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Author: Michael Austin
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 0803232977
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 193
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Book Description
"We tell ourselves stories in order to live," Joan Didion observed inThe White Album. Why is this? Michael Austin asks, inUseful Fictions. Why, in particular, are human beings, whose very survival depends on obtaining true information, so drawn to fictional narratives? After all, virtually every human culture reveres some form of storytelling. Might there be an evolutionary reason behind our species' need for stories? Drawing on evolutionary biology, anthropology, narrative theory, cognitive psychology, game theory, and evolutionary aesthetics, Austin develops the concept of a "useful fiction," a simple narrative that serves an adaptive function unrelated to its factual accuracy. In his work we see how these useful fictions play a key role in neutralizing the overwhelming anxiety that humans can experience as their minds gather and process information. Rudimentary narratives constructed for this purpose, Austin suggests, provided a cognitive scaffold that might have become the basis for our well-documented love of fictional stories. Written in clear, jargon-free prose and employing abundant literary examplesfrom the Bible toOne Thousand and One Arabian NightsandDon QuixotetoNo ExitAustin's work offers a new way of understanding the relationship between fiction and evolutionary processesand, perhaps, the very origins of literature.
Author: Michael Austin
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 0803232977
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Get Book Here
Book Description
"We tell ourselves stories in order to live," Joan Didion observed inThe White Album. Why is this? Michael Austin asks, inUseful Fictions. Why, in particular, are human beings, whose very survival depends on obtaining true information, so drawn to fictional narratives? After all, virtually every human culture reveres some form of storytelling. Might there be an evolutionary reason behind our species' need for stories? Drawing on evolutionary biology, anthropology, narrative theory, cognitive psychology, game theory, and evolutionary aesthetics, Austin develops the concept of a "useful fiction," a simple narrative that serves an adaptive function unrelated to its factual accuracy. In his work we see how these useful fictions play a key role in neutralizing the overwhelming anxiety that humans can experience as their minds gather and process information. Rudimentary narratives constructed for this purpose, Austin suggests, provided a cognitive scaffold that might have become the basis for our well-documented love of fictional stories. Written in clear, jargon-free prose and employing abundant literary examplesfrom the Bible toOne Thousand and One Arabian NightsandDon QuixotetoNo ExitAustin's work offers a new way of understanding the relationship between fiction and evolutionary processesand, perhaps, the very origins of literature.
Author: William Lane Craig
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198786883
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 255
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Book Description
The book is a defense of God's unique status as the creator of all things apart from himself in the face of the challenge of mathematical Platonism. It is based on William Lane Craig's Cadbury Lectures given at the University of Birmingham in March 2015.
Author: Sebastian Luft
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040294790
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 538
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Book Description
The latter half of the nineteenth and the early part of the twentieth century witnessed a remarkable resurgence of interest in Kant’s philosophy in Continental Europe, the effects of which are still being felt today. The Neo-Kantian Reader is the first anthology to collect the most important primary sources in Neo-Kantian philosophy, with many being published here in English for the first time. It includes extracts on a rich and diverse number of subjects, including logic, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, and transcendental idealism. Sebastian Luft, together with other scholars, provides clear introductions to each of the following sections (to the authors as well as to each text), placing them in historical and philosophical context: the beginnings of Neo-Kantianism: including the work of Hermann von Helmholtz, Otto Liebman, Friedrich Lange, and Hermann Lotze the Marburg School: including Hermann Cohen, Paul Natorp, and Ernst Cassirer the Southwest School: including Wilhelm Windelband, Heinrich Rickert, Emil Lask, and Hans Vaihinger responses and critiques: including Moritz Schlick, Edmund Husserl; Rudolf Carnap, and the 'Davos dispute' between Martin Heidegger and Ernst Cassirer. The Neo-Kantian Reader is essential reading for all students of Kant, nineteenth and twentieth century philosophy, history and philosophy of science, and phenomenology, as well as to those studying important philosophical movements such as logical positivism and analytic philosophy and its history.
Author: Matt LeMay
Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."
ISBN: 1098119703
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 296
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Book Description
Product management has become a critical function for modern organizations, from small startups to corporate enterprises. And yet, the day-to-day work of product management remains largely misunderstood. In theory, product managers are high-flying visionaries who build products that people love. In practice, they're hard-working facilitators who bring clarity and focus to their teams. In this thoroughly revised and expanded edition, Matt LeMay provides real-world guidance for current and aspiring product managers. Updated for the era of remote and hybrid work, this book provides actionable answers to product management's most persistent and confounding questions, starting with: What exactly am I supposed to do all day? With this book, you'll learn: What the day-to-day work of product management entails--and how to excel at it Why no job title or description will resolve the ambiguity of your role How to bridge the false dichotomy between "strategy" and "execution" Why the temptation to focus on decks and documentation can be bad for your team (and for you) How to prioritize your time and pick your battles
Author: Ari Freeman
Publisher: Aeon Books
ISBN: 1801520844
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 343
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Book Description
Reclaiming magic and magical thought in the modern, mainstream world The modern Western world has often raised its eyebrows at magic, associating it with madness and superstition. However, this ignore the fact of the matter that magic is a universal human experience which has existed in a multitude of forms across time and space. Now, in his groundbreaking book, Ari Freeman presents his argument that magic is still a human universal - we’ve just forgotten how to talk about it! Laying out clear and concise arguments, Pragmatic Magical Thinking will enlighten readers to how magic can be a practical approach to achieving real world results, drawing on evidence from science, philosophy, history and anthropology. For both beginners at magic, and the long practicing witch or wizard, Ari Freeman’s book is a breath of fresh air for the world of magical studies, inviting readers to join him in placing magic in it’s rightful place as a serious and mainstream subject of conversation and enquiry. Pragmatic Magical Thinking covers a wide and comprehensive selection of subjects in relation to your magical education. These include, but are not limited to: magic and memory, spirits, belief, magic in everyday life, science and magic, religion and magic, Kabbalist cosmology and morality.
Author: Julian Baggini
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444357476
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 304
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Book Description
The second edition of this popular compendium provides the necessary intellectual equipment to engage with and participate in effective philosophical argument, reading, and reflection Features significantly revised, updated and expanded entries, and an entirely new section drawn from methods in the history of philosophy This edition has a broad, pluralistic approach--appealing to readers in both continental philosophy and the history of philosophy, as well as analytic philosophy Explains difficult concepts in an easily accessible manner, and addresses the use and application of these concepts Proven useful to philosophy students at both beginning and advanced levels
Author: Carroll Wetzel Wilkinson
Publisher: Assoc of Cllge & Rsrch Libr
ISBN: 083898603X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 273
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Book Description
The book raises a broad scope of themes including the intellectual, psychological, cultural, definitional and structural issues that academic instruction librarians face in higher education environments. The chapters in this book represent the voices of eight instruction librarians, including two Immersion faculty members. Other perspectives come from a library dean, a library school faculty member, a library coordinator of school library media certification programs, and a director emerita from a School of Education.
Author: Peter S. Fosl
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119103231
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 390
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Book Description
A new edition of the bestselling guide to the study of philosophy: the ideal intellectual ‘toolkit’ for sharpening analytical skills and building philosophical acuity Whether used as a guide to basic principles or a resource for key concepts and methods, The Philosopher's Toolkit equips readers with all the intellectual ‘tools’ necessary for engaging closely with philosophical argument and developing fluency in the methods and language of philosophical inquiry. Featuring accessible explanations, practical examples, and expert guidance, this text empowers readers to understand traditional philosophical thinking and to engage with new ideas. Focuses on the practical methods and concepts necessary for philosophical inquiry Presents a versatile resource for both novice and advanced students in areas of philosophy, critical theory, and rhetoric Adopts a pluralistic approach to teaching philosophy, making this a suitable resource for many courses Delivers extensive cross-referenced entries, recommended readings, and updated online resources Covers an array of topics, from basic tools of argumentation to sophisticated philosophical principles Fully revised and updated to include new topics and entries as well as expanded recommended reading lists to encourage further study
Author: D. M. Armstrong
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521589482
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 304
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Book Description
Offers a comprehensive system of analytical metaphysics, argued from a distinctive philosophical perspective.
Author: John Bacon
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521415620
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 320
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Book Description
This collection of essays, all especially written for this volume, explore the many facets of Armstrong's work, concentrating on his interests.
