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Could a Good God Permit So Much Suffering?: A Debate
by James Sterba Richard SwinburneCould a Good God Permit So Much Suffering? presents a debate over whether the degree and amount of moral evil that actually exists in our world is logically incompatible with the existence of the all-good, all-powerful God of traditional theism. James Sterba puts the case in favour of this proposition, on the basis that the evils of the world are so horrendous that their occurrence violates principles requiring the prevention of moral evil, conclusively showing the non-existence of an omnipotent and perfectly good God. In reply, Richard Swinburne argues that our major benefactors, parents and the State, have rights to permit us to suffer if doing so is necessary to secure some good for ourselves or others. Therefore, Swinburne claims, as so much greater a benefactor than are parents and the State, it follows that God has a far greater right to allow suffering to a high degree if allowing such suffering is the only logically possible way for God to secure some very great goods for ourselves or others. Further responses from both Sterba and Swinburne continue the debate, ensuring that all lines of argument are thoroughly explored.
The Epistemology of Desire and the Problem of Nihilism
by Allan HazlettMost people have wondered whether anything really matters, some have temporarily thought that nothing really matters, and some philosophers have defended the view that nothing really matters. However, if someone thinks that nothing matters--if they are a "nihilist about value"--then it seems that it is irrational for them to care about anything. It seems that nihilism about value mandates total indifference. This is the "problem of nihilism" Allan Hazlett addresses in The Epistemology of Desire and the Problem of Nihilism. Hazlett argues that the problem of nihilism arises because desire--and thus caring--is a species of evaluation that admits of irrationality. This contradicts the influential Humean view that desire does not admit of irrationality, which has a ready solution to the problem of nihilism: since desire does not admit of irrationality, it cannot be irrational to care about something that you believe does not matter. However, following G.E. Anscombe, Hazlett argues that desire has the same relationship to goodness as belief has to truth: just as truth is the accuracy condition for belief, goodness is the accuracy condition for desire. This reveals desire as an appropriate target of epistemological inquiry, in the same way that belief is an appropriate target of epistemological inquiry. Desires can amount to knowledge (in the same way that beliefs can amount to knowledge) and, crucially for the problem of nihilism, desire admits of irrationality (in the same way that belief admits of irrationality). Nevertheless, although it is obviously irrational to believe something that you believe is not true, Hazlett argues that it is not irrational to desire something you believe is not good, despite the fact that goodness is the accuracy condition for desire. This provides a solution to the problem of nihilism, and shows that nihilism about value can coherently be combined with the anti-Humean view that desire is a species of evaluation.
The Epistemology of Desire and the Problem of Nihilism
by Allan HazlettMost people have wondered whether anything really matters, some have temporarily thought that nothing really matters, and some philosophers have defended the view that nothing really matters. However, if someone thinks that nothing matters--if they are a "nihilist about value"--then it seems that it is irrational for them to care about anything. It seems that nihilism about value mandates total indifference. This is the "problem of nihilism" Allan Hazlett addresses in The Epistemology of Desire and the Problem of Nihilism. Hazlett argues that the problem of nihilism arises because desire--and thus caring--is a species of evaluation that admits of irrationality. This contradicts the influential Humean view that desire does not admit of irrationality, which has a ready solution to the problem of nihilism: since desire does not admit of irrationality, it cannot be irrational to care about something that you believe does not matter. However, following G.E. Anscombe, Hazlett argues that desire has the same relationship to goodness as belief has to truth: just as truth is the accuracy condition for belief, goodness is the accuracy condition for desire. This reveals desire as an appropriate target of epistemological inquiry, in the same way that belief is an appropriate target of epistemological inquiry. Desires can amount to knowledge (in the same way that beliefs can amount to knowledge) and, crucially for the problem of nihilism, desire admits of irrationality (in the same way that belief admits of irrationality). Nevertheless, although it is obviously irrational to believe something that you believe is not true, Hazlett argues that it is not irrational to desire something you believe is not good, despite the fact that goodness is the accuracy condition for desire. This provides a solution to the problem of nihilism, and shows that nihilism about value can coherently be combined with the anti-Humean view that desire is a species of evaluation.
Inclusive Fitness and Kin Selection (Elements in the Philosophy of Biology)
by null Hannah RubinThe biological world is full of phenomena that seem to run counter to Darwin's insight that natural selection can lead to the appearance of design. For instance, why do organisms in some species divide reproductive labor? The existence of non-reproducing organisms in such 'eusocial' species looks to be at odds with an evolutionary theory which posits traits exist because they help organisms survive and reproduce. What is the evolutionary advantage of an insect being distasteful to its predators? The distastefulness appears designed to deter predators, but can only affect the predator's actions when the insect is eaten; it is hard to see how such a trait could be passed on. This Element will cover the shared foundations of evolutionary explanations for these and other seemingly puzzling phenomena, focusing on the concepts of inclusive fitness and kin selection.
Messy Connections: Creating Atmospheres of Addiction Recovery Through Performance Practice (ISSN)
by Cathy SloanThis book examines performance practices that involve people in recovery from addiction, theorising such practices as recovery-engaged.Focusing on examples of practice from a growing movement of UK-based recovery arts practitioners and performers, it highlights a unique approach to performance that infuses an understanding of lived experiences of addiction and recovery with creative practice. It offers a philosophy of being in recovery that understands lived experience, and performance practice, as a dynamic system of interrelations with the human and nonhuman elements that make up the societal settings in which recovery communities struggle to exist. It thereby frames the process of recovery, and recovery-engaged performance, as an affective ecology – a system of messy connections. Building upon ideas from posthumanist research on addiction, cultural theory on identity and new materialist interpretations of performance practice, it considers how such contemporary theory might offer additional ways of thinking and doing arts practice with people affected by addiction. The discussion highlights the distinct aesthetics, ethics and politics of this area of performance practice.This study will be of great interest to students and scholars in Applied Theatre and Critical Arts and Mental Health studies.
Messy Connections: Creating Atmospheres of Addiction Recovery Through Performance Practice (ISSN)
by Cathy SloanThis book examines performance practices that involve people in recovery from addiction, theorising such practices as recovery-engaged.Focusing on examples of practice from a growing movement of UK-based recovery arts practitioners and performers, it highlights a unique approach to performance that infuses an understanding of lived experiences of addiction and recovery with creative practice. It offers a philosophy of being in recovery that understands lived experience, and performance practice, as a dynamic system of interrelations with the human and nonhuman elements that make up the societal settings in which recovery communities struggle to exist. It thereby frames the process of recovery, and recovery-engaged performance, as an affective ecology – a system of messy connections. Building upon ideas from posthumanist research on addiction, cultural theory on identity and new materialist interpretations of performance practice, it considers how such contemporary theory might offer additional ways of thinking and doing arts practice with people affected by addiction. The discussion highlights the distinct aesthetics, ethics and politics of this area of performance practice.This study will be of great interest to students and scholars in Applied Theatre and Critical Arts and Mental Health studies.
Religion, Narcissism and Fanaticism: The Arrogance of Gods
by Tamas PatakiReligion, Narcissism and Fanaticism traces the historical and psychosocial development of religiosity and applies anthropological and psychoanalytic perspectives to the understanding of religions, particularly their fanatical and fundamentalist expressions.Religious ideology, practices and institutions satisfy many human needs, including those arising from our hysterical, obsessional, and narcissistic dispositions: the need to segregate the good and bad aspects of our personalities; to belong to an idealized group; and to feel secure and special by identifying with, or living in the orbit of, a supposedly omnipotent figure. But these needs and their modes of satisfaction are distorted by religions which may then nurture and accommodate malign characteristics, especially in the case of the monotheisms, narcissistic inflation or grandiosity. The book shows how interactions between religious ideology and personal development become intricated in the narcissistic pathology which underlies much of the violence and religious aggression in the world today. It presents both a new account of the historical and psychosocial development of religiosity and a powerful polemic against the religions which delusorily satisfy some of the very needs they create.The book will appeal to psychoanalysts, anthropologists, philosophers, sociologists, and all those interested in the place of religion in the modern world.
Religion, Narcissism and Fanaticism: The Arrogance of Gods
by Tamas PatakiReligion, Narcissism and Fanaticism traces the historical and psychosocial development of religiosity and applies anthropological and psychoanalytic perspectives to the understanding of religions, particularly their fanatical and fundamentalist expressions.Religious ideology, practices and institutions satisfy many human needs, including those arising from our hysterical, obsessional, and narcissistic dispositions: the need to segregate the good and bad aspects of our personalities; to belong to an idealized group; and to feel secure and special by identifying with, or living in the orbit of, a supposedly omnipotent figure. But these needs and their modes of satisfaction are distorted by religions which may then nurture and accommodate malign characteristics, especially in the case of the monotheisms, narcissistic inflation or grandiosity. The book shows how interactions between religious ideology and personal development become intricated in the narcissistic pathology which underlies much of the violence and religious aggression in the world today. It presents both a new account of the historical and psychosocial development of religiosity and a powerful polemic against the religions which delusorily satisfy some of the very needs they create.The book will appeal to psychoanalysts, anthropologists, philosophers, sociologists, and all those interested in the place of religion in the modern world.
Track Record: THE REVOLUTIONARY MEMOIR FROM THE UK'S MOST CREATIVE VOICE
by George the PoetThe ground-breaking memoir by acclaimed rapper and podcast host, George the PoetBorn to Ugandan parents on the St Raphael's Estate in Neasden, north-west London, George has always been an ambitious storyteller. Influenced by his hometown, George started MCing , and eventually found his voice in poetry and with it an avenue for change.Track Record: Me, Music, and the War on Blackness sheds light on George's upbringing and artistic career. He looks back at his education, his time at university, and his beginnings as a musician. We are given an insight into the forces that have shaped him and the stories he chooses to tell. As with George's other work, Track Record goes beyond the traditional memoir and takes the reader on a journey throughout history. George dives deep into the complexities of the economy and interrogates the legacy of colonialism. He reflects on music and its power as a political force - how it can be a catalyst for social power and economic change. By weaving a story that is both personal and political, George delivers an incredibly powerful and unique perspective on the world around us. Honest, thought-provoking and lyrical, Track Record is a fascinating insight by an inimitable storyteller.
Determined: Life Without Free Will
by Robert M SapolskyWhat if free will is an illusion? In Determined one of the world’s greatest scientists of human behaviour overturns one of our most powerful beliefs – that we are the authors of our own actions – and sets out the disturbing yet liberating implications of accepting this fact.As Robert Sapolsky shows, everything we think and do is caused by the luck of our biology and the influence of our environment, and ultimately both are beyond our control. In a world without free will, we must completely rethink what we mean by choice, responsibility, morality and justice. Sapolsky’s extraordinary book does exactly this, guiding us toward a profoundly fairer, more humane way of living together.
Human Nature, Mind and the Self in Adam Smith's Moral Philosophy: What Does it Mean to Be Human?
by Riccardo BonfiglioliThis book investigates the problematisation in Adam Smith's moral philosophy of a classical question: what makes us human beings from a moral standpoint? To do this, Riccardo Bonfiglioli explores the relationship between the concepts of ‘human nature’, ‘mind’ and ‘the self’ in order to reconstruct Smith’s theory of subjectivity. After providing a systematic reconstruction of Adam Smith’s conceptions of ‘human nature’ , ‘mind’ and ‘the self’ – exploring some aspects of Smith’s philosophy (nature, philosophy of history, sympathy and imagination) and their empirical expressions (education, conduct and character) – Bonfiglioli argues that, in Adam Smith’s work, the meaning of ‘moral human beings’ would depend on the human being’s effort to live in harmony with oneself and the others. According to Bonfiglioli, in Smith’s moral theory, this ‘harmony with oneself and the others’ would be achieved in relation to a certain kind of awareness that can be possible when human beings try to judge the conduct and try to act according to the impartial spectator. Specifically, this impartial spectator is reinterpreted by the author in the light of the concept of immediacy.
Insurgent Universality: An Alternative Legacy of Modernity (Heretical Thought)
by Massimiliano TombaScholars commonly take the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1789, written during the French Revolution, as the starting point for the modern conception of human rights. According to the Declaration, the rights of man are held to be universal, at all times and all places. But as recent crises around migrants and refugees have made obvious, this idea, sacred as it might be among human rights advocates, is exhausted. It's long past time to reconsider the principles on which Western economic and political norms rest. This book advocates for a tradition of political universality as an alternative to the juridical universalism of the Declaration. Insurgent universality isn't based on the idea that we all share some common humanity but, rather, on the democratic excess by which people disrupt and reject an existing political and economic order. Going beyond the constitutional armor of the representative state, it brings into play a plurality of powers to which citizens have access, not through the funnel of national citizenship but in daily political practice. We can look to recent history to see various experiments in cooperative and insurgent democracy: the Indignados in Spain, the Arab Spring, Occupy, the Zapatistas in Mexico, and, going further back, the Paris Commune, the 1917 peasant revolts during the Russian Revolution, and the Haitian Revolution. This book argues that these movements belong to the common legacy of insurgent universality, which is characterized by alternative trajectories of modernity that have been repressed, hindered, and forgotten. Massimiliano Tomba examines these events to show what they could have been and what they can still be. As such he explores how their common legacy can be reactivated. Insurgent Universality analyzes the manifestos and declarations that came out of these experiments considering them as collective works of an alternative canon of political theory that challenges the great names of the Western pantheon of political thought and builds bridges between European and non-European political and social experiments.
Romantic Agency: Loving Well in Modern Life
by Luke BrunningThis is a book for people energized by the possibilities of modern intimacy, but who feel unsure about their own romantic lives. Alternative lifestyles such as nonmonogamy, while liberating in theory, can feel remote in practice, as we are fixed in place by insecurities and social pressures. In Romantic Agency, philosopher Luke Brunning encourages readers to think more deeply about what it means for relationships to not only work, but flourish. Guided by the thought that our abilities to be intimate cannot be taken for granted, he argues that our romantic agency is fragile and best cultivated alongside other people. Together we can become more realistic, balance playfulness with integrity, and value each other’s flourishing. Anyone can benefit from this exploration of intimate life, regardless of their relationship status or romantic ideals. Compelling and timely, Romantic Agency is a groundbreaking account of love and relationships.
Romantic Agency: Loving Well in Modern Life
by Luke BrunningThis is a book for people energized by the possibilities of modern intimacy, but who feel unsure about their own romantic lives. Alternative lifestyles such as nonmonogamy, while liberating in theory, can feel remote in practice, as we are fixed in place by insecurities and social pressures. In Romantic Agency, philosopher Luke Brunning encourages readers to think more deeply about what it means for relationships to not only work, but flourish. Guided by the thought that our abilities to be intimate cannot be taken for granted, he argues that our romantic agency is fragile and best cultivated alongside other people. Together we can become more realistic, balance playfulness with integrity, and value each other’s flourishing. Anyone can benefit from this exploration of intimate life, regardless of their relationship status or romantic ideals. Compelling and timely, Romantic Agency is a groundbreaking account of love and relationships.
Interspecies Communication: Sound and Music beyond Humanity
by Gavin SteingoA surprising study reveals a plethora of attempts to communicate with non-humans in the modern era. In Interspecies Communication, music scholar Gavin Steingo examines significant cases of attempted communication beyond the human—cases in which the dualistic relationship of human to non-human is dramatically challenged. From singing whales to Sun Ra to searching for alien life, Steingo charts the many ways we have attempted to think about, and indeed to reach, beings that are very unlike ourselves. Steingo focuses on the second half of the twentieth century, when scientists developed new ways of listening to oceans and cosmic space—two realms previously inaccessible to the senses and to empirical investigation. As quintessential frontiers of the postwar period, the outer space of the cosmos and the inner space of oceans were conceptualized as parallel realities, laid bare by newly technologized “ears.” Deeply engaging, Interspecies Communication explores our attempts to cross the border between the human and non-human, to connect with non-humans in the depths of the oceans, the far reaches of the universe, or right under our own noses.
Populist Discourse: Recasting Populism Research
by Yannis StavrakakisPopulist Discourse: Recasting Populism Research offers a refreshingly innovative discourse theory perspective on populist phenomena. Reading this book will help you familiarize yourself with the historical genealogy of significant populist phenomena from the end of the 19th century onwards and with the main conceptual/theoretical accounts established to analyse them. Mainstream conceptualizations of populism in both academia and public discourse are critically discussed in order to map new, promising avenues for research. Inspired by the works of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, the book addresses current challenges within populism research and highlights the new directions that a conceptually nuanced, theoretically rigorous and historically informed discursive orientation can contribute to the contemporary study of populism. Without sacrificing attention to detail, strong bibliographical support and a focus on the future development of populism research, Populist Discourse is written in accessible language to engage populism scholars, advanced undergraduates and graduate-level students within the field of political science. Due to its interdisciplinary character, it will also appeal to readers associated with various politically informed area studies and the broader field of ideology and discourse analysis.
Populist Discourse: Recasting Populism Research
by Yannis StavrakakisPopulist Discourse: Recasting Populism Research offers a refreshingly innovative discourse theory perspective on populist phenomena. Reading this book will help you familiarize yourself with the historical genealogy of significant populist phenomena from the end of the 19th century onwards and with the main conceptual/theoretical accounts established to analyse them. Mainstream conceptualizations of populism in both academia and public discourse are critically discussed in order to map new, promising avenues for research. Inspired by the works of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, the book addresses current challenges within populism research and highlights the new directions that a conceptually nuanced, theoretically rigorous and historically informed discursive orientation can contribute to the contemporary study of populism. Without sacrificing attention to detail, strong bibliographical support and a focus on the future development of populism research, Populist Discourse is written in accessible language to engage populism scholars, advanced undergraduates and graduate-level students within the field of political science. Due to its interdisciplinary character, it will also appeal to readers associated with various politically informed area studies and the broader field of ideology and discourse analysis.
Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature
by null Sarah Hart‘A hugely entertaining and well-written tour of the links between math and literature. Hart’s lightness of touch and passion for both subjects make this book a delight to read. Bookworms and number-lovers alike will discover much they didn’t know about the creative interplay between stories, structure and sums.’ – Alex Bellos ‘This exuberant book will educate, amuse and surprise. It might even add another dimension to the way you read.’ – The Sunday Times We often think of mathematics and literature as polar opposites. But what if, instead, they were fundamentally linked? In this insightful, laugh-out-loud funny book, Once Upon a Prime, Professor Sarah Hart shows us the myriad connections between maths and literature, and how understanding those connections can enhance our enjoyment of both. Did you know, for instance, that Moby-Dick is full of sophisticated geometry? That James Joyce’s stream-of-consciousness novels are deliberately checkered with mathematical references? That George Eliot was obsessed with statistics? That Jurassic Park is undergirded by fractal patterns? That Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote mathematician characters? From sonnets to fairytales to experimental French literature, Once Upon a Prime takes us on an unforgettable journey through the books we thought we knew, revealing new layers of beauty and wonder. Professor Hart shows how maths and literature are complementary parts of the same quest, to understand human life and our place in the universe.
The Scottish State and European Migrants, 1885–1939: Managing Foreignness (Palgrave Studies in Migration History)
by Terence McBrideThis book examines the efforts of the government in Scotland to manage the increase of migrants travelling to Britain at the end of the nineteenth century. Focussing on the period between 1885 and 1939, the book explores how the Scottish machinery of government handled the administration of ‘foreigners.’ The author uses a comparative, thematic approach to analyse migrant experiences, identities, and relationships with state institutions. Drawing from state records held by the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh, the book argues that Scottish officials in semi-autonomous boards began to recognise, describe and enumerate the presence of the ‘foreigner’ in the early twentieth century, framing their handling of foreignness in accordance with the Aliens Act of 1905. The author goes on to explain that institutions operating in Scotland developed a distinctly Scottish approach to alien matters, which continued up until the Second Word War. Therefore, an increasing number of importantdecisions affecting migrants were taken by a distinctly Scottish machinery of government, impacting on how Scottish officials understood foreignness, and how those identified as foreigners understood their identity in relation to Scottishness. Contributing significantly to current heated debates on migration and identity amongst researchers and the general public in Europe and beyond, this book provides essential insights into the ways in which a ‘sub-state’ began to develop practices, processes and attitudes towards migration which were not always in line with that of the central government.
How Does Germline Regenerate? (Convening Science: Discovery at the Marine Biological Laboratory)
by Kate MacCordA concise primer that complicates a convenient truth in biology—the divide between germ and somatic cells—with far-reaching ethical and public policy ramifications. Scientists have long held that we have two kinds of cells—germ and soma. Make a change to germ cells—say using genome editing—and that change will appear in the cells of future generations. Somatic cells are “safe” after such tampering; modify your skin cells, and your future children’s skin cells will never know. And, while germ cells can give rise to new generations (including all of the somatic cells in a body), somatic cells can never become germ cells. How did scientists discover this relationship and distinction between somatic and germ cells—the so-called Weismann Barrier—and does it actually exist? Can somatic cells become germ cells in the way germ cells become somatic cells? That is, can germ cells regenerate from somatic cells even though conventional wisdom denies this possibility? Covering research from the late nineteenth century to the 2020s, historian and philosopher of science Kate MacCord explores how scientists came to understand and accept the dubious concept of the Weismann Barrier and what profound implications this convenient assumption has for research and policy, from genome editing to stem cell research, and much more.
Mathematik für die Informatik: Grundlegende Begriffe, Strukturen und Anwendungen
by Rudolf BerghammerMathematik für die Informatik: Dieses Buch bringt Ihnen die Grundlagen beiDieses Lehrbuch bietet eine Einführung in die grundlegenden Begriffe und Strukturen der Mathematik, welche am Anfang eines Informatikstudiums relevant sind. Weiterhin demonstriert es Anwendungen von mathematischen Konzepten und Methoden in der Informatik. Diese betreffen insbesondere formale Methoden der Programmverifikation und -entwicklung und den Entwurf von generischen Programmen. Ein spezielles Konzept mit einer leicht verständlichen Vermittlung des Stoffs, vielen Beispielen mit Rückgriffen auf die Schulmathematik und detaillierten Beweisen (verbunden mit der Erklärung des logischen Hintergrunds) erleichtert den Einstieg in die Mathematik an einer wissenschaftlichen Hochschule. Dadurch werden die Studierenden auch auf spätere Begriffe und tiefergehende Anwendungen der Mathematik in der Informatik gut vorbereitet. Die 5. Auflage erweitert den Inhalt um die Grundlagen der linearen Algebra. Die Übungsaufgaben zu den einzelnen Kapitel helfen, das Erlernte zu festigen und zu kontrollieren. Zahlreiche Lösungsvorschläge am Ende des Buchs ermöglichen die Überprüfung der eigenen Lösungen.Der InhaltMengentheoretische Grundlagen • Logische Grundlagen • Allgemeine direkte Produkte und Datenstrukturen • Mathematische Beweise • Spezifikation und Programmverifikation • Spezielle Funktionen • Spezielle Relationen und gerichtete Graphen • Elementare Kombinatorik und ungerichtete Graphen • Diskrete Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie • Generische Programmierung • Grundbegriffe algebraischer Strukturen • Formale Einführung der natürlichen Zahlen - Grundbegriffe der linearen AlgebraMit diesem Buch gelingt der Einstieg ins Informatik-StudiumMit diesem Buch schaffen Sie eine solide Basis für die Mathematikausbildung im Rahmen desInformatikstudiums. Zudem sind Sie durch die vorgestellten Problemstellungen in der Lage, selbstständig mathematische Konzepte und Methoden anzuwenden. Zielgruppen dieses Buchs über Mathematik in der Informatik sind Bachelor-Studierende in den ersten Studiensemestern folgender Fachbereiche:InformatikMathematikIngenieurwissenschaften
Rethinking Socialism: Compass for a Sustainability Revolution (Rethinking Sociology series)
by Klaus DörreIn this prescient book, Klaus Dörre combines a vision of a climate-just society with a reformulation of socialist ideas that can guide the way to a ‘sustainable socialism’ for the 21st Century.Chapters cover a vast array of topics, including today’s economic-ecological meta-crisis, digital socialism, the need for an immediate, effective transition to more sustainable living, and the recent effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing modern-day politics’ aversion to the ‘s-word’, Dörre reformulates socialism for a contemporary audience and argues for the practicality and realisability of alternatives to capitalism. In a ground-breaking approach, Dörre uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a normative basis upon which to measure the actions and policies which will be needed to create just and resilient societies. The book outlines and recommends key transitional strategies that can serve as a compass guiding us to a sustainable world.This timely book will be a vital resource for researchers, academics and students of sociology and sociological theory, political theory and philosophy, political economy and international politics. Providing an innovative approach to many of society’s current issues, Rethinking Socialism will also be of interest to governmental policymakers and think-tank experts as well as trade unionists, climate activists, and those involved in feminist and indigenous movements.
Concise Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics in the Social Sciences (Elgar Encyclopedias in the Social Sciences series)
The Concise Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics in the Social Sciences is an in-depth exploration of ethics across multiple different fields. Editors Tuija Takala and Matti Häyry collate entries from global experts to provide an incisive look into applied ethics on both methodological and theoretical bases.Covering a vast array of disciplines, this prescient Encyclopedia analyzes the many roles that applied ethics plays in the social sciences. Entries scrutinize the various manifestations of ethics across a range of disciplines and subdisciplines such as animal studies, criminology, and global health. The entries on sociology, social psychology, welfare economics, and corporate social responsibility discuss historical development through ethical concepts, while entries such as conflict studies, strategic management and future studies seek to predict future paradigm changes. On the theoretical level, the framing of research questions also entails ethical choices, which is emphasized in the entries for archaeology, food system studies, global health, and migration studies.This thought-provoking Encyclopedia is a crucial resource for scholars of economic thought and methodology, legal philosophy, human rights, politics and public policy research, and sociology and sociological theory. It will also benefit those researching and working across the social sciences more broadly.Key Features:Flexible interdisciplinary approachInternational point of entry into applied ethics in the social sciences57 authors representing a wide variety of fields in the social sciences35 in-depth entries organized alphabetically for accessibility and ease of navigation
Franz Kafka and the Truths of Leadership (New Horizons in Leadership Studies series)
by Leah TomkinsIn this innovative addition to the New Horizons in Leadership Studies series, Leah Tomkins explores Franz Kafka’s expertise in the exercise of power, emphasising his own work as a leader. Through extensive primary research and original translation, she combines literary and philosophical critique with analysis of contemporary figures to craft a manifesto for leadership relations.The book begins by using six of Kafka’s best-known stories to examine six prominent models of leadership, including authentic, relational and transformational leadership. Tomkins then discusses what these interpretations tell us about the tactics of good and bad leadership, particularly in relation to communication of the truth. This is relevant for leadership across the ages, but especially for a ‘post-truth’ world where facts are often overpowered by fictions and fantasies.Providing a unique perspective on one of the most prominent writers in the modern canon, this book offers profound insights for scholars and students of leadership, language, discourse and literature. It will delight Kafka enthusiasts and prove enlightening reading for all those interested in the politics of leading and misleading in a digital age.
The Virtue of Playfulness: Why Happy People Are Playful (Routledge Focus on Philosophy)
by boomer trujilloThis book argues that in order for people to live well, they must develop a virtue of playfulness. Inspired by Aristotle, the book draws on work from philosophy, classics, history, biology, psychology, and media studies to understand the place of play and playfulness in a good life.Many philosophers have written about play, from Presocratics such as Heraclitus to contemporary philosophers such as Bernard Suits. Some champion play as the most crucial value in life. Others deride it and warn strongly against it. This book evaluates the research on how play and playfulness bear on living a good life and becoming a good person. Its main argument is that in order to understand play as an action, we must understand playfulness as a virtue in the lives of good people. The author develops a theory of playfulness from an Aristotelian perspective. Like Aristotle sees the virtues as necessary for a happy life, the author argues that playfulness is necessary for living well. And just as Aristotle offers multifaceted characterizations of core virtues, the author argues that playfulness includes aspects of seriousness, creativity, humility, optimism, and sociality. Playful people take play seriously, learn new skills, overcome failure, strive for success, and keep others in mind. As a result, playful people have a better shot at living well.The Virtue of Playfulness is an accessible, empirically informed, and detailed treatment of the philosophy of playfulness. It will appeal to scholars and students in philosophy and related disciplines who are interested in virtue ethics, moral psychology, philosophy of games, philosophy of sport, and ancient philosophy.