- Table View
- List View
Reason and Character: The Moral Foundations of Aristotelian Political Philosophy
by Lorraine Smith PangleA close and selective commentary on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, offering a novel interpretation of Aristotle’s teachings on the relation between reason and moral virtue. What does it mean to live a good life or a happy life, and what part does reason play in the quest for fulfillment? Lorraine Smith Pangle shows how Aristotle’s arguments for virtue as the core of happiness and for reason as the guide to virtue emerge in response to Socrates’s paradoxical claim that virtue is knowledge and vice is ignorance. Against Socrates, Aristotle does justice to the effectual truth of moral responsibility—that our characters do indeed depend on our own voluntary actions. But he also incorporates Socratic insights into the close interconnection of passion and judgment and the way passions and bad habits work not to overcome knowledge that remains intact but to corrupt the knowledge one thinks one has. Reason and Character presents fresh interpretations of Aristotle’s teaching on the character of moral judgment and moral choice, on the way reason finds the mean—especially in justice—and on the relation between practical and theoretical wisdom.
Format Friction: Perspectives on the Shellac Disc (New Material Histories of Music)
by Gavin WilliamsThe first book to consider the shellac disc as a global format. With the rise of the gramophone around 1900, the shellac disc traveled the world and eventually became the dominant sound format in the first half of the twentieth century. Format Friction brings together a set of local encounters with the shellac disc, beginning with its preconditions in South Asian knowledge and labor, to offer a global portrait of this format. Spun at seventy-eight revolutions per minute, the shellac disc rapidly became an industrial standard even while the gramophone itself remained a novelty. The very basis of this early sound reproduction technology was friction, an elemental materiality of sound shaped through cultural practice. Using friction as a lens, Gavin Williams illuminates the environments plundered, the materials seized, and the ears entangled in the making of a sound format. Bringing together material, political, and music history, Format Friction decenters the story of a beloved medium, and so explores new ways of understanding listening in technological culture more broadly.
Sing As We Go: Britain Between the Wars
by Simon Heffer‘An epic new history . . . a work of epic scholarship, breathtaking range, and piercing originality’ Daily Express‘An astonishing achievement of narrative history . . . I think the word is "magisterial".’ Spectator‘Excellent, thorough, detailed and combatively argued.’ Sunday Times______________________________________Sing As We Go is an astonishingly ambitious overview of the political, social and cultural history of the country from 1919 to 1939.It explores and explains the politics of the period, and puts such moments of national turmoil as the General Strike of 1926 and the Abdication Crisis of 1936 under the microscope. It offers pen portraits of the era's most significant figures. It traces the changing face of Britain as cars made their first mass appearance, the suburbs sprawled, and radio and cinema became the means of mass entertainment. And it probes the deep divisions that split the nation: between the haves and have-nots, between warring ideological factions, and between those who promoted accommodation with fascism in Europe and those who bitterly opposed it.__________________________________________'Magisterial . . . an extraordinary achievement.’ Literary Review‘A masterful portrayal of political, social and cultural upheaval between the wars.’ Daily Mail
Referendums Around the World
by Matt QvortrupDirect Democracy is inexpensive. The average cost per vote is about $ 10. So, maybe we should have more of them? Before you answer that question, you need to know the facts about this type of complementary democracy. Referendums Around the World, is a complete and comprehensive revision of the 2016 edition of Referendums Around the World, which in turn was an updated version of the 2013 edition, the proposed volume is a comprehensive revision and update of the previous book.The previous edition provided overviews of the history, legal basis, and practice of referendums around the world, with chapters on, Africa, Australia, Asia Latin America, Europe, and a special chapter on Switzerland (the sui generis of referendums). In addition, this third edition offers a completely revised introduction by the editor, a wholly revised concluding chapter by the editor, a special chapter on winning referendums including perspectives from neuroscience, as well as a list of all nationwide referendums held to date.
Ethisches Argumentieren: Ein Arbeitsbuch
by Marie-Luise RatersMoralische Überzeugungen hat jeder. Aber man will diese ja auch vor anderen begründen und verteidigen können. Das Arbeitsbuch führt in die wichtigsten Techniken des ethischen Argumentierens ein, indem es praktische Übungen präsentiert, mit denen sich das ethische Argumentieren an Beispielen einüben lässt. Im ersten einführenden Teil werden die Grundlagen skizziert. Dabei geht um die Grundstruktur des ethischen Arguments und den Unterschied zwischen deskriptiven und normativen Prämissen. Im zweiten Teil wird ein historischer Überblick über die wichtigsten Argumentationsweisen der Ethik gegeben. Wie würde ein Deontologe ein bestimmtes moralisches Problem im Gegensatz zu einer Utilitaristin oder einem Intuitionisten lösen? Im dritten sytematischen Teil geht es um etablierte Argumentationsformen der aktuellen Angewandten Ethik. Wie funktioniert z.B. ein Dammbruchargument und was ist ein Doppelwirkungsargument? – In 2-farbiger Gestaltung, mit zahlreichen Beispielen aus der alltäglichen Praxis und der Moralphilosophie, Übungen, Tipps und weiterführender Literatur. Die 2. Auflage wurde gründlich überarbeitet und durch vier Kapitel zum diskursethischen Argument, zum fürsorgeethischen Argument der Feministischen Ethik, zum Argument des moralischen Dilemmas und zum Argument der Allgemeinen Menschenrechte ergänzt.
Night Vision: Seeing Ourselves through Dark Moods
by Mariana AlessandriA philosopher&’s personal meditation on how painful emotions can reveal truths about what it means to be truly humanUnder the light of ancient Western philosophies, our darker moods like grief, anguish, and depression can seem irrational. When viewed through the lens of modern psychology, they can even look like mental disorders. The self-help industry, determined to sell us the promise of a brighter future, can sometimes leave us feeling ashamed that we are not more grateful, happy, or optimistic. Night Vision invites us to consider a different approach to life, one in which we stop feeling bad about feeling bad.In this powerful and disarmingly intimate book, Existentialist philosopher Mariana Alessandri draws on the stories of a diverse group of nineteenth- and twentieth-century philosophers and writers to help us see that our suffering is a sign not that we are broken but that we are tender, perceptive, and intelligent. Thinkers such as Audre Lorde, María Lugones, Miguel de Unamuno, C. S. Lewis, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Søren Kierkegaard sat in their anger, sadness, and anxiety until their eyes adjusted to the dark. Alessandri explains how readers can cultivate &“night vision&” and discover new sides to their painful moods, such as wit and humor, closeness and warmth, and connection and clarity.Night Vision shows how, when we learn to embrace the dark, we begin to see these moods—and ourselves—as honorable, dignified, and unmistakably human.
Human Flourishing, Spiritual Awakening and Cultural Renewal: Personal and Communal Challenges
by Francisco Díaz Estrada Catalina Elena Dobre Rafael García PavónThis book seeks to generate a theoretical and a reflective framework to re-connect people with culture and spirituality. It seeks to recreate important links between these domains to provide interpretative, foundational, and ethical perspectives. It is distinctive in that it focusses on the challenges that humanity is facing at a cultural, social, moral, and spiritual level. It provides a philosophical understanding of humanity from a humanistic and multidisciplinary perspective (encompassing ethics, language, art/cinema, political, cultural and gender approaches) and offers a variety of ways of how we can rethink our culture and our society for the future.
Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy (Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy)
Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy is a volume of original articles on all aspects of ancient philosophy. The articles may be of substantial length, and include critical notices of major books. OSAP is now published twice yearly, in both hardback and paperback. "'Have you seen the latest OSAP?' is what scholars of ancient philosophy say to each other when they meet in corridors or on coffee breaks. Whether you work on Plato or Aristotle, on Presocratics or sophists, on Stoics, Epicureans, or Sceptics, on Roman philosophers or Greek Neoplatonists, you are liable to find OSAP articles now dominant in the bibliography of much serious published work in your particular subject: not safe to miss." - Malcolm Schofield, Cambridge University "OSAP was founded to provide a place for long pieces on major issues in ancient philosophy. In the years since, it has fulfilled this role with great success, over and over again publishing groundbreaking papers on what seemed to be familiar topics and others surveying new ground to break. It represents brilliantly the vigour-and the increasingly broad scope-of scholarship in ancient philosophy, and shows us all how the subject should flourish." - M.M. McCabe, King's College London
Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy (Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy)
by Rachana KamtekarOxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy is a volume of original articles on all aspects of ancient philosophy. The articles may be of substantial length, and include critical notices of major books. OSAP is now published twice yearly, in both hardback and paperback. "'Have you seen the latest OSAP?' is what scholars of ancient philosophy say to each other when they meet in corridors or on coffee breaks. Whether you work on Plato or Aristotle, on Presocratics or sophists, on Stoics, Epicureans, or Sceptics, on Roman philosophers or Greek Neoplatonists, you are liable to find OSAP articles now dominant in the bibliography of much serious published work in your particular subject: not safe to miss." - Malcolm Schofield, Cambridge University "OSAP was founded to provide a place for long pieces on major issues in ancient philosophy. In the years since, it has fulfilled this role with great success, over and over again publishing groundbreaking papers on what seemed to be familiar topics and others surveying new ground to break. It represents brilliantly the vigour-and the increasingly broad scope-of scholarship in ancient philosophy, and shows us all how the subject should flourish." - M.M. McCabe, King's College London
The Mereology of Classes (Elements in the Philosophy of Mathematics)
by null Gabriel UzquianoThis Element is a systematic study of the question of whether classes are composed of further parts. Mereology is the theory of the relation of part to whole, and we will ask how that relation applies to classes. One reason the issue has received attention in the literature is the hope that a clear picture of the mereology of classes may provide further insights into the foundations of set theory. We will consider two main perspectives on the mereology of classes on which classes are indeed composed of further parts. They, however, disagree as to the identity of those parts. Each perspective admits more than one implementation, and one of the purposes of this work is to explain what is at stake with each choice.
The Consciousness Network: How the Brain Creates our Reality
by Cyriel PennartzWhat is the relationship between consciousness and our brain? Are they one and the same? Who are we really? The Consciousness Network presents a novel account of one of the greatest scientific challenges of the twenty-first century: understanding the connection between brain and mind.The book explores remarkable cases of patients who demonstrate how our impression of reality is created by the brain. Age-old questions about dreams, colour perception, phantom sensations and hallucinations are illuminated by surprising discoveries from the latest brain research. How does consciousness differ from memory, emotions and behaviour? How did it develop during the evolution of life on earth, and does it serve a purpose? Does the brain leave room for free will? In this unique blend of philosophy, history, psychology and neuroscience, Cyriel Pennartz breaks new ground by presenting an original theory of brain and mind, substantiated by brain research in patients and healthy people. This theory, inspired by the seventeenth-century philosopher Spinoza, goes significantly deeper than current thinking based on computer models or artificial intelligence.The Consciousness Network is essential reading for students working at the interface of neuroscience, cognitive psychology, philosophy of mind and cognitive science, as well as anyone interested in consciousness and the brain.
The Consciousness Network: How the Brain Creates our Reality
by Cyriel PennartzWhat is the relationship between consciousness and our brain? Are they one and the same? Who are we really? The Consciousness Network presents a novel account of one of the greatest scientific challenges of the twenty-first century: understanding the connection between brain and mind.The book explores remarkable cases of patients who demonstrate how our impression of reality is created by the brain. Age-old questions about dreams, colour perception, phantom sensations and hallucinations are illuminated by surprising discoveries from the latest brain research. How does consciousness differ from memory, emotions and behaviour? How did it develop during the evolution of life on earth, and does it serve a purpose? Does the brain leave room for free will? In this unique blend of philosophy, history, psychology and neuroscience, Cyriel Pennartz breaks new ground by presenting an original theory of brain and mind, substantiated by brain research in patients and healthy people. This theory, inspired by the seventeenth-century philosopher Spinoza, goes significantly deeper than current thinking based on computer models or artificial intelligence.The Consciousness Network is essential reading for students working at the interface of neuroscience, cognitive psychology, philosophy of mind and cognitive science, as well as anyone interested in consciousness and the brain.
The Little Book of Sanuk: The Thai Secret to a More Joyful Life
by null Karen SinotokWe all need a little more sanuk in our lives Sanuk is a Thai concept that can loosely be translated as meaning ‘fun’. Though sanuk is in fact much more than that; it’s about achieving pleasure and joy in all aspects of life. For Thai people, if it’s not sanuk, it’s not worth doing. Thai people believe that it’s the little things that add up to a joyful life. Whether it’s raising happy kids, enjoying a quick chat with your neighbour or having a laugh with friends, they try to bring a sense of joy into their daily routines. This easygoing, fun-loving way of life is why Thailand is often called The Land of Smiles. But how can we learn to prioritise this sense of fun and pleasure in our own lives? With recent clinical studies showing a clear link between a person’s outlook on life and their health, a mindset of optimism and positivity has obvious benefits. Being a glass half full kind of person doesn’t just help us live longer, it helps us live better. Embracing sanuk and approaching life a glass-half-full attitude can make you happier, healthier and more productive – and this book will show you how.
The New Reformism and the Revival of Karl Kautsky: The Renegade’s Revenge (Marx and Marxisms)
by Douglas GreeneThis text offers an authoritative historiography of German socialist theorist Karl Kautsky and his impact on debates about the Russian Revolution and the contemporary left. Known as the “Pope of Marxism,” Douglas Greene examines the totality of Kautsky’s political career and dissects the fundamental opportunism and passive radicalism that defined his Marxism. He later examines the most substantive Marxist critics of Kautsky, namely Rosa Luxemburg, V. I. Lenin, and Leon Trotsky, while offering a critical assessment of the work produced by scholars and activists, Lars Lih, Eric Blanc, and Mike Mcnair, seeking to revive Kautsky. The New Reformism and the Revival of Karl Kautsky is an important addition to scholarship on the subject and a valuable resource for those interested in the Russian Revolution, German politics, socialism, Marxism, and contemporary left-wing debates.
The New Reformism and the Revival of Karl Kautsky: The Renegade’s Revenge (Marx and Marxisms)
by Douglas GreeneThis text offers an authoritative historiography of German socialist theorist Karl Kautsky and his impact on debates about the Russian Revolution and the contemporary left. Known as the “Pope of Marxism,” Douglas Greene examines the totality of Kautsky’s political career and dissects the fundamental opportunism and passive radicalism that defined his Marxism. He later examines the most substantive Marxist critics of Kautsky, namely Rosa Luxemburg, V. I. Lenin, and Leon Trotsky, while offering a critical assessment of the work produced by scholars and activists, Lars Lih, Eric Blanc, and Mike Mcnair, seeking to revive Kautsky. The New Reformism and the Revival of Karl Kautsky is an important addition to scholarship on the subject and a valuable resource for those interested in the Russian Revolution, German politics, socialism, Marxism, and contemporary left-wing debates.
Traditional Indian Virtue Ethics for Today: An East-West Dialogue (Palgrave Studies in Comparative East-West Philosophy)
by Amita Chatterjee Sitansu S. Chakravarti Ananda Chakravarti Lisa WiddisonWorking in the tradition of world philosophy, this book puts Western virtue ethics in conversation with traditional Indian philosophies. The book begins with a contribution from Michael Slote on ‘World Philosophy: The Importance of India,’ which is followed by contributions covering metaethical topics such as the relationship between Western virtue ethics and various Indian philosophical traditions, and applied topics such as environmental ethics, business ethics, ethics and science, and moral psychology. Contributors include scholars working in both North America and India.
The Blackwell Companion To Major Social Theorists (Wiley Blackwell Companions To Sociology Ser. #31)
by George Ritzer
How Free Are We?: Conversations from the Free Will Show
by Taylor W. Cyr Matthew T. FlummerFree will comes up in everyday conversations all the time. "She did that of her own free will." "He could have done something else instead." "It's my choice." "That's up to you." How we think about free will-and the closely-related concept of moral responsibility-is essential to how we think about our lives. We frequently praise and blame each other, and ourselves, for the choices we make, believing that this is appropriate because the person we're holding responsible possesses free will. But what does it mean to have free will? Do any of us have it at all? If so, then how much? These and related questions are at the heart of debates about free will in philosophy. How Free Are We? contains a collection of edited interviews from The Free Will Show, a podcast by the philosophers Taylor W. Cyr and Matthew T. Flummer, highlighting recent developments on the topic. In an accessible and conversational format, a variety of scholars introduce the main issues and arguments in the free will debate, including various apparent threats to free will-such as fatalism, foreknowledge, and determinism-as well as the Consequence Argument, and the problem of luck. After building this foundation, later interviews introduce main positions and questions in debates surrounding free will, including several varieties of libertarianism, compatibilism, a version of free will scepticism, and others that do not fit neatly into any of these categories. With original introductions, bibliographies, and suggestions for further reading to accompany each interview, in addition to an afterward and a glossary of terms, How Free Are We? serves as a primer for those seeking an introduction to the topic and a window into what leading philosophers are currently thinking about and debating in this field.
The Art and Philosophy of the Garden
by David Fenner Ethan FennerThe Art and Philosophy of the Garden offers the first authoritative and comprehensive philosophical discussion of the aesthetics of gardens. Philosopher David Fenner and horticulturist Ethan Fenner address such questions as: what is a garden? Are some gardens works of art? What does it mean to appreciate gardens aesthetically? Given that gardens are always changing in a variety of ways, how is it possible to compare, evaluate, or find meaning in them? How can we interpret gardens? How do we value gardens and gardening? While grounded in Western thought, Fenner and Fenner bring to bear global ideas and examples of gardens and gardening techniques. Inspired by a surge of philosophical interest in gardening, Fenner and Fenner argue that some gardens are indeed works of art. They explore how we might understand the aesthetic properties of gardens, and focus on what it means to "read" the formal aspects of gardens -- what the authors call "garden form" -- as a basis for interpreting a garden. They discuss the intersection of gardens/gardening and value: questions such as what sort of value gardens possess; whether and how ethics are relevant to gardens; how gardens may be evaluated and compared; and the value of the practice of gardening. This comprehensive philosophical discussion on the aesthetics of gardens and gardening will not only interest those concerned with garden theory but will interest any thoughtful and intellectually curious gardener.
How Free Are We?: Conversations from the Free Will Show
by Taylor W. Cyr Matthew T. FlummerFree will comes up in everyday conversations all the time. "She did that of her own free will." "He could have done something else instead." "It's my choice." "That's up to you." How we think about free will-and the closely-related concept of moral responsibility-is essential to how we think about our lives. We frequently praise and blame each other, and ourselves, for the choices we make, believing that this is appropriate because the person we're holding responsible possesses free will. But what does it mean to have free will? Do any of us have it at all? If so, then how much? These and related questions are at the heart of debates about free will in philosophy. How Free Are We? contains a collection of edited interviews from The Free Will Show, a podcast by the philosophers Taylor W. Cyr and Matthew T. Flummer, highlighting recent developments on the topic. In an accessible and conversational format, a variety of scholars introduce the main issues and arguments in the free will debate, including various apparent threats to free will-such as fatalism, foreknowledge, and determinism-as well as the Consequence Argument, and the problem of luck. After building this foundation, later interviews introduce main positions and questions in debates surrounding free will, including several varieties of libertarianism, compatibilism, a version of free will scepticism, and others that do not fit neatly into any of these categories. With original introductions, bibliographies, and suggestions for further reading to accompany each interview, in addition to an afterward and a glossary of terms, How Free Are We? serves as a primer for those seeking an introduction to the topic and a window into what leading philosophers are currently thinking about and debating in this field.
The Art and Philosophy of the Garden
by David Fenner Ethan FennerThe Art and Philosophy of the Garden offers the first authoritative and comprehensive philosophical discussion of the aesthetics of gardens. Philosopher David Fenner and horticulturist Ethan Fenner address such questions as: what is a garden? Are some gardens works of art? What does it mean to appreciate gardens aesthetically? Given that gardens are always changing in a variety of ways, how is it possible to compare, evaluate, or find meaning in them? How can we interpret gardens? How do we value gardens and gardening? While grounded in Western thought, Fenner and Fenner bring to bear global ideas and examples of gardens and gardening techniques. Inspired by a surge of philosophical interest in gardening, Fenner and Fenner argue that some gardens are indeed works of art. They explore how we might understand the aesthetic properties of gardens, and focus on what it means to "read" the formal aspects of gardens -- what the authors call "garden form" -- as a basis for interpreting a garden. They discuss the intersection of gardens/gardening and value: questions such as what sort of value gardens possess; whether and how ethics are relevant to gardens; how gardens may be evaluated and compared; and the value of the practice of gardening. This comprehensive philosophical discussion on the aesthetics of gardens and gardening will not only interest those concerned with garden theory but will interest any thoughtful and intellectually curious gardener.
Reform and Retrenchment: A Century of Efforts to Fix Primary Elections
by Robert G. BoatrightThe direct primary, in which voters rather than party leaders or convention delegates select party nominees for state and federal offices, was one of the most widely adopted political reforms of the early twentieth century. Yet after decades of practice and study, scholars have found little clear evidence that direct primaries changed the outcomes of party nominations. The conventional wisdom has always been that once the Progressive movement declined and voters became distracted by more pressing issues, parties slowly reasserted their control over candidate selection. This book shows that the conventional wisdom is wrong. Exploring changes in American primary election laws from the 1920s to the 1970s, Robert G. Boatright argues in Reform and Retrenchment that the introduction of the direct primary created far more chaos in American elections than most scholars realize. As he shows, political parties, factions, and reform groups manipulated primary election laws in order to gain an advantage over their opponents, often under the guise of enhancing democracy. Today there is widespread dissatisfaction with primaries, and we are again in a period of experimentation. Boatright looks at how this history can help us understand the reform ideas before us today, ultimately suggesting that, for all of its flaws, there is likely little that can be done to improve primaries, and those who would seek to change American politics are best off exploring reforms to other areas of elections and governance.
Democracy Tamed: French Liberalism and the Politics of Suffrage
by Gianna EnglertDoes good democratic government require intelligent, moral, and productive citizens? Can our political institutions educate the kind of citizens we wish or need to have? With recent arguments "against democracy" and fears about the rise of populism, there is growing scepticism about whether liberalism and democracy can continue to survive together. Some even question whether democracy is worth saving. In Democracy Tamed, Gianna Englert argues that the dilemmas facing liberal democracy are not unique to our present moment, but have existed since the birth of liberal political thought in nineteenth-century France. Combining political theory and intellectual history, Englert shows how nineteenth-century French liberals championed the idea of "political capacity" as an alternative to democratic political rights and argued that voting rights should be limited to capable citizens who would preserve free, stable institutions against revolutionary passions and democratic demands. Liberals also redefined democracy itself, from its ancient meaning as political rule by the people to something that, counterintuitively, demanded the guidance of a capable few rather than the rule of all. Understandably, scholarly treatments of political capacity have criticized the idea as exclusionary and potentially dangerous. Englert argues instead that political capacity was a flexible standard that developed alongside a changing society and economy, allowing liberals to embrace democracy without abandoning their first principles. She reveals a forgotten, uncharted path of liberalism in France that remained open to political democracy while aiming to foster citizen capacity. Overall, Democracy Tamed tells the story of how the earliest liberals deployed their notion of the "new democracy" to resist universal suffrage. But it also reveals how later liberals would appropriate their predecessors' antidemocratic arguments to safeguard liberal democracies as we have come to know them.
Democracy Tamed: French Liberalism and the Politics of Suffrage
by Gianna EnglertDoes good democratic government require intelligent, moral, and productive citizens? Can our political institutions educate the kind of citizens we wish or need to have? With recent arguments "against democracy" and fears about the rise of populism, there is growing scepticism about whether liberalism and democracy can continue to survive together. Some even question whether democracy is worth saving. In Democracy Tamed, Gianna Englert argues that the dilemmas facing liberal democracy are not unique to our present moment, but have existed since the birth of liberal political thought in nineteenth-century France. Combining political theory and intellectual history, Englert shows how nineteenth-century French liberals championed the idea of "political capacity" as an alternative to democratic political rights and argued that voting rights should be limited to capable citizens who would preserve free, stable institutions against revolutionary passions and democratic demands. Liberals also redefined democracy itself, from its ancient meaning as political rule by the people to something that, counterintuitively, demanded the guidance of a capable few rather than the rule of all. Understandably, scholarly treatments of political capacity have criticized the idea as exclusionary and potentially dangerous. Englert argues instead that political capacity was a flexible standard that developed alongside a changing society and economy, allowing liberals to embrace democracy without abandoning their first principles. She reveals a forgotten, uncharted path of liberalism in France that remained open to political democracy while aiming to foster citizen capacity. Overall, Democracy Tamed tells the story of how the earliest liberals deployed their notion of the "new democracy" to resist universal suffrage. But it also reveals how later liberals would appropriate their predecessors' antidemocratic arguments to safeguard liberal democracies as we have come to know them.
Buddhism Between Religion and Philosophy: N?g?rjuna and the Ethics of Emptiness
by Rafal K. StepienN?g?rjuna (c. 150-250), founder of the Madhyamaka or Middle Way school of Buddhist philosophy and the most influential of all Buddhist thinkers aside from the Buddha himself, concludes his masterpiece, Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way, with these baffling verses: For the abandonment of all views He taught the true teaching By means of compassion I salute him, Gautama But how could anyone possibly abandon all views? In Buddhism between Religion and Philosophy, Rafal K. Stepien shows not only how N?g?rjuna's radical teaching of no-view or ?abelief? makes sense within his Buddhist philosophy, but also how it stands at the summit of his religious mission to care for all living beings. Rather than treating any one aspect of N?g?rjuna's ideas in isolation, here his metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics emerge as a single coherent and convincing philosophical-religious system of thought and practice. Grounded in meticulous study of original texts from classical India and China but innovating on the theories and methods underpinning contemporary scholarship East and West, this study shows how profoundly important voices from the diverse religious and philosophical traditions of the world have until now been diminished, distorted, and silenced. In opening up truly global horizons of existing and co-existing in the world, this work challenges the very ways in which we think about religion and philosophy.