Creator

Critical realism is a movement in philosophy and the human sciences most closely associated with the work of Roy Bhaskar. Since the publication of Bhaskars A Realist Theory of Science, critical realism has had a profound influence on a wide range of subjects. This reader makes accessible, in one volume, key readings to stimulate debate about and within critical realism.
It explores the following themes:
* transcendental realist
* the theory of explanatory critique
* dialectics
* Bhaskar's critical naturalist philosophy of science.

Critical realism is a movement in philosophy and the human sciences most closely associated with the work of Roy Bhaskar. Since the publication of Bhaskars A Realist Theory of Science, critical realism has had a profound influence on a wide range of subjects. This reader makes accessible, in one volume, key readings to stimulate debate about and within critical realism. It explores the following themes: * transcendental realist * the theory of explanatory critique * dialectics * Bhaskar's critical naturalist philosophy of science.

"On Christian Belief" offers a defense of realism in the philosophy of religion. It argues that religious belief--with particular reference to Christian belief--unlike any other kind of belief, is cognitive; making claims about what is real, and open to rational discussion between believers and non-believers. The author begins by providing a critique of several views which either try to describe a faith without cognitive context, or to justify believing on non-cognitive grounds. He then discusses what sense can be made of the phenomenon of religious conversion by realists and non-realists. After a chapter on knowledge in general, he defends the idea that religious knowledge is very like other knowledge, in being based on reliable testimony, sifted by reason and tested by experience. The logical status of the content of religious belief is then discussed with reference to Christianity.

A Philosophical History of German Sociology presents a systematic reconstruction of critical theory, from the founding fathers of sociology (Marx, Simmel, Weber) via Lukacs to the Frankfurt School (Horkheimer, Adorno, Habermas). Through an in depth analysis of the theories of alienation, rationalisation and reification, it investigates the metatheoretical presuppositions of a critical theory of the present that not only highlights the reality of domination, but is also able to highlight the possibilities of emancipation.

Although not written as a textbook, its clear and cogent introduction to some of the main theories of sociology make this book a valuable resource for undergraduates and postgraduates alike. The following in-depth investigation of theories of alienation and reification offer essential material for any critique of the dehumanizing tendencies of today's global world.

Recently translated into English from the original French for the first time, this text showcases Vandenberghe's mastery of the German, French and English schools of sociology study. The result is an important and challenging text that is essential reading for sociology students of all levels.

Frederic Vandenberghe is a Sociology professor and researcher at Iuperj (Instituto Universitario de Pesquisas do Rio de Janeiro), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His writings on a broad range of sociological topics have been published as books and articles around the world. "

A Philosophical History of German Sociology presents a systematic reconstruction of critical theory, from the founding fathers of sociology (Marx, Simmel, Weber) via Luk cs to the Frankfurt School (Horkheimer, Adorno, Habermas). Through an in depth analysis of the theories of alienation, rationalisation and reification, it investigates the metatheoretical presuppositions of a critical theory of the present that not only highlights the reality of domination, but is also able to highlight the possibilities of emancipation.

Although not written as a textbook, its clear and cogent introduction to some of the main theories of sociology make this book a valuable resource for undergraduates and postgraduates alike. The following in-depth investigation of theories of alienation and reification offer essential material for any critique of the dehumanizing tendencies of today s global world.

Recently translated into English from the original French for the first time, this text showcases Vandenberghe's mastery of the German, French and English schools of sociology study. The result is an important and challenging text that is essential reading for sociology students of all levels.

Fr d ric Vandenberghe is a Sociology professor and researcher at Iuperj (Instituto Universit rio de Pesquisas do Rio de Janeiro), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His writings on a broad range of sociological topics have been published as books and articles around the world.

Andrew Collier analyses recent cooperation between Christianity and Marxism after earlier years of antagonism. He first discusses the nature of Christianity and Marxism and their place amongst contemporary world views, before looking at areas of apparent conflict and possible reconciliation. This groundbreaking work will be of interest to those involved in philosophy, theology, politics and Marxism.

This volume addresses the interlocking themes of realism, objectivity, existentialism and (eco-socialist) politics, based on critical realism. However, it moves beyond the purely scientific orientation of earlier contributions to this philosophy, to further develop the themes.The title essay defends objectivity in science, everyday knowledge, and ethics, and examines both subjective idealism and existentialist critiques of objectivity. The other essays examine some of the same themes but from different angles, keeping the politics of the issues at the forefront.

Atheism as a belief does not have to present intellectual credentials within academia. Yet to hold beliefs means giving reasons for doing so, ones which may be found wanting. Instead, atheism is the automatic default setting within the academic world.
Conversely, religious belief confronts a double standard. Religious believers are not permitted to make truth claims but are instead forced to present their beliefs as part of one language game amongst many. Religious truth claims are expected to satisfy empiricist criteria of evidence but when they fail, as they must, religious belief becomes subject to the hermeneutics of suspicion.
This book explores religious experience as a justifiable reason for religious belief. It uniquely demonstrates that the three pillars of critical realism --ontological intransitivity, epistemic relativity and judgemental rationality -- can be applied to religion as to any other beliefs or theories.
The three authors are critical realists byphilosophical position. They seek to establish a level playing field between religion and secular ideas, which has not existed in the academic world for some generations, in order for reasoned debate to be conducted.

Atheism as a belief does not have to present intellectual credentials within academia. Yet to hold beliefs means giving reasons for doing so, ones which may be found wanting. Instead, atheism is the automatic default setting within the academic world.
Conversely, religious belief confronts a double standard. Religious believers are not permitted to make truth claims but are instead forced to present their beliefs as part of one language game amongst many. Religious truth claims are expected to satisfy empiricist criteria of evidence but when they fail, as they must, religious belief becomes subject to the hermeneutics of suspicion.
This book explores religious experience as a justifiable reason for religious belief. It uniquely demonstrates that the three pillars of critical realism - ontological intransitivity, epistemic relativity and judgemental rationality - can be applied to religion as to any other beliefs or theories.
The three authors are critical realists by philosophical position. They seek to establish a level playing field between religion and secular ideas, which has not existed in the academic world for some generations, in order for reasoned debate to be conducted.

Contents:
1. The Inorganic Body and the Ambiguity of Freedom
2. Value, Rationality and the Environment
3. Unhewn Demonstrations
4. Critical Realism and the Heritage of the Enlightenment
5. On Slave Rebellions in Morals
6. The Right Rebellion in the Wrong Cause: Heidegger, Technology and the Market
7. Sartre: Intimations of Authenticity
8. Sartre's Mistaken Approach to Marxism
9. Berdyaev's Socialism
10. In Defence of Objectivity

Andrew Collier analyses recent cooperation between Christianity and Marxism after earlier years of antagonism. He first discusses the nature of Christianity and Marxism and their place amongst contemporary world views, before looking at areas of apparent conflict and possible reconciliation. This groundbreaking work will be of interest to those involved in philosophy, theology, politics and Marxism.

This text extends depth-realist philosophy to the question of values. It argues that beings both in the natural and human worlds have worth in themselves, whether we recognize it or not. This view is defended through an account of the human mind as essentially concerned with that of which it is independent. The book builds on Roy Bhaskar's proof that facts can entail values, and it aims to repeat in the realm of ethics his argument that experiment and change in science show that there is a depth-dimension of real structures in nature and society. This it does by a partial defence and immanent critique of Spinoza's philosophy of mind and ethics. It argues that reason is a principle in humankind which is not human-centred, but takes us out of ourselves to value beings for what they are. This leads in the end to an ethics which owes more to St Augustine than to Spinoza, in that it rests on the idea that "being as being is good", though not all beings are equally good. Several obvious objections to this view are answered. Conclusions follow both for environmental ethics - that natural beings should be valued for themselves, not just for their use to us - and for justice in the human wo

This text extends depth-realist philosophy to the question of values. It argues that beings both in the natural and human worlds have worth in themselves, whether we recognize it or not. This view is defended through an account of the human mind as essentially concerned with that of which it is independent. The book builds on Roy Bhaskar's proof that facts can entail values, and it aims to repeat in the realm of ethics his argument that experiment and change in science show that there is a depth-dimension of real structures in nature and society. This it does by a partial defence and immanent critique of Spinoza's philosophy of mind and ethics. It argues that reason is a principle in humankind which is not human-centred, but takes us out of ourselves to value beings for what they are. This leads in the end to an ethics which owes more to St Augustine than to Spinoza, in that it rests on the idea that "being as being is good", though not all beings are equally good. Several obvious objections to this view are answered. Conclusions follow both for environmental ethics - that natural beings should be valued for themselves, not just for their use to us - and for justice in the human wo

Dieses Buch ist eine kurze Geschichte des chinesischen Vorgehens gegen die großen Technologieunternehmen des Landes, das im Jahr 2020 begann.  Das Buch erörtert den politischen und wirtschaftlichen Kontext und zeigt die Grenzen der Macht des Staates auf. Da sich die Politik des "gemeinsamen Wohlstands" weiter entwickelt, wird dieses Buch ein unschätzbares Nachschlagewerk für Wirtschaftswissenschaftler sein, die sich entweder mit China, dem Internet und Big Tech oder beidem beschäftigen.

This book is about the growth of shadow banking in China and the rise of China's free markets. Shadow Banking refers to capital that is distributed outside the formal banking system, including everything from Mom and Pop lending shops to online credit to giant state owned banks called Trusts. They have grown from a fraction of the economy ten years ago to nearly half of all China's annual Rmb 25 trillion ($4.1 trillion) in lending in the economy today. Shadow Banks are a new aspect of capitalism in China - barely regulated, highly risky, yet tolerated by Beijing. They have been permitted to flourish because many companies cannot get access to formal bank loans. It is the Wild West of banking in China. If we define capitalism as economic activity controlled by the private sector, then Shadow Banking is still in a hybrid stage, a halfway house between the state and the private economic. But it is precisely this divide that makes Shadow Banking an important to the rise of capitalism. How Beijing handles this large free market will say a lot about how the country's economy will grow - will free markets be granted greater leeway?

This book discusses the strategies that will define China's overseas expansion in the coming years. China is spending billions of dollars acquiring overseas companies and assets, from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to the Hinkley Point nuclear station. Will this corporate buying binge continue? In this book, Collier argues that state control will occur only among certain strategically key acquisitions while many of the corporate acquisitions will be done by smaller, private firms. However, China's rising debt load may restrict the ability of many firms to obtain capital, including from China's shadow banking sector. A key to understanding China's strategy is to look at how the state intervenes in private business. Collier ably brings clarity to the "gray area" between state and private economic activity in this complex landscape. As the West faces China's growing investments abroad, this book will be required reading for executives and decision makers, journalists, and policy makers.

This book is a short history of the Chinese crackdown on the country's large technology firms that began in 2020. The book discusses the political and economic context, and outlines the limitations on the power of the state. As the policies of 'common prosperity' continue to develop, this book will be an invaluable reference for economists studying either China, the internet and big tech, or both.

Although one of the most influential thinkers of the last millennium, Karl Marx was relatively unheralded during most of his lifetime. Famous for predicting the inevitable demise of capitalism, it was only after his death that his immortal clarion call reached a wide audience: "Workers of the world unite - you have nothing to lose but your chains." Andrew Collier breathes new life into the achievements of Karl Marx, arguing that his work is still of vital relevance in today's global climate of inequality. Covering all the elements of Marxist thought from his early writings to his masterpiece, Das Kapital, Collier probes the apparent inconsistencies in Marx's work and reclaims him as a philosopher and political theorist. This jargon-free introduction is a timely reminder of his undiminished influence, and will fascinate students, activists and interested readers alike.

This book is about the growth of shadow banking in China and the rise of China's free markets. Shadow Banking refers to capital that is distributed outside the formal banking system, including everything from Mom and Pop lending shops to online credit to giant state owned banks called Trusts. They have grown from a fraction of the economy ten years ago to nearly half of all China's annual Rmb 25 trillion ($4.1 trillion) in lending in the economy today. Shadow Banks are a new aspect of capitalism in China - barely regulated, highly risky, yet tolerated by Beijing. They have been permitted to flourish because many companies cannot get access to formal bank loans. It is the Wild West of banking in China. If we define capitalism as economic activity controlled by the private sector, then Shadow Banking is still in a hybrid stage, a halfway house between the state and the private economic. But it is precisely this divide that makes Shadow Banking an important to the rise of capitalism. How Beijing handles this large free market will say a lot about how the country's economy will grow - will free markets be granted greater leeway?

This text offers a user's guide to the philosophical work of Roy Bhaskar. The author expounds the main concepts of Bhaskar's work and defends his theory of knowledge. Part One deals with the philosophy of experimental science and discusses the stratification of nature, showing how biological structures are founded on chemical ones, yet are not reducible to them. Part Two discusses the human sciences, exploring Bhaskar's understanding of the human world and the ways in which it is studied in ethics, politics, economics, psychoanalysis and linguistics. His concept of an "explanatory critique" (an explanation that is also a criticism, not in addition to, but by virtue of, its explanatory work) is discussed at length as a key concept for ethics and politics. Collier concludes by looking at the uses to which critical realism has been put in clarifying disputes within the human sciences, with particular reference to linguistics, psychoanalysis, economics and politics.

Series Information:
Critical Realism: Interventions

This is a history of the Scottish National Party. At a time when the establishment of a Scottish Parliament appears to be a probability rather than a possibility, this book covers the party behind constitutional change in Scotland.