|
Showing 1 - 12 of
12 matches in All Departments
According to the received view, Kant's critical revolution put an
end to the kind of metaphysics of which Leibniz's 'Monadology' is
the example par excellence. This volume challenges Kant's claim by
providing a far more nuanced version of philosophy's 'post-Kantian'
tradition that spans from the late eighteenth to the early
twentieth century and brings to light a rich tradition of new
'monadologists', many of whom have been unjustifiably forgotten by
contemporary historians of philosophy. Through this complex
dialogue, monadology is shown to be a remarkably fecund hypothesis,
with many possible variations and developments. The volume's focus
on monadology exposes the depth and breadth of the post-Kantian
period in an original and previously unexplored way and opens up
numerous avenues for future research. Crucially, however, this
volume not only shows that monadological metaphysics did continue
after Kant but also asks the critical question of whether it should
have done so. Consequently, the question of whether monadological
metaphysics could also have a future is shown to be relevant in a
way that was previously almost inconceivable. This book was
originally published as a special issue of the British Journal for
the History of Philosophy.
The work of seventeenth-century polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
has proved inspirational to philosophers and scientists alike. In
this thought-provoking book, Pauline Phemister explores the
ecological potential of Leibniz's dynamic, pluralist, panpsychist,
metaphysical system. She argues that Leibniz's philosophy has a
renewed relevance in the twenty-first century, particularly in
relation to the environmental change and crises that threaten human
and non-human life on earth. Drawing on Leibniz's theory of
soul-like, interconnected metaphysical entities he termed 'monads',
Phemister explains how an individual's true good is inextricably
linked to the good of all. Phemister also finds in Leibniz's works
the rudiments of a theory of empathy and strategies for
strengthening human feelings of compassion towards all living
things. Leibniz and the Environment is essential reading for
historians of philosophy and environmental philosophers, and will
also be of interest to anyone seeking a metaphysical perspective
from which to pursue environmental action and policy.
This fresh and innovative approach to human-environmental relations
will revolutionise our understanding of the boundaries between
ourselves and the environment we inhabit. The anthology is
predicated on the notion that values shift back and forth between
humans and the world around them in an ethical communicative zone
called 'value-space'. The contributors examine the transformative
interplay between external environments and human values, and
identify concrete ways in which these norms, residing in and
derived from self and society, are projected onto the environment.
This fresh and innovative approach to human-environmental relations
will revolutionise our understanding of the boundaries between
ourselves and the environment we inhabit. The anthology is
predicated on the notion that values shift back and forth between
humans and the world around them in an ethical communicative zone
called 'value-space'. The contributors examine the transformative
interplay between external environments and human values, and
identify concrete ways in which these norms, residing in and
derived from self and society, are projected onto the environment.
This volume explores the attention awarded in the
English-speaking world to German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm
Leibniz. Complete with an introductory overview, the book collects
fourteen essays that consider Leibniz s connections with his
English-speaking contemporaries and near contemporaries as well as
the later reception of his thought in Anglo-American philosophy. It
sheds new light on Leibniz's philosophy and that of his
contemporaries."
In the present book, Pauline Phemister argues against traditional
Anglo-American interpretations of Leibniz as an idealist who
conceives ultimate reality as a plurality of mind-like immaterial
beings and for whom physical bodies are ultimately unreal and our
perceptions of them illusory. Re-reading the texts without the
prior assumption of idealism allows the more material aspects of
Leibniz's metaphysics to emerge. Leibniz is found to advance a
synthesis of idealism and materialism. His ontology posits
indivisible, living, animal-like corporeal substances as the real
metaphysical constituents of the universe; his epistemology
combines sense-experience and reason; and his ethics fuses confused
perceptions and insensible appetites with distinct perceptions and
rational choice. In the light of his sustained commitment to the
reality of bodies, Phemister re-examines his dynamics, the doctrine
of pre-established harmony and his views on freedom. The image of
Leibniz as a rationalist philosopher who values activity and reason
over passivity and sense-experience is replaced by the one of a
philosopher who recognises that, in the created world, there can
only be activity if there is also passivity; minds, souls and forms
if there is also matter; good if there is evil; perfection if there
is imperfection.
These essays comprise a first attempt to assess overall the
attention awarded to Leibniz's philosophy in the English-speaking
world in his own time and up to the present day. In addition to an
introductory overview there are fourteen original and previously
unpublished essays considering Leibniz's connections with his
English-speaking contemporaries and near contemporaries as well as
the later reception of his thought in Anglo-American philosophy.
Some of the papers shed new light on familiar topics, including the
influence of Hobbes on Leibniz, his relations with Locke and the
well-publicised controversy with Samuel Clarke. Others chart less
familiar territory, including Leibniz's connections with Boyle and
Berkeley, Wilkins and Dalgarno. And others still break new ground
in considering Leibniz's connections with John Wallis and Margaret
Cavendish...
In the present book, Pauline Phemister argues against traditional
Anglo-American interpretations of Leibniz as an idealist who
conceives ultimate reality as a plurality of mind-like immaterial
beings and for whom physical bodies are ultimately unreal and our
perceptions of them illusory. Re-reading the texts without the
prior assumption of idealism allows the more material aspects of
Leibniz's metaphysics to emerge. Leibniz is found to advance a
synthesis of idealism and materialism. His ontology posits
indivisible, living, animal-like corporeal substances as the real
metaphysical constituents of the universe; his epistemology
combines sense-experience and reason; and his ethics fuses confused
perceptions and insensible appetites with distinct perceptions and
rational choice. In the light of his sustained commitment to the
reality of bodies, Phemister re-examines his dynamics, the doctrine
of pre-established harmony and his views on freedom. The image of
Leibniz as a rationalist philosopher who values activity and reason
over passivity and sense-experience is replaced by the one of a
philosopher who recognises that, in the created world, there can
only be activity if there is also passivity; minds, souls and forms
if there is also matter; good if there is evil; perfection if there
is imperfection.
John Locke's classic work An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
laid the foundation of British empiricism and remains of enduring
interest today. Rejecting doctrines of innate principles and ideas,
Locke shows how all our ideas, even the most abstract and complex,
are grounded in human experience--attained by sensation of external
things or reflection upon our mental activities. A thorough
examination of the communication of ideas through language and the
convention of taking words as signs of ideas paves the way for his
penetrating critique of the limitations of ideas and the extent of
our knowledge of ourselves, the world, God and morals. This
abridgement, based on P.H. Nidditch's acclaimed critical edition,
retains in full all key passages, thus enabling Locke's arguments
to be more clearly followed. The new introduction by Pauline
Phemister provides valuable background on Locke's essay,
illuminating its arguments and conclusions. The book also includes
a chronological table of significant events, select bibliography,
succinct explanatory notes, and an index--all of which supply
additional historical information and aids to navigating the
text.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has
made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the
globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to
scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of
other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading
authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date
bibliographies for further study, and much more.
The work of seventeenth-century polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
has proved inspirational to philosophers and scientists alike. In
this thought-provoking book, Pauline Phemister explores the
ecological potential of Leibniz's dynamic, pluralist, panpsychist,
metaphysical system. She argues that Leibniz's philosophy has a
renewed relevance in the twenty-first century, particularly in
relation to the environmental change and crises that threaten human
and non-human life on earth. Drawing on Leibniz's theory of
soul-like, interconnected metaphysical entities he termed 'monads',
Phemister explains how an individual's true good is inextricably
linked to the good of all. Phemister also finds in Leibniz's works
the rudiments of a theory of empathy and strategies for
strengthening human feelings of compassion towards all living
things. Leibniz and the Environment is essential reading for
historians of philosophy and environmental philosophers, and will
also be of interest to anyone seeking a metaphysical perspective
from which to pursue environmental action and policy.
According to the received view, Kant's critical revolution put an
end to the kind of metaphysics of which Leibniz's 'Monadology' is
the example par excellence. This volume challenges Kant's claim by
providing a far more nuanced version of philosophy's 'post-Kantian'
tradition that spans from the late eighteenth to the early
twentieth century and brings to light a rich tradition of new
'monadologists', many of whom have been unjustifiably forgotten by
contemporary historians of philosophy. Through this complex
dialogue, monadology is shown to be a remarkably fecund hypothesis,
with many possible variations and developments. The volume's focus
on monadology exposes the depth and breadth of the post-Kantian
period in an original and previously unexplored way and opens up
numerous avenues for future research. Crucially, however, this
volume not only shows that monadological metaphysics did continue
after Kant but also asks the critical question of whether it should
have done so. Consequently, the question of whether monadological
metaphysics could also have a future is shown to be relevant in a
way that was previously almost inconceivable. This book was
originally published as a special issue of the British Journal for
the History of Philosophy.
What is consciousness? What is the place of consciousness in
nature? These and related questions occupy a prominent place in
contemporary studies in metaphysics and philosophy of mind, often
involving complex interdisciplinary connections between philosophy,
psychology, artificial intelligence, biology, and cognitive
neuroscience. At the same time, these questions play a fundamental
role in the philosophies of great thinkers of the past such as,
among others, Plotinus, Descartes, Leibniz, Kant, William James,
and Edmund Husserl. This new collection of essays by leading
contemporary philosophers of mind and historians of philosophy
seeks to address these questions from both a systematic and a
theoretical perspective and to create a new and fruitful forum for
future discussion. In the attempt to do justice to the richness of
our mental life, the volume features in-depth examinations not
solely of mainstream physicalist doctrines, but also of largely
neglected positions such as Cartesian dualism, idealism, and
panpsychism.
|
You may like...
Loot
Nadine Gordimer
Paperback
(2)
R398
R330
Discovery Miles 3 300
Poor Things
Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, …
DVD
R449
R329
Discovery Miles 3 290
Not available
|