It is widely held that for a life to be conferred meaning it requires the appropriate type of agency. Call this the agency requirement. The agency requirement is primarily motivated in the philosophical literature by the assumption that there is a widespread pre-theoretical intuition that humans have the capacity for meaning whereas animals do not; and that difference must come down to their agency or lack thereof. This paper aims to undercut the motivation for the agency requirement by arguing our (...) pre-theoretical intuitions actually run opposite; that animals, and even objects, can have meaningful lives/existences. The argument is twofold. First, I extend an existing argument for animals as having a capacity for meaning to objects. Second, I argue maintaining that only humans have the capacity for meaning results in the more counterintuitive upshot that all animals and objects have, by definition, meaningless existences. Since we pre-theoretically believe that anything can be meaningful—even things which by definition lack agency—then we have strong reason for being sceptical about an agency requirement for meaning in life. (shrink)

Over three previous editions, Ten Theories of Human Nature has been a remarkably popular introduction to some of the most influential developments in Western and Eastern thought. This thoroughly revised fourth edition features substantial new chapters on Aristotle and on evolutionary theories of human nature; the latter centers on Edward O. Wilson but also outlines the ideas of Emile Durkheim, B. F. Skinner, Nikolaas Tinbergen, Konrad Lorenz, Noam Chomsky, and recent evolutionary psychology. This edition also includes a rewritten introduction that (...) invites readers (even if inclined toward fundamentalism, or to cultural relativism) to careful, critical thought about human nature; a useful new section that summarizes the history of ideas from the Stoics to the Enlightenment; and a new conclusion that suggests a way to synthesize the various theories. Lucid and accessible, Ten Theories of Human Nature, 4/e, compresses into a small space the essence of such ancient traditions as Confucianism, Hinduism, and the Old and New Testaments as well as the theories of Plato, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Jean-Paul Sartre. The authors juxtapose the ideas of these and other thinkers and traditions in a way that helps readers understand how humanity has struggled to comprehend its nature. To encourage readers to think critically for themselves and to underscore the similarities and differences between the many theories, the book examines each one on four points--the nature of the universe, the nature of humanity, the diagnosis of the ills of humanity, and the proposed cure for these problems. Ideal for introductory courses in human nature, philosophy, religious studies, and intellectual history, Ten Theories of Human Nature, 4/e, will engage and motivate students and other readers to consider how we can understand and improve both ourselves and human society. (shrink)

Propose une vue d'ensemble de l'oeuvre du philosophe allemand Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), à travers 3 parties : sa vie avec quelques grandes dates et de grands thèmes ; son oeuvre et enfin ses textes mis en regard des grandes matières (psychiatrie, philosophie, métaphysique, politique et histoire) présentes dans l'ensemble de son oeuvre.

This insightful book explores the life and ideas of Italian Marxist theoretician Antonio Gramsci, and argues his work has considerable contemporary relevance when re-considering educational leadership in today's age of crises. This volume will be of pivotal interest to academics, researchers, and postgraduates in the fields of educational leadership, the sociology of education, and education policy and politics. Practitioners interested in educational leadership and social theory, and those active in social movements, may also find the book of use.

NAVA TATVA SUTRA; on, THE NINE PRINCIPLES OK THINGS.... TATVA...

Objects of representation: Kant's Copernican revolution re-interpreted -- Synthetic unities of experience -- Three ways in which space and time might be said to be transcendentally ideal -- The given, the unconditioned, the transcendental object, and the reality of the past -- A theory of everything?: Kant speaks to Stephen Hawking -- Opinion, belief or faith, and knowledge -- Freedom of judgment in Descartes, Spinoza, Hume and Kant -- Six levels of mentality -- A Kantian defense of freewill.

Over six previous editions, Twelve Theories of Human Nature has been a remarkably popular introduction to some of the most influential developments in Western and Eastern thought. Now titled Thirteen Theories of Human Nature, this text continues to be an ideal introduction to human nature andintellectual history. This unique volume will engage and motivate students to consider how we can understand and improve both ourselves and human society.

For centuries, philosophers, scientists, and lawmakers worldwide have debated the merits of affording certain rights to animals. Central to any discussion of the topic is morality, who, or what, possesses it, and how and when it should be bestowed. This examination of the animal rights movement covers this and other points of contention, as well as the history of the movement and the people at the forefront of lobbying for animal welfare. Readers will discover and be inspired by the variety (...) of safe, practical methods for getting involved on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. (shrink)

Animals have alternately been considered pests, food, workers, test subjects, and, as is becoming increasingly common, companions. This begs the question: What rights should animals have? Through engaging text featuring annotated quotes from experts, readers learn about the changing role of animals and the ensuing changing attitudes of people toward how animals should be treated. Detailed charts, engaging sidebars, and relevant statistics provide an in-depth education regarding the history and ramifications, both legal and societal, of animal rights. Readers are also (...) encouraged to think critically to form an opinion on the actions and tactics of different animal rights organizations. (shrink)

A simple, visual beginner's guide to philosophy If you've ever wondered 'What is philosophy?' then Idiot's Guides: Philosophyhas the answers, with illustrations helping to explain and enhance philosophical ideas. Idiot's Guides: Philosophytakes you on a journey through all the major philosophers and schools from pre-Socratics to Post-Modernism, showing you the relevance of philosophical ideas to everyday life. Along the way you'll learn all about Renaissance Humanism, Idealism, Existentialism and much more, with religious philosophies included. You'll never be baffled by Post-Structuralism (...) again and will easily be able to discuss Eastern philosophies at a dinner party or down the pub. Idiot's Guides: Philosophy(previous ISBN 9781592573615) is perfect for anyone looking for a simple, visual guide to this fascinating subject. (shrink)

Contemporary literature on consciousness, with some exceptions, rarely considers the olfactory system. In this article the characteristics of olfactory consciousness, viewed from the standpoint of the phenomenal /access distinction, are examined relative to the major senses. The review details several qualitative differences in both olfactory P consciousness and A consciousness . The basis for these differences is argued to arise from the functions that the olfactory system performs and from the unique neural architecture needed to instantiate them. These data suggest, (...) at a minimum, that P and A consciousness are uniquely configured in olfaction and an argument can be made that the P and A distinction may not hold for this sensory system. (shrink)

Le statut des corps dans la metaphysique de Leibniz continue de resister a tout effort de reconstitution. Qu'il n'y ait au monde que les substances simples et leurs modifications ne presente plus l'evidence d'une position philosophique achevee. Dans le meilleur des mondes possibles, les ames ne sont jamais sans corps et la moindre portion de matiere renferme un univers de creatures vivantes. Au moment meme ou Leibniz semble embrasser une position idealiste en peuplant le monde d'une infinite d'entites psychiques, ne (...) developpe-t-il pas le concept d'organisme comme en marge de cette metaphysique? Deja, dans les annees ou la celebre theorie de la notion complete servait a penser la substance individuelle, la realite du corps organique imposait l'idee d'une substantialite proprement corporelle. Composition infinie irreductible aux modalites de l'etendue, le corps organique, machine de la nature, force a repenser les conditions d'existence de l'individualite vivante, dont l'ego cartesien n'est plus qu'une problematique modele. La question n'est plus tant de savoir si Leibniz a admis l'existence de substances corporelles en sus des monades, que de comprendre en quoi la realite organique devient le modele pour penser la connexion de toutes les substances, des simples aux composees, des brutes aux raisonnables. Du moi a la monade, comment la necessaire inscription corporelle de l'individualite s'opere-t-elle? De quelles modifications du concept de substance cette exigence s'accompagne-t-elle? (shrink)

Although their methodologies, areas of focus, and conclusions may diverge greatly, all philosophers in some form or another pose questions about universal truths. These individuals have elevated discourse and changed the way we interpret the world around us. Profiles of 101 of the most noteworthy individuals in the field introduce readers to the various philosophical schools of thought, as well as the ongoing questions and debates that have occupied philosophers and non-philosophers alike for centuries.

In the cities of industrialized countries, the sudden keen interest in urban agriculture has resulted, inter alia, in the growth of the number and diversity of urban collective gardens. While the multifunctionality of collective gardens is well known, individual gardeners’ motivations have still not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this article is to explore the role, for the gardeners, of the food function as one of the functions of gardens, and to establish whether and how this function is a (...) motivating factor for them. We draw on a set of data from semi-structured interviews with 39 gardeners in 12 collective gardens in Paris and Montreal, as well as from a survey on 98 gardeners and from field observations of the gardeners’ practices. In the first part we present the nature and diversity of garden produce, and the gardeners’ assessment thereof. In the second part we describe the seven other functions mentioned by the gardeners, which enables us to situate the food function in relation to them. We conclude that the food function is the most significant function of the gardens, and discuss the implications for practitioners and policy makers. (shrink)

Propounds a moderate view of animal rights, in 17 essays reprinted from various publications. Among the authors are Jane Goodall, Steve Siegel, and Tim Stafford. No index. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

Abstract:In this article we first review the development of the concept of global business citizenship and show how the libertarian political philosophy of free-market capitalism must give way to a communitarian view in order for the voluntaristic, local notion of “corporate citizenship” to take root. We then distinguish the concept of global business citizenship from “corporate citizenship” by showing how the former concept requires a transition from communitarian thinking to a position of universal human rights. In addition, we link global (...) business citizenship to global business strategy and to three analytical levels of ethical norms. Finally, we trace a process whereby global businesses can implement fundamental norms and learn to accommodate to legitimate cultural differences. (shrink)

Abstract:In this article we first review the development of the concept of global business citizenship and show how the libertarian political philosophy of free-market capitalism must give way to a communitarian view in order for the voluntaristic, local notion of “corporate citizenship” to take root. We then distinguish the concept of global business citizenship from “corporate citizenship” by showing how the former concept requires a transition from communitarian thinking to a position of universal human rights. In addition, we link global (...) business citizenship to global business strategy and to three analytical levels of ethical norms. Finally, we trace a process whereby global businesses can implement fundamental norms and learn to accommodate to legitimate cultural differences. (shrink)

This article begins with an explanation of how moral development for organizations has parallels to Kohlberg's categorization of the levels of individual moral development. Then the levels of organizational moral development are integrated into the literature on corporate social performance by relating them to different stakeholder orientations. Finally, the authors propose a model of organizational moral development that emphasizes the role of top management in creating organizational processes that shape the organizational and institutional components of corporate social performance. This article (...) represents one approach to linking the distinct streams of business ethics and business-and-society research into a more complete understanding of how managers and firms address complex ethical and social issues. (shrink)

This article argues for the recovery and re-incorporation of lost voices and debates into the history of political thought by focusing on the issue of sovereignty. It begins by examining why such a narrow understanding of the canon has come to dominate the sub-discipline and argues for critical approaches that treat the past as a “contested terrain” rather than an unfolding plot. It then turns to early twentieth-century Britain as an example of an era when thinkers who have been largely (...) forgotten by today’s political theorists argued loudly about the future of state sovereignty. It next focuses on a 1916 exchange of essays entitled “The Nature of the State in View of Its External Relations” by Delisle Burns, Bertrand Russell, and G.D.H. Cole, as an example of some of the most innovative and radical ideas to emerge from the period. The article concludes by arguing that re-engaging the work of these forgotten thinkers can broaden our conceptual horizons about sovereignty, speak to some of the most urgent issues of our time, and force open the concept of “the political” to radical reinterpretation. (shrink)

This study investigates the use of specific educative features for supporting the teaching of nature of science during read-alouds of elementary science trade books. Educative features are components of educative curriculum materials that aim to increase teachers’ content knowledge and support effective instructional practices. Understanding how teachers use specific educative features is important for the future design of curriculum materials that can be used to improve teachers’ views of NOS in tandem with changing their teaching practices. Qualitative data from teacher (...) interviews and observations of read-alouds were used to determine which educative features teachers used and how effective they were perceived as being. Results indicate that teachers varied in their use of educative features and tended to focus on the ones that addressed specific teaching moves as opposed to those that supported understanding why the curriculum was developed as it was. Based on these findings, recommendations for future research that highlights the importance of all educative features are provided. (shrink)

This book asks not only how the study of white-collar crime can enrich our understanding of crime and justice more generally, but also how criminological ...