Free Will: A Guide for the Perplexed

Free Will: A Guide for the Perplexed
Author: T. J. Mawson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 205
Release: 2011-01-20
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1441153292

In everyday life, we often suppose ourselves to be free to choose between several courses of action. But if we examine further, we find that this view seems to rest on metaphysical and meta-ethical presuppositions almost all of which look problematic. How can we be free if everything is determined by factors beyond our control, stretching back in time to the Big Bang and the laws of nature operating then? The only alternative to determinism is indeterminism, but is not indeterminism just there being a certain amount of randomness in the world? Does not randomness hinder you from being the author of your actions? Free Will: A Guide for the Perplexed looks at how much of the structure of our everyday judgments can survive the arguments behind such questions and thoughts. In doing so, it explores the alternative arguments that have been advanced concerning free will and related notions, including an up-to-date overview of the contemporary debates. In essence, the book seeks to understand and answer the age-old question, 'What is free will and do we have it?'

A Guide for the Perplexed

A Guide for the Perplexed
Author: Dara Horn
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2013-09-09
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0393064891

While consulting at an Egyptian library, software prodigy Josie Ashkenazi is kidnapped and her talent for preserving memories becomes her only means of escape as the power of her ingenious work is revealed, while jealous sister Judith takes over Josie's life at home.

GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED

GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED
Author: E. F. Schumacher
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 164
Release: 1978-05-31
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0060906111

The author of the world wide best-seller, Small Is Beautiful, now tackles the subject of Man, the World, and the Meaning of Living. Schumacher writes about man's relation to the world. man has obligations -- to other men, to the earth, to progress and technology, but most importantly himself. If man can fulfill these obligations, then and only then can he enjoy a real relationship with the world, then and only then can he know the meaning of living. Schumacher says we need maps: a "map of knowledge" and a "map of living." The concern of the mapmaker--in this instance, Schumacher--is to find for everything it's proper place. Things out of place tend to get lost; they become invisible and there proper places end to be filled by other things that ought not be there at all and therefore serve to mislead. A Guide for the Perplexed teaches us to be our own map makers. This constantly surprising, always stimulating book will be welcomed by a large audience, including the many new fans who believe strongly in what Schumacher has to say.

Aristotle: A Guide for the Perplexed

Aristotle: A Guide for the Perplexed
Author: John Vella
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2008-03-15
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1441154183

For more than a millennium, Aristotle was regarded as the foremost authority in the western world in nearly every subject. His corpus spans a daunting array of subjects and he made significant contributions to every known field of inquiry in the ancient world. In Aristotle: A Guide for the Perplexed, John Vella explores the historical, philosophical and political context in which aristotle's theories evolved. The book offers a clear and thorough account of the work and thought of this key thinker, providing an outline of his central ideas and the ways in which they have influenced the history of western philosophy. Thematically structured, the book considers all Aristotle's key works and is geared towards the specific requirements of students who need to reach a sound understanding of his theories and ideas.

Russell: A Guide for the Perplexed

Russell: A Guide for the Perplexed
Author: John Ongley
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2013-01-17
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 144119293X

Winner of the 2014 Bertrand Russell Society Book Award Bertrand Russell was one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century. Over his professional career of 45 years Russell left his mark and influence in many domains of intellectual inquiry. This includes the foundations of mathematics, the philosophy of science, metaphysics, the theory of knowledge, the philosophy of language, education, religion, history, ethics and politics. In Russell: A Guide for the Perplexed, John Ongley and Rosalind Carey offer a clear and thorough account of the work and thought of this key thinker, providing a thematic outline of his central ideas and his enduring influence throughout the field of philosophy. The authors lay out a detailed survey of Russell's academic, technical philosophy, exploring his work on logic, mathematics, metaphysics, language, knowledge and science. This concise and accessible book engages the reader in a deeper critical analysis of Russell's prolific philosophical and literary output.

Deleuze: A Guide for the Perplexed

Deleuze: A Guide for the Perplexed
Author: Claire Colebrook
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 189
Release: 2006-03-23
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1441155775

Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to fathom, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material. Gilles Deleuze is undoubtedly one of the seminal figures in modern Continental thought. However, his philosophy makes considerable demands on the student; his major works make for challenging reading and require engagement with some difficult concepts and complex systems of thought. Deleuze: A Guide for the Perplexed is the ideal text for anyone who needs to get to grips with Deleuzian thought, offering a thorough, yet approachable account of the central themes in his work: sense; univocity; intuition; singularity; difference. His ideas related to language, politics, ethics and consciousness are explored in detail and - most importantly - clarified. The book also locates Deleuze in the context of his philosophical influences and antecedents and highlights the implications of his ideas for a range of disciplines from politics to film theory. Throughout, close attention is paid to Deleuze's most influential publications, including the landmark texts The Logic of Sense and Difference and Repetition.

Hegel: A Guide for the Perplexed

Hegel: A Guide for the Perplexed
Author: David James
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2007-05-08
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0826485375

An invaluable student's guide to one of the most influential, widely-studied - and notoriously difficult to understand - of major Western philosophers

Theological Anthropology: A Guide for the Perplexed

Theological Anthropology: A Guide for the Perplexed
Author: Marc Cortez
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2010-01-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0567428362

What does it mean to be human and to be made in the image of God? What does it mean to be a 'person'? What constitutes a human person? What does it mean to affirm that humans are free beings? And, what is gender? Marc Cortez guides the reader through the most challenging issues that face anyone attempting to deal with the subject of theological anthropology. Consequently, it addresses complexities surrounding such questions as: Each chapter explains first both why the question under consideration is important for theological anthropology and why it is also a contentious issue within the field. After this, each chapter surveys and concisely explains the main options that have been generated for resolving that particular question. Finally the author presents to the reader one way of working through the complexity. These closing sections are presented as case studies in how to work through the problems and arrive at a conclusion than as definitive answers. Nonetheless, they offer a convincing way of answering the questions raised by each chapter.

Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed

Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed
Author: Alfred L. Ivry
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2016-09-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 022639526X

A classic of medieval Jewish philosophy, Maimonides’s Guide of the Perplexed is as influential as it is difficult and demanding. Not only does the work contain contrary—even contradictory—statements, but Maimonides deliberately wrote in a guarded and dissembling manner in order to convey different meanings to different readers, with the knowledge that many would resist his bold reformulations of God and his relation to mankind. As a result, for all the acclaim the Guide has received, comprehension of it has been unattainable to all but a few in every generation. Drawing on a lifetime of study, Alfred L. Ivry has written the definitive guide to the Guide—one that makes it comprehensible and exciting to even those relatively unacquainted with Maimonides’ thought, while also offering an original and provocative interpretation that will command the interest of scholars. Ivry offers a chapter-by-chapter exposition of the widely accepted Shlomo Pines translation of the text along with a clear paraphrase that clarifies the key terms and concepts. Corresponding analyses take readers more deeply into the text, exploring the philosophical issues it raises, many dealing with metaphysics in both its ontological and epistemic aspects.