Philosophy

Gracia, Jorge J. E. LATINOS IN AMER eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

A first-of-its-kind book that seriously and profoundly examines what it means philosophically to be Latino and where Latinos fit in American society.

Offers a fresh perspective and clearer understanding of Latin American thought and culture, rejecting
answers based on stereotypes and fear

Takes an interdisciplinary approach to the philosophical, social, and political elements of Hispanic/Latino
identity, touching upon anthropology, history, cultural studies and sociology, as well as philosophy

Written by Jorge J. E. Gracia, one of the most influential thinkers of Hispanic/Latino descent

Final Fantasy and Philosophy: The Ultimate Walkthrough eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

An unauthorized look behind one of the greatest video game franchises of all time, Final Fantasy

The Final Fantasy universe is packed with compelling characters and incredible storylines. In this book, you'll take a fascinating look at the deeper issues that Final Fantasy forces players to think about while trying to battle their way to the next level, such as: Does Cloud really exist (or should we really care)? Is Kefka really insane? Are Moogles part of a socialist conspiracy? Does the end of the game justify the means?

As Mages, Moogles, fiends, and Kefka are mashed together with the likes of Machiavelli, Marx, Foucault, and Kafka, you'll delve into crucial topics such as madness, nihilism, environmental ethics, Shintoism, the purpose of life, and much more.

Examines the philosophical issues behind one of the world's oldest and most popular video-game series
Offers new perspectives on Final Fantasy characters and themes
Gives you a psychological advantage--or at least a philosophical one--against your Final Fantasy enemies
Allows you to apply the wisdom of centuries of philosophy to any game in the series, including Final Fantasy XIII

Guaranteed to add a new dimension to your understanding of the Final Fantasy universe, this book is the ultimate companion to the ultimate video-game series.

Goldberg, Bernard Arrogance: Rescuing America from the Media Elite eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

Landsburg, Steven E. The Big Questions: Tackling the Problems of Philosophy with Ideas from Mathematics, Economics and Physics (Mobipocket) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

In the wake of his enormously popular books The Armchair Economist and More Sex Is Safer Sex, Slate columnist and Economics professor Steven Landsburg uses concepts from mathematics, economics, and physics to address the big questions in philosophy: What is real? What can we know? What is the difference between right and wrong? And how should we live? Landsburg begins with the broadest possible categories from a mathematical analysis of the arguments for the existence of God; to the real meaning of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and the Godel Incompleteness Theorem; to the moral choices we face in the marketplace and the voting booth. Stimulating, illuminating, and always surprising, The Big Questions challenges readers to re-evaluate their most fundamental beliefs and reveals the relationship between the loftiest philosophical quests and our everyday lives.

Nath, Rajakishore PHILOSOPHY OF ARTIFICIAL INTEL (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

This book deals with the major philosophical issues in the theoretical framework of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in particular and cognitive science in general. The researchers in AI are concerned with the issues of consciousness, human subjectivity, creativity, etc. Cognitive Science and AI argue that consciousness can be artificially created and comprehended in the function of robots. The robotic activities explain the mechanism involved in computation, language processing, sensing the information, etc. Contrary to this thesis, the philosophical study tries to show that human consciousness, thinking, imagination, etc. are much larger concepts and need to be delved into in the broad theoretical framework. This book is a critique of the mechanistic theory of mind. It shows the basic foundation of AI and its limitations in explaining the activities of the human mental life. Machine-functionalism fails to account for the subjective nature of consciousness and the creativity involved in the conscious acts. There are two aspects of this thesis-- the epistemological and the metaphysical. Epistemologically, the subject of consciousness intimately knows the raw feelings or the qualia. Metaphysically speaking, however, the raw feelings are real in the sense that they are part of the furniture of the mental world. Therefore, we can hardly deny that the mental world is real.

COMPANION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

COMPANION TO DESCARTES (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

A collection of more than 30 newly commissioned essays, this volume surveys the work of the 17th-century philosopher-scientist commonly regarded as the founder of modern philosophy, while integrating unique essays detailing the context and impact of his work.

Covers the full range of historical and philosophical perspectives on the work of Descartes
Discusses his seminal contributions to our understanding of skepticism, mind-body dualism, self-knowledge, innate ideas, substance, causality, God, and the nature of animals
Explores the philosophical significance of his contributions to mathematics and science
Concludes with a section on the impact of Descartes's work on subsequent philosophers

Santayana, George Genteel Tradition in American Philosophy and Character and Opinion in the United States (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

Smilansky, Saul 10 MORAL PARADOXES (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

Presenting ten diverse and original moral paradoxes, this cutting edge work of philosophical ethics makes a focused, concrete case for the centrality of paradoxes within morality.

Explores what these paradoxes can teach us about morality and the human condition
Considers a broad range of subjects, from familiar topics to rarely posed questions, among them "Fortunate Misfortune", "Beneficial Retirement" and "Preferring Not To Have Been Born"
Asks whether the existence of moral paradox is a good or a bad thing
Presents analytic moral philosophy in a provocative, engaging and entertaining way; posing new questions, proposing possible solutions, and challenging the reader to wrestle with the paradoxes themselves

Williamson, Timothy PHILOSOPHY OF PHILOSOPHY (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

The second volume in the Blackwell Brown Lectures in Philosophy, this volume offers an original and provocative take on the nature and methodology of philosophy.

Based on public lectures at Brown University, given by the pre-eminent philosopher, Timothy Williamson
Rejects the ideology of the 'linguistic turn', the most distinctive trend of 20th century philosophy
Explains the method of philosophy as a development from non-philosophical ways of thinking
Suggests new ways of understanding what contemporary and past philosophers are doing

Wicks, Robert SCHOPENHAUER (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

This innovative volume presents an insightful philosophical portrait of the life and work of Arthur Schopenhauer.

Focuses on the concept of the sublime as it clarifies Schopenhauer's aesthetic theory, moral theory and asceticism
Explores the substantial relationships between Schopenhauer's philosophy and Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity
Defends Schopenhauer's position that absolute truth can be known and described as a blindly striving, all-permeating, universal "Will"
Examines the influence of Asian philosophy on Schopenhauer
Describes the relationships between Schopenhauer's thought and that of Hegel, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein.

COMPANION TO HUME (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

Comprised of twenty-nine newly commissioned essays, A Companion to Hume examines the depth of the philosophies and influence of the legacies attributed to one of history's most remarkable thinkers.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA & PHILOSO (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

This thought-provoking book examines the philosophical issues arising from the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica
television series, revealing how the ragtag fleet's outward journey to Earth is also an inward exploration for the human survivors and their Cylon pursuers.

Rockmore, Tom MARX AFTER MARXISM (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

Marx After Marxism encourages readers to understand Karl Marx in new ways, unencumbered by political Marxist interpretations that have long dominated the discussions of both Marxists and non-Marxists. This volume gives a broad and accessible account of Marx's philosophy and emphasizes his relationship to Hegel.

Ellis, Elisabeth Provisional Politics: Kantian Arguments in Policy Context (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

Welsh, Alexander What Is Honor?: A Question of Moral Imperatives (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

What is honor? Has its meaning changed since ancient times? Is it an outmoded notion? Does it still have the power to direct our behavior? In this provocative book Alexander Welsh considers the history and meaning of honor and dismisses the idea that we live in a post-honor culture. He notes that we have words other than honor, such as respect, self-respect, and personal identity, that show we do indeed care deeply about honor. Honor, he argues, is a continuing process of respect that motivates or constrains members of a peer group. Honor’s dictates function as moral imperatives. Surprisingly, little systematic study of the history of honor in Western culture has been attempted. Offering a welcome remedy, Welsh provides a genealogy of approaches to the subject, mining some of the most influential texts of the Western tradition. He rereads with fascinating results the works of Aristotle, Cicero, Shakespeare, Mandeville, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Kant, Adam Smith, and others. With a sharp focus on the intersection of honor and ethics in both literature and philosophy, Welsh invites new and constructive debate on a topic of vital interest.

Gunn, Anton J. The Audacity of Leadership: 10 Essentials to Becoming a Transformative Leader in the 21st Century (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

Have you every wondered, what defines leadership in the 21st Century? Do you know what it takes to become a revolutionary leader for change? Do you possess the essential skills needed to be a transformative leader in your organization? What are the things that separate extraordinary leaders from ordinary leaders? Look no further for these answers. Anton Gunn's amazing love of Hip Hop, community organizing and politics has uniquely prepared him to craft these leadership essentials that he calls The Audacity of Leadership. Anton's distinctive ability to turn small opportunities into bold leadership positions was the beginning of The Audacity of Leadership. Anton's leadership path has taken him from Hip Hop; to Division I College Football; to the youngest executive to lead a major non-profit organization in South Carolina; ultimately to making history in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Anton's career led him to a defining leadership experience working for future President, Barack Obama. This unique opportunity has given Anton profound insights into the essentials necessary to become the kind of bold leader that makes change possible in our world. The model of The Audacity of Leadership explains the essential qualities that today's leaders must posses in order to become a bold and transformative leader in the 21st Century. Anton learned these skills as a community organizer, advocate, and a political leader. Now you can learn them too. Start your leadership journey today by mastering these essentials and I promise you, you will enhance your ability to change the world.

Cathcart, Thomas Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

From the authors of the bestselling Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar, an uproarious new book on the meaning of death (and life, too)The new book by the bestselling authors of Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar is a hilarious take on the philosophy, theology, and psychology of mortality and immortality. That is, Death. The authors pry open the coffin lid on this one, looking at the Big D and also its prequel, Life, and its sequel, the Hereafter. Philosophers such as Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Camus, and Sartre have been wrestling with the meaning of death for as long as they have been wrestling with the meaning of life. Fortunately, humorists have been keeping pace with the major thinkers by creating gags about dying. Death's funny that wayit gets everybody's attention.Death has gotten a bad rap. It's time to take a closer look at what the Deep Thinkers have to say on the subject, and there are no better guides than Cathcart and Klein.

Plato SEL DIALOGUES OF PLATO eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

Dr. Hayden Pelliccia is associate professor and chair of classics at Cornell University.

Plato (c. 428 B.C. -- 347 B.C.) was a student of Socrates. He founded the Academy in Athens, the prototype of the modern university, whose most famous member was Aristotle.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Scolnicov, Samuel Plato's Parmenides (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

Of all Plato's dialogues, the Parmenides is notoriously the most difficult to interpret. Scholars of all periods have disagreed about its aims and subject matter. The interpretations have ranged from reading the dialogue as an introduction to the whole of Platonic metaphysics to seeing it as a collection of sophisticated tricks, or even as an elaborate joke. This work presents an illuminating new translation of the dialogue together with an extensive introduction and running commentary, giving a unified explanation of the Parmenides and integrating it firmly within the context of Plato's metaphysics and methodology. Scolnicov shows that in the Parmenides Plato addresses the most serious challenge to his own philosophy: the monism of Parmenides and the Eleatics. In addition to providing a serious rebuttal to Parmenides, Plato here re-formulates his own theory of forms and participation, arguments that are central to the whole of Platonic thought, and provides these concepts with a rigorous logical and philosophical foundation. In Scolnicov's analysis, the Parmenides emerges as an extension of ideas from Plato's middle dialogues and as an opening to the later dialogues. Scolnicov's analysis is crisp and lucid, offering a persuasive approach to a complicated dialogue. This translation follows the Greek closely, and the commentary affords the Greekless reader a clear understanding of how Scolnicov's interpretation emerges from the text. This volume will provide a valuable introduction and framework for understanding a dialogue that continues to generate lively discussion today.

Abdoullaev, Azamat REALITY UNIVERSAL ONTOLOGY & K (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

The most thrilling and challenging intellectual issues of humanity -- whether and how a consistent account of reality can be obtained, which field of knowledge is capable to deal with the whole of reality and its formal representation, and how powerful intelligent machines can be brought into existence -- are research areas demanding innovative and comprehensive study.Reality, Universal Ontology and Knowledge Systems: Toward the Intelligent World provides cutting-edge research on reality, its nature and fundamental structure, and how it may be effectively represented both by human minds and intelligent machinesstriving to describe a standard world model and universal formal ontology; uniformly organized human knowledge; powerful reasoning systems; and secure communication interoperability between two species of intelligences: existing human beings and nascent computing reasoning systems promising the profound revolution in human values and ways of life.

Grunbaum, Adolf The Foundations of Psychoanalysis: A Philosophical Critique (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

Manderson, Desmond Songs without Music: Aesthetic Dimensions of Law and Justice (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

In this pathbreaking and provocative analysis of the aesthetics of law, the historian, legal theorist, and musician Desmond Manderson argues that by treating a text, legal or otherwise, as if it were merely a sequence of logical propositions, readers miss its formal and symbolic meanings. Creatively using music as a model, he demonstrates that law is not a sterile, rational structure, but a cultural form to be valued and enhanced through rhetoric and metaphors, form, images, and symbols. To further develop this argument, the book is divided into chapters, each of which is based on a different musical form. Law, for Manderson, should strive for neither coherence nor integrity. Rather, it is imperfectly realized, constantly reinterpreted, and always in flux. Songs without Music is written in an original, engaging, and often humorous style, and exhibits a deep knowledge of both law and music. It successfully traverses several disciplines and builds an original and persuasive argument for a legal aesthetic. The book will appeal to a broad readership in law, political theory, literary criticism, and cultural studies.

Explaining Emotions (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

The challenge of explaining the emotions has engaged the attention of the best minds in philosophy and science throughout history. Part of the fascination has been that the emotions resist classification. As adequate account therefore requires receptivity to knowledge from a variety of sources. The philosopher must inform himself of the relevant empirical investigation to arrive at a definition, and the scientist cannot afford to be naive about the assumptions built into his conceptual apparatus.The contributors to this volume have approached the problem of characterizing and classifying emotions from the perspectives of neurophysiology, psychology, and social psychology as well as that of philosophical psychology. They discuss the difficulties that arise in classifying the emotions, assessing their appropriateness and rationality, and determining their function in motivating moral action.

George, Susan RELIGION & TECHNOLOGY IN THE 2 (Adobe Reader) eBook

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 49:11:30 GMT

Technology has impacted every area of life, including religion. The use of sound systems and computers in public religious expression is just one way technology is being used in religious circles. Yet, what is often overlooked is the way that religion is shaping technology through philosophy and morality.Religion and Technology in the 21st Century examines the relationship of the two areas, and provides insight into the impacts religion and technology have on humanity. In examining the dual impact, the book points to a synergy that has traditionally been missed in previous research into technology or religion.