Consciousness

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Fred Dretske

Naturalizing the Mind skillfully develops a representational theory of the qualitative, the phenomenal, the what-it-is-like aspects of the mind that have defied traditional forms of naturalism. Central to Dretske's approach is the claim that the phenomenal aspects of perceptual experiences are one and the same as external, real-world properties that experience represents objects as having. Combined with an evolutionary account of sensory representation, the result is a completely naturalistic account of phenomenal consciousness. Dretske's theory of naturalistic representationalism is perhaps the only approach to the study of consciousness that can satisfactorily pin down the slippery first-person aspect of our sensory and affective life. It distinguishes, in wholly naturalistic terms, between what we experience (reality) and how we experience it (appearance). The theory establishes a framework within which subjectivity can be studied objectively, explains the peculiar authority we enjoy about our own mental states, and provides a biologically plausible answer to questions about the function or purpose of consciousness.

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Philip F. Esler

The First Christians in their Social Worlds is an excellent introduction to social-scientific interpretation of the New Testament. It shows that the various New Testament documents were written for diverse Christian communities, or 'social worlds'. To understand the theology of these texts we must examine what they meant to their original readers in the first century. Philip Esler looks at the New Testament from both a sociological and anthropological perspective. He uses the model of legitimation developed by sociologists Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann, with its emphasis on the creation and maintenance of social worlds, and complements this with an anthropological examination of the cultural script in which the New Testament texts were written. This is in contrast to a more prevalent literary critical approach to the New Testament which focuses on the 'contemporary meaning' of the biblical texts. The First Christians in their Social Worlds employs a wide range of biblical data and socio-political ideas to illustrate this theoretical perspective, including charismatic phenomena, the admission of the Gentiles into early Christian communities, sectarianism, millenarianism and the Apocalypse. This fascinating study of the New Testament, examined in the context of first-century social worlds, will appeal to biblical and theology students, academics and anyone with an interest in early Christian history.

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Paulina Tambakaki

"While human rights have been enjoying unprecedented salience, the concept of the citizen has been significantly challenged. Rising ethical concerns, the calling into question of state sovereignty and the consolidation of the human rights regime have all contributed to a shift in focus: from an exclusionary, problematic citizenship to human rights. Human Rights, or Citizenship? examines this shift and explores its implications for democracy." "In an accessible way, the book explores the arguments within contemporary democratic theory that privilege law and legally codified human rights over citizenship, questioning whether legalism alone could lead us to a better, more equitable politics. Does the prioritization of law and legally codified human rights lead to depoliticization? And do human rights always contest relations of power and subordination? Addressing these questions, Human Rights, or Citizenship? opens a debate about the role of citizenship and human rights in democracy. It will be invaluable reading for anyone interested in democratic politics today."--Jacket.

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Stephen Clucas

"The career of John Dee has played a significant role in recent historiographical debates about the relationship between magic and science in the early modern period. This collection of interdisciplinary essays, which addresses a wide range of Dee's diverse intellectual activities (including mathematics, astronomy, navigation, astrology, alchemy, cabala and "angel magic"), seeks to enlarge the scope of this debate, as well as presenting new archival and bibliographical discoveries relating to Dee and his collaborators and colleagues"--Dust jacket.