What does it all mean?

Sample

Friedrich Nietzsche

A landmark work of philosophy and of literature, Thus Spoke Zarathustra is the fullest expression of Nietzche's belief that "the object of mankind should lie in its highest individuals." In his thirtieth year Zarathustra - the archetypal Ubermensch representative of supreme passion and creativity - abandons his home for the mountains, where he lives, literally and figuratively, on a level of experience far above the conventional standards of good and evil. The exuberant, poetic testimony of Nietzche's great messianic hero (and alter ego) is a vivid demonstration of the philosopher's genius. Walter Kaufmann's celebrated translation - hailed by Newsweek for its "incandescent splendor of language"--Has gained general recognition as the most authoritative version of Zarathustra existing in English.

Sample

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.

Sample

John Cottingham

Introductory philosophy courses often present a dilemma for instructors: does one select a number of 'classic' texts, and treat them in detail, or does one use a survey of such texts and attempt to touch briefly upon a variety of subject areas? Both methods have their deficiencies and advantages, but the present text should serve as an excellent choice for those electing to take the survey approach. Cottingham (philosophy, Univ. of Reading) has divided philosophical enquiry into ten broad categories and within each category chosen ten excerpts from major writers to illustrate the range of thinking within each category. This is far more than a 'Greatest Hits of Philosophy,' however. The selections have been carefully chosen from a broad range of writers that includes Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Mill, Nietzsche, Strawson, Popper, Rawls, and Tolstoy. The texts have been updated where the editor felt the language to be archaic or unclear, and the selections appropriately illustrate the breadth and depth of each category of philosophical activity. At the end of the book are brief biographies of each philosopher excerpted. Together with a good survey history of philosophy such as The Oxford History of Western Philosophy (LJ 9/1/94), this text would be ideal for an introductory course or program. The one caveat is the price of the hardcover edition; libraries may opt for it, but students would be better off with the paperback.

Sample

G.W. Leibniz

Offering an invaluable introduction to Leibniz's philosophy, this volume collects many of his most important texts, beginning with the Discourse on Metaphysics (1686), which marks the beginning of maturity in his ideas, and ending with the Monadology (1714), which was written in response to requests for a systematic, organized account of his overall philosophy. Also included in this volume are critical reactions to Leibniz's work by his contemporaries (Antoine Arnauld, Pierre Bayle, and Simon Foucher), together with Leibniz's responses. All the texts are newly translated into English for this edition, and each is preceded by a summary explaining its background, structure, and content.