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Wisdom Won from Illness
by Jonathan LearCan reason absorb the psyche’s nonrational elements into a conception of the fully realized human being? Without a good answer to that question, Jonathan Lear says, philosophy is cut from its moorings in human life. He brings into conversation psychoanalysis and moral philosophy, which together form a basis for ethical thought about how to live.
Wise Choices, Apt Feelings: A Theory of Normative Judgment
by Allan GibbardThis book examines some of the deepest questions in philosophy: What is involved in judging a belief, action, or feeling to be rational? What place does morality have in the kind of life it makes most sense to lead? How are to understand claims to objectivity in moral judgments and in judgments of rationality? When we find ourselves in fundamental disagreement with whole communities, how can we understand out disagreement and cope with it? To shed light on such issues, Alan Gibbard develops what he calls a "norm-expressivstic analysis" of rationality. He refines this analysis by drawing on evolutionary theory and experimental psychology, as well as on more traditional moral and political philosophy. What emerges is an interpretation of human normative life, with its quandaries and disputes over what is rational and irrational, morally right and morally wrong. Judgments of what it makes sense to do, to think, and to feel, Gibbard argues, are central to shaping the way we live our lives. Gibbard does not hesitate to take up a wide variety of possible difficulties for his analysis. This sensitivity to the true complexity of the subject matter gives his treatment a special richness and depth. The fundamental importance of the issues he addresses and the freshness and suggestiveness of the account he puts forward, along with his illuminating treatment of aspects of sociobiology theory, will ensure this book a warm reception from philosophers, social scientists, and others with a series interest in the nature of human thought and action.
Wise Choices, Apt Feelings: A Theory of Normative Judgment
by Allan GibbardThis book examines some of the deepest questions in philosophy: What is involved in judging a belief, action, or feeling to be rational? What place does morality have in the kind of life it makes most sense to lead? How are we to understand claims to objectivity in moral judgments and in judgments of rationality? When we find ourselves in fundamental disagreement with whole communities, how can we understand our disagreement and cope with it? To shed light on such issues, Allan Gibbard develops what he calls a “norm-expressivistic analysis” of rationality. He refines this analysis by drawing on evolutionary theory and experimental psychology, as well as on more traditional moral and political philosophy. What emerges is an interpretation of human normative life, with its quandaries and disputes over what is rational and irrational, morally right and morally wrong. Judgments of what it makes sense to do, to think, and to feel, Gibbard argues, are central to shaping the way we live our lives. Gibbard does not hesitate to take up a wide variety of possible difficulties for his analysis. This sensitivity to the true complexity of the subject matter gives his treatment a special richness and depth. The fundamental importance of the issues he addresses and the freshness and suggestiveness of the account he puts forward, along with his illuminating treatment of aspects of sociobiology theory, will ensure this book a warm reception from philosophers, social scientists, and others with a serious interest in the nature of human thought and action.
Wise Guy The Life and Philosophy of Socrates: The Life And Philosophy Of Socrates
by M. D. UsherA biography of Socrates, a philosopher and teacher in ancient Greece who held that wisdom comes from questioning ideas and values rather than simply accepting what is passed on by parents and teachers.
Wisecracks: Humor and Morality in Everyday Life
by David ShoemakerA philosopher’s case for the importance of good—if ethically questionable—humor. A good sense of humor is key to the good life, but a joke taken too far can get anyone into trouble. Where to draw the line is not as simple as it may seem. After all, even the most innocent quips between friends rely on deception, sarcasm, and stereotypes and often run the risk of disrespect, meanness, and harm. How do we face this dilemma without taking ourselves too seriously? In Wisecracks, philosopher David Shoemaker examines this interplay between humor and morality and ultimately argues that even morally suspect humor is an essential part of ethical life. Shoemaker shows how improvised “wisecracks” between family and friends—unlike scripted stand-up, sketches, or serials—help us develop a critical human skill: the ability to carry on and find the funny in tragedy. In developing a new ethics of humor in defense of questionable gibes, Wisecracks offers a powerful case for humor as a healing presence in human life.
Wish-fulfilment in Philosophy and Psychoanalysis: The tyranny of desire (Psychoanalytic Explorations)
by Tamas PatakiWish-fulfilment as a singular means of satisfying ineluctable desire is a pivotal concept in classical psychoanalysis. Freud argued that it was the thread that united dreams, daydreams, phantasy, omnipotent thinking, neurotic and some psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions, art, myth, and religious illusions. The concept's theoretical exploration has been largely neglected within psychoanalysis since, but contemporary philosophers have recognised it as providing an explanatory model for much of the kind of irrational behaviour so problematic for psychiatry, social psychology and the philosophy of mind. Although critically neglected in contemporary psychological and psychoanalytic thought, the concept remains clinically fundamental, under different labels: it encompasses the processes of omnipotent phantasy, symbolic or substitutive satisfaction, actualisation in transference and acting out, symptom formation and defenses such as projective identification. Wish-fulfilment can be shown to be a specifically psychoanalytic compartment of a common-sense psychological theory of action that illuminates not just clinical material but also the paradoxes of irrationality – such as weakness of will and self-deception – that preoccupy philosophers. The first half of this book develops a comprehensive and novel theory of wish-fulfilment, explores its radical implications for the structure of mind, and locates it against the backdrop of both contemporary psychoanalytic and philosophical thought. In the second half, the book applies the theory to illuminate important features of self-deception and delusion, religion, insanity defences, creative writing and the exclusion of mind and intention in the biological drift of modern psychiatry. The book will be essential to philosophers of mind, psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, psychologists, social theorists, and students in these disciplines; as well as readers interested in understanding how the mind works in mental illness, self-deception, religion, and creative writing.
Wish I Were Here: Boredom and the Interface
by Mark KingwellAre you bored of the endless scroll of your social media feed? Do you swipe left before considering the human being whose face you just summarily rejected? Do you skim articles on your screen in search of intellectual stimulation that never arrives? If so, this book is the philosophical lifeline you have been waiting for. <P><P> Offering a timely meditation on the profound effects of constant immersion in technology, also known as the Interface, Wish I Were Here draws on philosophical analysis of boredom and happiness to examine the pressing issues of screen addiction and the lure of online outrage. Without moralizing, Mark Kingwell takes seriously the possibility that current conditions of life and connection are creating hollowed-out human selves, divorced from their own external world. While scrolling, swiping, and clicking suggest purposeful action, such as choosing and connecting with others, Kingwell argues that repeated flicks of the finger provide merely the shadow of meaning, by reducing us to scattered data fragments, Twitter feeds, Instagram posts, shopping preferences, and text trends captured by algorithms. <P><P> Written in accessible language that references both classical philosophers and contemporary critics, Wish I Were Here turns to philosophy for a cure to the widespread unease that something is amiss in modern waking life.
Wissen, was gut ist: Moralische Bildung im Spannungsfeld zwischen Manipulation und Beliebigkeit (Philosophische Bildung in Schule und Hochschule)
by Dominik BalgWas sind die Ziele moralischer Bildung? Angesichts aktueller moralischer Herausforderungen, so ein naheliegender Gedanke, müssen wir zukünftigen Generationen gezielt vermitteln, dass einige Rede- und Verhaltensweisen schlichtweg moralisch problematisch sind, und dass es spezifische moralische Prinzipien gibt, die es zu berücksichtigen gilt. Gleichzeitig provoziert eine solche Überlegung unmittelbar die Sorge, dass es sich bei der Vermittlung spezifischer moralischer Ansichten um eine Form illegitimer Bevormundung handeln würde – sollte es bei moralischer Bildung nicht vielmehr um die Befähigung zur eigenständigen Reflexion moralischer Problemzusammenhänge gehen? Vor dem Hintergrund dieser Spannung zwischen dem Wunsch, klar für konkrete Werte einzustehen und der Sorge, Heranwachsende in ihrem Recht auf eine individuelle Urteilsbildung einzuschränken, möchte ich die Idee diskutieren, dass es bei moralischer Bildung um die gezielte Vermittlung moralischen Wissens gehen sollte – also Wissen darüber, was moralisch richtig und was moralisch falsch ist. Obwohl es sich hierbei um eine durchaus kontroverse Idee handelt, verdient Sie vor dem Hintergrund aktueller moralischer Herausforderungen meiner Meinung nach dringend einer genaueren Betrachtung.
Wissenschaft und Willensfreiheit: Was Max Planck und andere Forschende herausfanden
by Stephan SchleimUnsere Entscheidungen treffen wir selbst und frei. Oder nicht? Für unser Menschenbild ist wenig so bedeutend wie die Erfahrung, sich selbst unter Kontrolle zu haben. Doch was sagen Philosophie und Wissenschaft hierzu?Schon lange vor der Diskussion der Willensfreiheit in der Hirnforschung war man sich dieses Problems bewusst. Stephan Schleim nimmt hier den Vortrag des bedeutenden Physikers und Nobelpreisträgers Max Planck aus den 1930er Jahren zum Anlass, das Thema neu zu beleuchten. Dabei steht im Fokus, wie unsere tatsächlichen Entscheidungen in Alltagssituationen beeinflusst werden. Damit hebt sich das Sachbuch von anderen Veröffentlichungen ab, die nur Laborexperimente mit begrenzter Aussagekraft behandeln.Der Autor erklärt das Problem aus den Perspektiven von Psychologie, Neurowissenschaften, Philosophie, Rechtswissenschaften und Physik. Am Anfang werden Grundlagen vermittelt: Was hat es mit der Diskussion von Determinismus/Indeterminismus auf sich? Welche Begriffe von Willensfreiheit gibt es in der Philosophie? Wie werden Entscheidungen in der Psychologie untersucht?Nach Analyse der einschlägigen Forschung bespricht Stephan Schleim, Assoziierter Professor für Theoretische Psychologie, die praktische Dimension des Problems. Wie und warum machen wir Menschen für ihre Entscheidungen verantwortlich? Wie funktionieren Strafrecht und Moral? Und vor allem: Wie werden wir unbewusst beeinflusst und welche Möglichkeiten haben wir, damit umzugehen?
Wissenschaft, Zahlen und Politik
by Markus J. PrutschDiese Studie untersucht die dynamische Beziehung zwischen Wissenschaft, Zahlen und Politik. Was können wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse realistischerweise in und für die Politik tun? Der Band leistet einen Beitrag zu dieser Debatte, indem er sich auf die Rolle von "Zahlen" als Mittel konzentriert, mit dem Wissen ausgedrückt wird und durch das dieses Wissen in den politischen Bereich übertragen werden kann. Ausgehend von der Annahme, dass Zahlen ständig aktiv geschaffen, übersetzt und verwendet werden und dass sie in ihren jeweiligen Kontexten interpretiert werden müssen, wird untersucht, wie Zahlen und Quantifizierungen "politisch nutzbar" gemacht werden, indem ihre Produktion, ihr Übergang in die Sphäre der Politik und ihre letztendliche Verwendung darin untersucht werden. Zu den zentralen Fragen, die behandelt werden, gehören: Auf welche Weise beeinflussen wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse die politische Entscheidungsfindung in der heutigen Welt? Wie und warum hat Quantifizierung in der demokratischen Politik eine so wichtige Rolle gespielt? Was leisten wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse und Zahlen in der Politik?
Wissenschaftlich Arbeiten - heute
by Anna Kollenberg Wolfgang KollenbergDie Stellung von Wissenschaft in der Gesellschaft hat sich im Laufe der Zeit immer wieder verändert. Heute ist der Zugang zu einer wissenschaftlichen Ausbildung leichter als je zuvor. Die Zahl der Hochschulen und der Studiengänge hat enorm zugenommen. Forschung findet heute nicht nur an staatlichen Hochschulen, sondern zu einem erheblichen Teil in der Industrie und privaten Institutionen statt. Was bedeuten diese Veränderungen für das Wissenschaftliche Arbeiten? Anna und Wolfgang Kollenberg geben einen detaillierten Einblick in das Panorama wissenschaftlicher Methoden, wobei gelegentlich auch Einblicke in die Theorie und Geschichte der Wissenschaft geboten werden. Dadurch ist dieses Buch nicht nur ein reicher Fundus für angehende Wissenschaftler und Forschende, sondern auch für wissenschaftsinteressierte Laien überaus lesenswert.
Wissenschaftsfreiheit im Konflikt: Grundlagen, Herausforderungen und Grenzen
by Elif ÖzmenDemokratie gründet auf dem Recht des Einzelnen, anderer Meinung sein und diese frei äußern und verbreiten zu dürfen. Analog verhält es sich innerhalb der Institutionen der freien Wissenschaft und der kritischen Universität: Sie dienen der Selbstkontrolle wissenschaftlicher Tätigkeit, ebenso dem Schutz einer kritischen Öffentlichkeit. Aber unter welchen Voraussetzungen entwickelt Wissenschaftsfreiheit dieses epistemische, ethische und demokratische Potential? Darf man im universitären Raum alles sagen und diskutieren? Oder gibt es eine Grenze zwischen Freiheit und Zügellosigkeit? Wer sollte nach welchen Maßstäben Grenzen ziehen zwischen dem legitimen Wettbewerb um Meinungen einerseits und der Provokation, Diskriminierung und der Verachtung des Gegners andererseits? Gibt es normative Grundlagen für den Gebrauch der akademischen Freiheiten, die ihre Grenzen zu bestimmen erlauben?
Wissenschaftsphilosophie: Eine Einführung in die wissenschaftliche Modellbildung (essentials)
by Stefan SchäfflerDieses essential bietet eine verständliche Einführung in die philosophischen Grundprinzipien der Wissenschaften. Beantwortet werden Fragen wie: Was bedeutet eigentlich „logisch“? Was ist Deduktion, was ist Induktion? Welche Wissenschaften sind rein deduktiv? Kann ein wissenschaftliches Modell wahr oder falsch sein? Warum ist jedes wissenschaftliche Modell eine Deutung von Beobachtungen?
Wissenstransfer im Bildungsbereich: Konzepte, Erfahrungen und Perspektiven
by Hadjar Ghadiri-Mohajerzad Josef SchraderDieser Band bietet eine Einführung in das Thema Wissenstransfer im Bildungsbereich unter Berücksichtigung aktueller Studien. Bildungswissenschaftliches Wissen soll das pädagogische Personal unterstützen, doch es besteht Zweifel an der Erfüllung dieser Erwartung, und es wird zunehmend gefordert, Forschungserkenntnisse effektiv in der Praxis umzusetzen. Dabei ist der Wissenstransfer entscheidend, um wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse positiv auf die Bildungsrealität einwirken zu lassen. Der Wissenstransfer von Forschungswissen in die Bildungspraxis und Bildungspolitik ist ein komplexer Prozess und gestaltet sich sehr unterschiedlich. In diesem Band wird der Versuch vorgenommen, die Konzepte, Erfahrungen und Perspektiven zum Wissenstransfer zu systematisieren. Die Lektüre gibt außer dem Stand der aktuellen Forschung mehr Einblicke auf die verschiedenen Akteure des Wissenstransfers: Während eine zügige und an Probleme und Handlungsmöglichkeiten der Praxis anschlussfähige Vermittlung von Forschungswissen insbesondere von der Bildungspolitik eingefordert wird, zeigen Forschende grundsätzlich eine Bereitschaft zu Wissenstransferaktivitäten, aber legen keine Priorität auf Wissenstransfer. Schließlich rezeptieren Bildungspraktiker*innen Forschungswissen eher zögerlich. Abschließend wird diskutiert, welche Strategien genutzt werden können, um einen erfolgreichen Wissenstransfer zu leisten.
Wit and Wisdom for Teachers: 930 Quotes to Motivate and Inspire
by John BlaydesNationally acclaimed speaker and educator John Blaydes complies nuggets of wit and wisdom to motivate and inspire his fellow educators. The Educator&’s Book of Quotes is a comprehensive resource for quotes relating to education and leadership, organized by sixteen themes for easy access and reference, including: The Art of TeachingBalancing the Time CrunchPrinciples and PrincipalsCreating a Culture of ExcellenceInspirational LeadershipEducation is KeyContaining hundreds of inspirational quotes for teachers in all stages of their career, The Educator&’s Book of Quotes is a must have.
Witchcraft in Europe, 400-1700: A Documentary History
by Alan Charles Kors Edward PetersSelected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Book for 2001 The highly-acclaimed first edition of this book chronicled the rise and fall of witchcraft in Europe between the twelfth and the end of the seventeenth centuries. Now greatly expanded, the classic anthology of contemporary texts reexamines the phenomenon of witchcraft, taking into account the remarkable scholarship since the book's publication almost thirty years ago. Spanning the period from 400 to 1700, the second edition of Witchcraft in Europe assembles nearly twice as many primary documents as the first, many newly translated, along with new illustrations that trace the development of witch-beliefs from late Mediterranean antiquity through the Enlightenment. Trial records, inquisitors' reports, eyewitness statements, and witches' confessions, along with striking contemporary illustrations depicting the career of the Devil and his works, testify to the hundreds of years of terror that enslaved an entire continent. Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Thomas Hobbes, and other thinkers are quoted at length in order to determine the intellectual, perceptual, and legal processes by which "folklore" was transformed into systematic demonology and persecution. Together with explanatory notes, introductory essays--which have been revised to reflect current research--and a new bibliography, the documents gathered in Witchcraft in Europe vividly illumine the dark side of the European mind.
The Witcher and Philosophy: Toss a Coin to Your Philosopher (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series)
by Kevin S. Decker Matthew BrakeEmbark on a revealing philosophical journey through the universe of The Witcher “If I'm to choose between one evil and another, I'd rather not choose at all,” growls the mutant “witcher,” Geralt of Rivia. Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher books lay bare the adventures of monster hunters like Geralt, who seek to avoid humanity's conflicts and live only for the next kill and the coin that comes with it. But Geralt's destiny is complicated by his relationship with a powerful sorceress, Yennefer of Vengerberg. When he connects with a displaced princess, Ciri, Geralt lands right in the middle of the political conflicts of the Continent, which is endangered by Nilfgaard, a domineering southern kingdom that threatens to conquer the world. Part of the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, The Witcher and Philosophy brings on twenty-seven philosophers to test their mettle against werewolves, the bruxa, strigas, vodyanoi, and kikimora; their work addresses the phenomenally popular books, three standalone Witcher video games, and the hit Netflix streaming show. These authors pass on their fascination with all manner of horror and sorcery: the mutations that make Geralt and others witchers, the commonalities between the Continent and post-apocalyptic settings, the intricacies of political power and scandal in the world of The Witcher, and reflections of our own world's changing views on race and gender that might offer hope—or portend a grim future. Engaging and accessible, The Witcher and Philosophy considers key themes and questions such as: Who is human, and who is a monster? Can Geralt afford to stay neutral? What kind of politics do sorceresses engage in? How many universes converge on the Continent? If we stare long enough into the abyss, does it stare back into us? Silver or steel? “Destiny is just the embodiment of the soul's desire to grow,” says Jaskier the bard, proving himself to be a natural philosopher. The tales of The Witcher remind us that our lives are a play written by both choice and destiny. And it is your destiny to read and be inspired by The Witcher and Philosophy.
Witcraft: The Invention of Philosophy in English
by Jonathan RéeAn ambitious new history of philosophy in English that broadens the canon to include many lesser-known figures Ludwig Wittgenstein once wrote that “philosophy should be written like poetry.” But philosophy has often been presented more prosaically as a long trudge through canonical authors and great works. But what, Jonathan Rée asks, if we instead saw the history of philosophy as a haphazard series of unmapped forest paths, a mass of individual stories showing endurance, inventiveness, bewilderment, anxiety, impatience, and good humor? Here, Jonathan Rée brilliantly retells this history, covering such figures as Descartes, Locke, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Mill, James, Frege, Wittgenstein, and Sartre. But he also includes authors not usually associated with philosophy, such as William Hazlitt, George Eliot, Darwin, and W. H. Auden. Above all, he uncovers dozens of unremembered figures—puritans, revolutionaries, pantheists, feminists, nihilists, socialists, and scientists—who were passionate and active readers of philosophy, and often authors themselves. Breaking away from high-altitude narratives, he shows how philosophy finds its way into ordinary lives, enriching and transforming them in unexpected ways.
With and Against: the Situationist International in the Age of Automation
by Dominique RouthierThe little-known story of the Situationist International&’s struggle against the automation of everyday lifeNo other art movement has so profoundly influenced radical politics as the Situationist International. But beyond the clichés about its purported leader Guy Debord, the "society of the spectacle," détournement and dérive, lies a more complex story about key historical shifts in the composition of capital, work, labor, art, and revolutionary theory during the 1950s and 60s.With and Against reframes the history of the Situationist International as a struggle to come to terms with the then-emerging ideologies of cybernetics and automation. Through each of the book's four chapters, Dominique Routhier dissects Situationist pamphlets, documents, artworks, and objects that refract elements of a "cybernetic hypothesis": the theoretically hyperbolic belief that technological progress, computers and automation make class struggle and the idea of revolution obsolete.With equal attention to aesthetic detail and to the broader contours of political economy, this book serves as a critical intervention in art history as well a call to reconsider, more broadly, the contemporary lessons of the most political of all artistic avantgardes.
With Charity Toward None: An Analysis of Ayn Rand's Philosophy
by William F. O'NeillThis book is a study of Ayn Rand's philosophy of objectivism. It addresses three basic questions: What is objectivism? What is the full meaning of the objectivist point of view? And what are the basic social implications of objectivism? The book is divided into two major sections. The first part summarizes Ayn Rand's philosophy with respect to three basic areas of inquiry: (1) knowing and the known, (2) personal value and the nature of man, and (3) the ethics of objectivism. The second part consists primarily of a critical analysis of the ideas presented in the earlier pages. The purpose of the study is to deal with Ayn Rand's basic premises; only secondary consideration is given to the way in which these premises apply to specific problems in such areas as politics, economics and esthetics. Throughout, O'Neill is less concerned with criticizing what Rand says than with determining whether what she says makes sense in terms of established procedures for rational and semantic analysis and with respect to generally accepted principles for the scientific verification of evidence.
With Charity Toward None: An Analysis of Ayn Rand's Philosophy
by William F. O'NeillAn in-depth and evenhanded examination of Ayn Rand&’s philosophy as expressed in her novels and nonfiction writings. In With Charity Toward None, William F. O&’Neill addresses the fundamentals of objectivism and the full meaning of an objectivist point of view. He delves into the social implications of putting such a philosophy into action. Neither fawning nor dismissive, O&’Neill forgoes the popular controversy surrounding Rand, focusing instead on rational and semantic analysis of her work. Divided into two major sections, the first part of this book summarizes the three basic areas of Randian philosophical inquiry: (1) knowing and the known, (2) personal value and the nature of man, and (3) the ethics of objectivism. The second part consists primarily of a critical analysis of the ideas presented in the earlier pages.
With Dogs at the Edge of Life
by Colin DayanIn this original and provocative book, Colin Dayan tackles head-on the inexhaustible world, at once tender and fierce, of dogs and humans. We follow the tracks of dogs in the bayous of Louisiana, the streets of Istanbul, and the humane societies of the United States, and in the memories and myths of the humans who love them. Dayan reorients our ethical and political assumptions through a trans-species engagement that risks as much as it promises. She makes a powerful case for questioning what we think of as our deepest-held beliefs and, with dogs in the lead, unsettles the dubious promises of liberal humanism.Moving seamlessly between memoir, case law, and film, Dayan takes politics and animal studies in a new direction—one that gives us glimpses of how we can think beyond ourselves and with other beings. Her unconventional perspective raises hard questions and renews what it means for any animal or human to live in the twenty-first century. Nothing less than a challenge for us to confront violence and suffering even in the privileged precincts of modernity, this searing and lyrical book calls for another way to think the world. Theoretically sophisticated yet aimed at a broad readership, With Dogs at the Edge of Life illuminates how dogs—and their struggles—take us beyond sentimentality and into a form of thought that can make a difference to our lives.
With the Stroke of a Pen: Executive Orders and Presidential Power
by Kenneth MayerThe conventional wisdom holds that the president of the United States is weak, hobbled by the separation of powers and the short reach of his formal legal authority. In this first-ever in-depth study of executive orders, Kenneth Mayer deals a strong blow to this view. Taking civil rights and foreign policy as examples, he shows how presidents have used a key tool of executive power to wield their inherent legal authority and pursue policy without congressional interference. Throughout the nation's life, executive orders have allowed presidents to make momentous, unilateral policy choices: creating and abolishing executive branch agencies, reorganizing administrative and regulatory processes, handling emergencies, and determining how legislation is implemented. From the Louisiana Purchase to the Emancipation Proclamation, from Franklin Roosevelt's establishment of the Executive Office of the President to Bill Clinton's authorization of loan guarantees for Mexico, from Harry Truman's integration of the armed forces to Ronald Reagan's seizures of regulatory control, American presidents have used executive orders (or their equivalents) to legislate in ways that extend far beyond administrative activity. By analyzing the pattern of presidents' use of executive orders and the relationship of those orders to the presidency as an institution, Mayer describes an office much more powerful and active than the one depicted in the bulk of the political science literature. This distinguished work of scholarship shows that the U.S. presidency has a great deal more than the oft-cited "power to persuade."
With the Stroke of a Pen: Executive Orders and Presidential Power
by Kenneth R. MayerThe conventional wisdom holds that the president of the United States is weak, hobbled by the separation of powers and the short reach of his formal legal authority. In this first-ever in-depth study of executive orders, Kenneth Mayer deals a strong blow to this view. Taking civil rights and foreign policy as examples, he shows how presidents have used a key tool of executive power to wield their inherent legal authority and pursue policy without congressional interference. Throughout the nation's life, executive orders have allowed presidents to make momentous, unilateral policy choices: creating and abolishing executive branch agencies, reorganizing administrative and regulatory processes, handling emergencies, and determining how legislation is implemented. From the Louisiana Purchase to the Emancipation Proclamation, from Franklin Roosevelt's establishment of the Executive Office of the President to Bill Clinton's authorization of loan guarantees for Mexico, from Harry Truman's integration of the armed forces to Ronald Reagan's seizures of regulatory control, American presidents have used executive orders (or their equivalents) to legislate in ways that extend far beyond administrative activity. By analyzing the pattern of presidents' use of executive orders and the relationship of those orders to the presidency as an institution, Mayer describes an office much more powerful and active than the one depicted in the bulk of the political science literature. This distinguished work of scholarship shows that the U.S. presidency has a great deal more than the oft-cited "power to persuade."
Within Reason: Rationality and Human Behavior
by Donald B. CalneIt has long been a central conviction of western humanistic thought that reason is the most godlike of human traits, and that it makes us unique among animals. Yet if reason directs what we do, why is human behavior so often violent, irrational and disastrous? <BR>In Within Reason, leading neurologist Donald B. Calne investigates the phenomenon of rationality from an astonishingly wide array of scientific, sociological, and philosophical perspectives--and shows that although reason evolved as a crucial tool for human survival, it is an aspect of mind and brain which has no inherent moral or spiritual qualities and one whose relationship to our thoughts and actions may not be as central as we want to believe. Learned, lucid, and always illuminating, Within Reason brings together the latest developments in the science of mind with some of the most enduring questions of Western thought. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.