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The Philosophy of Death is a discussion of the basic philosophical issues concerning death, and a critical introduction to the relevant contemporary philosophical literature. Luper begins by addressing questions about those who die: What is it to be alive? What does it mean for you and me to exist? Under what conditions do we persist over time, and when do we perish? Next, he considers several questions concerning death, including: What does dying consist in; in particular, how does it differ from ageing? Must death be permanent? By what signs may it be identified? Is death bad for the one who dies? If so why? Finally he discusses whether, and why, killing is morally objectionable, and suggests that it is often permissible; in particular, (assisted) suicide, euthanasia and abortion may all be morally permissible. His book is a lively and engaging philosophical treatment of a perennially fascinating and relevant subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A work of impressive and comprehensive scholarship
A hot political topic these days, 'end of life' issues is seen by some as an essential consideration that everyone should address, while others seen it as an opening wedge for government operated 'death panels'. Death is the inevitable consequence of life. That is why "The Philosophy Of Death" by Steven Luper (Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department, Trinity University) is such a timely and highly recommended title for both academic library Philosophy collections and so well written that it is fully accessible and enthusiastically commended for non-specialist general readers as well. Professor Luper covers in the first half the philosophical aspects of a natural death as part of the process of life, and in the second half deals with the issues of an imposed death such as homicide, suicide, euthanasia, and abortion. A work of impressive and comprehensive scholarship, "The Philosophy Of Death" is enhanced with an extensive section of references and a thorough index. ... Read more

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While philosophical speculation into the nature and value of emotions is at least as old as the Pre-Socratics, William James' "What is an emotion?" reinvigorated interest in the question. Coming to grips with James' proposals, particularly in the light of subsequent concerns for the difficulties inherent in a so-called private language, led philosophers away from analyses centred on humans to ones centred on the thoughts (judgements, beliefs, and so on). Analyzing the emotions in this way involves returning to a vision of the emotions that traces its ancestry back to the Stoics, but has proven to be enormously insightful and influential again in modern times. The papers collected here centre on James' question and often respond explicitly to one another. Taken together, they provide a sense of what a cognitive view of the emotions maintains, what it denies, and how it has arisen. ... Read more

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People are minded creatures; we have thoughts, feelings and emotions. More intriguingly, we grasp our own mental states, and conduct the business of ascribing them to ourselves and others without instruction in formal psychology. How do we do this? And what are the dimensions of our grasp of the mental realm? In this book, Alvin I. Goldman explores these questions with the tools of philosophy, developmental psychology, social psychology and cognitive neuroscience. He refines an approach called simulation theory, which starts from the familiar idea that we understand others by putting ourselves in their mental shoes. Can this intuitive idea be rendered precise in a philosophically respectable manner, without allowing simulation to collapse into theorizing? Given a suitable definition, do empirical results support the notion that minds literally create (or attempt to create) surrogates of other peoples mental states in the process of mindreading? Goldman amasses a surprising array of evidence from psychology and neuroscience that supports this hypothesis. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A thorough inquiry into mental simulation theory
In «Simulating Minds», his ninth and latest book, Alvin Goldman provides a comprehensive survey of the principal theories devised to explain the mind's ability to ascribe mental states to other minds as well as to itself. Minds --human and to all appearances those of other intelligent fellow creatures-- possess the capability not only of having mental states (things such as notions, emotions and sensations) but of conceiving that other individuals or organisms are equally capable of having their own mental states. This more complex, second-order activity is referred to in psychology as mentalizing or mindreading.

Mindreading seems to be essential for the development and functioning of complex social organization. The question arises as to how the brain accomplishes mindreading. Goldman discusses several variants of the three main competing views that purport to explain the neurocognitive processes thought to underlie mindreading: theorizing, rationalizing, and simulating. The theorizing approach posits that people employ naïve (folk psychology) theories to guide them in assessing what others think or mentally experience. People then impute mental states to others based on those naïve theories. The rationalizing approach states that people assume others are as rational as they themselves are and thus infer the other person's mental contents by an exercise of rational deduction. The simulation approach holds that people try to replicate (emulate) the target's mental states in their own mind based on perceived behavioral cues and their own prior experiences. Specifically, the mind reader deploys his or her emotive and cognitive apparatus to simulate the target's perceived (or perhaps, imagined) situation and thus intuitively feel what the target should (or would) be experiencing. "Thus," asserts Goldman, "mindreading is an extended form of empathy."

Goldman then provides a very clear articulation of the theoretical construct of simulation followed by discussions of simulation theory's principal rivals: rationality theory, child-scientist theory, and modularity theory. He then conducts in-depth analyses of the hybrid simulation model he favors (one that admits a role for theorizing, although secondary to the default simulation approach). He supports his position with a wide range of evidence, including well-replicated findings from the neuroscience literature. The book closes with an examination of the relationship between simulational propensities and the distinctively social traits which characterize human experience.

This book provides an excellent account of simulation theory as well as the competing perspectives. It should be of major interest to researchers in philosophy of mind, cognitive neuroscience, and social psychology. Lay readers with a strong interest in cognitive science should also find the book a worthwhile read given the clarity and accessibility of the exposition.

An excellent example of indisciplinary work in philosophy and psychology
In this book Alvin Goldman develops a highly significant thesis - an account of how we understand other minds. This thesis is significant not just because it addresses classical philosophical problems, but also because it has serious implications for scientific research.
Alvin Goldman is a highly accomplished philosopher. In this book he ventures into new waters - surveying research in psychology and neuroscience. He grasps the empirical literature and weighs the evidence with a competence that matches that of a highly accomplished scientist. In doing so he puts most other 'interdisciplinary' philosophers to shame.
This is an exemplary work of both philosophy and theoretical psychology. This work sets an example that can and should serve as a model for modern, interdisciplinary, philosophy of mind. ... Read more

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Henri de Lubac, S.J. De Lubac traces the origin of 19th century attempts to construct a humanism apart from God, the sources of contemporary atheism which purports to have moved beyond God. The three persons he focuses on are Feuerbach, who greatly influenced Marx; Nietzsche, who represents nihilism; and Comte, who is the father of all forms of positivism. He then shows that the only one who really responded to this ideology was Dostoevsky, a kind of profit who criticizes in his novels this attempt to have a society without God. Despite their historical and scholarly appearance, de Lubac's work clearly refers to the present. As he investigates the sources of modern atheism, particularly in its claim to have definitely moved beyond the idea of God, he is thinking of an ideology prevalent today in East and West which regards the Christian faith as a completely outdated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Proposes an ancient-oriented Christian Humanism as an Alternative
I was given this book several Christmases ago back in my apologetics craze.I guess I started reading it with the wrong expectations.Once I dropped apologetics things began to make more sense.The book divides into three or four sections.First, Henri de Lubac gives a thorough (if at times dense) analysis of the major atheist leaders: Marx, Feurbach, and Comte, Comte providing a foil for a brief Christian response.He thoroughly outlines and deconstructs Comte.

The next section is on Dostoevsky the prophet.Compares and contrasts Nietszche. Sheds a lot of light on some of Dostoevsky's lesser-known works.

The final section is "Search for a New Man."The first part of this is rather good.He gives several brief, short critiques of "progressivism" and ends with a plea for a new Christian Humanism. His criticism of Marxism's historicism is perfect (and too long to post here.His discussion of "the supernatural" was sublime.

The supernatural is not a higher, more beautiful, or more fruitful nature...it is the irruption of a wholly different principle.The sudden opening of a kind of fourth dimension, without proportion of any kind to all the progress provided in the natural dimension (466).

The final part of the book is about Nietszche's mystical experiences.Aside from a few good quotes here and there, I found it to be rambling.

Maybe not the best intro to Henri de Lubac, and certainly not the easiest book to follow, but one that is definitely worth reading and will certainly repay multiple readings.

I like de Lubac
Very long read, but well worth it. de Lubac is a brilliant scholar, and he has a plethora of knowledge and piercing insights on those men on the cover of the book and their thinking.It is not so much a refutation of atheism as it is a refutation and critique of the ideas that some very prominent atheists held (Comte's positivism, etc).Believe it or not, I have actually never read a non-fiction book, but de Lubac has piqued my curiosity to consider reading The Brothers Karamazov because of his discussion of Dostoevsky as a prophet and precursor to Nietzsche.A very good read, and has made me want to read more de Lubac.

A brilliant analysis of key 19th century thinkers who paved the way for aggressive neo-atheism,

De Lubac's anlaysis of Feuerbach, Nietzsche, Comte and Marx illusrates that "where there is no God, there is no Man either" and that postitivism, marxism and variant philosophies, in seeking to model a new man, agressively independent of God, result in a nihilistic tyranny of man over man. Its De Lubac's sympathetic handling of these lunatic ideas and their exponents, Nietzsche,in particular (who de Lubac sees as haunted by Christ), which gives the book balance. If you wish to understand why we are living in an age where atheism has become more militant and aggressve, then De Lubac's book make you realise that what we are experiencing now is the culmination of many centuries of alienation of western thought from the Logos, who unites all things in himself. His treatment of Dostoevsky (a counterbalance to the other thinkers) is particularly illuminating.

wonderful
This book is very well written as well as very well documented. Those who read this book should be somewhat read in the works of Kierkegaard, Marx, Comte, and most importantly Nietsche and Dostoyevsky.

Great
This is the book that first got me interested in religion.It is an outstanding discussion of Comte, Marx & Nietzsche.After reading this, the reader may want to read Kung's Does God Exist? and Baum's Doctors ofModernity: Darwin, Marx & Freud. ... Read more

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Originally published in English in 1980, Rhetoric as Philosophy has been out of print for some time. The reviews of that English edition attest to the importance of Ernesto Grassi's work.By going back to the Italian humanist tradition and aspects of earlier Greek and Latin thought, Ernesto Grassi develops a conception of rhetoric as the basis of philosophy. Grassi explores the sense in which the first principles of rational thought come from the metaphorical power of the word. He finds the basis for his conception in the last great thinker of the Italian humanist tradition, Giambattista Vico (1668-1744). He concentrates on Vico's understanding of imagination and the sense of human ingenuity contained in metaphor. For Grassi, rhetorical activity is the essence and inner life of thought when connected to the metaphorical power of the word. ... Read more

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Originally published between 1975 and 2003, the essays included in Humanism, Venice, and Women reflect Margaret L. King's distinct but interlocking scholarly interests: humanism and Venice; women and humanism; and women of the Italian Renaissance. The first part focuses on defining the key characteristics of Venetian as opposed to other Italian humanisms, with an analysis of Gramscian theory about the historical role of intellectuals as an aid to understanding humanism in Venice, followed by essays on three Venetian humanists who wrote about family relationships (or the need to avoid them). The third section introduces the major Renaissance women humanists and analyzes the relation of their work to that of male humanists, along with an essay on Renaissance mothers of sons, in Italy and beyond. Crossing boundaries of region and gender, and the subdisciplines of intellectual and social history, these essays are provocative in themselves while demonstrating how shifting historiographical contexts encourage scholars to view the historical record in new and fruitful ways. ... Read more

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Philosophy of Mind: An Introduction is a lively and accessible introduction to one of philosophy's most active and important areas of research. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Decent Introduction to Philosophy of Mind
I picked up a copy of George Graham's introductory book upon a friend's recommendation. I have a little background in Philosophy and a degree in Cognitive Science, so I figured this would be an appropriate immersion into Philosophy of Mind. With the exception of a few witty jokes, this book is lacking of any new or clever ideas whatsoever, and does only a fair job explaining the rest.

This book fumbles through topics, offering explainations and strange analogies when they are not needed, and glazes over more difficult topics. In many cases a topic will be left ambiguous and unresolved, and another will begin.

It's a good book for a beginner without any background on Philosophy and "the Mind"-- but still room for improvment.

Living up to its name
George Graham, in this work, succeeds in remaining loyal to what a reader expects in an introductory book. With clarity and simplicity, Dr. Graham seeks to draw the reader into the inner sanctum of some of the complex issues debated by many of the greatest minds since Descarte. Addressing provocative questions like God's existence and life after death, topics comprising Philosophy of Mind are explicated. Sensitive to the reader's presumed level of understanding , Graham eschews confusing language, and the quagmire some authors unwittingly conduct their audience. Yet, for the non-beginner, further research is available through helpful bibliographies at the end of each section. Footnote explanations are also provided for those desiring more detail. For students uncomfortable purchasing books with 'Dummies' in the title, this work will reward its reader with a taste of Philosophy of Mind and perhaps an answer to the question whether further research in the field is warranted. It's a good start ... Read more

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The Blackwell Guide to Philosophy of Language is a collection of twenty new essays in a cutting-edge and wide-ranging field.

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In this provocative book, Michael Tye presents his unique account of the metaphysical foundations of psychological discourse. In place of token identity theory or eliminative materialism, he advocates a generalisation of the adverbial approach to sensory experience, the 'operator theory'. He applies this to the analysis of prepositional attitudes, arguing that mental statements cannot involve reference to mental events or objects and that therefore causal statements about the mental cannot be regarded as asserting relations between events. This adverbial theory has the virtue of being both simple and systematic and is an important contribution to the philosophy of mind. ... Read more

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The subject of the passions has always haunted Western philosophy and, more often than not, aroused harsh judgments. For the passions represent a force of excess and lawlessness in humanity that produces troubling, confusing paradoxes.In this book, noted European philosopher Michel Meyer offers a wide-ranging exegesis, the first of its kind, that systematically retraces the history of philosophic conceptions of the passions in the work of such thinkers as Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Spinoza, Descartes, Hobbes, Rousseau, Kant, and Freud. The great ruptures that led to passion's condemnation as sin, and to romantic exultation as the truth of existence, are meticulously registered and the logic governing them astutely explicated. Meyer thus provides new insight into an age-old dilemma: Does passion torture people because it blinds them, or, on the contrary, does it permit them to apprehend who and what we really are? ... Read more

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What is it to deceive someone? And how is it possible to deceive oneself? Does self-deception require that people be taken in by a deceitful strategy that they know is deceitful? The literature is divided between those who argue that self-deception is intentional and those who argue that it is nonintentional. In this study, Annette Barnes offers a challenge to both the standard characterization of the deception of others and current characterizations of self-deception, examining the available explanations and exploring such questions as the self-deceiver's false consciousness, bias, and the irrationality of self-deception. ... Read more

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Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Mind showcases the leading contributors to the field, debating the major questions in philosophy of mind today.

• Comprises 20 newly commissioned essays on hotly debated issues in the philosophy of mind
  
• Written by a cast of leading experts in their fields, essays take opposing views on 10 central contemporary debates
  
• A thorough introduction provides a comprehensive background to the issues explored
  
• Organized into three sections which explore the ontology of the mental, nature of the mental content, and the nature of consciousness

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Definitions of humanism have evolved throughout the centuries as the term has been adopted for a variety of purposes – literary, cultural and political – and reactions against humanism have contributed to movements such as postmodernism and anti-humanism. Tony Davies offers a clear introduction to the many uses of this influential yet complex concept and this second edition extends his discussion to include:

• a comprehensive history of the development of the term and its influences
• theories of post-humanism, cybernetics and artificial intelligence
• implications of concepts of humanism and post-humanism on political and religious activism
• discussion of the key figures in humanist debate from Erasmus and Milton to Chomsky, Heidegger and Foucault
• a new glossary and further reading section.

With clear explanations and poignant discussions, this volume is essential reading for anyone approaching the study of humanism, post-humanism or critical theory.

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This introductory text offers a clear, concise look at the philosophy of love. The author's presentation assumes no previous knowledge of philosophy, providing the humanities student with an insightful introduction to some of the most prominent writers and philosophers, both ancient and modern. From the dialogues of Plato to the writings of feminist philosopher Luce Irigaray, Wagoner presents six major ideas of love: erotic love, Christian love, romantic love, moral love, love as power, and mutual love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

LOVE--PLATO TO THE PRESENT
Robert E. Wagoner
The Meanings of Love:
An Introduction to the Philosophy of Love

(Westport, CT: Praeger, 1997)149 pages

A presentation of ideas about love from Plato and Aristotle
to the present: Socrates, Kierkegaard, Kant, Sartre, Irigaray.
The book is organized around six forms of love:
erotic (Platonic), Christian, romantic, moral, mutual, and love as power.
Wagoner has read extensively in the philosophy-of-love literature;
and he presents the perspectives of several thinkers quite briefly;
but he has nothing original to add to the discussion.

An excellent introduction to the philosophy of love
Philosophy can be a difficult subject regardless of the focus, especially if the reader has no background in philosophy.Wagoner writes an easy to read and insightful introductory look at the philosophy of love.I have recommended and loaned it to friends who have no philosophical background and they agree with me.Those well read in philosophy can also appreciate it, however, to expect it to be more than an introduction to the philosophy of love is asking too much from this book.

Would probably burn well
I found this book a presumtious, hypocritical waste of tree. I found his ideas to be heavily influenced by patriarchal society. This man should not be allowed to quote Tillich but since he did he should have at least done the man justice. His attempt to define the role of sexuality in these instances were meager. See Thomas Moore for an excellent look into sexuality and human relationships. Use this book for a coaster.

Excellent overall view of a topic that excites us all.
Wagoner has really shown us what love is in his book, THE MEANINGS OF LOVE.Through examination of six different views of love throughout time and thought -- ranging from Plato to Sartre -- he allows we readers tobecome more knowledgable on a subject close to our hearts, but never reallyknow about in a scholarly way.For lovers young and old. ... Read more

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The study of the mind has always been one of the main preoccupations of philosophers, and has been a booming area of research in recent decades, with remarkable advances in psychology and neuroscience. Oxford University Press now presents the most authoritative and comprehensive guide ever published to the philosophy of mind.

An outstanding international team of contributors offer 45 specially written critical surveys of a wide range of topics relating to the mind. The first two sections cover the place of the mind in the natural world: its ontological status, how it fits into the causal fabric of the universe, and the nature of consciousness. The third section focuses on the much-debated subjects of content and intentionality. The fourth section examines a variety of mental capacities, including memory, imagination, and emotion. The fifth section looks at epistemic issues, in particular regarding knowledge of one's own and other minds. The volume concludes with a section on self, personhood, and agency.

The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Mind will be an invaluable resource for advanced students and scholars of philosophy, and also for researchers in neighboring disciplines seeking a high-level survey of the state of the art in this flourishing field. ... Read more