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Author: Michael J. White
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9789401088572
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 296
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Book Description
It is not very surprising that it was no less true in antiquity than it is today that adult human beings are held to be responsible for most of their actions. Indeed, virtually all cultures in all historical periods seem to have had some conception of human agency which, in the absence of certain responsibility-defeating conditions, entails such responsibility. Few philosophers have had the temerity to maintain that this entailment is trivial because such responsibility-defeating conditions are always present. Another not very surprising fact is that ancient thinkers tended to ascribe integrality to "what is" (to on). That is, they typically regarded "what is" as a cosmos or whole with distinguishable parts that fit together in some coherent or cohesive manner, rather than either as a "unity" with no parts or as a collection containing members (ta onta or "things that are") standing in no "natural" relations to one another. 1 The philoso phical problem of determinism and responsibility may, I think, best be characterized as follows: it is the problem of preserving the phenomenon of human agency (which would seem to require a certain separateness of individual human beings from the rest of the cosmos) when one sets about the philosophical or scientific task of explaining the integrality of "what is" by means of the development of a theory of causation or explanation ( concepts that came to be lumped together by the Greeks under the term "aitia") .
Author: Michael J. White
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9789401088572
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 296
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Book Description
It is not very surprising that it was no less true in antiquity than it is today that adult human beings are held to be responsible for most of their actions. Indeed, virtually all cultures in all historical periods seem to have had some conception of human agency which, in the absence of certain responsibility-defeating conditions, entails such responsibility. Few philosophers have had the temerity to maintain that this entailment is trivial because such responsibility-defeating conditions are always present. Another not very surprising fact is that ancient thinkers tended to ascribe integrality to "what is" (to on). That is, they typically regarded "what is" as a cosmos or whole with distinguishable parts that fit together in some coherent or cohesive manner, rather than either as a "unity" with no parts or as a collection containing members (ta onta or "things that are") standing in no "natural" relations to one another. 1 The philoso phical problem of determinism and responsibility may, I think, best be characterized as follows: it is the problem of preserving the phenomenon of human agency (which would seem to require a certain separateness of individual human beings from the rest of the cosmos) when one sets about the philosophical or scientific task of explaining the integrality of "what is" by means of the development of a theory of causation or explanation ( concepts that came to be lumped together by the Greeks under the term "aitia") .
Author: J. Ezquerro
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9780792315384
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 356
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Book Description
Proceedings of the First International Colloquim on Cognitive Science
Author: Don Habibi
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9780792368540
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 314
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Book Description
In this well-researched, comprehensive study of J.S. Mill, Professor Habibi argues that the persistent, dominant theme of Mill's life and work was his passionate belief in human improvement and progress. Several Mill scholars recognize this; however, numerous writers overlook his 'growth ethic', and this has led to misunderstandings about his value system. This study defines and establishes the importance of Mill's growth ethic and clears up misinterpretations surrounding his notions of higher and lower pleasures, positive and negative freedom, the status of children, the legitimacy of authority, and support for British colonialism. Drawing from the entire corpus of Mill's writings, as well as the extensive secondary literature, Habibi has written the most focused, sustained analysis of Mill's grand, leading principle. This book will be useful to college students in philosophy and intellectual history as well as specialists in these fields.
Author: Sven Bernecker
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402082193
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 195
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Book Description
This book investigates central issues in the philosophy of memory and is the first book on the metaphysics of memory in four decades. It defends a version of the causal theory of memory and argues for direct realism about memory.
Author: G.W. Fitch
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400937377
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 227
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Book Description
The relationship between thought, language, and the world is an intimate one. When we have an idea or thought about the world and we wish to express that idea or thought to others we utter a sentence or make a statement. If the statement correctly describes the world then it is true. Moreover, it seems as though our ability to have more complex or sophisticated thoughts about the world increases as the complexity of our language or our ability to use the language increases. Understanding the complex relationship between language, thought, and the world is one of the central aims of philosophy. This book is an attempt to increase our understanding of this complex relationship by focusing on certain philosophical issues that arise from our ability to refer to objects in the world though the use of language. In particular, it is an attempt to solve the puzzles of reference and belief that Frege and Russell presented within the context of a theory of direct reference for proper names.
Author: Roy Weatherford
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1351786741
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 289
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Book Description
The problem of determinism arises in all the major areas of philosophy. The first part of this book, first published in 1991, is a critical and historical exposition of the problem and the most important ideas and arguments which have arisen over the many years of debate. The second part considers the various forms of determinism and the implications that they engender.
Author: Edgar Morscher
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9780792349655
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 346
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Book Description
The 23 papers that were prepared for a 1991 symposium that was cancelled beneath the weight of public and professional protests at some of the speakers invited, particularly Peter Singer. They analyze the application of theoretical considerations arising from philosophical reflection to particular concrete cases and situations of moral conflict in such fields as the environment, biology and medicine, business and professions, politics, law, and society. Among the topics are a philosophical critique of legal rights for natural objects, comparing the value of human and nonhuman life, business ethics as a goal-rights system, liberal society and planned morality, and moral philosophy and its function. No subject index. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Author: J. Angelo Corlett
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9781402016950
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 248
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Book Description
This book is the culmination of over 15 years of research on terrorism, secession, and related concepts such as the obligation to obey the law, pacifism, civil disobedience, non-violent direct action, political violence, revolution, and assassination. It is sincerely hoped that the content of this book is construed as an ethical and philosophical attempt to advance human understanding of some of life’s most intractable problems, namely, terrorism and more generally, political violence. This book is proffered as a propadeutic to further study of these issues and is not to be interpreted as the author’s final word on them. For the pursuit of truth and avoidance of error is never wholly complete, but at best a life-long process of continual reflection, analysis and argument. And it will please the author of this book if it brings even a modicum of knowledge to the difficulties it investigates. Some of the chapters of this book have been published or have otherwise experienced the critical assistance of various public academic forums, and I am sincerely grateful to those who have shaped my thinking about terrorism and its related concepts. Among those who have provided critical and helpful insights concerning various sections of the contents of this book are: David Copp, Richard Falk, Joel Feinberg, Richard W. Miller, and Thomas Pogge.
Author: Fred Feldman
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400945701
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 256
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Book Description
Several years ago I came across a marvelous little paper in which Hector-Neri Castaneda shows that standard versions of act utilitarian l ism are formally incoherent. I was intrigued by his argument. It had long seemed to me that I had a firm grasp on act utilitarianism. Indeed, it had often seemed to me that it was the clearest and most attractive of normative theories. Yet here was a simple and relatively uncontrover sial argument that showed, with only some trivial assumptions, that the doctrine is virtually unintelligible. The gist of Castaneda's argument is this: suppose we understand act utilitarianism to be the view that an act is obligatory if and only if its utility exceeds that of each alternative. Suppose it is obligatory for a certain person to perform an act with two parts - we can call it 'A & B'. Then, obviously enough, it is also obligatory for this person to perform the parts, A and B. If act utilitarianism were true, we appar ently could infer that the utility of A & B is higher than that of A, and higher than that of B (because A & B is obligatory, and the other acts are alternatives to A & B).
Author: W.H. Shaw
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9780792332237
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 222
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Book Description
G.E. Moore's work shaped twentieth century ethics. But while his metaethical doctrines have seen decades of debate, little attention has been paid to his normative theory. Yet Moore broke fresh and important ground in elaborating an indirect, sophisticated, and non-hedonistic form of utilitarianism. Moore on Right and Wrong is a critical reconstruction and exposition of this neglected side of his ethical thought. It situates his normative ethics with respect to traditional utilitarianism and assesses Moore's case for consequentialism. The final chapters explore in detail the implications of Moore's theory for individual moral conduct -- in particular, his denial of self-evident moral rules; his skepticism about knowledge of one's duty; his attempt to establish the validity of certain moral rules; and his account of what moral agents should do in situations where such rules apply and in situations where they do not.
