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The Return of the Primitive
by Ayn Rand Peter SchwartzIn the tumultuous late 60s and early 70s, a social movement known as the "New Left" emerged as a major cultural influence, especially on the youth of America. It was a movement that embraced "flower-power" and psychedelic "consciousness-expansion," that lionized Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro and launched the Black Panthers and the Theater of the Absurd. In Return Of The Primitive (originally published in 1971 as The New Left), Ayn Rand, bestselling novelist and originator of the theory of Objectivism, identified the intellectual roots of this movement. She urged people to repudiate its mindless nihilism and to uphold, instead, a philosophy of reason, individualism, capitalism, and technological progress. Editor Peter Schwartz, in this new, expanded version of The New Left, has reorganized Rand's essays and added some of his own in order to underscore the continuing relevance of her analysis of that period. He examines such current ideologies as feminism, environmentalism and multiculturalism and argues that the same primitive, tribalist, "anti-industrial" mentality which animated the New Left a generation ago is shaping society today.
The Return of the Theorists: Dialogues with Great Thinkers in International Relations
by Richard Ned Lebow Peer Schouten Hidemi SuganamiContemporary International Relations is as much a conversation between the living and the dead as it is among the living. Its debates are thoroughly rooted in and shaped by the thought of many bygone minds, both ancient and modern. With this in mind, The Return of the Theorists presents forty imagined dialogues with foundational theorists. They run the gamut from Homer and Confucius to Hedley Bull and Jean Bethke Elshtain, and span almost three millennia of human history, comprising representatives of a variety of cultures. The interviewers consist of more than forty international relations scholars and political theorists. They too cut across cultures, continents and almost three generations, and each is an expert on the work of the thinker invited. The Return of the Theorists will be of interest to anyone who has tried to enter the mind of bygone thinkers in political thought and International Relations.
The Return of Totalitarianism: Ideology, Terror, and Total Control
by Žarko PaićThis book enters into a detailed discussion with many theorists of totalitarianism, and demands a re-evaluation of approaches that speak of mass manipulation of people and ideological control mechanisms. Žarko Paić shows that totalitarianism cannot be only a political-ideological problem, but rather a problem of the relationship between the technosphere, political power, and the narcissistic culture of the spectacle, which offers postmodern revisionism and forgetfulness of history as opposed to brave civic participation in the public sphere of acting together. He investigates the transformations the political and cultural processes linked to the notion of ‘totalitarianism’ undergo in the contemporary world, and the transformations (and differences) that this notion expresses today in comparison to what was realized by fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism in the 20th century.
The Return of Work in Critical Theory: Self, Society, Politics (New Directions in Critical Theory #56)
by Christophe Dejours Jean-Philippe Deranty Emmanuel Renault Nicholas H. SmithFrom John Maynard Keynes’s prediction of a fifteen-hour workweek to present-day speculation about automation, we have not stopped forecasting the end of work. Critical theory and political philosophy have turned their attention away from the workplace to focus on other realms of domination and emancipation. But far from coming to an end, work continues to occupy a central place in our lives. This is not only because of the amount of time people spend on the job. Many of our deepest hopes and fears are bound up in our labor—what jobs we perform, how we relate to others, how we might flourish.The Return of Work in Critical Theory presents a bold new account of the human significance of work and the human costs of contemporary forms of work organization. A collaboration among experts in philosophy, social theory, and clinical psychology, it brings together empirical research with incisive analysis of the political stakes of contemporary work. The Return of Work in Critical Theory begins by looking in detail at the ways in which work today fails to meet our expectations. It then sketches a phenomenological description of work and examines the normative premises that underlie the experience of work. Finally, it puts forward a novel conception of work that can renew critical theory’s engagement with work and point toward possibilities for transformation. Inspired by Max Horkheimer’s vision of critical theory as empirically informed reflection on the sources of social suffering with emancipatory intent, The Return of Work in Critical Theory is a lucid diagnosis of the malaise and pathologies of contemporary work that proposes powerful remedies.
Return to Philosophy: Being A Defence of Reason, An Affirmation of Values, and A Plea for Philosophy
by C. E. M. Joad“Many people today adopt an instinctively derogatory attitude to reason. It is not, they say, a free activity of the mind, reaching conclusions under no compulsion save that of the evidence; it is the tool of instinct and the handmaid of desire. They are sceptical also in their attitude towards values. Beauty, they hold, is not an intrinsic quality of things; it is merely the compliment which we bestow upon the objects which have been fortunate enough to give us pleasure. One man’s pleasure is as good as another’s, and all the art criticism in the world is only an elaborate series of variations upon the theme: ‘This is what I happen to like.’ As with art, so with morals. To act rightly is merely to act in a way of which other people approve.“It is the object of the following pages to criticize this subjectivist attitude and to expose its inadequacy in art, in morals, and in thought. The book is, therefore, in effect a restatement in modern terms of certain traditional beliefs; that reason, if properly employed, can give us truth; that beauty is a real value which exists, and that we can train our minds and form our tastes to discern it; that some things are really right in a sense in which others are really wrong, and that the endeavour to know truth and to discern value is the noblest pursuit of the adult civilized intelligence. The best name for this pursuit is philosophy. This conclusion is reached by a number of different routes, each of which starting from some distinctive characteristic of modern life or thought, an aeroplane shed, a quasi-religious cult, or an essay of Aldous Huxley converges upon the same position. The defence of reason, the affirmation of values and the plea for philosophy thus constitute the underlying theme which links together the various essays which follow.”—Foreword
Return to Philosophy
by Thomas MolnarFrom its earliest beginnings and through much of its history, the philosophical enterprise has rooted its intellectual procedures in common sense. Ordinary discourse is what the pre-Socratic thinkers did at the dawn of speculation. The same approach was characteristic of the medieval mystics, Pascal in the seventeenth century, and Gaston Bachelard in the twentieth century. However with the ascendency of the physical sciences, mathematics, and depth psychology as influences in contemporary thought, philosophical language and forms of expression became increasingly distant from ordinary language. This created estrangement and confusion in the learner's mind. In Return to Philosophy Thomas Molnar diagnoses the verbal derailment of philosophy and shows how it might be reconnected to the realities of human life.While granting that philosophy must use a somewhat specialized language, Molnar attacks jargon-laden thought by tracing certain root assumptions that go deeper than the issue of language itself. He locates these assumptions in the work of philosophers who, espousing modernity, no longer trust the "reality of the real," and are convinced that the world and our perception of it are elusive, offering no foundation except in the human mind which, however, is also the result of a "social contract," a temporary consensus or transient network of meanings readily discardable. According to changing ideologies and social structures we use "signs" linguistic, psychological, hermeneutical, structuralist, existentialist not to express reality but to establish communication with others. Philosophy, then, shifts from the task of knowing reality to the task of communicating here and now.Return to Philosophy is a unique endeavor. Molnar's book unmasks the modern derailment and shows that many leading philosophers do not so much philosophize, but merely elaborate verbal-technical instruments in what may be little more than trivial language games. This volume will be of interest to philosophers, cultural historians, and sociologists.
Return to Reason
by Stephen ToulminThe turmoil and brutality of the twentieth century have made it increasingly difficult to maintain faith in the ability of reason to fashion a stable and peaceful world. After the ravages of global conflict and a Cold War that divided the world's loyalties, how are we to master our doubts and face the twenty-first century with hope? In Return to Reason, Stephen Toulmin argues that the potential for reason to improve our lives has been hampered by a serious imbalance in our pursuit of knowledge. The centuries-old dominance of rationality, a mathematical mode of reasoning modeled on theory and universal certainties, has diminished the value of reasonableness, a system of humane judgments based on personal experience and practice. To this day, academic disciplines such as economics and professions such as law and medicine often value expert knowledge and abstract models above the testimony of diverse cultures and the practical experience of individuals. Now, at the beginning of a new century, Toulmin sums up a lifetime of distinguished work and issues a powerful call to redress the balance between rationality and reasonableness. His vision does not reject the valuable fruits of science and technology, but requires awareness of the human consequences of our discoveries. Toulmin argues for the need to confront the challenge of an uncertain and unpredictable world, not with inflexible ideologies and abstract theories, but by returning to a more humane and compassionate form of reason, one that accepts the diversity and complexity that is human nature as an essential beginning for all intellectual inquiry.
A Return to Social Justice: Youth Justice, Ideology And Philosophy
by Jessica UrwinYouth justice has always focused on criminal justice but this work argues that taking a social justice approach is the best way to reduce youth crime. Drawing on philosophy, new research, and practitioners’ views, a new organizational structure and approach is developed. Urwin outlines the philosophical and historical background of youth justice and clarifies how this has led to problems within current practice. Prominent debates within the field are also explored in depth, such as care vs. control, and the issue of professional identity. Ultimately, all of these factors are considered in relation to the organizational structure of youth justice, and this bold and engaging study highlights the need for a more principled approach to practice. Timely and authoritative, this book is will be of great interest to youth justice practitioners, academics, students, and those who would like to apply social justice to social institutions.
Returning to Judgment: Bernard Stiegler and Continental Political Theory (SUNY series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy)
by Ben TurnerReturning to Judgment provides the first extensive treatment of political judgment in the work of Bernard Stiegler and the first account of his significance for contemporary continental political thought. Ben Turner argues that Stiegler breaks with his predecessors in continental philosophy by advocating for, rather than retreating from, the task of proposing totalizing judgments on political problems that extend beyond the local and the particular. He shows that the reconciliation of judgment with continental political thought's commitment to anti-totalization structures the entirety of Stiegler's philosophy and demonstrates that this theory of the political decision highlights the difficulties that contemporary political ontology faces when addressing global and large-scale political problems. The book provides an overview of Stiegler's philosophy useful for those unfamiliar with his thought, shows how he draws on key influences including Deleuze, Derrida, Freud, and Simondon to develop his conception of judgment, and considers the challenges and consequences of his embrace of totalizing political decisions.
Returning to Primordially Creative Thinking: Chinese Wisdom On The Horizon Of Xiang Thinking
by Shuren Wang Lin ZhangThis book identifies that “Xiang thinking” is the eidetic connotation and a fundamental trait of traditional Chinese thinking, offering insights of considerable methodological significance. "Xiang thinking" is a mode of thinking different from conceptual thinking or idealized rational thinking and, in a certain sense, it is more primal. In the past century, particularly since 1949, the primary works on Chinese philosophical history have, as a rule, addressed the ancient Chinese tradition of philosophical ideas by virtue of the philosophies of Plato, Descartes and Hegel: methods that inherently challenge Chinese philosophical insights. This has naturally led to the fact that the insights as such remained obscured. This book starts to reverse this trend, intending to help Chinese people understand and appraise themselves in a more down-to-earth fashion. In addition, it is particularly helpful to people of other cultures if they want to understand ancient Chinese philosophy and culture in a context of fresh and inspiring philosophical ideas. (By Zhang Xianglong)
Returning to Scientific Practice: A New Reflection on Philosophy of Science (China Perspectives)
by Xu Zhu Wu TongThis book is a result from a collective study on philosophy of scientific practice (PSP), which began around 2002 and still ongoing. There is an apparently increasing interest in scientific practice, influenced by the historicistic philosophy of science and the sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK). Prof. WU Tong and his research group believe that it is necessary for PSP to turn from the theory-dominant position to the practice dominance. PSP has also put forward the possibility of reinterpreting the epistemic status of local knowledge in Chinese tradition, which provides the most significant motivation to participate this study. In this book, we have selected three main cases – namely, Chinese medicine, Fengshui, and Ethnobotany – to examine the effect of PSP. The aim of our collective study is not merely on theoretical construction of PSP, but also to consider the various applications of PSP, especially for re-interpreting and demonstrating the variety of local knowledge from traditional China, which seems to be a genuine contribution to the international enterprise of philosophy of science, particularly made by Chinese scholars.
Reuse, Misuse, Abuse: The Ethics of Audiovisual Appropriation in the Digital Era
by Jaimie BaronIn contemporary culture, existing audiovisual recordings are constantly reused and repurposed for various ends, raising questions regarding the ethics of such appropriations, particularly when the recording depicts actual people and events. Every reuse of a preexisting recording is, on some level, a misuse in that it was not intended or at least anticipated by the original maker, but not all misuses are necessarily unethical. In fact, there are many instances of productive misuse that seem justified. At the same time, there are other instances in which the misuse shades into abuse. Documentary scholars have long engaged with the question of the ethical responsibility of documentary makers in relation to their subjects. But what happens when this responsibility is set at a remove, when the recording already exists for the taking and repurposing? Reuse, Misuse and Abuse surveys a range of contemporary films and videos that appropriate preexisting footage and attempts to theorize their ethical implications.
Revealing Art
by Matthew KieranWhy does art matter to us, and what makes it good? Why is the role of imagination so important in art? Illustrated with carefully chosen colour and black-and-white plates of examples from Michaelangelo to Matisse and Poussin to Pollock, Revealing Art takes us on a compelling and provocative journey.Kieran explores some of the most important questions we can ask ourselves about art: how can art inspire us or disgust us? Is artistic judgement simply a matter of taste? Can art be immoral or obscene, and should it be censored? He brings such abstract issues to life with fascinating discussions of individual paintings, photographs and sculptures, such as Michelangelo's Pieta, Andres Serrano's Piss Christ and Francis Bacon's powerful paintings of the Pope.He also suggests some answers to problems that any one in an art gallery or museum is likely to ask themselves: what is a beautiful work of art? and can art really reveal something true about our own nature?Revealing Art is ideal for anyone interested in debates about art today, or who has simply stood in front of a painting and felt baffled.
Revelación a Baron A. Deschauer
by Baron Alexander DeschauerDESCRIPCIÓN DEL LIBRO Este libro establece el secreto de estar contento y feliz. Establece el significado de la vida. Establece las infinitas posibilidades disponibles para todos nosotros. Este libro está escrito de una manera que todos puedan entender sin referencia a personas vivas o muertas ni que requieren años de estudio filosófico o teológico. Presenta ideas que trascienden barreras sociales, económicas y académicas. Como un espejo refleja la imagen del espectador, este libro reflejará los pensamientos y experiencias del lector. El objetivo de este libro es tener una mayor comprensión por parte del lector de sí misma y su conexión absoluta con todos los seres vivos. Para tener un mayor efecto, se recomienda leer los capítulos en voz alta.
Revelações a Baron A. Deschauer
by Baron Alexander DeschauerEste livro define o segredo de ser feliz e contente. Ele define o significado da vida. Ele define as infinitas possibilidades que estão disponíveis para todos nós. Este livro é escrito de uma maneira que todos possam entender, sem referência a pessoas vivas ou mortas, nem exigindo anos de estudo filosófico ou teológico. Apresenta idéias que transcendem as barreiras sociais, econômicas e acadêmicas. Como um espelho reflete a imagem do espectador, este livro refletirá os pensamentos e experiências do leitor. O objetivo deste livro é oferecer ao leitor uma maior compreensão sobre si mesmo e de sua conexão absoluta com todas as coisas vivas
Revelation 1-3 in Christian Arabic Commentary: John's First Vision and the Letters to the Seven Churches (Christian Arabic Texts in Translation)
by Stephen J. Davis T. C. Schmidt Shawqi Talia Būlus Al-Būshī Ibn Kātib QayṣarThe first publication in a new series—Christian Arabic Texts in Translation, edited by Stephen Davis—this book presents English-language excerpts from thirteenth-century commentaries on the Apocalypse of John by two Egyptian authors, Būlus al-Būshī and Ibn Kātib Qas.ar. Accompanied by scholarly introductions and critical annotations, this edition will provide a valuable entry-point to important but understudied theological work taking place at the at the meeting-points of the medieval Christian and Muslim worlds.
Revelation as Testimony: A Philosophical-Theological Study
by Mats WahlbergAccording to the pre-modern Christian tradition, knowledge of God is mainly testimonial: we know certain important truths about God and divine things because God himself has told them to us. In academic theology of late this view is often summarily dismissed. But to do so is a mistake, claims Mats Wahlberg, who argues that the testimonial understanding of revelation is indispensable to Christian theology.Criticizing the currently common idea that revelation should be construed exclusively in terms of God’s self manifestation in history or through inner experience, Wahlberg discusses the concept of divine testimony in the context of the debate about how any knowledge of God is possible. He draws on resources from contemporary analytic philosophy -- especially John McDowell and Nicholas Wolterstorff -- to argue for the intellectual viability of revelation as divine testimony.
Revelation, Intellectual Intuition and Reason in the Philosophy of Mulla Sadra: An Analysis of the al-hikmah al-'arshiyyah (Routledge Sufi Series)
by Zailan MorisThis book examines and analyses the legitimacy of the widely held claim that Mulla Sadra's philosophy (al-hikmah al-muta'aliyyah) is a synthesis of principles and doctrines drawn from revelation (wahy), gnosis ('irfan/ma'rifah) and discursive philosophy (al-hikmah al-bahthiyyah). In Mulla Sadra's view, these three major sources of knowledge can be brought together without contradiction and accorded their respective roles in the human quest for true and certain knowledge. This book discusses and demonstrates how Mulla Sadra achieves this synthesis as contained in and exemplified by his text, al-Hikmah al-'arshiyyah or Wisdom from the Divine Throne. An evaluation on whether or not Mulla Sadra's synthesis is successful is also undertaken. The criteria used for the evaluation are the internal coherence of his ideas, their conformity to Islamic teachings and impact on Islamic thinkers after him.
Revelation Restored: Divine Writ And Critical Responses (Radical Traditions Ser.)
by David W HalivniIn this thought-provoking book, David Weiss Halivni asserts that the act of acknowledging and accounting for inconsistencies in the Pentateuchal text is not alien to the Biblical or Rabbinic tradition and need not belie the tradition of revelation. Moreover, the author argues that through recognizing textual problems in the scriptures, as well as e
Revenge and Social Conflict
by Christensen Kit R.Revenge has been a subject of concern in most intellectual traditions throughout history, and even when social norms regard it as permissible or even obligatory, it is commonly recognised as being more counterproductive than beneficial. In this book, Kit Christensen explores this provocative issue, offering an in-depth account of both the nature of revenge and the causes and consequences of the desire for this kind of retaliatory violence. He then develops a version of eudaimonistic consequentialism to argue that vengeance is never morally justified, and applies this to cases of intergroup violence where the lust for revenge against a vilified 'Them' is easily incited and often exploited. His study will interest a wide range of readers in moral philosophy as well as social philosophers, legal theorists, and social/behavioural scientists.
The Revenge of History
by Seumas MilneFrom 9/11 to the Arab uprisings and beyond--encompassing the economic crisis, war on terror, rise of China and tide of change in Latin America--The Revenge of History turns the orthodoxies of the past generation on their head. In this coruscating account of the first decade of the twenty-first century, Seumas Milne presents a powerful indictment of a US global and corporate empire in--and its British and European camp followers. Milne traces the breakdown of a failed 'free market' system, exposes the power and resource grab driving western military interventions, explains the dynamo behind a roaring Chinese economy and highlights the social alternatives being developed in Latin America. Brilliant, bold and always incisive, The Revenge of History is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand what has gone wrong--and grasp the possibilities of an emerging future.
The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century
by Moisés Naím“An authoritative and intelligent portrait of the global spread of authoritarianism and its dangers...what sets [this] work apart from books like Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny and Michiko Kakutani’s The Death of Truth is its unusually comprehensive armada of facts about the international drift over the past two decades toward authoritarian leaders, whether old-style dictators like Kim Jong Un or nominally elected presidents like Vladimir Putin.” —KirkusAn urgent, thrilling, and original look at the future of democracy that illuminates one of the most important battles of our time: the future of freedom and how to contain and defeat the autocrats mushrooming around the world.In his bestselling book The End of Power, Moisés Naím examined power-diluting forces. In The Revenge of Power, Naím turns to the trends, conditions, technologies and behaviors that are contributing to the concentration of power, and to the clash between those forces that weaken power and those that strengthen it. He concentrates on the three “P”s—populism, polarization, and post-truths. All of which are as old as time, but are combined by today’s autocrats to undermine democratic life in new and frightening ways. Power has not changed. But the way people go about gaining it and using it has been transformed.The Revenge of Power is packed with alluring characters, riveting stories about power grabs and loses, and vivid examples of the tricks and tactics used by autocrats to counter the forces that are weakening their power. It connects the dots between global events and political tactics that, when taken together, show a profound and often stealthy transformation in power and politics worldwide. Using the best available data and insights taken from recent research in the social sciences, Naím reveals how, on close examination, the same set of strategies to consolidate power pop up again and again in places with vastly different political, economic, and social circumstances, and offers insights about what can be done to ensure that freedom and democracy prevail.The outcomes of these battles for power will determine if our future will be more autocratic or more democratic. Naím addresses the questions at the heart of the matter: Why is power concentrating in some places while in others it is fragmenting and degrading? And the big question: What is the future of freedom?
Revenge of the Aesthetic: The Place of Literature in Theory Today
by Michael P. ClarkThis cutting-edge collection of essays showcases the work of some of the most influential theorists of the past thirty years as they grapple with the question of how literature should be treated in contemporary theory. The contributors challenge trends that have recently dominated the field--especially those that emphasize social and political issues over close reading and other analytic methods traditionally associated with literary criticism. Written especially for this collection, these essays argue for the importance of aesthetics, poetics, and aesthetic theory as they present new and stimulating perspectives on the directions which theory and criticism will take in the future. In addition to providing a selection of distinguished critics writing at their best, this collection is valuable because it represents a variety of fields and perspectives that are not usually found together in the same volume. Michael Clark's introduction provides a concise, cogent history of major developments and trends in literary theory from World War II to the present, making the entire volume essential reading for students and scholars of literature, literary theory, and philosophy.
Reverence for Life: The Ethics of Albert Schweitzer for the Twenty-First Century
by Albert SchweitzerThis &“little gem of a book&” shares the Nobel laureate&’s profound insights on ethics, ecology, human rights, and more (Jane Goodall). The theologian and humanitarian Albert Schweitzer dedicated his life to the betterment of mankind. In 1952, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his philosophy of Reverence for Life—and for the many ways he put that philosophy into action. This volume gathers together his thoughts on this profound and deeply influential concept. Based on a fundamental respect and compassion for all living things, Schweitzer&’s philosophy sought to reconcile the conflicting drives of egoism and altruism. He applied this ethical perspective to a host of topics, from war and peace to arts, animal rights, and forming a global community. Reverence for Life draws on Schweitzer&’s diverse writings across decades, including excerpts from previously unpublished letters to John F. Kennedy, Norman Cousins, Bertrand Russell, and others. A foreword by former US Ambassador, Roger Gamble, an introduction by the editor, Harold E. Robles, and a brief biographical sketch of Schweitzer&’s life round out this essential volume.
Reverence for Life: The Ethics of Albert Schweitzer for the Twenty-First Century
by Albert SchweitzerThis &“little gem of a book&” shares the Nobel laureate&’s profound insights on ethics, ecology, human rights, and more (Jane Goodall). The theologian and humanitarian Albert Schweitzer dedicated his life to the betterment of mankind. In 1952, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his philosophy of Reverence for Life—and for the many ways he put that philosophy into action. This volume gathers together his thoughts on this profound and deeply influential concept. Based on a fundamental respect and compassion for all living things, Schweitzer&’s philosophy sought to reconcile the conflicting drives of egoism and altruism. He applied this ethical perspective to a host of topics, from war and peace to arts, animal rights, and forming a global community. Reverence for Life draws on Schweitzer&’s diverse writings across decades, including excerpts from previously unpublished letters to John F. Kennedy, Norman Cousins, Bertrand Russell, and others. A foreword by former US Ambassador, Roger Gamble, an introduction by the editor, Harold E. Robles, and a brief biographical sketch of Schweitzer&’s life round out this essential volume.