Rousseau's Platonic Enlightenment

Rousseau's Platonic Enlightenment PDF Author: David Lay Williams
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 9780271045511
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 356

Book Description
"In this sterling, deeply researched study, Williams explores how thinkers ranging from Hobbes to d'Holbach highlight various sets of ideas that Rousseau combated in developing his philosophical teaching. The account of Rousseau's predecessors who might be called Platonists is especially interesting, as is the account of those who qualify as materialists. Moreover, Williams provides a good overview of Rousseau's teaching, demonstrates a commendable grasp of the relevant secondary literature, and argues ably for the superiority of his own interpretations ... Clearly written and superbly organized, this book contributes much to Rousseau studies. An indispensable book for Rousseau scholars, this volume also will appeal to general readers and students at all levels."--C.E. Butterworth, CHOICE.

Rousseau's Critique of Science

Rousseau's Critique of Science PDF Author: Jeff J. S. Black
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 9780739125175
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 338

Book Description
Rousseau's Critique of Science argues that the First Discourse is an indispensable work, both for those interested in understanding Rousseau's philosophical system, and for those interested in the political consequences of the modern liberal democratic commitment to scientific progress. Through two simultaneous readings of the Discourse--a "na ve" reading that examines Rousseau's arguments in isolation, and a "sophisticated" reading that interprets these arguments in the light of Rousseau's later systematic works--the commentary pursues answers to four questions, about the basis of Rousseau's thesis that scientific progress contributes to moral corruption, about the origin and method of Rousseau's philosophical system, about the place of the Discourse in Rousseau's system, and about the consequences of Rousseau's critique of science for the future happiness of mankind. In this pursuit, the commentary follows the order of the Discourse itself, and is organized into two sections and nine chapters: an introduction; seven topical chapters, each treating a theme raised by the Discourse; and a conclusion. In answer to its four guiding questions, it concludes that Rousseau's thesis is based on his understanding of the nature of the interaction of reason and vanity; that Rousseau's system originates in introspection and is established by a non-historical method of analysis and synthesis; that the Discourse is an indispensable part of Rousseau's system because it spells out the beginnings of this analysis and the conclusions of this synthesis, and through the limitations of its arguments points to the entire extent of his system; and that as a result Rousseau's critique of science has much to teach us about the dangers involved in our political commitment to scientific progress, and about the ways in which the future happiness of mankind might be secured.

The Philosophers : Their Lives and the Nature of their Thought

The Philosophers : Their Lives and the Nature of their Thought PDF Author: Ben-Ami Scharfstein Professor of Philosophy Tel-Aviv University
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199728984
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 502

Book Description


 PDF Author: Mortimer J. Adler
Publisher: Fordham Univ Press
ISBN: 0823215369
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 433

Book Description
In this classic work, Adler explores how man differs from all other things in the universe, bringing to bear both philosophical insight and informed scientific hypotheses concerning the biological and behavioral characteristics of mainkind. Rapid advances in science and technology and the abstract concepts of that influence on man and human value systems are lucidly outlined by Adler, as he touches on the effect of industrialization, and the clash of cultures and value systems brought about by increased communication between previously isolated groups of people. Among the other problems this study addresses are the scientific achievements in biology and physics which have raised fundamental questions about humanity's essential nature, especially the discoveries in the bilogical relatedness of all living things. Thrown into high relief is humanity's struggle to determine its unique status in the natual world and its value in the world it has created. Ultimately, Adler's work develops an approach to the separation between scientific and philosophical questions which stands as a model of thought on philosophical considerations of new scientific discoveries and its consequences for the human person.

Surrealism: Key Concepts

Surrealism: Key Concepts PDF Author: Krzysztof Fijalkowski
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317221923
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 299

Book Description
Emerging from the disruption of the First World War, surrealism confronted the resulting ‘crisis of consciousness’ in a way that was arguably more profound than any other cultural movement of the time. The past few decades have seen an expansion of interest in surrealist writers, whose contribution to the history of ideas in the twentieth-century is only now being recognised. Surrealism: Key Concepts is the first book in English to present an overview of surrealism through the central ideas motivating the popular movement. An international team of contributors provide an accessible examination of the key concepts, emphasising their relevance to current debates in social and cultural theory. This book will be an invaluable guide for students studying a range of disciplines, including Philosophy, Anthropology, Sociology and Cultural Studies, and anyone who wishes to engage critically with surrealism for the first time. Contributors: Dawn Ades, Joyce Cheng, Jonathan P. Eburne, Krzysztof Fijalkowski, Guy Girard, Raihan Kadri, Michael Löwy, Jean-Michel Rabaté, Michael Richardson, Donna Roberts, Bertrand Schmitt, Georges Sebbag, Raymond Spiteri, and Michael Stone-Richards.

Meaning, Language, and Time

Meaning, Language, and Time PDF Author: Kevin J. Porter
Publisher: Parlor Press LLC
ISBN: 1932559809
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 422

Book Description
Given the history of concepts like meaning, time, language, and discourse, any serious attempt to understand them must be interdisciplinary; so MEANING, LANGUAGE, AND TIME draws on a wide range of important work in the history of philosophy, rhetoric, and composition. In this groundbreaking work, Porter joins these conversations with the aim of breaching the traditional disciplinary walls and opening new areas of inquiry.

Of Grammatology

Of Grammatology PDF Author: Jacques Derrida
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 1421419955
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 561

Book Description
The deconstruction bombshell that rocked the Anglophone world. Jacques Derrida’s revolutionary approach to phenomenology, psychoanalysis, structuralism, linguistics, and indeed the entire European tradition of philosophy—called deconstruction—changed the face of criticism. It provoked a questioning of philosophy, literature, and the human sciences that these disciplines would have previously considered improper. Forty years after Of Grammatology first appeared in English, Derrida still ignites controversy, thanks in part to Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s careful translation, which attempted to capture the richness and complexity of the original. This fortieth anniversary edition, where a mature Spivak retranslates with greater awareness of Derrida’s legacy, also includes a new afterword by her which supplements her influential original preface. Judith Butler has added an introduction. All references in the work have been updated. One of contemporary criticism’s most indispensable works, Of Grammatology is made even more accessible and usable by this new release.

The International Encyclopedia of Communication Theory and Philosophy, 4 Volume Set

The International Encyclopedia of Communication Theory and Philosophy, 4 Volume Set PDF Author: Jefferson D. Pooley
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118290739
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 2323

Book Description
The International Encyclopedia of Communication Theory and Philosophy is the definitive single-source reference work on the subject, with state-of-the-art and in-depth scholarly reflection on key issues from leading international experts. It is available both online and in print. A state-of-the-art and in-depth scholarly reflection on the key issues raised by communication, covering the history, systematics, and practical potential of communication theory Articles by leading experts offer an unprecedented level of accuracy and balance Provides comprehensive, clear entries which are both cross-national and cross-disciplinary in nature The Encyclopedia presents a truly international perspective with authors and positions representing not just Europe and North America, but also Latin America and Asia Published both online and in print Part of The Wiley Blackwell-ICA International Encyclopedias of Communication series, published in conjunction with the International Communication Association. Online version available at www.wileyicaencyclopedia.com

Theory's Empire

Theory's Empire PDF Author: Daphne Patai
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231134163
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 752

Book Description
"... the essays in [this volume] question the inflated claims, facile slogans, and political pretensions that have in our time turned theory into a ubiquitous orthodoxy. [This is a] ... collection of essays that returns sanity and rationality to literary criticism, rescuing it from the esotericism, jargon, and delusions under which it had been buried by the "theorizers." -Back cover.

Rejoining the Common Reader

Rejoining the Common Reader PDF Author: Clara Claiborne Park
Publisher: Northwestern University Press
ISBN: 9780810109919
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 260

Book Description
Rejoining the Common Reader is suffused with the impulse that motivates Clara Claiborne Park's distinguished writing and teaching: the desire to related literature to the experience of its readers. This humane, balanced, and entertaining book will appeal to anyone who longs to recapture the pleasure of reading for personal enrichment and to teachers of literature who have grown to resent the intrusiveness of theory and theorizing and wish to reexamine what they are doing to, for, and with their students.