The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life

The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life
Average customer rating:

Meaningful & Intellectually Provocative

Wonderful conversation on religion and philosophy

Fantastic

Intelligent and insightful

Not really a dialog; more of an introduction to Buddhism

The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life
Jean-Francois Revel , Matthieu Ricard , John Canti , and Jack Miles
Manufacturer: Schocken
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Eastern | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Modern | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Religious | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Eastern Philosophy | Other Eastern Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Miles, Jack | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill

The Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet

The Attention Revolution: Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind

Genuine Happiness: Meditation as the Path to Fulfillment

Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying

ASIN: 0805211039
Release Date: 2000-02-15

Amazon.com

The Monk and the Philosopher is a collection of father-son dialogues between Jean-François Revel, a French philosopher and journalist famous for his leadership in protests of both Christianity and Communism, and Matthieu Ricard, his son, who gave up a promising career as a scientist to become a Buddhist monk in the Himalayas. The conversations recorded in this book took place during 10 days at an inn in Katmandu. The range of their subjects is immense: What is Buddhism? Why does it have such appeal to many in the West? Why do Buddhists believe in reincarnation? What are the differences between Buddhist and Christian monastic life? How do science and individualism make authentic Buddhist practice difficult for Westerners to achieve? Despite the simplicity of many of these questions, Revel and Ricard never give simplistic answers. Their discussions are rich without being dense, and, even more notably, they take every question very personally. The result is a book perfectly suited as an introduction to the elements of Buddhist religion (with a good bit of Tibetan history thrown in) that is also an excellent description of what it has been like for one man (Ricard) to practice Buddhist faith. However, as Ricard wisely notes at the end of this book, "No dialogue, however enlightening it might be, could ever be a substitute for the silence of personal experience, so indispensable for an understanding of how things really are." The greatest strength of The Monk and the Philosopher may be its power to return readers to careful attention to the way we pass our days. --Michael Joseph Gross

Book Description

Jean Francois-Revel, a pillar of French intellectual life in our time, became world famous for his challenges to both Communism and Christianity. Twenty-seven years ago, his son, Matthieu Ricard, gave up a promising career as a scientist to study Tibetan Buddhism -- not as a detached observer but by immersing himself in its practice under the guidance of its greatest living masters.

Meeting in an inn overlooking Katmandu, these two profoundly thoughtful men explored the questions that have occupied humankind throughout its history. Does life have meaning? What is consciousness? Is man free? What is the value of scientific and material progress? Why is there suffering, war, and hatred? Their conversation is not merely abstract: they ask each other questions about ethics, rights, and responsibilities, about knowledge and belief, and they discuss frankly the differences in the way each has tried to make sense of his life.

Utterly absorbing, inspiring, and accessible, this remarkable dialogue engages East with West, ideas with life, and science with the humanities, providing wisdom on how to enrich the way we live our lives.

Customer Reviews:

Meaningful & Intellectually Provocative.......2007-09-02

The dialogue between Revel & Ricard are meaningful & intellectually provocative. Their open, critical & coherent discussion not merely enabled me to learn more about meaning of life, thru the lenses of both Western philosophy & Eastern Buddism, but also guided me to see things in a more lucid perspective. I look forward to exploring, learning, & experiencing more about the path to enlightenment introduced by Ricard.

Wonderful conversation on religion and philosophy.......2006-10-21

This is a father son conversation on religion and philosophy. It is a wonderful and enlightening look at Buddhism and rationality. What an extraordinary opportunity to explore the juxtaposition between a father and his rational philosophical beliefs and his son having grown up a westerner in a rational family and moving to the spiritual realm of Buddhism. His western lens is very helpful to understand this body of belief.

A must read if you are interested in a conversation that leads to understanding and learning that bridges the rational and the spiritual.

Fantastic.......2006-06-03

I really enjoyed this book at various levels. First of all, as an intellectual exchange of views between father and son, both of whom are obviously very knowledgeable in their fields of expertise. Most of the conversations between them took place in Nepal, and some in northern France. Secondly, I enjoyed it as a means to elucidate some points of Buddhist epistemology and metaphysics. Matthieu did a very good job as a spokesperson for Tibetan Buddhism. Thirdly, I enjoyed it because of what it made me aware of: views like those of Revel, an atheist and skeptical philosopher who stands in the ethical traditions of both Epicureism and Stoicism, are not enough to satisfy my spirit's quest for a comprehensive and organic view of life, since they are issued from a merely philosophical and scientist perspective.
Every time Matthieu made a good point, Revel's reply would be like : "Oh, this idea too was known in the Western philosophical tradition...So and so said the same thing..." It may well be true, but all of these views are part of the Buddhist organic, comprehensive tradition, the chief aim of which is to attain liberation from the illusion of the self, or enlightenment. Clearly Revel prefers a syncretistic approach to a straight forward, comprehensive one, like the Buddhist or the Christian paths.
This was obviously a conversation, not a debate, in which Matthieu would have won hands down. There are many unfavorable reference to Christianity, which makes me wonder if either one, especially Revel, has ever studied the Christian theological tradition.

Intelligent and insightful.......2005-08-05

As some others have said, I have dipped my toes into Buddhism here and there and can say quite frankly that this is the first book that I thought really helped me to understand and visualize this religion/living system without getting too abstract immediately, or without being over simplified and childish. I truly felt that the dialogue challenged my understanding of Buddhism yet helped me get my grounding so that I can begin a deeper and wiser exploration. The usage of metaphoric and poetic language on the part of Matthiew was helpful for me to begin visualizing the ideals of Buddhism, and having Jacques play devil's advocate ensured that it was a healthy and balanced discussion that I truly got caught up in. It's an insightful conversation that makes you feel you are almost the third at the table and I look forward to revisiting this discussion often.

Not really a dialog; more of an introduction to Buddhism.......2005-04-30

As many reviewers have explained, this book is the transcript of a long series of discussions between French philosopher Jean-Francois Revel and his son Matthieu Ricard, a Tibetan Buddhist monk.

The majority of the book consists in Mattieu Ricard explaining basic principles of Tibetan Buddhism, and his father asking questions. They spend a lot of time clearing away basic misconceptions. In reading this book I felt that Revel could have answered nearly all the questions he put to his son by simply reading a few introductions to Tibetan Buddhism.

When I bought the book, it was under the belief that they would be having a two-way dialog, discussing issues from their different perspectives. That is not at all what happens, and this book really works best as an introduction to Buddhism. If you are new to Tibetan Buddhism and you are interested in learning a lot about it, this is a very good introduction, because Revel is not a Buddhist and asks a lot of the kinds of questions Westerners will inevitably ask of Buddhism. It succeeds well on its own modest terms.

Average customer rating:

The intellectual overview of a political science genius

Hannah Arendt
Julia Kristeva
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Philosophers | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Modern | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Reference | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Melanie Klein (European Perspectives: A Series in Social Thought and Cultural Criticism)
Tales of Love (European Perspectives)
Between Past and Future (Penguin Classics)
Hannah Arendt: For Love of the World
Essays in Understanding, 1930-1954: Formation, Exile, and Totalitarianism

ASIN: 0231121024

Amazon.com

Julia Kristeva's Hannah Arendt brings together two of the best minds in 20th-century philosophy; two who are especially noteworthy because they are visionary women in a field long dominated by men. Appropriately, the book is, in part, a tribute to Arendt, one of a series of looks at female genius. Kristeva brings her considerable scholarly arsenal, which includes linguistics, literary criticism, philosophy, feminism, aesthetics, cultural studies, and psychoanalysis. In particular, her psychoanalytic bent makes for an incisive look at Arendt because she was "gripped from the start by that unique passion in which life and thought are one.... [She] consistently put life--both life itself and life as a concept to be analyzed--at the center of her work."

Arendt is certainly one of the 20th century's brightest intellectual luminaries. Penning The Human Condition and Eichmann in Jerusalem, she wove her accounts of philosophy with a unique penchant for narrative and personal reflection, vivified by her extraordinary life. Throughout this biography, Kristeva plies Arendt's trade, using Arendt's life to illuminate her thought. By turns she examines Arendt's use of narrative, her ratiocinations on Jewish-ness and anti-Semitism, and her political philosophy. Kristeva's insightfulness in this volume will help ensure her a place in the canon alongside Arendt. --Eric de Place

Book Description

Twenty-five years after her death, we are still coming to terms with the controversial figure of Hannah Arendt. Interlacing the life and work of this seminal twentieth-century philosopher, Julia Kristeva provides us with an elegant, sophisticated biography brimming with historical and philosophical insight.

Centering on the theme of female genius, Hannah Arendt emphasizes three features of the philosopher's work. First, by exploring Arendt's critique of Saint Augustine and her biographical essay on Rahel Varnhagen, Kristeva accentuates Arendt's commitment to recounting lives and narration. Second, Kristeva reflects on Arendt's perspective on

Judaism, anti-Semitism, and the "banality of evil." Finally, the biography assesses Arendt's intellectual journey, placing her enthusiasm for observing both social phenomena and political events in the context of her personal life.

Drawing on fragments of Arendt's most intimate correspondence with her longtime lover Martin Heidegger and her husband Heinrich Blucher, excerpts from her mother's "Unser Kind" (a diary tracking Hannah's formative years), and passages from Arendt's philosophical writings, Kristeva presents a luminous story. With a thorough thematic index and bibliographical references, Hannah Arendt is a major breakthrough in the understanding of an essential thinker.

Customer Reviews:

The intellectual overview of a political science genius.......2003-11-07

It has been a long time since I went to a baseball game, but trying to keep track of the intellectual action in the biography of Hannah Arendt by Julia Kristeva reminded me of the game. Eventually, I even thought of a song, "Catfish" by Bob Dylan (Words by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy) recorded on July 28, 1975, an outtake from the album "Desire" that was finally released in a three-CD package called "The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 [rare and unreleased] 1961-1991." There was once a pitcher called Catfish Hunter, million dollar man, and Dylan's chorus said, "Nobody can throw the ball Like Catfish can." I have had the words since "The Songs of Bob Dylan" was released in 1976, but I didn't hear the song until 1991. Having an English translation from 2001 of a feminist biography of a political scientist of the mid-twentieth century captures the intellection activity that interests me about as well as "Catfish" captures the action of a baseball game.

Lazy stadium night, Catfish on the mound,
"Strike three" the umpire said,
Batter have to go back and sit down.

There are three chapters in HANNAH ARENDT, and the third has 219 notes. Basic statistics on how much Julia Kristeva is merely educating herself in public by providing a reading from Arendt's books might be obtained by counting the Ibid.s. Counting backwards, I found 133 Ibid.s in the notes for Chapter 3, including my favorite note:

"99. "Letter to the Romans 7:21, drafted between 54 and 58 a.d., cited in ibid., p. 64." (p. 268).

A lot of the books I read lately keep trying to tell me when the Bible was written, but I never noticed it in a note before. Usually my favorite notes are about Nietzsche, like:

"123. Ibid., p. 165, citing Nietzsche, THE GAY SCIENCE, no. 310"

"126. Concerning the `forgetting' that Nietzsche revives see p. 237; and Paul Ricoeur, paper presented at the Hannah Arendt Conference at the Grande Bibliotheque de France, December 6, 1997."

"128. Ibid., pp. 169-70, citing Nietzsche, THE WILL TO POWER, no. 585 A, pp. 316-19."

`131. LM, "Willing," p. 172, citing Nietzsche, THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSTRA, pt. 3, "Before Sunrise." '

`187. Ibid., citing Nietzsche, "The Use and Abuse of History," pp. 6, 7.'

"189. Ibid., citing Nietzsche, THE GENEALOGY OF MORALS, p. 61"

`192. Ibid., pp. 63, 72-73 ("even in old Kant: the categorical imperative reeks of cruelty").'

Nietzsche wrote such things about Kant, and it is a bit difficult to imagine that Kristeva and Arendt would associate such ideas with the great weight of the past if Nietzsche hadn't made this connection first. Understanding philosophy is a process that can be compared to intellectually building a rehash of old, familiar plays, as if it is about something like a baseball game, which has an umpire who gets to decide when an easy pop fly is an infield fly rule call that makes the batter out, but the umpire does not have time to say anything until after it is all over when a triple play picks off the runners before they have a chance to tag up if the pitcher ducks under a line drive that gets caught right on second base before anyone has time to react, but a quick shortstop snagged the ball out of the air and flipped it to first in the only instant in which that could happen. Kristeva is capable of interpreting political science as an activity best understood in terms of the philosophy of Nietzsche:

"To the `identical will' that forges the solidarity of a group, Arendt contrasts the way men who are connected to one another through a mutual promise `act in concert.' These men dispose of the future as though it were the present, and they live together in the miraculous enlargement of what Nietzsche called the `memory of the Will,' which is what distinguishes human life from animal life. As Arendt evokes Nietzsche's concept, she hears only the joyful touches of the superman and denotes not a trace of Nietzsche's disdainful tone." (p. 236).

Still counting backward, I find 102 Ibid.s in the notes for Chapter 2 and only 52 Ibid.s in the notes for Chapter 1. The Introduction only had two notes, on a wide variety of topics, but both related to the nature of "genius." When political opinion surveys offer a few sample views to encompass the political orientation of the great mass of the population, only a genius could be expected to have a ready answer to questions like "Will mothers become our only safeguard against the wholesale automation of human beings?" (p. xiii). The Introduction actually seems more suited for a triple biography, as "The three women who are the subject of this work" on page xv includes two women who are hardly mentioned in the three main chapters of HANNAH ARENDT. It does not add much to understanding this book to also learn "that Melanie Klein devoted herself to studying decompensation." (p. xvii). But in considering who else has been brilliant, it pays to have some comic relief. Among the French, who must understand comedy as well as any people anywhere, it might even be popular to declare:

Book Description

"It's the animal in us," we often hear when we've been bad. But why not when we're good? Primates and Philosophers tackles this question by exploring the biological foundations of one of humanity's most valued traits: morality.

In this provocative book, primatologist Frans de Waal argues that modern-day evolutionary biology takes far too dim a view of the natural world, emphasizing our "selfish" genes. Science has thus exacerbated our reciprocal habits of blaming nature when we act badly and labeling the good things we do as "humane." Seeking the origin of human morality not in evolution but in human culture, science insists that we are moral by choice, not by nature.

Citing remarkable evidence based on his extensive research of primate behavior, de Waal attacks "Veneer Theory," which posits morality as a thin overlay on an otherwise nasty nature. He explains how we evolved from a long line of animals that care for the weak and build cooperation with reciprocal transactions. Drawing on both Darwin and recent scientific advances, de Waal demonstrates a strong continuity between human and animal behavior. In the process, he also probes issues such as anthropomorphism and human responsibilities toward animals.

Based on the Tanner Lectures de Waal delivered at Princeton University's Center for Human Values in 2004, Primates and Philosophers includes responses by the philosophers Peter Singer, Christine M. Korsgaard, and Philip Kitcher and the science writer Robert Wright. They press de Waal to clarify the differences between humans and other animals, yielding a lively debate that will fascinate all those who wonder about the origins and reach of human goodness.

Customer Reviews:

Plausible.......2007-09-19

This is a very short book. The main essay has just about over 50 pages. The rest is introduction, some responses, and a closing statement.
Who says that important books need to be long? Possibly it is not all that important, but the main idea is new to me, therefore I am glad that I picked it up, after a recommendation in Der Spiegel.
Let me also say, I don't find the main hypothesis really compelling, in the sense of thoroughly thought through and explained. But I think it is plausible, and as I had been used to think in different directions and categories, this is a new paradigm for me.
Simply put, FdW challenges the conventional view that morality is part of civilization, that morality is a 'veneer' over our animal core, which is generally assumed to be selfish and immoral. He rejects the view that mankind developed as individuals and then became socialites, requiring rules for co-existence. Rather, homo evolved as a social animal and started his career on Earth with a set of rules for social life. I.o.w., the whole question how a human society without a creator can have morality, is superfluous, baseless, a waste of energy.
On the way to this hypothesis, FdW gets into arguments with the 'selfish gene' theory and with the Dawkins direction of neo-Darwinism. My suspicion is, that this conflict is as useless as a goitre (as we say in German). I don't think that Dawkins really meant the gene to be literally 'selfish', hence let's drop this linguistic bickering. (However I am too lazy to look it up in Dawkins.)
Only 4 stars, not because it is not important, but because it remains below its potential. The discussion part is not always to the point.
I am tempted to give an extra star for the foto of Georgia admiring her own reflection in the camera lens. But maybe an Oscar is more appropriate?

Welcome new perspectives on moral theorizing.......2007-09-06

This book is an interesting confrontation between primate research and professional moral philosophers. The aim is to discuss De Waal's attack on `veneer theory', the idea that moral behaviour is not really grounded in our nature but just a thin cultural overlay, but the discussion quickly becomes way more general.
In fact, we quickly see familiar dividing lines appear. Some, like Korsgaard, see morality as based on reason alone, and therefore purely human. Others, like De Waal, see it as primarily based on inborn capacities like empathy, and maintain that we share a lot of our morality with primates.
The truth is probably somewhere in between. Actually almost all the contributors confirm this in some way, but this is obscured by the fact that the authors do not seem to be able to agree on the meaning on the word`morality'.

Semantic confusion and untenable extremes: Nothing new in the world of discussions of morality then? What does make this book interesting, is that this time the discussions are informed by empirical evolutionary research, which means that even the philosophers have to keep their feet on the ground. Apart from the ape-stories being interesting to read, the result is a welcome new perspective on existing moral theories.

Critically Important Research.......2007-08-25

Teleologically oriented theologians and pompous philosophers need to read this book. New empirical research offers dramatic insights as to the how's and why's of the bilogoical origins of human values and morality. The more this book is read and digested, the faster the phony televangelists will disappear from popular and uninformed culture.

Excellent .......2007-07-29

I do not have the required background knowledge to really make a judgment as to the fundamental claim here i.e. that moral behavior, including decision-making is not an exclusively human prerogative but in fact is the natural condition of a wide variety of species for whom cooperatrive and and altruistic behavior can be collectively advantageous. De Waal's critique of what he calls 'veneer theory' the idea that human morality is a thin layer which comes over and above our fundamentally aggressive, selfish nature is I believe, even when one considers humans in isolation, quite convincing.
He brings certain evidence and examples to show that other species' outside the human, including such stereotypically cruel and mean creatures as wolves engage in mutually advantageous group behavior. The question however of the degree of conscious decision involved in this is one not really solved here. Clearly the human capacity for language- use and symbolic - communication extends not only modes of cooperation, but complexities in consciousness. One feels that deliberation and decision in human action work in ways other animals cannot come close to.

Our hertitage deepens.......2007-06-10

Succinct, quotable, accessible and scholarly ( in the best sense!)- Dr De Waal never disappoints.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chinese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Japanese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Doctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Lawyers & Criminals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Love, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

French | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Victorian | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Epic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

War on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Science | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Online Research | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books

Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Sailor Moon | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pilates | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America: Lost History And Legends, Unearthed And Explored
Before the Pharaohs: Egypt's Mysterious Prehistory
They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies

ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times And Ideas Of The Great Economic Thinkers

Average customer rating:

I love this book
The Hobo Philosopher
This Classic Remains A Great Read!
Excellent compilation of short biographies of major economists
If I could give 10 stars I would

The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times And Ideas Of The Great Economic Thinkers
Robert L. Heilbroner
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Economic History | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Theory | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

History of Ideas | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

New Ideas from Dead Economists: An Introduction to Modern Economic Thought
Capitalism and Freedom: Fortieth Anniversary Edition
The Sovereign Individual
Teachings from the Worldly Philosophy
Making of Economic Society, The (12th Edition) (Heilbroner, Robert L//Making of Economic Society)

ASIN: 068486214X

Book Description

The Worldly Philosophers is a bestselling classic that not only enables us to see more deeply into our history but helps us better understand our own times. In this seventh edition, Robert L. Heilbroner provides a new theme that connects thinkers as diverse as Adam Smith and Karl Marx. The theme is the common focus of their highly varied ideas -- namely, the search to understand how a capitalist society works. It is a focus never more needed than in this age of confusing economic headlines.

In a bold new concluding chapter entitled "The End of the Worldly Philosophy?" Heilbroner reminds us that the word "end" refers to both the purpose and limits of economics. This chapter conveys a concern that today's increasingly "scientific" economics may overlook fundamental social and political issues that are central to economics. Thus, unlike its predecessors, this new edition provides not just an indispensable illumination of our past but a call to action for our future.

Customer Reviews:

I love this book.......2007-10-15

Hi my mom purchased this book for me to read over the summer because it was a requirement for my 12th grade economics class. I really enjoyed reading this book more then I thought I would. Well that's all I have to say since my mom wanted me to write the comment because the book was for my usage.

The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-12

Whenever anyone says to me: I would like to learn something about economics, but where do I start - this is where you start. It is simple, easy, accurate, enjoyable and written for the lay reader. If you want to know more about economics this should be your first challenge. I guarantee after reading this book, you will know more and want to learn more. It could be the best introductory economics book ever. You can trust this guy.

This Classic Remains A Great Read!.......2007-09-10

I read this book 25 years ago, and recently reread parts of it. What a great book! Many of the most prominent living economists have justly heaped praise on Heilbroner's masterpiece. I can only add my hearty agreement.

Excellent compilation of short biographies of major economists.......2007-07-27

Heilbroner (H) does a very good job of providing the beginning ,novice reader in economic history and economic thought a very general summary of the major ideas of the economists he covers.He provides many interesting anecdotal comments,such as Keynes's interest in the size and shape of other people's hands,that are worth the price of purchasing the book.There are,however,some major analytic gaps in H's coverage.I will cover two of these below.

The first major omission occurs on p.68, in the chapter covering Adam Smith,on Smith's view of the role of government in a capitalist economy.Smith spends pp.734-741 of the Wealth of Nations[Modern Library(Cannan)edition] alerting the reader to the existence of a major undepletable,detrimental externality ,with major negative impacts, that resulted from the operation of the Invisible Hand (comparative advantage + division of labor + economic self interest).These negative impacts affect all aspects of the workers' lives-social,political,moral or ethical,intellectual,and martial.It is not just a case of "...the stultifying effect of mass production..." leading to a " ...decline in manly virtues."(Heilbroner,p.68).On pp.9-10 of the WN,Smith discussed the significant role of the worker in providing a continuing series of marginal improvements in the workings of the machinery used in the production process.All such contributions come to a complete stop if the externality problem is not dealt with because the result will be "...the almost complete corruption and degeneracy of the great body of the people".(Smith,p.734).The work force will not be able to make any contribution to the political decision making process of the country.Conflicts will break out both within the family and between families.Smith includes in his solution,which is that general education and religious instruction be provided for all even if they are unable to afford it,the requirement that the workers be taught the basics(reading,writing,and arithmetic) plus geometry and mechanics.The middle class is to also be taught philosophy and science.

The second omission in Heilbroner concerns the discussion of Keynes's GT fiscal policies on pp.274-279.H does not make it clear that Keynes is opposed to cutting income taxes in order to stimulate private consumption spending.Keynes's plan is to seperate the budget into a current and a capital account.The capital account will include borrowed funds(loan expenditure) to finance long run spending on infreastructure projects and public goods that will pay for themselves in the long run.The p.131 quote given by H about the government burying bank notes in abandoned mines for private enterprise to dig up from the GT is misleading.

If I could give 10 stars I would.......2007-07-03

Best book I've read in a long time! I have exams in economics, and usually I read some light "for fun" books during exam times in order to relax. This is one of those books, and I'm learning something!!! Excellent writer!

Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers

Average customer rating:

You've gotta be kidding!
The Story of Philosophy
Not fun to read
Excellent introduction to philosophy
A Reviting History of Philosophy, Essential for Educated Readers

Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers
Will Durant
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time
Basic Teachings of the Great Philosophers
A History of Western Philosophy
The Lessons of History
From Socrates to Sartre: The Philosophic Quest

ASIN: 0671739166

Amazon.com

Easily the most engaging writer of Western intellectual history in the English language, Will Durant breathes life into philosophers and their ideas. He is colorful, witty, and above all, informative. Beginning with Socrates and ending with American philosopher John Dewey, Durant summarizes the lives and influence of philosophy's greatest thinkers, painting them with humanity and adding a few of his own wise platitudes. Seventy-some years after its first printing, The Story of Philosophy still stands as one of the best of its kind.

Book Description

A brilliant and concise account of the lives and ideas of the great philosophers -- Plato, Aristotle, Bacon, Spinoza, Voltaire, Kant, Schopenhauer, Spencer, Nietzsche, Bergson, Croce, Russell, Santayana, James and Dewey -- The Story of Philosophy is one of the great books of our time. Few write for the nonspecialist as well as Will Durant, and this book is a splendid example of his eminently readable scholarship. Durant's insight and wit never cease to dazzle; The Story of Philosophy is a key book for any reader who wishes to survey the history and development of philosophical ideas in the Western world.

Customer Reviews:

You've gotta be kidding!.......2007-10-14

This book is a joke, right? 70-odd customers give it 4 ½ stars - another joke, right? Durant specializes in ridiculously broad generalizations, pompous nonsense, getting facts wrong, skipping over critically important philosophers and material, and suggesting that minor figures are much more important than they are.

Allowing that it's difficult to separate Socrates from Plato, providing Durant with an excuse for not attempting any serious treatment of Socrates, his silly, gushing and gossipy few pages about Socrates make no real attempt to explain Socrates as a philosopher. And it's very difficult to shed much light on Socrates, Plato and Aristotle without providing background in the Pre-Socratics. Apparently Plato popped out of the head of Zeus, or at least of Socrates - no doubt an easier approach than actually explaining the thought of the Milesians, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras and Protagoras, not to mention the Sophists, but also inexcusable. Socrates and Plato reacted strongly against Parmenides on one hand and the Sophists on the other, and they lived at a time when the focus had shifted from speculation about the physical world to man, and then metaphysics.

This is highly significant, and there were reasons for it, but you wouldn't know it from reading Durant. Plato was influenced by Parmenides and Pythagoras; one would expect historical context about one of the greatest philosophers in a history of philosophy, but it's not here. There's more context missing - intellectual and religious background, the shocking novelty of sustained, abstract thinking, great intellectual advances remaining mixed with superstition, concepts we take for granted not yet existing, the great differences between English words used to translate Greek terms and the actual Greek concepts - but there's little attempt to explain any of this.

Oh well, perhaps the decision to skip over the Pre-Socratics and omit context was made to provide more space for the Hellenistic philosophers - Stoics, Epicureans, Pyrrho and the Sceptics - but they're not here! Wait, Zeno is mentioned in passing, but Durant says he's a Phonecian! - bringing Oriental gloom into the Greek mind. Zeno was a Greek from Cyprus, and he'd studied under Crates of Thebes. Don't even bother looking for Plotinus or any other Roman-era philosophers, except in a tangent in the chapter on Francis Bacon.

Speaking of Bacon, we skip directly from Aristotle to him - we don't even meet Augustine or Aquinas in this book! How anyone could pretend to sketch a history of Western philosophy without them is a mystery. Durant gives Aquinas a passing, dismissive, sentence, as he assists in the abuse of Aristotle while Europe waits for the darkness to pass. From Aristotle we skip completely over Augustine, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Reformation.

Okay, this time the omissions must be to make room for something really important. After Bacon and Spinoza we meet - Voltaire! A philosophe, not a philosopher. But we get to see brief cameos by Descartes, often called the father of modern philosphy, in the full chapter on Voltaire. Something's really wrong with this picture. No Hobbes, no Leibnitz, no Locke, Berkeley or Hume - at least nothing of substance. But we do get a bit of substance on Rousseau, another philosophe. Durant finally introduces us to Kant, an actual philosopher, then provides us with a mere note on Hegel, another philosopher, before treating us to an entire chapter on Schopenhauer, about whom Bertrand Russell tells us his philosophy is inconsistent, has a certain shallowness, and always had more appeal to artists than philosophers, but nonetheless has historical significance.

Then there's a full chapter on Herbert Spencer? Why? Because there's none on Descartes or Locke? Or because the note on Hegel provided space that needed to be used up? This is getting weirder and weirder. Finally we get to Nietzsche and some characters we'd expect to see. There are some late 19th and early 20th century philosophers who should be here, but Durant can be excused for not being able to detect important things unfolding before him. He can't be excused for the many other gross failures of this book. It's incredibly imbalanced in selection of its subjects and attention given relative to importance, and it's full of bombast and overreaching literary aspirations while utterly lacking in insight and the depth of understanding required of the subject.

The Story of Philosophy.......2007-08-05

This is a compact little book with a comprehensive look at philosophy.I like the author's writing style. Thus far the book has been easy reading.

Not fun to read.......2007-08-03

I realize that this comment is not directed to the actual book content. But,----the font size/type is so small and somewhat smudgy that the book is just not fun to read.....Which was the reason that I bought it. Also, I have no visual problems, or problem reading small type, so that isn't the source of my complaint. Had I found this book in a bookstore, and seen the typeface before purchasing, I never would have bought it.

Excellent introduction to philosophy.......2007-06-22

[I have a different, older edition of this book, so I can't comment on this particular publishing.]

The Story of Philosophy is excellent. Durant provides pretty thorough and surprisingly interesting overviews (anybody who has read academic philosophy knows how boring and difficult it can sometimes be -- just try reading a few pages of Kant-- this is not so in Durant!) of many of the greatest philosophers, aptly tying them together and analyzing each. Read this along with Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosopher (broader, but less in-depth) and you will have a pretty damn good introduction to philosophy!

There are some odd omissions, like David Hume or John Locke, but this is the only problem I can find in The Story of Philosophy. To contrast this, he includes some philosophers on whom you are less likely to find information, like Santayana (one of my favourites, though strangely unheard of in much of academic philosophy!) or Croce.

A Reviting History of Philosophy, Essential for Educated Readers.......2007-06-10

Will Durrant's writing is brilliant. Here is what he wrote about Spinoza's openmindedness in seeking the truth:

"He read in Maimonides a half-favorable discussion of the doctrine of Averroes,that immortality is impersonal; but he found in the 'Guide to the Perplexed' more perplexities than guidance. For the great Rabbi propounded more questions than he answered; and Spinoza found the contradictions and improbabilities of the Old Testament lingering in his thought long after the solutions of Maimonides had dissolved into forgetfulness."

Here is another classic line by Will Durant: "The greatest defenders of a faith are its greatest enemies, for their subtlties engender doubt and stimulate the mind."

And of Spinoza's excommunication from the Amsterdam synagogue,Durrant wrote that it was nothing for: "Fate had written that Spinoza should belong to the world."

Average customer rating:

Great Reference Book
Great Companion
Cambridge Whips Oxford in this Field.
An impressive achievement
Mediocre at Best

The Oxford Companion to Philosophy

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Reference | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Reference | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (Oxford Paperback Reference)
The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy
The Shorter Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Oxford Companion to the Mind
Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings

ASIN: 0198661320

Book Description

This is the most authoritative and engaging philosophical reference work in English. It gives clear and reliable guidance to all areas of philosophy and to the ideas of all notable philosophers from antiquity to the present day. The scope of the volume is not limited to English-language philosophy: it surveys the foremost philosophy from all parts of the world. A distinguished international assembly of more than two hundred contributors provide almost 2,000 alphabetically arranged entries which are not only instructive but also entertaining: they combine learning, lucidity, elegance, and wit. There are more than fifty extended entries of 3,000 words on the main areas of philosophy and the great philosophers: these include essays by Alasdair MacIntyre on the history of moral philosophy, Paul Feyerabend on the history of the philosophy of science, Jaegwon Kim on problems of the philosophy of mind, Richard Swinburne on problems of the philosophy of religion, David Charles on Aristotle, Peter Singer on Hegel, Anthony Kenny on Frege, and Anthony Quinton on philosophy itself. Short entries deal with key concepts (for instance, personal identity, time) doctrines (utilitarianism, holism), problems (the mind-body problem, the meaning of life), schools of thought (Marxist philosophy, the Vienna Circle), and practical issues (abortion, vegetarianism). Individual thinkers past (Pythagoras, Confucius, Galileo, Goethe, Burke, Santayana, de Beauvoir, Radhakrishnan) and present (over 150 contemporary figures, such as Chomsky, Derrida, and Popper) are profiled, and eighty of them are depicted in black-and-white portraits. Interspersed throughout are short explanations of particular philosophical terms (qualia, supervenience, iff), puzzles (the Achilles paradox, the prisoner's dilemma), and curiosities (the philosopher's stone, slime). Every entry is accompanied by suggestions for further reading. A chronological chart of the history of philosophy is located at the end of the book, together with fourteen diagrams showing the structure of philosophy and the relations between its subjects and doctrines. This book will be an indispensable guide and a constant source of stimulation and enlightenment for anyone interested in abstract thought, the eternal questions, and the foundations of human understanding.

Customer Reviews:

Great Reference Book.......2007-09-30

Philosophy professors generally tend to stay away from teaching, and act more like guides. While this is ideal since I do not want to be influenced by anyone else's bias, it makes navigating Philosophy a little difficult. You will find that studying Philosophy is not like any other conventional learning. This is a great go-to book for definitions of philosophical terms and ideas. Many different viewpoints are almost always included. I recommend this to any student of Philosophy

Great Companion.......2006-08-14

I love this book. It's basically an abriged encyclopedia of philosophy, full of concise explanations about philosophers and philosophical themes. It's not perfect. Each entry is written by a different author, all of them university professors, many of them noted philosophers such as Searle, Singer, or MacIntyre. This necessarily means some entries are better written than others, and from time to time authorial bias seeps through and slants the way a theme or philosopher is presented. Nonetheless, almost every entry I've read has been at least interesting, and many have provided crisp, keen insights in a microscopic amount of space. It has enormous bookshelf value, and I keep it right next to my desk. Kudos to the publishers.

Cambridge Whips Oxford in this Field........2006-07-08

This work is comparable in many ways to the Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy: both are modeled on the dictionary format, both are multi-authored, both are very popular, both are in second edition. I have spent many happy hours with both. Each has its excellent and useful entries and each has its mediocre or useless entries. For many purposes they are interchangeable. However, Cambridge charges a little over half of what Oxford wants but the latter is definitely no better. In fact,the logic entries in the Cambridge are uniformly better. The Cambridge entry "Church's thesis" is written by Wilfried Sieg, an accomplished and respected expert in the field. The Oxford entry is by Stewart Shapiro an equally qualified expert. Both imply correctly that Church's thesis is not a proposition admitting of mathematical proof or disproof in the usual sense: it is a proposal to "identify" the pre-theoretic intuitive concept of "effectively caculable function" with the mathematically precise number-theoretic property "recursiveness". But, the Cambridge entry is several times as long the Oxford and it is much more informative concerning the historical and philosophical importance of Church's thesis. A somewhat different comparision applies to the entries titled "Church Alonzo". Again the Cambridge entry a much longer and much more informative than the Oxford. The Cambridge entry is by John Corcoran, one of the editors of the journal HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF LOGIC, whereas the Oxford entry is by Gregory Mellema, who does not have much of a track record in the field. Both entries are flawed. Toward the end of Corcoran's otherwise accurate piece there is a confusing typographical error: 'Church's thesis' is printed where 'Church's theorem' is clearly meant. Mellema's murky and overly elliptical piece does not make it clear that Church's thesis has not been and cannot be be proved in the usual sense; it even suggests the opposite by referring to it as a "result"--a word widely used as a synonym for 'theorem'. The Cambridge victory is far from being a shutout. Oxford deserves some points for its two appendixes: one presents a set of "Maps of Philosophy", which are well worth looking at even if you ultimately think you could have done better yourself, and a useful if somewhat subjective "Chronological Table of Philosophy". I recommend buying the Cambridge but looking at the Oxford in your library's Reference Room.

An impressive achievement.......2006-06-08

This extraordinary book is an exemplar of the "weighty tome" so beloved by lovers of knowledge; and that is certainly appropriate since it is billed as a "companion to philosophy." A "companion," as editor Ted Honderich notes in his preface, "is not only a book for diligent readers, to be studied and perhaps labored over..."; nor is it merely "a complete reference book. It is more amiable than that. It diverts. It suits a Sunday morning."

Well, maybe, but that would be a Sunday morning for logical positivists, Wittgenstein linguists, Kierkegaard intellectuals, professional logicians and perhaps child prodigies bored with their deferential calculus homework.

There are 249 contributors, contemporary philosophers, most holding academic positions at prestigious institutions of higher learning throughout the world, who wrote the 2,230 entries arranged alphabetically from "abandonment" (a term used by existential philosophers) to Zoroastrianism (the ancient Persian religion). In-between, the entries range from the whimsical to the esoteric to the downright impenetrable. An example of the whimsical might be "cat, Schrodinger's" from quantum mechanics. An example of the esoteric (as least to my mind) could be the entry on "corpuscularianism"--which I won't attempt to define. As for the downright impenetrable, how about, "logical theory," which, according to Christopher Kirwan of the University of Oxford who wrote the entry, "is best seen as a vaguely delimited and shifting group of problems." (All the entries are signed with the initials of the author who wrote the entry. These contributors are listed near the beginning of the book.) Or if that isn't enough how about the various entries entitled on the "history of the philosophy of" which includes "language, history of the philosophy of"; "law, history of the philosophy of"; "mind, history of the philosophy of," etc.

There are entries on the philosophers themselves of course. All the great Western philosophers, Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Descartes, "the blessed Hume" (p. vii) (I agree with Honderich's exalted designation!), Kant, Hegel, etc. appear in lengthy entries. There is also a smattering of greats from the non-Western world, Buddha, Lao Tzu and others in shorter entries. Clearly the emphasis is on Western philosophy, but Eastern philosophy, I am happy to say, is not neglected. Also not neglected is religious philosophy. While there is no entry on Christian philosophy as such, many of the great Christian philosophers have entries. There are entries on "Hindu philosophy" and "Buddhist philosophy" and even an entry on Jainism. National philosophies, in so far as such a thing can be discerned or identified, are presented, including entries on "Japanese philosophy," "Russian philosophy," "American philosophy," etc.

Additionally there are entries on the ideas and problems of philosophy such as "universals"; the "problem of evil"; "scepticism" and many others. Many of the fallacies of philosophy such as the "undistributed middle" or "denying the antecedent" appear with (sometimes difficult) explanations. There are entries on the history of various ideas, such as "epistemology, history of"; "metaphysics, history of," etc. There are even black and white photos of various philosophers, or in the case of the ancients, photos of statues of the philosophers.

I have only one problem with this book. Many of the entries assume too much knowledge and understanding on the part of the general reader. This is because the book is "directed partly to general readers for whom philosophy has a fascination greater than, or at least as great as, any other part of our intellectual and cultural existence," and partly "to those who study and practise the subject, and are scrupulous about their guides." (p. viii) In other words, this is a book aimed at professionals or the nearly so. As such it is a challenging book both to read and to understand. At least it was for me.

There are three appendices, one on logical symbols; another on "Maps of Philosophy," which presents groups or categories of philosophic ideas in pictorial or schematic form; and a third, "A Chronological Table of Philosophy" lists philosophers and important philosophic events alongside other historical people and events beginning with the "First flourishing of Greek philosophy" about 2600 years ago and the birth of Zoroaster to moral philosopher T. M. Scanlon's publication of "What We Owe to Each Other" and (ironically, it would appear) the slaughter of Rwandans in the 1990s.

Bottom line: a must for the professional academic philosopher and for the dedicated amateur, but decidedly not for dilettantes.

Mediocre at Best.......2006-03-23

Strengths: Entries under logic and Wittgenstein. Acceptable: Breadth of entries. Weaknesses: Many entries abstract key concepts without context in convoluted syntax. Unbelievable: No entry for "Scientific Realism." Heidegger listed under "Vienna Circle. No inclusion of benevolence under moral theory. Highly Suggested: Find another reference.

Average customer rating:

Well Balanced

Locke: A Biography
Roger Woolhouse
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Philosophers | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History & Surveys | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History of Ideas | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Alexis de Tocqueville: A Life
Descartes: A Biography
William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism
Hobbes: A Biography
Enlightenment Contested: Philosophy, Modernity, and the Emancipation of Man 1670-1752

ASIN: 0521817862

Book Description

This is the first comprehensive biography in half a century of John Locke Â- Â“a man of versatile mind, fitted for whatever you shall undertakeÂ”, as one of his many good friends very aptly described him. Against an exciting historical background of the English Civil War, religious intolerance and bigotry, anti-Government struggles and plots, and the Glorious Revolution of 1688, Roger Woolhouse interweaves the events of Locke's rather varied life with detailed expositions of his developing ideas in medicine, theory of knowledge, philosophy of science, political philosophy, philosophy of religion, and economics. Chronologically systematic in its coverage, this volume offers an account and explanation of Locke's ideas and their reception, while entering at large into the details of his private life of intimate friendships and warm companionship, and of the increasingly visible public life into which, despite himself, he was drawn - Oxford tutor, associate of Shaftesbury, dutiful civil servant. Based on broad research and many years' study of Locke's philosophy, this will be the authoritative biography for years to come of this truly versatile man whose long-standing desire was for quiet residence in his Oxford college engaged in the study and practise of medicine and natural philosophy, yet who, after years in political exile, finally became an over-worked but influential public servant and who is seen now as one of the most significant early modern philosophers. Roger Woolhouse is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of York. He is the author of many journal articles and books on early modern philosophy, including The Empiricists, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and, with R.Francks, Leibniz's Â“New SystemÂ”.

Customer Reviews:

Well Balanced.......2007-09-01

This is a fascinating biography of the great Locke. It is well balanced in details of both the life and movements of Locke, as well as providing some concise discussion on his various works.

I was left the thought as to just how Locke's works may have developed if he, like all in his age, did not have the threat of religious politics breathing down his neck. I tend to believe he would have been a lot closer to Hume if he had both lived in Hume's age and had Hume courage ( and lack of political ambition!)

A great biography that almost demands to be finished in one sitting.

Average customer rating:

A Thinking Man's View of a Thinking Man
The ox who's bellowing filled the world
The Dumb Ox
Chesterton at his best
"A Powerful Book"--says a non-Catholic

Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox
G.K. Chesterton
Manufacturer: Image
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Saint Francis of Assisi
Orthodoxy
The Everlasting Man
Aquinas's Shorter Summa: Saint Thomas's Own Concise Version of His Summa Theologica
What's Wrong With the World

ASIN: 0385090021
Release Date: 1974-01-15

Amazon.com

It is known that when the great Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton began his book on Saint Thomas Aquinas (who is, quite possibly, the most influential of all Christian theologians), "his research for the project consisted of a very casual perusal of a few books on his subject." To say that Chesterton was no authority is an understatement. To say further that he has written a masterpiece of elucidation may also be an understatement. Etienne Gilson, the chief scholar of Aquinas in the 20th century, said flatly "I consider it as being without possible comparison the best book ever written on St. Thomas. Nothing short of genius can account for such an achievement.... Chesterton was one of the deepest thinkers who ever existed; he was deep because he was right; and he could not help being right; but he could not either help being modest and charitable, so he left it to those who could understand him to know that he was right, and deep."

So how has he accomplished this feat? By simplifying, as his editor says, without oversimplifying. He turns his own lack of intimate knowledge to his advantage by concentrating on the core elements of Aquinas' thinking: his affirmation of the goodness of creation; his defense of common sense; and "the primacy of the doctrine of being." In this way he grasps--and helps us grasp--the importance of Aquinas for us today. As Raymond Dennehy has written, it's as if Chesterton is saying to us "the truths [Aquinas] was getting at--the basic principles of reality and reason--are in themselves really quite simple. Your basic intuitions were right all along." --Doug Thorpe

Book Description

A trade paperback edition of the classic portrait of Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest of Christian philosophers, by one of the greatest of modern religious writers.

Customer Reviews:

A Thinking Man's View of a Thinking Man.......2007-09-06

As is evident from other reviews, Chesterton is not everyone's cup of tea. He lived in a day when erudition was registered in extended prose that often lent itself to convolution. To a thinking man, nuance is everything and Chesterton is so intent upon the development of nuance that he may seem opaque to modern readers who do not have the background that he assumes in the reader.

Chesterton is very clear in his introduction. He assumes the reader is acquainted with the major players in his book. He expects us to have a passing familiarity with St. Francis of Assisi so that when Chesterton lumps Aquinas together with him that it is a somewhat surprising strategy. Chesterton assumes that the reader is somewhat aware that the mendicant orders were not revolutionary in that they were introducing new ideas but that their intent was to confront decadence with old ones. This is where Chesterton begins and then he adds his own subtlety to the confusion.

For all that, if you are willing to rise to Chesterton's challenge you will not fail to be edified. Thinking is and should be, often its own reward. A book should not just entertain us but advance us along the pathways of elevated humanity. Chesterton's optimism (of another age) was that such a thing was possible and in that he and Aquinas were of one accord. He may be a bit too easy on the "Dumb Ox" and too ready to paint him more favorably than he warranted in every particular, but Chesterton makes him real and what is more important, leads us to understand how this Medieval mind was really important.

I think that was Chesterton's intent and he does a pretty fair job of accomplishing it. If you find yourself getting confused by the prose let it prod you into doing some background reading before you move on. When you do, you will find the prose is not so confusing as it might first appear.

It's a good book.

The ox who's bellowing filled the world.......2007-09-05

A Chesterton biography seems to always leave one with the feeling that they are not sure if they learned more about the subject of the biography or about the author. Chesterton so readily relates to his subject that the thinking of both seems intertwined into one. Is it Thomas Aquinas or is it the master of paradox himself who is making us think as we read this biography? Chesterton admits that his work is merely a sketch of Saint Thomas and primarily as a sketch of his philosophy. And, with that, we are treated to a solid introduction to that philosophy in the context of Thomas' life. It is, therefore, not a raw description of dates and events in the life of a Dominican - it is instead a bold introduction to philosophy that impacts the church and the world even today.

Thomas Aquinas was more than the simple friar he had hoped to be, he was indeed a father of western civilization. It is impossible to understand Thomas without such an introduction to Thomism. G. K. Chesterton rightly made that observation and gave us perhaps the best biography (sketch or otherwise) to date on the "dumb ox" who's bellowing indeed filled the world and changed it forever.

The Dumb Ox.......2007-09-01

G. K. Chesterton in one of the most redundant biographers that I've ever come across. The outline of the book and its overall message is quite sketchy and not at all organized. Mr. Chesterton just throws words at the reader in a very monotone and uninspired kind of way although his passion for the Saint, judging by the book itself, seems deep; almost as if he wished he could have met the Saint. Most of the book is just praising of Thomas Aquinas rather than information and facts about the man's life. I read the bio in it's entirety and learned more from a simple article posted on the wikipedia. In other words, G. K. Chesterton's biography on Saint Thomas Aquinas was a valiant attept at trying to tell, rather that show, the world what an important figure the Saint really was. Again, in other words, the book was a waste of time.

Chesterton at his best.......2007-06-29

I try to read any and everything Chesterton wrote. As a convert to Catholocism in the first half of the last century, he gave an interesting perspective of historical figures. He had the unique ability to present historical information with a more open mind than many of either his modernist or culturally protestant contemporaries. At a time when the mainstream historical perspective was broadening among intellectual circles, and the "actual" contributions of the Catholic Church as well as major Catholic figures was beginning to be acknowledged by historians, Chesterton was writing at a level that the "the common man" could understand. You don't have to be an ivy league intellectual to grasp his writings.

"A Powerful Book"--says a non-Catholic.......2007-05-24

I have no hesitation is saying that the "Dumb Ox" is one of the most powerful books I ever read. Chesterton's reasoning is relentless--dragging us back into the Middle Ages whether we want to go there or not!

Some parts are very humorous. Speaking of Luther, Chesterton says, "He destroyed Reason and substituted suggestion."

Chesterton's book is an essential read for educated people. When he called the Inquisition "a dubious experiment," however, I just couldn't go there (the Inquisition was a nightmare).

The non-Catholic who reads this book can expect to be put on the rack until he concedes something.

Fichte: The Self and the Calling of Philosophy, 17621799

Average customer rating:

academia at its worst

Fichte: The Self and the Calling of Philosophy, 17621799
Anthony J. La Vopa
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History & Surveys | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History, 17th & 18th Century | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0521791456

Book Description

In this biographical study of the German philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte from his birth in 1762 to the crisis in his university career in 1799, Professor La Vopa uses Fichte's life and thought to deepen our understanding of German society, culture, and politics in the age of the French Revolution. This is the first biography to explain thoroughly how Fichte's philosophy relates to his life experiences as reconstructed from the abundant material in his published and unpublished writings and papers. The approach is primarily historical, but should be of interest to philosophers.

Customer Reviews:

academia at its worst.......2005-05-19

The recent publication of biographies of philosophers in English, many by Cambridge, has filled a gap in the literature. Unfortunately this particular item is totally inadequate. First the style is pedantic and long-winded; apparently Mr. La Vopa had a sabbatical to fill up, a publication requirement to meet or just thought he might turn that dissertation into a book. Second, amazingly, it actually ends before Fichte did any of his most significant work! So it is unhelpful both as biography and commentary for any but the most narrowly focused of readers. Thirdly, at $65 it physically fell apart in my hands as I was reading it. I doubt if there are a dozen people in the English-speaking world to whom this book would be of interest.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books