The Spell of the Sensuous

The Spell of the Sensuous PDF Author: David Abram
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307830551
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 344

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Book Description
Winner of the International Lannan Literary Award for Nonfiction Animal tracks, word magic, the speech of stones, the power of letters, and the taste of the wind all figure prominently in this intellectual tour de force that returns us to our senses and to the sensuous terrain that sustains us. This major work of ecological philosophy startles the senses out of habitual ways of perception. For a thousand generations, human beings viewed themselves as part of the wider community of nature, and they carried on active relationships not only with other people with other animals, plants, and natural objects (including mountains, rivers, winds, and weather patters) that we have only lately come to think of as "inanimate." How, then, did humans come to sever their ancient reciprocity with the natural world? What will it take for us to recover a sustaining relation with the breathing earth? In The Spell of the Sensuous David Abram draws on sources as diverse as the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, Balinese shamanism, Apache storytelling, and his own experience as an accomplished sleight-of-hand of magician to reveal the subtle dependence of human cognition on the natural environment. He explores the character of perception and excavates the sensual foundations of language, which--even at its most abstract--echoes the calls and cries of the earth. On every page of this lyrical work, Abram weaves his arguments with a passion, a precision, and an intellectual daring that recall such writers as Loren Eisleley, Annie Dillard, and Barry Lopez.

Philosophy's Cool Place

Philosophy's Cool Place PDF Author: D. Z. Phillips
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 1501729454
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
Ludwig Wittgenstein established a "cool" stance for philosophy, contemplating the world without meddling in it. D. Z. Phillips explores this position, focusing on its implications for philosophical authorship and the philosophical investigation of the nature of reality. Influenced by the views of Wittgenstein and his pupil Rush Rhees, Phillips—who is one of Rhees's own students—first contrasts Wittgenstein's methods with Kierkegaard's religiously oriented dialectic. He describes the difficulty in sustaining a contemplative view of philosophy and discusses efforts to go beyond it in the work of Richard Rorty, Stanley Cavell, Annette Baier, and Martha Nussbaum, who, in different ways, propose to make philosophy a guide to living. A provocative and challenging work, Philosophy's Cool Place is one of the few books that addresses the discipline as an enterprise and explores its relation to moral values, religious belief, and the nature of Reality. By advancing the cause of neutrality, it will stimulate debate and foster discussion of what philosophy is to become in the postmodern era.

Classical Philosophy

Classical Philosophy PDF Author: Peter Adamson
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199674531
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
Readership: Anyone interested in philosophy, the history of ideas, or the ancient Greek world

Mini Philosophy

Mini Philosophy PDF Author: Jonny Thomson
Publisher: Headline
ISBN: 9781472282170
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description


LEGO and Philosophy

LEGO and Philosophy PDF Author: Roy T. Cook
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119193974
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
How profound is a little plastic building block? It turns out the answer is “very”! 22 chapters explore philosophy through the world of LEGO which encompasses the iconic brick itself as well as the animated televisions shows, feature films, a vibrant adult fan base with over a dozen yearly conventions, an educational robotics program, an award winning series of videogames, hundreds of books, magazines, and comics, a team-building workshop program for businesses and much, much more. Dives into the many philosophical ideas raised by LEGO bricks and the global multimedia phenomenon they have created Tackles metaphysical, logical, moral, and conceptual issues in a series of fascinating and stimulating essays Introduces key areas of philosophy through topics such as creativity and play, conformity and autonomy, consumption and culture, authenticity and identity, architecture, mathematics, intellectual property, business and environmental ethics Written by a global group of esteemed philosophers and LEGO fans A lively philosophical discussion of bricks, minifigures, and the LEGO world that will appeal to LEGO fans and armchair philosophers alike

The Twenty Greatest Philosophy Books

The Twenty Greatest Philosophy Books PDF Author: James Garvey
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 9780826490544
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
A witty and intelligent introduction to the top twenty philosophy books of all time

Introduction to Philosophy

Introduction to Philosophy PDF Author: John Perry
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 884

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Book Description
Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fifth Edition, is the most comprehensive topically organized collection of classical and contemporary philosophy available. Building on the exceptionally successful tradition of previous editions, the fifth edition presents seventy substantial selections from the best and most influential works in philosophy. Revised and updated to make it more pedagogical, this edition incorporates boldfaced key terms; a guide to writing philosophy papers; and a "Logical Toolkit," which lists and explains common terminology used in philosophical reasoning. This edition also features five new readings and a separate section on existential issues.

Philosophy in the Hellenistic and Roman Worlds

Philosophy in the Hellenistic and Roman Worlds PDF Author: Peter Adamson
Publisher: Oxford University Press (UK)
ISBN: 0198728026
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 455

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Book Description
A history of philosophy without any gaps. Volume 2, Philosophy in the Hellenistic and Roman worlds by Peter Adamson (2015).

Dream of Reason: A History of Western Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance (New Edition)

Dream of Reason: A History of Western Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance (New Edition) PDF Author: Anthony Gottlieb
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393354229
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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Book Description
"His book...supplant[s] all others, even the immensely successful History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell."—A. C. Grayling Already a classic, this landmark study of early Western thought now appears in a new edition with expanded coverage of the Middle Ages. This landmark study of Western thought takes a fresh look at the writings of the great thinkers of classic philosophy and questions many pieces of conventional wisdom. The book invites comparison with Bertrand Russell's monumental History of Western Philosophy, "but Gottlieb's book is less idiosyncratic and based on more recent scholarship" (Colin McGinn, Los Angeles Times). A New York Times Notable Book, a Los Angeles Times Best Book, and a Times Literary Supplement Best Book of 2001.

Rockin' Steady

Rockin' Steady PDF Author: Walt Frazier
Publisher: Triumph Books
ISBN: 1633190994
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description
For millions of basketball fans in the 1970s, Walt “Clyde” Frazier defined the word cool. An iconic piece of basketball history and sports journalism, this meticulously documented account tells the story of one of the greatest point guards in NBA history and how he led the Knicks to their only two championships with a style and flair that was wholly his own. Now, three decades later, Rockin’ Steady is back with an all-new introduction, afterword, and everything that made it one of the most unusual sports books of all time.

Games

Games PDF Author: C. Thi Nguyen
Publisher:
ISBN: 0190052082
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 253

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Book Description
Games are a unique art form. They do not just tell stories, nor are they simply conceptual art. They are the art form that works in the medium of agency. Game designers tell us who to be in games and what to care about; they designate the player's in-game abilities and motivations. In other words, designers create alternate agencies, and players submerge themselves in those agencies. Games let us explore alternate forms of agency. The fact that we play games demonstrates something remarkable about the nature of our own agency: we are capable of incredible fluidity with our own motivations and rationality. This volume presents a new theory of games which insists on games' unique value in human life. C. Thi Nguyen argues that games are an integral part of how we become mature, free people. Bridging aesthetics and practical reasoning, he gives an account of the special motivational structure involved in playing games. We can pursue goals, not for their own value, but for the sake of the struggle. Playing games involves a motivational inversion from normal life, and the fact that we can engage in this motivational inversion lets us use games to experience forms of agency we might never have developed on our own. Games, then, are a special medium for communication. They are the technology that allows us to write down and transmit forms of agency. Thus, the body of games forms a "library of agency" which we can use to help develop our freedom and autonomy. Nguyen also presents a new theory of the aesthetics of games. Games sculpt our practical activities, allowing us to experience the beauty of our own actions and reasoning. They are unlike traditional artworks in that they are designed to sculpt activities - and to promote their players' aesthetic appreciation of their own activity.