The Social Contract, originally published as On the Social Contract; or, Principles of Political Rights by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is a 1762 book in which Rousseau theorized about the best way to establish a political community in the face of the problems of commercial society, which he had already identified in his Discourse on Inequality (1754). The Social Contract helped inspire political reforms or revolutions in Europe, especially in France. The Social Contract argued against the idea tha...

This is a critical introduction to modern French philosophy, commissioned from one of the liveliest contemporary practitioners and intended for an English-speaking readership. The dominant 'Anglo-Saxon' reaction to philosophical development in France has for some decades been one of suspicion, occasionally tempered by curiosity but more often hardening into dismissive rejection. But there are signs now of a more sympathetic interest and an increasing readiness to admit and explore shared conc...

The Logic Manual is the ideal introduction to logic for beginning philosophy students. It offers a concise but complete introductory course, giving a firm grounding in the logic that is needed to study contemporary philosophy. Exercises, examples, and sample examination papers are provided on an accompanying website.

Kant is the central figure of modern philosophy. He sought to rebuild philosophy from the ground up, and he succeeded in permanently changing its problems and methods. This revised edition of the Prolegomena, which is the best introduction to the theoretical side of his philosophy, presents his thought clearly by paying careful attention to his original language.

Also included are selections from the Critique of Pure Reason, which fill out and explicate some of Kant's central arguments (inclu...

This volume examines the philosophy of Avicenna, the greatest philosopher of the Islamic world. Leading scholars deal with his ideas in areas ranging from medicine to theology and his impact on the Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions. The book is of interest to graduate students of Arabic and medieval philosophy.

Onmisbaar voor iedereen die weleens met de mond vol tanden staat en die de trucjes van de discussiepartner zat is.

Social media en het dagelijkse maatschappelijke debat wemelen van fakenieuws, des- en misinformatie, maar ook van discussietrucs als jij-bakken en whataboutismen. Voor fakenieuws is terecht veel aandacht, maar voor drogredenen, hoewel net zo schadelijk voor een eerlijk debat, veel minder.

Drogredenen bevat onmisbare munitie tegen manipulerende politici en andere drogredenaars. He...

This volume, first published in 2003, spans a millennium of thought extending from Augustine to Thomas Aquinas and beyond. It includes not only the thinkers of the Latin West but also the profound contributions of Islamic and Jewish thinkers. Supplementary material includes chronological charts and biographies of the major thinkers.

Mary Wollstonecraft, often described as the first major feminist, is remembered principally as the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), and there has been a tendency to view her most famous work in isolation. Yet Wollstonecraft's pronouncements about women grew out of her reflections about men, and her views on the female sex constituted an integral part of a wider moral and political critique of her times which she first fully formulated in A Vindication of the Rights of Me...

Critics have argued that comparative philosophy is inherently flawed or even impossible. What standards can we use to describe and evaluate different cultures' philosophies? How do we avoid projecting our own ways of thinking onto others? Can we overcome the vast divergences in history, language, and ways of organizing reality that we find in China, India, Africa, and the West? Doing Philosophy Comparatively is the first comprehensive introduction to the foundations, problems, and methods of ...

Now revised and containing three new chapters, this book provides an accessible introduction to the fundamental problems in the theory of knowledge. Written primarily for students taking a first course in epistemology, it will be of interest to anyone wanting to know more about this important area of philosophy.