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Unexceptional Politics: On Obstruction, Impasse, and the Impolitic
by Emily ApterA new vision of politics “below the radar”One way to grasp the nature of politics is to understand the key terms in which it is discussed. Unexceptional Politics develops a political vocabulary drawn from a wide range of media (political fiction, art, film, and TV), highlighting the scams, imbroglios, information trafficking, brinkmanship, and parliamentary procedures that obstruct and block progressive politics. The book reviews and renews modes of thinking about micropolitics that counter notions of the “state of exception” embedded in theories of the “political” from Thomas Hobbes to Carl Schmitt. Emily Apter develops a critical model of politics behind the scenes, a politics that operates outside the norms of classical political theory. She focuses on micropolitics, defined as small events, happening in series, that often pass unnoticed yet disturb and interfere with the institutional structures of capitalist parliamentary systems, even as they secure their reproduction and longevity. Apter’s experimental glossary is arranged under headings that look at the apparently incidental, immaterial, and increasingly virtual practices of politicking: “obstruction,” “obstinacy,” “psychopolitics,” “managed life,” “serial politics.” Such terms frame an argument for taking stock of the realization that we really do not know what politics is, where it begins and ends, or how its micro-events should be described.
The Unexpected in Action: Ethics, Rationality, and Skills (Theory and History in the Human and Social Sciences)
by Antonio CocozzaThe book is a true knowledge-enhancing project, dealing with the forms of rationality at work in social life, which are so many, varied and complex. Published already in Spanish and Italian, it analyses the role played by rationality through the lens of social theories in order to propose a problematic interpretation of human action. Since there is nothing more practical than a good theory when seeking to understand our society, the book reflects on the theoretical approaches that provide useful categories by means of which to understand and interpret individual, organizational, and institutional action. It proposes an analysis of a wide variety of classics by eminent European and Anglo-American thinkers, such as Dahrendorf, Mannheim, Marx, Popper, Weber, Habermas, Luhmann, Machiavelli, Pareto, Ardigò, Cesareo, Parsons, Schütz, Alexander, Bauman, Beck, Sennett, Antiseri, Boudon, Sen, Simon, to shed light on the relationship between rationality, difficulties in thinking and extra-rationality. Finally, the reasons for unexpected action are investigated as well as the strategic role played by ethics, rationality and skills in postmodern societies on the basis of the contributions of Nussbaum and Piketty.
The Unexpected Power of Mindfulness and Meditation
by Deb Shapiro Ed Shapiro"Ed and Deb bring compassion and heart to a modern world where it is sorely missed." — Ram Dass author of Be Here NowBehind the dramas and conflicts of life, there exists a quiet inner place where mindfulness and meditation can help us reside. The sanity and brilliance of this combination can awaken inner strength, foster kindness and fearlessness, and invite radical change. Discover how to transform your life from the inside out with the profound benefits of a calm and stress-free mind.The Unexpected Power of Mindfulness and Meditation features personal insights from visionary leaders — Matthew Fox, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Marianne Williamson among them — who discuss their methods of maintaining mental health and happiness.“Treat this book as you would a cookery book. You wouldn't just read recipes; you'd try them out. Like cookery, meditation only makes sense if you experience it.” — His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Prize laureate"Ed and Deb remind us all just how important it is to look after the health and happiness of the mind. With warmth and humor, they show us how to integrate the timeless qualities of awareness and compassion into everyday life." — Andy Puddicombe, founder of HEADSPACE“Mindfulness is the awareness that arises when we pay attention to the present moment. It accesses us to core aspects of our mind that our very sanity depends on, as does our capacity to live wholeheartedly in this crazy world.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness teacher“I can be as nuts as the next person, living in a world like we live in with the craziness and chaos. It takes work to retain our sanity in the midst of all that, and to me meditation is the most powerful tool for doing so.” — Marianne Williamson, New York Times bestselling author of A Return to Love“Ed and Deb Shapiro are two warm, caring, and capable individuals. Their work makes our planet a safer and more loving place to live.” — Bernie Siegel, M.D., bestselling author of Love, Medicine and Miracles“If there is one book you read about meditation, this should be the one. Hear about some of the cool people who do it, why you should do it, and how.” — Sharon Gannon, Jivamukti Yoga“What an accomplishment! Ed and Deb's profoundly unique book offers a one-stop shop for those engaged in mindfulness and meditation. The direct transmission contained in this book can take us one step further. We find it especially useful to help stabilize spiritual activism in these challenging times and we'll refer it widely.” — John Steiner and Margo King, transpartisan activists“I hope that your work is reaching many. It deserves it and so do they.” — Stephen Levine, international bestselling author “Acceptance of what is, that is meditation. This book will help you make friends with your mind. Ed and Deb are spreading love in the world; be a part of it!” — Parmita Pushman, White Swan Records“The pausing has been profound. It has invited me to arrive in the here and now with my child clients, and to accept whatever happens without judging.” — Megan Cronin Larson, play therapist“The wonderful Shapiros are a conduit of joy and spiritual energy that heals hearts on their subtle level.” — Dr. Lex Hixon, author of Coming Home“Ed and Deb make a connection to their friends' spirit. They then bring their spiritual energy all over the world for world peace.” — Kitaro, Golden Globe Award– and Grammy Award–winning musician
The Unexplained Intellect: Complexity, Time, and the Metaphysics of Embodied Thought
by Christopher MoleThe relationship between intelligent systems and their environment is at the forefront of research in cognitive science. The Unexplained Intellect: Complexity, Time, and the Metaphysics of Embodied Thought shows how computational complexity theory and analytic metaphysics can together illuminate long-standing questions about the importance of that relationship. It argues that the most basic facts about a mind cannot just be facts about mental states, but must include facts about the dynamic, interactive mental occurrences that take place when a creature encounters its environment. In a discussion that is organised into four clear parts, Christopher Mole begins by examining the mathematics of computational complexity, arguing that the results from complexity theory create a puzzle about how human intelligence could possibly be explained. Mole then uses the tools of analytic metaphysics to draw a distinction between mental states and dynamic mental entities, and shows that, in order to answer the complexity-theoretic puzzle, dynamic entities must be understood to be among the most basic of mental phenomena. The picture of the mind that emerges has important implications for our understanding of intelligence, of action, and of the mind’s relationship to the passage of time. The Unexplained Intellect is the first book to bring insights from the mathematics of computational complexity to bear in an enquiry into the metaphysics of the mind. It will be essential reading for scholars and researchers in the philosophy of mind and psychology, for cognitive scientists, and for those interested in the philosophical importance of complexity.
Unfathomable Depths
by Daigaku Rumme Sekkei Harada Hongliang Gu Heiko NarrogNavigate a forgotten classic poem and enrich your practice with famed Zen master Sekkei Harada.Three of the most pressing issues in any discussion of modern Zen are the true nature and function of Dharma transmission, how to appropriately practice with koans, and how to understand the "just sitting" of Soto Zen. Zen master Sekkei Harada uses the enigmatic "Ten Verses of Unfathomable Depth" as the basis of his practical and theoretical discussion of these concerns. Unfathomable Depths presents a concise treatment of Soto theory and practice, while delivering approachable and workable advice from one of Zen's most esteemed teachers. Rooting himself in Tong'an Changcha's classical poem, Harada intimately speaks to the world of Zen today.
Unfelt: The Language of Affect in the British Enlightenment
by James NoggleUnfelt offers a new account of feeling during the British Enlightenment, finding that the passions and sentiments long considered as preoccupations of the era depend on a potent insensibility, the secret emergence of pronounced emotions that only become apparent with time. Surveying a range of affects including primary sensation, love and self-love, greed, happiness, and patriotic ardor, James Noggle explores literary evocations of imperceptibility and unfeeling that pervade and support the period's understanding of sensibility.Each of the four sections of Unfelt—on philosophy, the novel, historiography, and political economy—charts the development of these idioms from early in the long eighteenth century to their culmination in the age of sensibility. From Locke to Eliza Haywood, Henry Fielding, and Frances Burney, and from Dudley North to Hume and Adam Smith, Noggle's exploration of the insensible dramatically expands the scope of affect in the period's writing and thought.Drawing inspiration from contemporary affect theory, Noggle charts how feeling and unfeeling flow and feed back into each other, identifying emotional dynamics at their most elusive and powerful: the potential, the incipient, the emergent, the virtual.
The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman
by William Scott Wilson Takuan SohoThis classic samurai-era text fused Japanese swordsmanship with Zen and influenced the direction that the art has taken ever since. Written by the seventeenth-century Zen master Takuan Soho (1573-1645), The Unfettered Mind is a book of advice on swordsmanship and the cultivation of right mind and intention. It was written as a guide for the samurai Yagyu Munenori, who was a great swordsman and rival to the legendary Miyamoto Musashi. Takuan was a giant in the history of Zen; he was also a gardener, calligrapher, poet, author, adviser to samurai and shoguns, and a pivotal figure in Zen painting. He was known for his brilliance and acerbic wit. In these succinct and pointed essays, Takuan is concerned primarily with understanding and refining the mind--both generally and when faced with conflict. The Unfettered Mind was a major influence on the classic manifestos on swordsmanship that came after it, including Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings and Yagyu Munenori's Life-Giving Sword.
The Unfinished Dialogue
by John M. OesterreicherIn The Unfinished Dialogue: Martin Buber and the Christian Way, author John M. Oesterreicher analyzes Buber's philosophies and writings in this concise book. Oesterreicher's analyses are the perfect companion to understanding Buber in his own words. Martin Buber was an influential Jewish philosopher, essayist, translator, and editor most known for his German translation of the Bible, his religious existentialism philosophy, and his role in the Zionist movement. Scholars and philosophers continue to consult his unparalleled approach to religious studies, and his writings have made a lasting impact on the approach to philosophical thought. New and returning readers of Buber will find clarity and wisdom in his words, along with clarity provided by Oesterreicher's analysis. John M. Oesterreicher wrote and contributed to many texts on the study of religion, including The Unfinished Dialogue, Standing Before God, Jerusalem, and The New Encounter Between Christians and Jews. He also served as the director of the Institute of Judaeo-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University.
The Unfinished Game: Pascal, Fermat, and the Seventeenth-Century Letter that Made the World Modern
by Keith DevlinIn the early seventeenth century, the outcome of something as simple as a dice roll was consigned to the realm of unknowable chance. Mathematicians largely agreed that it was impossible to predict the probability of an occurrence. Then, in 1654, Blaise Pascal wrote to Pierre de Fermat explaining that he had discovered how to calculate risk. The two collaborated to develop what is now known as probability theory?a concept that allows us to think rationally about decisions and events. In "The Unfinished Game," Keith Devlin masterfully chronicles Pascal and FermatOCOs mathematical breakthrough, connecting a centuries-old discovery with its remarkable impact on the modern world.
Unfinished Leninism
by Paul Le BlancPraise for Paul Le Blanc's Lenin and the Revolutionary Party:"A work of unusual strength and coherence, inspired not by academic neutrality but by the deep conviction that there is much to learn from the actual ideas and experiences of Lenin." -Michael LöwyAs a leader of the Russian Revolution, Vladimir Lenin was perhaps the greatest revolutionary of the twentieth century. These clearly written essays offer an account of his life and times, a lively view of his personality, and a stimulating engagement with his ideas.Paul Le Blanc is a professor of history at La Roche College and has written widely on radical movements.
The Unfinished Project: Toward a Postmetaphysical Humanism
by Lorenzo C. SimpsonAs humanity becomes increasingly interconnected through globalization, the question of whether community is possible within culturally diverse societies has returned as a principal concern for contemporary thought. Lorenzo Simpson charges that the current discussion is stuck at an impasse-between postmodernism's fragmented notions of cultural difference and humanism's homogeneous versions of community. Simpson proposes an alternative-one that bridges cultural differences without erasing them. He argues that we must establish common aesthetic and ethical standards incorporating sensitivity to difference if we are to achieve cross-cultural understanding.
An Unfinished Revolution: Karl Marx and Abraham Lincoln
by Abraham Lincoln Friedrich Engels Karl Marx Robin Blackburn Raya DunaevskayaKarl Marx and Abraham Lincoln exchanged letters at the end of the Civil War, with Marx writing on behalf of the International Working Men's Association. Although they were divided by far more than the Atlantic Ocean, they agreed on the urgency of suppressing slavery and the cause of "free labor." In his introduction Robin Blackburn argues that Lincoln's response to the IWA was a sign of the importance of the German American community as well as of the role of the International in opposing European recognition of the Confederacy. The International went on to attract many thousands of supporters in over fifty regions of the US, and helped to spread the demand for an eight-hour day--enacted by Congress in 1868 for Federal employees. Blackburn shows how the International in America--born out of the Civil War--sought to radicalize Lincoln's unfinished revolution and to advance the rights of labor, uniting black and white, men and women, native and foreign-born. The International contributed to a profound critique of the capitalist robber barons who enriched themselves during and after the war. It inspired an extraordinary series of strikes and class struggles in the postwar decades. In addition to a range of key texts and letters by both Lincoln and Marx, this book includes Raya Dunaevskaya's assessment of the impact of the Civil War on Marx's theory and a survey by Frederick Engels of the progress of US labor in the 1880s.
The Unfinished System of Karl Marx: Critically Reading Capital As A Challenge For Our Times (Luxemburg International Studies In Political Economy Ser.)
by Judith Dellheim Frieder Otto WolfThis book examines what we can gain from a critical reading of Marx's final manuscript and his conclusion of the "systematic presentation" of his critique, which was the basis for Engels's construction of the third volume of his infamous 'Capital'. The text introduces the reader to a key problem´of Marx's largely implicit epistemology, by exploring the systematic character of his exposition and the difference of this kind of 'systematicity' from Hegelian philosophical system construction. The volume contributes to establishing a new understanding of the critique of political economy, as it has been articulated in various debates since the 1960s - especially in France, Germany, and Italy - and as it had already been initiated by Marx and some of his followers, with Rosa Luxemburg in a key role. All the chapters are transdisciplinary in nature, and explore the modern day relevance of Marx's and Luxemburg's theoretical analysis of the dominance of the capitalist mode of production.
The Unfit Brain and the Limits of Moral Bioenhancement
by Fabrice JotterandIn light of the potential novel applications of neurotechnologies in psychiatry and the current debate on moral bioenhancement, this book outlines the reasons why more conceptual work is needed to inform the scientific and medical community, and society at large, about the implications of moral bioenhancement before a possible, highly hypothetical at this point, broad acceptance, and potential implementation in areas such as psychiatry (e.g., treatment of psychopathy), or as a measure to prevent crime in society. The author does not negate the possibility of altering or manipulating moral behavior through technological means. Rather he argues that the scope of interventions is limited because the various options available to “enhance morality” improve, or simply manipulate, some elements of moral behavior and not the moral agent per se in the various elements constitutive of moral agency. The concept of Identity Integrity is suggested as a potential framework for a responsible use of neurotechnologies in psychiatry to avoid human beings becoming orderers and orderables of technological manipulations.
Unfit Subjects: Education Policy and the Teen Mother, 1972-2002
by Wanda S. PillowWanda Pillow presents a critical analysis of federal law and polciy towards pregnant teens, representations of teen pregnancy in popular culture and educational policy assesses how schools provide educational opportunities for school aged mothers. Through in- depth analysis of specific policies and programmes, both past and present, thsi book traces America's successes and failures in educating pregnant teens. Unfit Subjects uses feminist, race and poststructural theories to inform a satisfactory educational policy.
Unflattening
by Nick SousanisThe primacy of words over images has deep roots in Western culture. But what if the two are inextricably linked in meaning-making? In this experiment in visual thinking, drawn in comics, Nick Sousanis defies conventional discourse to offer readers a stunning work of graphic art and a serious inquiry into the ways humans construct knowledge.
Unfolding Meaning: A Weekend of Dialogue with David Bohm
by David BohmFirst published in 1987. In Unfolding Meaning, the author, one of the most provocative and original thinkers of our time, argues that there are other ways of thinking to bring about a different, more harmonious reality. Our fragmented, mechanistic notion of order derives from the modem conception that our earth is only part, not - as it was with the Greeks - the centre, of the immense universe of material bodies. The implications of this idea permeate modem science and technology today and also our general attitude to life.
Unforbidden Pleasures
by Adam PhillipsForbidden pleasures, he argues, are the ones we tend to think about, yet when you look into it, it is probable that we get as much pleasure, if not more, from unforbidden pleasures than from those that are taboo. And we may have underestimated just how restricted our restrictiveness, in thrall to the forbidden and its rules, may make us. An ambitious book that speaks to the precariousness of modern life, Unforbidden Pleasures explores the philosophical, psychological, and social dynamics that govern human desire and shape our everyday reality.
Unfreezing Music Education: Critical Formalism and Possibilities for Self-Reflexive Music Learning (Routledge Studies in Music Education)
by Paul LouthUnfreezing Music Education argues that discussing the conflicting meanings of music should occupy a more central role in formal music education and music teacher preparation programs than is currently the case. Drawing on the critical theory of the Frankfurt School, the author seeks to take a dialectical approach to musical meaning, rooted in critical formalism, that avoids the pitfalls of both traditional aesthetic arguments and radical subjectivity. This book makes the case for helping students understand that the meaning of musical forms is socially constructed through a process of reification, and argues that encouraging greater awareness of the processes through which music’s fluid meanings become hidden will help students to think more critically about music. Connecting this philosophical argument with concrete, practical challenges faced by students and educators, this study will be of interest to researchers across music education and philosophy, as well as post-secondary music educators and all others interested in aesthetic philosophy, critical theory, cultural studies, or the sociology of music and music education.
Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos
by Nancy L. Rosenblum Russell MuirheadHow a concentrated attack on political institutions threatens to disable the essential workings of governmentIn this unsettling book, Russell Muirhead and Nancy Rosenblum trace how ungoverning—the deliberate effort to dismantle the capacity of government to do its work—has become a malignant part of politics. Democracy depends on a government that can govern, and that requires what&’s called administration. The administrative state is made up of the vast array of departments and agencies that conduct the essential business of government, from national defense and disaster response to implementing and enforcing public policies of every kind. Ungoverning chronicles the reactionary movement that demands dismantling the administrative state. The demand is not for goals that can be met with policies or programs. When this demand is frustrated, as it must be, the result is an invitation to violence.Muirhead and Rosenblum unpack the idea of ungoverning through many examples of the politics of destruction. They show how ungoverning disables capacities that took generations to build—including the administration of free and fair elections. They detail the challenges faced by officials who are entrusted with running the government and who now face threats and intimidation from those who would rather bring it crashing down—and replace the regular processes of governing with chaotic personal rule.The unfamiliar phenomenon of ungoverning threatens us all regardless of partisanship or ideological leaning. Ungoverning will not be limited to Donald Trump&’s moment on the political stage. To resist this threat requires that we first recognize what ungoverning is and what it portends.
Unhappy Beginnings: Narratives of Precarity, Failure, and Resistance in North American Texts (Routledge Research in American Literature and Culture)
by Isabel González-Díaz Fabián Orán-LlarenaThis book offers the analysis of a selection of North American texts that dismantle and resist normative frames through the resignification of concepts such as unhappiness, precarity, failure, and vulnerability. The chapters bring to the fore how those potentially negative elements can be refigured as ambivalent sites of resistance and social bonding. Following Sara Ahmed’s rereading of happiness, other authors such as Judith Butler, Wendy Brown, Jack Halberstam, Lauren Berlant, or Henry Giroux are mobilized to interrogate films, memoirs, and novels that deal with precarity, alienation, and inequality. The monograph contributes to enlarging the archives of unhappiness by changing the focus from prescribed norms and happy endings to unruly practices and unhappy beginnings. As the different contributors show, unhappiness, precarity, vulnerability, or failure can be harnessed to illuminate ways of navigating the world and framing society that do not necessarily conform to the script of happiness—whatever that means.
Unification: The Next Generation (Star Trek)
by Jeri TaylorBased on the epic two-part television episode, here now is the story STAR TREK fans have awaited for five long years, the story that bring together Spock -- the enigmatic Vulcan who personified the original, classic STAR TREK -- with the crew of the Next Generation. Screenwriter Teri Taylor brings all the excitement and wonder that have captivated fans of the smash television series STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION to this story of Spock's forbidden journey into the heart of the Romulan Empire -- and the U. S. S. "Enterprise's" desperate attempts to discover the reasons for his mission there. Join now with Captain Picard, Lieutenant Commander Data, and the rest of the Next Generation crew on a voyage of unsurpassed adventure, a voyage that brings them to the edge of history -- and forces them to confront a shattering betrayal!
Unifying Causality and Psychology
by Gerald YoungThis magistral treatise approaches the integration of psychology through the study of the multiple causes of normal and dysfunctional behavior. Causality is the focal point reviewed across disciplines. Using diverse models, the book approaches unifying psychology as an ongoing project that integrates genetics, experience, evolution, brain, development, change mechanisms, and so on. The book includes in its integration free will, epitomized as freedom in being. It pinpoints the role of the self in causality and the freedom we have in determining our own behavior. The book deals with disturbed behavior, as well, and tackles the DSM-5 approach to mental disorder and the etiology of psychopathology. Young examines all these topics with a critical eye, and gives many innovative ideas and models that will stimulate thinking on the topic of psychology and causality for decades to come. It is truly integrative and original. Among the topics covered: Models and systems of causality of behavior. Nature and nurture: evolution and complexities. Early adversity, fetal programming, and getting under the skin. Free will in psychotherapy: helping people believe. Causality in psychological injury and law: basics and critics. A Neo-Piagetian/Neo-Eriksonian 25-step (sub)stage model. Unifying Causality and Psychology appeals to the disciplines of psychology, psychiatry, epidemiology, philosophy, neuroscience, genetics, law, the social sciences and humanistic fields, in general, and other mental health fields. Its level of writing makes it appropriate for graduate courses, as well as researchers and practitioners.
Unifying Hinduism: Philosophy and Identity in Indian Intellectual History (South Asia Across the Disciplines)
by Andrew NicholsonSome postcolonial theorists argue that the idea of a single system of belief known as "Hinduism" is a creation of nineteenth-century British imperialists. Andrew J. Nicholson introduces another perspective: although a unified Hindu identity is not as ancient as some Hindus claim, it has its roots in innovations within South Asian philosophy from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries. During this time, thinkers treated the philosophies of Vedanta, Samkhya, and Yoga, along with the worshippers of Visnu, Siva, and Sakti, as belonging to a single system of belief and practice. Instead of seeing such groups as separate and contradictory, they re-envisioned them as separate rivers leading to the ocean of Brahman, the ultimate reality.Drawing on the writings of philosophers from late medieval and early modern traditions, including Vijnanabhiksu, Madhava, and Madhusudana Sarasvati, Nicholson shows how influential thinkers portrayed Vedanta philosophy as the ultimate unifier of diverse belief systems. This project paved the way for the work of later Hindu reformers, such as Vivekananda, Radhakrishnan, and Gandhi, whose teachings promoted the notion that all world religions belong to a single spiritual unity. In his study, Nicholson also critiques the way in which Eurocentric concepts-like monism and dualism, idealism and realism, theism and atheism, and orthodoxy and heterodoxy-have come to dominate modern discourses on Indian philosophy.
Unifying the Philosophy of Truth
by Theodora Achourioti Henri Galinon José Martínez Fernández Kentaro FujimotoThis anthology of the very latest research on truth features the work of recognized luminaries in the field, put together following a rigorous refereeing process. Along with an introduction outlining the central issues in the field, it provides a unique and unrivaled view of contemporary work on the nature of truth, with papers selected from key conferences in 2011 such as Truth Be Told (Amsterdam), Truth at Work (Paris), Paradoxes of Truth and Denotation (Barcelona) and Axiomatic Theories of Truth (Oxford). Studying the nature of the concept of 'truth' has always been a core role of philosophy, but recent years have been a boom time in the topic. With a wealth of recent conferences examining the subject from various angles, this collection of essays recognizes the pressing need for a volume that brings scholars up to date on the arguments. Offering academics and graduate students alike a much-needed repository of today's cutting-edge work in this vital topic of philosophy, the volume is required reading for anyone needing to keep abreast of developments, and is certain to act as a catalyst for further innovation and research.