It has recently been argued that God’s causation of human free choices is best understood in light of Aquinas’s teaching on creation. Such a position is attractive because it provides a way of avoiding the compatibilism of classical interpretations of Aquinas. However, this position may be subject to other flaws. In fact, Francisco Suárez explicitly rejects the view that God’s creative causality can be understood either as the divine essence or as a predicamental relation of the created effect to God. (...) The purpose of this essay is to investigate, first, whether Suárez’s view of efficient causality rules out conceptualizing God’s motion of the will in terms of creation, and second, whether it provides a more plausible alternative. I argue on both points that it does not, and that an error common to both Suárez and his sixteenth-century opponents is one reason to conceptualize divine motion as a kind of creation. (shrink)

R. J. Hankinson traces the history of ancient Greek thinking about causation and explanation, from its earliest beginnings through more than a thousand years to the middle of the first millennium of the Christian era. He examines ways in which the Ancient Greeks dealt with questions about how and why things happen as and when they do, about the basic constitution and structure of things, about function and purpose, laws of nature, chance, coincidence, and responsibility.

A provocative collection of technical and popular essays dealing with a variety of scientific and political topics which Popper has treated in his major works. For the most part Popper develops, sharpens, and extends to new areas, themes which he has already explored. The major theme running through the essays is that knowledge grows by unjustified and unjustifiable anticipations, guesses and conjectures. These are controlled by criticisms and refutations. Theories can never be positively justified; they can only prove to be (...) resistant to rational criticism. The boldness of Popper's conjectures demands attempted refutations on the part of the reader.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Kojève has been known as the most brilliant, profound, controversial, and influential commentator on Hegel in the twentieth century. "Commentator" is perhaps too neutral a word, for Kojève's lectures on Hegel have been a vehicle for articulating and defending a view of what philosophy and wisdom essentially are. Kojève's lectures on the Phenomenology of Spirit at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes from 1933-1939 were primarily responsible for the Hegelian influence on a number of major French intellectuals. The present translation which (...) consists of a selection from the collection of writings edited by Queneau, is certainly not an introduction in any ordinary sense of the term. But for those who have been caught by the power of Hegel's Phenomenology--and their number seems to be growing in the Anglo-Saxon world--an encounter with Kojève, who is clearly one of the most serious readers of Hegel, will prove immensely rewarding. It is a bit surprising that Allan Bloom whose own approach to scholarship places such a high priority on careful textual analysis has edited a rather chopped up version of the French text.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Although there has been a renaissance of interest in Kant among Anglo-Saxon philosophers, it is mainly the Kant of the first Critique that has interested philosophers. There has been little serious discussion of Kant's political philosophy. This book brings together Kant's political writings and enables the reader to see clearly that Kant's political philosophy is not just an application of his moral philosophy. Reading these writings together shows how much the issues that concerned Kant are still with us today. Hopefully (...) the publication of this volume will be an incentive not only for developing a fuller and more robust interpretation of Kant but also a better understanding of the tradition of political philosophy.--R. J. B. (shrink)

For many years scholars have paid lip service to the "dramatic" or "mimetic" character of Plato's dialogues, but too few have taken this character seriously. Klein does, making it the basis of his exposition. He convincingly demonstrates that the dramatic action and the topic discussed are tightly interwoven and must be taken together to understand the Meno. In his introduction he distinguishes three kinds of mimesis: ethological, doxological, and mythological. The Meno is interpreted as primarily ethological. But one can ask (...) whether the author has done justice to the doxological element in the dialogue. He places considerable emphasis on the character of the "historical" Meno and does not seem to consider seriously the possibility that Meno's responses to Socrates show that he is learning something about the nature of ἀρετή. To suggest a possible criticism is in no way to take issue with the major thesis of this thorough and imaginative study.—R. J. W. (shrink)

It is a shame that this volume which was started a decade ago should have been so long in preparation. The result is that many of the critical papers have been superseded by more recent investigations. Nevertheless, there are a number of respects in which this is an extremely valuable book. It contains Carnap's autobiography, written in the direct and careful style that is so characteristic of his work. Carnap also patiently and systematically answers the objections raised by his critics. (...) And there is an invaluable annotated bibliography of his writings. But the dominant impression of the volume as a whole is that of summing up the contribution and limitations of one of the twentieth-century's most important and influential philosophers.—R. J. B. (shrink)

Discussions of American philosophy have too frequently fallen into two extreme categories: slavish and plodding exposition; and supercilious and superficial criticism. But what the "classic" American philosophers need is sympathetic but judicious criticism. This book is a model of such criticism. Basically, it consists of two relatively independent monographs--one dealing with Peirce and one with James. Ayer makes no claims to produce a work of historical scholarship. And scholars will find much to quarrel with in this book. But their argument (...) will be with an intelligent and lucid critic. What is especially satisfying is the way in which Ayer discusses some of the more obscure aspects of these philosophers such as Peirce's categories and his theory of signs, and the way in which he attempts to make sense of some of their more controversial claims such as those of James in the Will to Believe. Ayer pulls no punches in pointing out what he takes to be mistaken and untenable; throughout there is a critical dialogue. One can disagree on numerous points of interpretation, but one can only admire the high level of critique. This is the sort of intelligent criticism that these two seminal thinkers deserve.--R. J. B. (shrink)

A new translation which is eminently readable and extremely accurate. Much of the awkwardness and unnecessary obscurity of the Ogden translation has been eliminated. The comprehensive index which combines both English and German expressions is designed to meet the special problems involved in understanding the Tractatus. Unfortunately Russell's introduction to the 1922 edition is reproduced without any indication of the controversy concerning Russell's interpretation, or subsequent interpretations of the Tractatus.--R. J. B.

Includes the best and most complete English translation of Marx's controversial Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 by T. B. Bottomore. Fromm in his introductory essay argues that Marx's philosophy of man is to be found in these manuscripts; it is a "spiritual existentialism in secular language." Fromm skirts some difficult problems of Marxist interpretation, and the concept of man that is attributed to Marx resembles the sentimental socialism which Marx so bitterly attacked.--R. J. B.

A new selection from the Federalist Papers with a helpful introduction that explains the origins of these papers and their reception since their publication. Careful annotative and bibliographical indices offer excellent aids for an intelligent appreciation of these famous papers.--R. J. B.

Cavell is one of the most gifted and sensitive philosophers who has been influenced by Wittgenstein and Austin. He is no slavish disciple but an intelligent and perceptive interpreter of the contemporary sensibility. Six of the ten essays have already appeared in print and some have already become intellectual gems. In "The Availability of Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy," Cavell better than most has managed to capture and convey the spirit and the intensity of the later Wittgenstein. The title essay is the (...) most articulate defense of what ordinary language philosophy can be at its best. But Cavell is also an incisive commentator on Beckett and Kierkegaard. He illuminates a range of aesthetic issues. Cavell's forte is that of an essayist who manages to create in each of his essays a "form of life" within which one can participate and share his insight.--R. J. B. (shrink)

This is the first commentary on Wittgenstein to deal with both the Tractatus and the Philosophical Investigations. Written as an introduction, it is clear, sober and balanced. Pitcher has made intelligent use of the recent spurt of critical literature on Wittgenstein. Unfortunately, the work is not really comprehensive. Technical logical and mathematical doctrines in the Tractatus are not discussed, nor is there a serious discussion of das Mystische and related topics. While Pitcher's careful attempt to reconstruct arguments is highly successful (...) in clarifying the Tractatus, this technique is less successful in the explication of the Philosophical Investigations. Pitcher follows the conventional interpretation in dealing with the later and the earlier Wittgenstein, although some important similarities and continuities are suggested. This study should prove helpful to those who find Wittgenstein's two books bewildering.—R. J. B. (shrink)

This classic biography of Nietzsche, first published in the 1960s, was enthusiastically reviewed at the time. The biography is now reissued with its text updated in the light of recent research. Hollingdale's biography remains the single best account of the life and works for the student or non-specialist. The biography chronicles Nietzsche's intellectual evolution and discusses his friendship and breach with Wagner, his attitude towards Schopenhauer, and his indebtedness to Darwin and the Greeks. It follows the years of his maturity (...) and his mental collapse in 1889. The final part of the book considers the development of the Nietzsche legend during his years of madness. R. J. Hollingdale, one of the preeminent translators of Nietzsche, allows Nietzsche to speak for himself in a translation that transmits the vividness and virtuosity of Nietzsche's many styles. This is the ideal book for anyone interested in Nietzsche's life and work to learn why he is such a significant figure for the development of modern thought. (shrink)

An imaginative inquiry into the foundations of culture in which a speculative use is made of Freudian concepts. There is a critique and reevaluation of political, economic, religious, and philosophic aspects of culture in the light of the author's thesis that history is the scene of the struggle between life and death instincts.--R. J. B.

This study investigated the performance of boys with psychopathic tendencies and comparison boys, aged 9 to 17 years, on two tasks believed to be sensitive to amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex func- tioning. Fifty-one boys were divided into two groups according to the Psychopathy Screening Device (PSD, P. J. Frick & R. D. Hare, in press) and presented with two tasks. The tasks were the gambling task (A. Bechara, A. R. Damasio, H. Damasio, & S. W. Anderson, 1994) and the Intradimensional/ (...) Extradimensional (ID/ED) shift task (R. Dias, T. W. Robbins, & A. C. Roberts, 1996). The boys with psychopathic tendencies showed impaired performance on the gambling task. However, there were no group differences on the ID/ED task either for response reversal or extradimensional set shifting. The implications of these results for models of psychopathy are discussed. (shrink)

Peters's views on moral education are to be found in several books and articles written over a period of about 20 years. Two essential elements of his ideas are what he calls procedural principles and basic rules. This article is an attempt to consider his recommendations, particularly in terms of any practical assistance that can be derived from them for those interested in moral education. Close examination reveals some inconsistencies, vagueness and difficulties which suggest problems for his procedural approach and (...) raise the issue of whether alternative, more positive efforts should be reconsidered. (shrink)

A fine collection of articles explaining, defending and criticizing Whitehead. Most of the articles have been published in the Journal of Philosophy, eight in the Whitehead Centennial Issue. But Kline has rounded out the collection by including several excellent articles written especially for this volume. A list of corrigenda to Process and Reality is included, as well as a previously unpublished letter from Whitehead to Hartshorne.--R. J. B.

This is an extremely well-edited collection of articles dealing with Austin. A number of articles help to present general biographical information and to provide an overview of the man and his philosophic style. Three sections of this anthology are divided so as to include papers that deal with issues raised in Austin's Philosophical Papers, Sense and Sensibilia, and How to Do Thing with Words. Papers are included by those who are sympathetic and admire Austin's work as well as those who (...) have been very critical of his work. Altogether this symposium includes a judicious selection of some of the best articles dealing with Austin. There are papers by Warnock, Urmson, Hampshire, Pears, Cavell, Quine, Chisholm, Ayer, Searle, etc. There is a bibliography of Austin's writings as well as writings about Austin.--R. J. B. (shrink)

In this article, which is the first of two to examine the ideas of R. S. Peters on moral education, consideration is given to his justificatory arguments found in Ethics and Education. Here he employs presupposition arguments to show to what anyone engaging in moral discourse is committed. The result is a group of procedural principles which are recommended to be employed in moral education. This article is an attempt to examine the presupposition arguments Peters employs, to comment on the (...) procedural principles he believes are presupposed, and to consider the strength of the presupposition argument. My conclusion is that Peters's arguments fail to establish the conclusion he arrives at, and that any gains from the form of argument he uses are hollow. (shrink)

Iris Murdoch's philosophic essays have been infrequent, but extremely distinguished and subtle. This book consists of three essays previously published, "The Idea of Perfection," "On 'God' and 'Good'," and "The Sovereignty of Good Over Other Concepts." Running through all three essays is a gentle critique of some of the main currents of twentieth century moral philosophy--in its British analytical and continental existentialist varieties. Miss Murdoch is very sensitive to the depth similarities of what is frequently considered to be so different. (...) While many philosophers may find these essays elusive, one comes away with a strong sense from both their style and content that Miss Murdoch has a delicate understanding of the complexity, frailty, and ambiguity that are involved in genuine moral situations--and of the various ways in which much of twentieth century moral philosophy has failed to do justice to the texture of our moral lives.--R. J. B. (shrink)

R.J. Barnes (chapter 3) takes up the ways in which Sicilian comedy engaged current intellectual fashions, especially philosophy. Sicily was the home of rich and influential poetic and philosophical traditions that Epicharmus held up for comic examination and ridicule.

The present work is substantially a dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Toronto. While aware of the numerous imperfections of the work I have decided, on the urging of many colleagues, to publish it at this time because of the current relevance of the subject-matter and especially of the collection of texts. I am happy to acknowledge my indebtedness to the faculty of the Pontifical Mediaeval Institute of Toronto and especially to the Reverend (...) Ignatius Eschmann, O.P., who first suggested the idea of this study and whose encouragement and assistance brought it to completion. My thanks are due also to the Reverend George Klubertanz, S.J., and Mr. Paul Mathews, both of the Department of Philosophy of Saint Louis University, and" for invaluable secretarial assistance, to Mrs. Savina Tonella and Miss Agnes Kutz. R. J. HENLE, S.j. Saint Louis December, 1954 TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL INTRODUCTION... (shrink)

A provocative contribution to the new approach to the history and philosophy of science which emphasizes the role of radically new paradigms in scientific revolutions. While normal science proceeds as puzzle-solving within a relatively fixed paradigm, scientific crises lead to new paradigms where data, scientific problems, procedures, and standards for solutions are all altered. Scientific revolutions do not simply modify our understanding of a world which exists independently--they change the data and the world in which the scientist works. The essay (...) is filled with fascinating historical interpretations, though the analysis of the concept of a paradigm and scientific revolution is more suggestive than rigorous.--R. J. B. (shrink)

The literal translation of the title of this book would have been Positivist Philosophy. This accurately describes what the book is about. The present title seems to be a gimmick to catch the potential reader's eye. For there is virtually nothing about the alienation of reason here nor is this a serious history of positivist thought. The book is written in a popular essay style designed "to present a well-known phenomenon in such a way that the reader may not only (...) be informed about it objectively, but also brought closer to understanding its function in our culture." Unfortunately this latter aspect is never fully developed and explored. Instead, we have a rather straightforward but good survey of positivism focussing on the chief motifs of this movement from Hume to Logical Empiricism. The criticisms sketched are far milder than those developed by many Western analytic philosophers. It is disappointing that this rather routine work was selected for publication when there are a number of other exciting and important works of Kolakowski that might have been translated.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Written in 1933 when the author was under the influence of logical positivism, but published only in 1961. Perhaps because the author did not at the time of writing have access to Wittgenstein's early notebooks, the study suffers from a lack of subtlety and appreciation of the problems that were preoccupying Wittgenstein when he wrote the Tractatus. It offers a general interpretation rather than a detailed explication of specific propositions. Of special interest is Maslow's attempt to show that the Tractatus (...) bears a strong family resemblance to the transcendental philosophy of Kant. Quite independently, he thereby supports an interpretation of the Tractatus which has been gaining acceptance among commentators on Wittgenstein.--R. J. B. (shrink)

The "Kant Book" in this excellent series of Modern Studies in Philosophy presents special problems. Unlike some of the other philosophers examined in this series, there have been a number of excellent books written on Kant, yet the editor has not included any selections from them. He also restricts himself to articles published in English. Although the articles selected are primarily concerned with the First and Second Critiques, with two articles on Kant's Aesthetics, they are all of high quality. Two (...) of the most interesting essays, by Todes and Stadler, have not been published before.—R. J. B. (shrink)

Among young liberal Catholic intellectuals, Lonergan is held in extremely high esteem. His philosophic treatise, Insight, is considered to be the important philosophic book where Thomism genuinely encounters contemporary secular philosophy. But outside this circle of Catholic intellectuals Lonergan's thought is barely known. This collection of articles does reflect the comprehensiveness and depth of his thought. Papers range over intricate theological discussions of the Assumption, Christ, marriage, the role of a Catholic university in the modern world, and technical philosophic issues (...) such as the form of inference and geometric possibility. Because the papers are short and have been written for a variety of audiences, it is difficult to discern any overreaching continuity and perspective. Many of the discussions demand a more thorough and critical analysis than is exhibited here. The introduction by Crowe is helpful for reconstructing Lonergan's intellectual development and supplying a broader context for appreciating the papers, although the tone is more reverential than critical.—R. J. B. (shrink)

This is at once a fascinating, illuminating, perceptive, and perplexing book. It has many virtues. There are probably few intellectuals in any "discipline" who can write about the sweep of Western civilization with such scope, insight, and perceptiveness. Nisbet has attempted to write a history of a metaphor which has exerted an enormous influence on Western thinking from the Greeks until our time. It is the metaphor of organic development as applied to the understanding of social development. According to Nisbet (...) we find this basic metaphor at the root of Greek thinking about cycles, the Christian idea of epic, and the modern idea of development as progress. The first part subtly sketches the variations on the metaphor of organic growth in The Greeks, The Christians, and The Moderns. This in turn establishes a background for exploring the theory of social development articulated from the eighteenth century to the present. Although Nisbet is modest in his claims about his distinctive contribution to each of these historical chapters, he does bring fresh insight to bear and exposes numerous myths that have cluttered our historical understanding. Given the scope of his treatment, there is plenty that "specialists" may question, although even where one disagrees with his interpretations, one can't help admiring his command of the material. It is the final chapter that leaves one perplexed. For while Nisbet has made an excellent case for showing how deep the metaphor of organic development has been in Western thought, he seems to be genuinely ambivalent about its significance and pragmatic value. Operating in this chapter is a dichotomy between the "literal" and the "metaphoric" that is never fully explicated. Nisbet seems to think that with proper judiciousness, the metaphor can be revealing when applied to large scale units such as "civilization" and "culture," but that it is disastrous and dogmatic when used to account for specific instances of social behavior. The book ends with a rather sharp polemical attack on contemporary functionalists. It would seem that Nisbet set out to trace the variations of the metaphor of organic development in order to show how it still influences contemporary "sophisticated" thinking and to expose the abuses and irrelevance of the metaphor for understanding social behavior, but in the course of his masterful exploration he has succeeded in laying the groundwork for a serious questioning of his own polemical conclusions.--R. J. B. (shrink)

The letters included in this book are extremely valuable for gaining a further insight into Wittgenstein, especially during the period before and immediately after the writing and publishing of the Tractatus. They exhibit Wittgenstein's humanity, his literary and musical interests, his self-doubts and anxiety concerning the publication of the Tractatus. There are reflections on suicide and an important brief statement about the point of the Tractatus where Wittgenstein declares that "the book's point is an ethical one." The Memoir is uneven (...) and not always in clear focus, but it is helpful in shedding light on a little known aspect of Wittgenstein's life.--R. J. B. (shrink)

The key word in the title of this book is "essay," for Strawson has not written an introduction to Kant, nor a commentary on the Critique. It would be closer to truth to say that Strawson has attempted to extract and to translate into a contemporary idiom what he takes to be philosophically important in the Critique. Kant's major positive achievement, according to Strawson, is the partial carrying out of a certain program, viz., "that of determining the fundamental general structure (...) of any conception of experience such as we can make intelligible to ourselves." But this program can be dissociated from the Kantian motif that the structure of experience is "imposed by our capacities." Thus Strawson speaks of the "doctrinal fantasies of transcendental idealism." Given Strawson's concern with what he takes to be Kant's positive achievement, he doesn't hesitate to expose the weakness of some of Kant's arguments, to restate many of them in a more convincing way, or even to supply new arguments. But Strawson also exhibits a remarkable sensitivity to many recondite aspects of the Critique, e.g., the role of "pure intuition" in Kant's theory of geometry, and the status of "self-consciousness." The result of Strawson's essay is a philosophically exciting encounter where one can learn as much about Kant as he can about Strawson's own central concerns, and indeed about some of the most central issues of philosophy, both past and present.—R. J. B. (shrink)

During the past decade some of the most provocative and controversial disputes concerning the philosophy and history of science have centered about the work of Thomas Kuhn and Sir Karl Popper. One, therefore, looks with anticipation to this volume which is based on a symposium held in July, 1965 where Kuhn, Popper and several of Popper's former students met for an intellectual confrontation. But the result is depressing. The volume is an editorial mess. Two of the main scheduled speakers never (...) appeared at the symposium, although papers by them are published here. Some of the remarks published here seem to be those spoken on the day the symposium was held while others, like Kuhn's answer to his critics, were written four years after the symposium. The result is a confusing and distracting editorial unevenness. While Kuhn's fair-minded opening paper raises some of the most important issues to be confronted, one quickly senses that the Popperians are not really very much interested in discussing Kuhn's work but rather in pushing their own pet theses. Kuhn puts this rather generously when he labels it an example of "talking-through-each-other." Most of the Popperians seem to be obsessed with Kuhn's understanding of normal science and neglect the much more interesting questions concerning his views on scientific revolutions, the sense in which science does and does not make progress, the criteria involved in adjudicating among competing theories. It is almost with relief that one reads Margaret Masterman's remark that it is a "crashingly obvious fact" that there is normal science. Ironically, Masterman's article which is basically sympathetic to Kuhn's work is the most illuminating and the most critical. More successfully than any of other contributors she shows the ambiguities involved in Kuhn's idea of a paradigm. One's wishes that the Popperians would take a good hard look at themselves and what they are doing as it is so disastrously illustrated here. Although ostensibly dedicated to serious critical rationalism, they seem more eager to score points than to understand what they are criticizing. Although they supposedly abhor clubiness, they are rapidly forming themselves into a scholastic circle where the object seems to be to show how brilliant or how stupid some other student of Popper is. Although they scorn the quest for origins, they are almost compulsive in attempting to show that anything worthwhile was previously said by Sir Karl. This book illustrates the faults of the Popperians at their worst and few of their virtues. There is much heat and wit, but little light.--R. J. B. (shrink)

McLellan has written a very helpful study to enable us to recreate the intellectual climate of Marx's youth. McLellan's emphasis is to present the thought of the Young Hegelians from their own perspectives. In this respect he reverses the typical approach of seeing the Young Hegelians through the eyes of Marx or later Marxism. The result is a much more balanced and informative study of the Young Hegelians and their influence on Marx's early speculations. There is a general introduction in (...) which McLellan sketches the general characteristics of the Young Hegelians and the development of their ideas. This is followed by chapters on Bruno Bauer, Ludwig Feuerbach, Max Stirner, and Moses Hess. The total effect of this fine study is to show us how much Marx borrowed from his contemporary intellectuals and how he used ideas suggested by others in his own distinctive and forceful way.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Since the time of Hume and Maine de Biran there have been two dominant views concerning our experience or perception of causality: Humians maintain that there is no direct experience of a causal link between successive events, while followers of Maine de Biran have argued that there is an internal experience of causality. By devising a series of ingenious experiments, Michotte attempts to show that both traditions are mistaken, and that there are causal impressions in the realm of external experience. (...) Whether or not one agrees with Michotte's conclusions, this study does effectively show the relevance of experimental data to an understanding of the perception of causality. There is a forward by R. C. Oldfield, several appendices bringing the research up to date, and a helpful commentary by T. R. Miles.—R. J. B. (shrink)

This collection of articles on Kierkegaard is designed to help make the secondary literature on Kierkegaard more available to graduate and undergraduate students. The book is divided into three parts: "The Philosophical Context"; "Reason and Faith"; and "The Ethico-Religious." The articles are a good sampling ranging from Louis Mackey's brilliant exposition of the philosophic context of Kierkegaard's thought to Brand Blanshard's graceful criticism. This anthology would have been much more helpful if it contained an index, an annotated bibliography, and an (...) introduction to orient the reader.--R. J. B. (shrink)

R J Royce; Public Schools: private privilege—a reply to Brenda Cohen, Journal of Philosophy of Education, Volume 16, Issue 1, 30 May 2006, Pages 105–113, https.

Despite the enormous and growing interest in Marx and the availability of Marx's writing in paperback, it is scandalous how little care has been taken in producing careful texts and English translations of Marx's work. O'Malley's edition is an outstanding exception. It is carefully and intelligently edited. The result makes available an extremely interesting text of Marx. A number of scholars have already argued that in this early critique, one can discover some of the earliest formulations of distinctive Marxian themes. (...) Now the reader can judge for himself, for this is the first full English translation of Marx's Critique. But this Critique is not only extremely important for understanding Marx's intellectual development, it also helps to make Hegel's Philosophy of Right come alive. Marx's fundamental ambivalence toward Hegel is evidenced here. It is clear that Marx is still very much under Hegel's influence and we can see how deeply Hegel is shaping Marx's thought, but there is also a toughness and incisiveness in Marx's criticism of Hegel. O'Malley has provided a very extensive introduction which not only provides the necessary background for understanding this text but also explores the role of this work in the totality of Marx's development. Altogether this edition shows a care and judiciousness which is exceptional. It eminently serves the purpose of making an important text accessible.--R. J. B. (shrink)

A translation of the seventh edition of Jasper's classic Allgemeine Psychopathologie, originally published in 1913. Though often repetitious, the book is packed with insights. It provides one of the best introductions to the main themes of Jasper's philosophy.--R. J. B.

Merleau-Ponty's Inaugural Lecture before the Collège de France is an excellent choice for the first title in the Northwestern University Studies in Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy. The translation succeeds in catching the spirit of Merleau-Ponty's passionate commitment to philosophic search. In order to clarify his own stance, Merleau-Ponty begins by briefly discussing some of his predecessors in the chair of philosophy. His incisive remarks about intuition in Bergson place this doctrine in a fresh perspective. Most impressive is Merleau-Ponty's awareness of (...) the philosopher as the man who, although inextricably caught in the complex web of historical circumstance, wakes up and speaks of the problematic in human existence.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Ever since the publication of L'Etre et le Néant in 1942, the intellectual world has awaited the promised publication of Sartre's ethics and political philosophy. During this period Sartre became deeply involved in politics and has moved closer to the Communist line. Now we have this massive volume which is designed to pave the way toward a reconciliation of Existentialism and Marxism. In a manner reminiscent of Hegel, Sartre traces the dialectical passage from the individual through the series --"a plurality (...) of solitudes"---to the dynamic group. Throughout, Sartre's psychological insight is evident, but the attempted union of Existentialism and Marxism seems both desperate and forced.--R. J. B. (shrink)

A collection of Lovejoy's essays written during the first quarter of the century dealing mainly with issues in James and Dewey--there is hardly any mention of Peirce. A charming sketch of James as a philosopher is included. Throughout Lovejoy writes with wit and urbanity. But the dominant impression is one of reading a period piece rather than participating in living philosophic inquiry.--R. J. B.

Passmore is one of the most outstanding historians of the contemporary philosophical scene. He seems to have read everything, digested it, and has an uncanny ability to empathize with diverse philosophical viewpoints and elucidate them in a clear, witty, cogent style. Although the first three quarters of this revised edition is basically the same as earlier editions, we now have additions to his account of Ayer, Popper, Wittgenstein and Sartre; enlarged sections on Austin, Jaspers and Heidegger; a new section on (...) Merleau-Ponty and a chapter bringing us right up to the present discussions of the mind-body problem in Anglo-Saxon philosophy. With this revised edition, one feels more acutely the pinch of the limitations that Passmore initially set for himself, viz., to treat the ideas of those writers that entered into the public domain of philosophical discussion in England during the past hundred years. Consequently his treatment of continental thinkers is not nearly as complete or perceptive as his treatment of British philosophers, or his chapters on "classical" American thinkers which are among the best written by anybody.—R. J. B. (shrink)

Gram has organized his excellent selections, around three main issues concerning Kant's Kritik: the status of the Transcendental Deduction, Kant's critique of traditional ontology, and the problems concerning synthetic a priori judgments. Selections and translations are included from the "older" generation of Kant scholars who have shaped our contemporary understanding of Kant. These include selections from Vaihinger, Paton, Lovejoy, Cassirer, Heimsoeth, and Beck. Gram's introductions to the three parts help to focus on the key problems that have been raised by (...) Kant scholars. The result is a provocative introduction to the interpretation of Kant's philosophy, especially the problems emerging from the Transcendental Analytic. A welcome addition to the growing literature in English on Kant.—R. J. B. (shrink)

A sampler of Russell's writings from 1963 to 1959 which provides representative selections from his multifarious writings. The book is designed more for the general reader than for the scholar interested in piecing together the complex mosaic of the man and his work. There is a preface by Bertrand Russell. Handsomely printed, the total effect shows once again how unique and many-sided is this twentieth-century intellectual explorer.--R. J. B.

Here is Plotinus in a truly useful form; useful, that is, for teachers of the history of philosophy who have felt uneasy at having to omit one of the seminal figures in its development. Ten treatises are included, each in its entirety, conveying the complexity of Plotinus' thought surprisingly well. One can find little fault with either selection or translation. In addition, the editor has provided a good introduction, notes on Plotinus' sources, an appendix of related readings, a glossary, and (...) an annotated bibliography.—R. J. W. (shrink)