DescriptionSimone de Beauvoir stands as a towering figure in the 20th century's flowering of thought among women. There are probably more women philosophers alive today than in all of prior history, and their perspective brings new ideas and fresh approaches to old problems. We are just now beginning to understand women's unique contribution to philosophical thought. The World of Philosophy series is a dramatic presentation, in understandable language, of the concerns, questions, interests, and overall outlook of the world's great philosophers and philosophical traditions. Special emphasis on clear and relevant explanations gives you a new arsenal of insights toward living a better life.
DescriptionIn the great ferment of the French Revolution, Voltaire and Rousseau stood out as intellectual giants. Voltaire's incisive wit and commitment to translucent reason stands in sharp contrast to Rousseau's earnest convictions and attention to emotion. Both thinkers produced work of enduring value in morality and political philosophy. The World of Philosophy series presents the questions, interests, and worldviews of the world's great philosophers and philosophical traditions. Special emphasis on clear and relevant explanations, in understandable language, give you a new arsenal of insights toward living a better life.
DescriptionThese two great 17th-century philosophers aimed to break free of oppressive traditions. Free scientific inquiry led them to skeptically question everything, though they also tried to reconcile science with religious faith. Both Descartes and Bacon extolled the individual, arguing that the human mind can penetrate the deepest secrets of existence. Their ideas formulated the problems that would occupy philosophers for the next 300 years. The World of Philosophy series is a dramatic presentation, in understandable language, of the concerns, questions, interests, and overall outlook of the world's great philosophers and philosophical traditions. Special emphasis on clear and relevant explanations gives you a new arsenal of insights toward living a better life.
DescriptionChina's two greatest philosophers, Confucius and Lao Tzu, were intensely interested in how we should live and how a good society is governed. The central concepts of Confucianism are li, the proper ordering of society through rituals and ceremonies…
DescriptionIn an age of conflicting intellectual trends, some philosophers have lost faith in the everyday relevance of philosophy; others have affirmed that reflection is crucial to authentic living. The limelight has been shared by existentialism, phenomenology, structuralism, and other movements. The question remains: what is the next great step in philosophy? The World of Philosophy series is a dramatic presentation, in understandable language, of the concerns, questions, interests, and overall outlook of the world's great philosophers and philosophical traditions. Special emphasis on clear and relevant explanations gives you a new arsenal of insights toward living a better life.
DescriptionThe Roman Empire became Christian in 323 AD; about two centuries later, the rest of Europe began to convert. Medieval culture blurred the line between the sacred and the secular. While political and religious hierarchies vied for influence, liberal arts education claimed to seek sacred truths through secular means. But when Aristotle's works were first translated from Arabic, there began a conflict between reason and faith. Franciscan John Duns Scotus was one philosopher who tried to bridge this gap. The World of Philosophy series presents the questions, interests, and worldviews of the world's great philosophers and philosophical traditions. Special emphasis on clear and relevant explanations, in understandable language, give you a new arsenal of insights toward living a better life.
DescriptionBertrand Russell and A.N. Whitehead co-authored a seminal work in logic entitled Principia Mathematica . Russell wrote on virtually every aspect of philosophy, with particular contributions in ethics (where he championed important innovations). Whitehead developed one of the great philosophical systems of the century, attempting to harmonize science and values and to reconcile religion and philosophy. The World of Philosophy series is a dramatic presentation, in understandable language, of the concerns, questions, interests, and overall outlook of the world's great philosophers and philosophical traditions. Special emphasis on clear and relevant explanations gives you a new arsenal of insights toward living a better life.
DescriptionC.S. Peirce was an authentic American genius who developed a tough minded pragmatism and a sweeping philosophy of evolutionary love. William James, a trained physician, carefully studied human experience, including the highest reaches of consciousness. Peirce and James established a rich, sensible, and pragmatic American approach to philosophy's traditional problems. The World of Philosophy series is a dramatic presentation, in understandable language, of the concerns, questions, interests, and overall outlook of the world's great philosophers and philosophical traditions. Special emphasis on clear and relevant explanations gives you a new arsenal of insights toward living a better life.
