Book Description
This lively text helps students understand how play, games, sport, and physical education evolved in western civilization. Using several interpretive frameworks, students explore topics such as the mind/body relationship, urbanization, industrialization, modernization, impact of technology, and politics, and their effect on sport and physical education throughout history. New texts now come packaged with PowerWeb: Health & Human Performance! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Approaching the modern age...
This book, 'Kant and the Nineteenth Century', is the fourth volume of a five-volume series on the history of Western Philosophy by W.T. Jones, professor of philosophy in California.This series is a very strong, thorough introduction to the course of Western Philosophy, beginning at the dawn of the philosophical enterprise with the pre-Socratics in ancient Greece to the modern thinkers such as Wittgenstein and Sartre.It has grown, over the three decades or so of its publication, from one to four then to five volumes.It has remained a popular text, and could serve as the basis of a one-year survey of philosophy for undergraduates or a one-semester survey for graduate students.Even advanced students in philosophy will find this valuable, all major topics and most minor topics in the course of philosophy are covered in these volumes.

Jones states that there are two possible ways for a writer to organise a history of philosophy -- either by addressing everyone who ever participated in philosophy (which could become rather cumbersome if one accepts the premise that anyone could be a philosopher), or to address the major topics and currents of thought, drawing in the key figures who address them, but leaving out the lesser thinkers for students to pursue on their own.Jones has chosen the latter tactic, making sure to provide bibliographic information for this task.

This volume, 'Kant and Nineteenth Century', starts where the last volume leaves off, as philosophy is coming of age as a discipline removed from the direct control and overarching influence of the church and, to a lesser extent, the politics of those in governmental authority.The world of the Renaissance and Reformation gave way to a world of continuing renovation and revolution, in America most notably as a start, and then throughout the rest of the Western Hemisphere and through Europe in many places.

The period of the Enlightenment, the few centuries following the Renaissance and Reformation,is often called the Age of Reason.To a large extent, the historical presence of the church was withdrawing, and the dominance in intellectual and social circles of a humanist, empirical and rationalist mode was now firmly established.By the time of the nineteenth century, however, the confidence in the rationalist model was beginning to wane, with nothing clearly taking its place (this has continued into the twentieth century).Onto this stage, the first major thinker to emerge was Immanuel Kant, a wide-ranging thinker whose greatest contributions were probably in the field of knowledge, reason, ethics and metaphysics.

Kant became the standard by which other philosophers would be measured.Hegel and Schopenhauer both dealt with responses to and reactions against Kantian ideas.Hegel's though became a standard by which history itself would be measured as a discipline.Following quickly was the rise of the Utilitarianists, Comte and Marx (whose ideas would not see their fullest political expression until the twentieth century).In Europe, the century culminates in Kierkegaard and Nietzsche (whose philosophy also influenced twentieth century politics, having been co-opted by the National-Socialists of Germany).Meanwhile America was beginning to produce philosophers, such as C.S. Pierce and William James.Jones also includes a relatively unknown philosopher, F.H. Bradley, who is little known outside of philosophical circles, but was important continuing the Hegelian legacy into the twentieth century.

Each volume ends with a glossary of terms, and a worthwhile index.The glossary warns against short, dictionary-style definitions and answers to broad terms and questions, and thus indicates the pages index-style to the discussion within the text for further context.The one wish I would have would be a comprehesive glossary and index that covers the several volumes; as it is, each volume has only its own referents.

This is minor criticism in a generally exceptional series.It is not easy text, but it is not needlessly difficult.The print size on the direct quotes, which are sometimes lengthy, can be a strain at times, but the reading is worthwhile. ... Read more

Book Description

Mathematics is one of the most basic -- and most ancient -- types of knowledge. Yet the details of its historical development remain obscure to all but a few specialists. The two-volume Companion Encyclopedia of the History and Philosophy of the Mathematical Sciences recovers this mathematical heritage, bringing together many of the world's leading historians of mathematics to examine the history and philosophy of the mathematical sciences in a cultural context, tracing their evolution from ancient times to the twentieth century.

In 176 concise articles divided into twelve parts, contributors describe and analyze the variety of problems, theories, proofs, and techniques in all areas of pure and applied mathematics, including probability and statistics. This indispensable reference work demonstrates the continuing importance of mathematics and its use in physics, astronomy, engineering, computer science, philosophy, and the social sciences. Also addressed is the history of higher education in mathematics. Carefully illustrated, with annotated bibliographies of sources for each article, The Companion Encyclopedia is a valuable research tool for students and teachers in all branches of mathematics.

Contents of Volume 1: •Ancient and Non-Western Traditions •The Western Middle Ages and the Renaissance •Calculus and Mathematical Analysis •Functions, Series, and Methods in Analysis •Logic, Set Theories, and the Foundations of Mathematics •Algebras and Number Theory

Contents of Volume 2: •Geometries and Topology •Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering •Physics, Mathematical Physics, and Electrical Engineering •Probability, Statistics, and the Social Sciences •Higher Education and Institutions •Mathematics and Culture •Select Bibliography, Chronology, Biographical Notes, and Index

Customer Reviews (1)

it's part of a set
Amazon apparently has missed the fact that this is part two of a two-volume set, and they eveen have both volumes in their database.
I only have them wishlisted now, after seeing a real copy during a two-hour visit to the engineering-science-math section of the Stanford University bookstore, where I wishlisted hundreds of dollars worth of books, mostly in math. When I purchase both volumes I'll try to give a better review. ... Read more

Book Description
Capoeira weaves fighting, music, dance, prayer, and ritual into an urgent strategy by which people live, struggle, celebrate, and survive together. In this book Bira Almeida--or Mestre Acordeon as he is respectfully called in capoeira circles--documents his own tradition with both the panoramic eye of the historian and the passionate heart of the capoeirista. He transports the reader from the damn of New World history in Brazil to the streets of twentieth-century Bahia (the spiritual home of capoeira) to the giant urban centers of North America (wher capoeira is now spreading in new lineages from the old masters). This book is valuable for anyone interested in ethnocultural traditions, martial arts, and music, as well as for those who want to listen to the words of an actual mestre dedicated to preserving his Afro-Brazilian legacy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Amazing Capoeira Book
Amazing book, absolutely amazing.It is not for the person wanting to learn how to do capoeira, but for anyone, beginner or master, who wants to read a great history and personal journey.
It even travels into the spiritual, deeper significance of capoeira.
GREAT BOOK.

It's okay but you could do better
This book is just an "okay" introductory text on capoeira. A major draw back is the centeral focus on capoeira regional, a better text would be "Ring of Liberation" because it more comprehensivly covers capoeira.

Remains an Excellent Introduction to Capoeira
Mestre Acordeon's book has long been praised for its clear writing, for his thoughtful coverage of the history, philosophy, and artistic traditions surrounding this art-form.Other reviewers (see below) have noted that the book was among the first in English to introduce readers to these aspects of Capoeira, while also offering a glimpse into this one mestre's personal and life-long journey.Having assigned his book to students (both graduate and undergraduate alike), I have had ample opportunity to hear students' glowing reviews: most of these students had never heard of Capoeira, nor even seen it played, before having read his work.In retrospect, they (and I, too) consider this book an excellent way to delve into the topic.While there's recently been a flurry of new scholarship on Capoeira (at least 3 books in English have come out in 2005) that matches Capoeira's growing influence around the globe, Acordeon's book remains one of the best places to start one's exploration.Axe ASCAB!

100% Capoeira
Mestre Acordeon takes you on a journey through capoeira, sharing his experiences and inviting the reader to use his imagination.
A truely inspirational piece from a truely inspirational master.

Excellent book. Very Informative.
The book Capoeira: A Brazilian Art Form was not only well-written but was interesting as well. This book educates you about the history of capoeira, capoeira practitioners, and even a short summary of how Mestre Acordeon wasintroduced to the art of capoeira. I would highly reccomend this book tocapoeiristas, as it was very helpful to me. Axé. ... Read more

Book Description
Conceived originally as a serious presentation of the development of philosophy for Catholic seminary students, Frederick Copleston's nine-volume A History Of Philosophy has journeyed far beyond the modest purpose of its author to universal acclaim as the best history of philosophy in English. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Best Introduction to Philosophy Out There!
Copleston's series, "The History of Philosophy", is quite possibly the best introduction to the history of philosophical thought that has ever been published and certainly the best currently in print.

You will be hard pressed to find a better collection of solid philosophical surveys in one place.The beauty of the series is that Copleston has clearly done his research on each period and each thinker of Western philosophy.

I cannot recommend this series any more highly.It is a must-have collection for anyone who is a scholar (professional or casual) of philosophy, theology or any of the arts.

If this isn't on your bookshelf, it should be!
... Read more

Book Description
This volume covers a period of three hundred and fifty years, from the middle of the fourteenth century to the early years of the eighteenth century: the birth of modern philosophy. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (12)

The best philosophy overview
This is the best philosophy (not just political) overview I have found.The essays for each philosopher are several pages long and cover all aspects of the philosopher's thought.I have owned this book for years, and I still find myself going back to it over any other philosophy book.

Excellent, for what it is...
So apparently there is a great deal of controversy surrounding this book, at least according to those who have deigned to write a review about it. I myself had no idea until I read some of them, but only after I have read the book its self. I find it amusing the charges that a certain political bias is presented in this collection of essays, but only because it seems that particular bias comes at the expense of another. Most curious. At any rate, if you, like me, would like to have a resource that covers most of the great political thinkers of Western civilization, who's names you will discover when you read any of the other reviews, then this might well be the tome you are seeking. If the essays are presented in conservative terms here, then it should balance nicely the liberal terms in which they were originally presented in your classroom (I am after all making the presumption...). I have found this book to be highly useful in my continuing study of political philosophy, and reach for it more often than say, my copy of Das Kapital, or The Wealth of Nations. This could well be a function of my laziness, but I like to think it is because of the utility of History of Political Philosophy, and not just the defense of the ramparts of a particular ideology that is not embraced by all. You have a mind, so use it. If you need a quick and rich resource into western political thought, this book may well be of use to you. If, on the other hand, you are afraid that the supposedly conservative tones of this collection of essays might threaten your outlook, then by all means avoid it, and write disparaging reviews for it.

New York Times Writers Paranoid Over Strauss's Influence
After having read Allan Bloom's brilliant testament "Closing of the American Mind" and reading Mortimer Adler's subsequent counter-attacks on Bloom, I read this AND NOT ONLY DO I HAVE NO REGRETS, BUT ALL PREVIOUS DIGESTS OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY SEEM CLEARLY INFERIOR TO STRAUSS'S AND CROPSEY'S.

Thomas Pangle (a fascinating writer and student of Strauss) writes a great epilogue for those who have just stumbled on Strauss and are intrigued by the great teacher.

You get chapter after chapter of the massive and intense sweep from Plato to Heidegger. AND THE AGES BETWEEN GREECE AND THE EUROPEAN ENLIGHTENMENT ARE NOT TREATED LIKE A BLACK HOLE.

Each Straussian scholar treats his assigned philosopher with near reverence COMPARED TO THE SNEERING POST-MODERNS AND DECONSTRUCTIONISTS.

MOST NON-STRAUSSIAN COMMENTARIES ON PHILOSPHERS DISCOURAGE THE STUDENT FROM WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THE PHILOSOPHER ON THE PHILOSPHER'S TERMS.

It's laughable to read periodically in the New York Times pieces on Strauss and his students. Their writers have this ghoulish fear that Strauss has some kind of spooky control over the dreaded neo-conservatives. Beneath it all, Strauss's real agenda was to supposedly brainwash a bunch of over-bookish chickenhawks into taking over the world through appointments in Washington.

The PERIODIC HIT PIECES ON HARVEY MANSFIELD in the New York Times are so transparent as to be laugh-out-loud funny.

You should have read the uproariously funny and paranoid Straussian conspiracy theory piece written by James Ring Atlas! Mr. Atlas, RELAX!

The Best Single Text On History Of Political Philosophy
Leo Strauss' and Joseph Cropsey's "History of Political Philosophy" is a great way to start learning about "Western political philosophy."The essays, which describe the Greek classical philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, are especially lucid and well written.Not surprising since Strauss spent his life teaching the virtues of "classical philosophy."Strauss points out that classical political philosophy predominated until the 16th century.Modern philosophy was an out growth of the revolution that takes place in the natural sciences during the Enlightenment.The purpose of science is the conquest of nature man is in control of human life.Philosophers from Machiavelli on become sectarian."Everything good is due to man's labor rather than to nature's gift."Men who rely on education and modern philosophical principles alone to build a better society wind up following the path of Marx, i.e. Communism, and Nietzsche and Heidegger, i.e. Fascism.Strauss, in the aftermath of WWII, spends his life touting the virtues of classical philosophy as a way to turn back some of the harm done by modern philosophers.I especially found the A & B reading lists at the end of each chapter quite useful.The A readings give one an idea of what's required for basic understanding of the political thinker's thought, while the B readings are for in depth study.

As a retired Army officer and graduate student of political philosophy, I found this to be a great textbook to start one's journey into political philosophy.

One of the Best Sourcebooks
This book provides an excellent introduction to the main political thinkers of the West. Most essays are quite good and the book has proved remarkably resilient to change. However, readers should keep in mind that the authors chosen to submit essays are of a particular school of thought, or at least very sympathetic to a certain school of thought. This book, the Straussians' "Purple Bible," is a kind of primer to the reading methods and especially writing styles of Strauss's students.In many ways it says as much about the Strauss School as it says about the thinkers themselves. This in no way demeans the work, but readers may be surprised to find how different the essays on Hegel or Heidegger are from those found in other source books. As this book is composed of Straussians writing about their pet philosopher, their particular prejudices, or if you prefer the school's preconceptions, permeate each and every essay. Thus as expected, the entries on Heidegger and Marx are not very good; the one's on Plato, Aristotle and Rousseau are excellent. Read judiciously this is a valuable work. Read as most second-tier Straussians read it, it's just the cliff notes giving the official party line on how to deal with certain thinkers without having to do the hard work oneself.
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Book Description

Since its original publication in Chinese in the 1930s, this work has been accepted by Chinese scholars as the most important contribution to the study of their country's philosophy. In 1952 the book was published by Princeton University Press in an English translation by the distinguished scholar of Chinese history, Derk Bodde, "the dedicated translator of Fung Yu-lan's huge history of Chinese philosophy" (New York Times Book Review). Available for the first time in paperback, it remains the most complete work on the subject in any language.

Volume I covers the period of the philosophers, from the beginnings to around 100 B.C., a philosophical period as remarkable as that of ancient Greece. Volume II discusses a period lesser known in the West--the period of classical learning, from the second century B.C. to the twentieth century.

Customer Reviews (3)

A monument when it first appeared, but no longer
This book represents at least as great an accomplishment for the translator, Derk Bodde, as it does for the author, Fung Yu-lan, because Bodde rendered into English not only Fung's text in modern Chinese, but also countless passages in classical Chinese that Fung used to illustrate his points.For a generation, this was the foremost, if not the only, guide to Chinese philosophy in the English language.
Now that is no longer the case, and time has not been kind.Fung's interpretations are often outdated--it is important to bear in mind that he revised his thinking many times over the course of his life, and this collection does not contain his final views; moreover, the materials surveyed reflect scholarly interests from several decades ago.In particular, there is a noticeable emphasis on scholastic philosophy.Writings from beyond the high orthodoxy tend to get short shrift.
The two volumes are still handy as an overview of the long and engrossing history of Chinese philosophy, but unless one reads them in conjunction with more recent studies, they are likely to present a misleading picture.

An influential but now outdated work.
This book is one of a two-volume set.This volume covers ancient Chinese philosophy up to 100 B.C. (i.e., the period of Confucius, Lao Tzu, and others).Volume two covers later Chinese philosophy.Fung Yu-lan wrote the original work in Chinese.Derk Bodde, a noted Sinologist in his own right, did an excellent job of translating the work into English.(This was no small feat, since Fung quotes from a variety of works from over two thousand years of Chinese history -- works often written in quite different styles of Classical Chinese.)

Fung Yu-lan was one of the most important Chinese philosophers and historians of philosophy of the 20th century.This book (along with volume two) has introduced generations of scholars and general readers to Chinese philosophers, and is justly considered a classic.However, it is now very much out of date.Furthermore, Fung studied in the U.S., and this influence led him to read a sort of Platonism back into some Chinese philosophical texts.

Any informed scholar should have a copy of this (in English and in Chinese), but the general reader would be better off reading Benjamin Schwartz's _The World of Thought in Ancient China_ or A.C. Graham's _Disputers of the Tao_.

History of Chinese Philosophy at its best
This book comes in two volumes, volume one writes about the history of Chinese philosophy from antiquity to before the Han period while the second volume deals with Han learning onwards to Prof. Fung's time, i.e. early20th century.

The style of Prof. Fung's writing differs from many authorsof history of philosophy whereby he allows the philosophers to speak forthemselves by quoting their work and integrating it into his own narrativeand analysis. The result is a study which is informative, intellectual, andat the same time accessable. I have yet to see a better book on history ofChinese philosophy in the English language (although Wing Tsit Chan's"Sourcebook of Chinese Philosophy" is good but the analysis isnot as succint and well interpreted as Fung's).

This book, however, canbe heavy for the first timer who has just got himself/herself interested inChinese philosophy and would like to read up more on it. For people whofalls into this category, a more accessable book and to the same highquality is Dr. Fung's shorter work, "A Short History of ChinesePhilosophy", also available in Amazon.com. This shorter history dealswith the main philosophers, the more important ones and leave out the moreremote philosopher. Dr, Fung also limited the number of quotes associatedwith the philosopher. Although this is so, it is still a first class work.This longer history is suitable for people who has some knowledge alreadyand wants to know more, go deeper. It is suitable for people doing a coursein Chinese philosophy in college.

If you're really into Chinesephilosophy, please do not miss this book. ... Read more

Book Description
Plato's Symposium, written in the early part of the 4th century BC, is set at a drinking party (symposium) attended by some of the leading intellectuals of the day, including Aristophanes, the comic dramatist, Socrates, Plato's mentor, and Alcibiades, the brilliant but (eventually) treacherous politician. Each guest gives a speech in praise of the benefits of desire and its role in the good and happy human life. At the core of the work stands Socrates' praise of philosophical desire, and an argument for the superiority of the philosophical life as the best route to happiness. This edition provides an accessible and engaging new translation by M. C. Howatson, and a substantial introduction, by Frisbee Sheffield, which guidesthe reader through the various parts of the dialogue and reflects on its central arguments. A chronology and detailed notes on the participants help to set this enduring work in context. ... Read more

Book Description
The twentieth century brought enormous change to subjects such as language, metaphysics, ethics and epistemology. This volume covers the major developments in these areas and more. ... Read more

Book Description

A History of Islamic Philosophy by Majid Fakhry is the first comprehensive survey of Islamic philosophy from the seventh century to the present. It traces the development of Islamic philosophy and its impact on various aspects of Muslim cultural life. The book shows how, as the Islamic world began to confront foreign cultures, scholastic theology, known in Arabic asKalam, arose as a direct byproduct of interaction with Greek philosophy and Christian theology. Mysticism (Arabic Sufism), in both its extravagant form, as conditioned by Hindu thought, or its indigenous moderate form, is discussed at length.

The book examines the rise of pan-Islamism in modern times and the many currents it has generated, including secularism and fundamentalism, which are still pitted against each other throughout the Muslim world. It also considers the way in which Islamic philosophy assimilated and expanded the Greek philosophical legacy, which eventually found its way to Western Europe after centuries of near-total oblivion.

This third revised edition, which includes masterful translations of texts never before available in English, has been updated and expanded to reflect current events and recent Islamic scholarship.

Customer Reviews (3)

I agree with "Customer"
Although I do think that Fakhry gets a little out of hand with his "always" and "never" and "the last Islamic philosopher to X" statements, it is generally a sober and well conceived introduction to Islamic philosophy, if not very spicily written.

Best Introduction I've Found
This is the best book I have seen on the subject, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Islamic philosophy or Islamic cultural history.The reason for its success is that it not only covers theindividual thinkers and their philosophical movements, it also places themin their historical and cultural contexts, spending a considerable amountof time tracing the sociology of ideas in the Middle East.Here's thecontents:

1. The Legacy of Greece, Alexandria and the Orient 2. The EarlyPolitical and Religious Tensions 3. Beginnings of Systematic PhilosophicalWriting in the Ninth Century. 4. The Further Development of IslamicNeo-Platonism. 5. Neo-Pythagoreanism and the Popularization of thePhilosophical Sciences 6. The Diffusion of Philosophical Culture in the10th Century 7. Interaction of Philosophy and Dogma 8. Rise and Developmentof Islamic Mysticism 9. Arab-Spanish Interlude and the Revival ofPeripateticism 10. Post-Avicennian Developmets 11. Theological Reaction andReconstruction 12. Modern and Contemporary Trends

As you can tell fromthe contents, Fakhry focuses mostly on the famous medeival philosophers,but he situates them within the context of the political and religiousmovements in Islamic history.Hedoes not spend much time on newerIslamic thinkers, but when he does it is done well.I would recommend thisbook over Oliver Leaman's introduction to Islamic philosophy.That book isa good, quick read, but it merely scratches the surface of a difficultsubject.

Thorough without being overwhelming
Best for those with a good grounding in Greek philosophy and little knowledge of Islamic. At times it gets lost in the minutiae of an argument, but overall a good overview. ... Read more

Book Description

Africa after Modernism traces shifts in perspectives on African culture, arts, and philosophy from the conflict with European modernist interventions in the climate of colonialist aggression to present identitarian positions in the climate of globalism, multiculturalism, and mass media. By focusing on what may be called deconstructive moments in twentieth-century Africanist thoughton intellectual landmarks, revolutionary ideas, crises of consciousness, literary and philosophical debatesthis study looks at African modernity and modernism from critical postcolonial perspectives. An effort to sketch contemporary frameworks of global intersubjective relations reflecting African cultures and concerns must resist taking modernism as a term of African periodization, or master-narrative, but as a constellation of discursive and subjective forms that obtains upon the present moment in African literature, philosophy, and cultural history. Africa after Modernism argues for a philosophical consciousnessand pan-African multiculturalist ethos that operate, after the deconstruction of Eurocentrism, beyond self/other paradigms of exoticism or West/Africa political ideologies, in dialogue with postcolonial approaches to cultural reciprocity.

Book Description
Enrique Ambrosini Dussel is and has been one of the most prolific Latin American philosophers of the last 100 years. This is the definitive English language collection of Dussel's enormous body of work in ethics, economics, history, and liberation theology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Theorizing Liberation from the Underside of Modernity
Enrique Ambrosini Dussel is arguably one of the greatest living Latin American philosophers and among the short list of leading radical philosophers globally over the last century.Born in Argentina in 1934, Dussel has been residing as an exile in Mexico since the 1970s.His moving reflections in the Preface to the book under review recount the political reasons for his exile and hint at the underlying problems preventing the actualization of liberation that Dussel's theoretical works seek to solve: "In 1973, I suffered a bomb attempt in my house, with my wife and children, because I expressed opinions such as those expressed in the texts here collected; in 1975, I was expulsed from my university and from Argentina for criticizing a military dictatorship put in power by CIA recommendation, one placed under Kissinger's strategy, whom the Spanish judge Garzón does not judge, but who was the explicit and public inspiration for Pinoché, Videla, and so many dictators of the period.It was Kissinger who began the international politics and pure doctrine of the `defense of North American interests' without any reference to ethical principles.Thus, I began my long exile in Mexico."

Much of my own introduction into Dussel's life and work comes most intimately through his involvement with the Caribbean Philosophical Association (CPA) and his attempt to bridge the work being done by scholar-activists in Latin America with the efforts of those in the Caribbean.Dussel is the author of more than fifty books and a staggering number of articles, position papers, and books chapters whose subject matters includes areas as wide-ranging as political theory, philosophy, postcolonial thought, church history, liberation theology, ethics, and Marxism.Among his previous groundbreaking books available in English translation are A HISTORY OF THE CHURCH IN LATIN AMERICA, THE INVENTION OF THE AMERICAS, and THE UNDERSIDE OF MODERNITY.Sadly, as a result of our current age that privileges works composed in English and dissuades persons from working in several languages, the vast majority of Dussel's texts have remained in the original Spanish and accessible only to those who read texts in that language.English readers are thus indebted to Eduardo Mendieta for a wonderful translation of a selection of Dussel's important essays.

Dussel's BEYOND PHILOPHY (2003) echoes the Marxian injunction that political action can only take place "beyond" the realm of the philosophical.Political action for those situated at the "underside of modernity" as a result of the invention of the Americas in 1492 requires attentiveness to thinking about the causes of post-1492 disorder and methods for overcoming the adverse effects of slavery, colonialism, and their aftermaths.Dussel rejects the notion of a singular modernity ushered in by Enlightenment Europe.He suggests the idea of multiple modernities worldwide, a "trans-modernity" as he terms it.Blending Latin American liberation theology with the ideas of thinkers such as Emmanuel Levinas, Dussel develops a compelling case for why Latin American thought is relevant for a global audience.

The book is divided into four parts, and it contains brilliant essays with titles such as "The `World System': Europe as `Center' and Its `Periphery' beyond Eurocentrism" (Ch. 3), "Exodus as a Paradigm in Liberation Theology" (Ch. 6), "Racism: A Report on the Situation in Latin America" (Ch. 7), "Modern Christianity in Face of the `Other' (from the `Rude' Indian to the `Noble Savage')" (Ch. 12), and "Was America Discovered or Invaded?" (Ch. 13).Make no mistake: this book does not address all of Dussel's important theoretical formulations.This latter statement is perhaps the most amazing, given that a mere sampling of Dussel's essays here far exceeds the insights of many other thinkers.BEYOND PHILOSOPHY is intended to be read as a companion text to an earlier volume of essays on Dussel's thought edited by Linda Martín Alcoff and Eduardo Mendiata entitled THINKING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF HISTORY (2000).

In closing, if you seek an introduction into the political thought of a major thinker of our time, then I feel confident in recommending this book without hesitation.BEYOND PHILOSOPHY will open your minds to a radical, alternative account of human liberation.Hopefully, this shall also lead you to read additional texts by Dussel and embrace the Dusselian belief that liberation begins after rigorous philosophical reflection on the Other ends. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Kenny, Master Historian of Philosophy
Anthony Kenny, who deserves the title of greatest historian of philosophy of the twentieth century, added a few choice pictures to his "Brief History of Western Philosophy." The text itself presents accurate and perceptive summaries of the greatest figures in philosophical history, and the pictures, some of them rare, make the text more enjoyable. This is an excellent, brief history of western philosophy. Highly recommended, for those who do not want to tackle either Copleston's 9 volumes, or Kenny's four. Superb. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Comprende
Anyone studying psychology whether it be as a concentration, a minor or as a major should read this book. The material isn't the most exciting but it's the point gets across. It helps in classes even when the book isn'toffered. I definatley appreciate Freuds view and enjoy learning how tointerpret the world through his vision. ... Read more

Book Description

With selections of philosophers from Plotinus to Bruno, this anthology provides significant learning support, historical context, and pedagogical tools to help the reader understand the often complex and abstract concepts encountered in philosophy.Features such as “Philosophical Bridges,” “Biographical Histories,” “Prologues,” and “Study Questions” offer historical context, contemporary relevance, and provide starting points for discussion.In addition to this volume of Medieval Philosophy, other individual volumes for each of the major historical eras are also available.