Monk's life of Wittgenstein is such a one."--"The Christian Science Monitor."

    It teaches how they came about, how to avoid them, and how to counter their negative effects.

    DeVorss & Company; 2nd Revised edition (May 1, 1987)

    It includes a new discussion of the Third Analogy, a greatly expanded discussion of Kant’s Paralogisms, and entirely new chapters dealing with Kant’s theory of reason, his treatment of theology, and the important Appendix to the Dialectic.Praise for the earlier edition:“Probably the most comprehensive and substantial study of the Critique of Pure Reason written by any American philosopher.... This is a splendid book.” —Lewis White Beck“This masterful study ... will most certainly join the canon of required reading for future interpreters of Kant’s theoretical philosophy. Superbly organized and lucidly written.” —Garrett Green, Journal of Religion

    Dennett, Gerald Edelman, and Roger Penrose, all firing volleys in what has come to be called the consciousness wars. Now, in The Conscious Mind, philosopher David J. Chalmers offers a cogent analysis of this heated debate as he unveils a major new theory of consciousness, one that rejects the prevailing reductionist trend of science, while offering provocative insights into the relationship between mind and brain.Writing in a rigorous, thought-provoking style, the author takes us on a far-reaching tour through the philosophical ramifications of consciousness. Chalmers convincingly reveals how contemporary cognitive science and neurobiology have failed to explain how and why mental events emerge from physiological occurrences in the brain. He proposes instead that conscious experience must be understood in an entirely new light--as an irreducible entity (similar to such physical properties as time, mass, and space) that exists at a fundamental level and cannot be understood as the sum of its parts. And after suggesting some intriguing possibilities about the structure and laws of conscious experience, he details how his unique reinterpretation of the mind could be the focus of a new science. Throughout the book, Chalmers provides fascinating thought experiments that trenchantly illustrate his ideas. For example, in exploring the notion that consciousness could be experienced by machines as well as humans, Chalmers asks us to imagine a thinking brain in which neurons are slowly replaced by silicon chips that precisely duplicate their functions--as the neurons are replaced, will consciousness gradually fade away? The book also features thoughtful discussions of how the author's theories might be practically applied to subjects as diverse as artificial intelligence and the interpretation of quantum mechanics.All of us have pondered the nature and meaning of consciousness. Engaging and penetrating, The Conscious Mind adds a fresh new perspective to the subject that is sure to spark debate about our understanding of the mind for years to come.

    Gödel received public recognition of his work in 1951 when he was awarded the first Albert Einstein Award for achievement in the natural sciences--perhaps the highest award of its kind in the United States. The award committee described his work in mathematical logic as "one of the greatest contributions to the sciences in recent times."However, few mathematicians of the time were equipped to understand the young scholar's complex proof. Ernest Nagel and James Newman provide a readable and accessible explanation to both scholars and non-specialists of the main ideas and broad implications of Gödel's discovery. It offers every educated person with a taste for logic and philosophy the chance to understand a previously difficult and inaccessible subject.New York University Press is proud to publish this special edition of one of its bestselling books. With a new introduction by Douglas R. Hofstadter, this book will appeal students, scholars, and professionals in the fields of mathematics, computer science, logic and philosophy, and science.

    It furnishes us with a key to his main work, The Critique of Pure Reason; in fact, it is an extract containing all the salient ideas of Kant's system. It approaches the subject in the simplest and most direct way, and is therefore best adapted as an introduction into his philosophy.

    It is however a healthy and invigorating blast, without malice and with a sincere regard for scientific objectivity."—K.E. Boulding, Political Science Quarterly"Certainly one of the most engrossing volumes that has appeared recently in economic theory."—William J. Baumol, Review of Economics and Statistics

    It clarifies some of moral philosophy's most common confusions and redefines the science's terminology. 6 chapters explore: the subject matter of ethics, naturalistic ethics, hedonism, metaphysical ethics, ethics in relation to conduct, and the ideal.

    What are the basic ingredients of reality? What is their ultimate nature? Could reality have been different? And where do human beings fit into reality? Indeed, why does reality contain anything at all? Riddles of Existence is the first book ever to make metaphysics genuinely accessible and fun. Its lively, informal style brings these questions to life and shows how stimulating it can be to think about them. Earl Conee and Theodore Sider offer a lucid discussion of the major topics in metaphysics. What makes me the same person I was as a child? Is everything fated to be exactly as it is? Does time flow? How fast does it flow, and can one travel back in time, against the current? Does God exist? Why is there anything at all rather than nothing? If our actions are caused by things science can predict and control, how can we have free will? The authors approach these topics in an open-minded and undogmatic manner, giving readers a full sense of the issues involved. They don't try to convince us of their point of view. Instead, they hope that, by reading this book, we will come to appreciate the importance of such problems and develop reasoned opinions of your own. Riddles of Existence shows that philosophy can be exciting and important, and understandable by anyone. No philosophical background is required to enjoy this book: anyone who has thought about life's most profound questions will find plenty to provoke and entertain them here.

    In that defense of capitalist inequality, freedom is self-ownership, the right of each person to do as he wishes with himself. The author shows that self-ownership fails to deliver the freedom it promises to secure. He thereby undermines the idea that lovers of freedom should embrace capitalism and the inequality that comes with it. In the final chapter he reaffirms the moral superiority of socialism, against the background of the disastrous Soviet experiment.

    . . this collection can be read with pleasure by those unversed in semiotic theory." —Times Literary Supplement

    It is the only systematic presentation of the thinker's late philosophy and . . . it is perhaps the most exciting of his books."--Hannah Arendt

    this is one of those rare books that will change your beliefs - and in doing so will change your life. tHE ANt AND tHE FERRARI offers readers a clear, navigable path through the big questions that confront us all today. What is the meaning of life? Can we be ethical beings in today's world? Can we know if there is life after death? Is there such a thing as Absolute truth? What caused the Big Bang and why should you care?

     The Many Worlds Interpretation The concept that our universe may not be the only universe, but that there are millions, billions, trillions - indeed an infinite amount - of other universes became a serious proposition for mainstream science in 1957 when the respected physicist Hugh Everett III came out with his Multiple Worlds Interpretation. In short, Everett suggested that the only way to explain certain strange phenomenon in quantum mechanics was that there had to be other universes existing parallel to our own. The ‘Many Worlds’ scenario in turn implies that all possible alternative histories are real, each representing an actual ‘world’ or ‘universe’. This means that everything that could possibly have happened in our past, but did not, has occurred in the past of some other universe or universes. The implications of ‘Many Worlds’ for each of us is astounding. It means that every one of us has not only a ‘twin’ existing right now in a parallel universe, but a countless number of twins in universes that expand in all directions infinitely, as well as backwards and forward in time! As astounding and outlandish as Hugh Everett’s Many Worlds Interpretation seems, a recent survey showed that the vast majority of physicists and scientists today accept it as ‘most likely true’ - in fact 83% of them, according to a recent survey of the world’s top 1,200 physicists. Stories The fact that parallel universes is most likely a reality can explain a lot of strange phenomenon, and a lot of bizarre experiences as reported by every day, ordinary people. A lot of these stories have ended up in the mainstream media - and more than a few in the so-called ‘alternative media’. These stories range from the UFO phenomena to reports of contacts with fairy folk, or creatures so strange there is no precedent or explanation for them. Parallel universes have been frequently cited as a way to explain the elusiveness of Bigfoot. It also plays a role in the practice of remote viewing - the psychic spying technique developed by both U.S. Military and Soviet Union intelligence operations. Parallel universe theory may also explain some strange occurrences that simply defy category. In this book, we are going to explore some of those stories - those that made it into the mainstream media and, almost certainly, a few you have never heard about anywhere else. Contents Include: * Unexpected Slips into Other Worlds * The Man from a Non-Existent Country * The Strange Tale of the Gadianton Canyon * Energy Sphere Transportation * Unexpected Slips from Other Worlds * Portals to Parallel Worlds * The Chocolate City * The Multiple Individual Experiencing a Multidimensional World