Random House New Releases - Philosophy - Between May 24, 2012 and June 23, 2013.

Contemporary Ethical Issues by Walter G. Jeffko

2013-06-11T00:30:00-05:00

Contemporary Ethical Issues A Personalist Perspective (Third Edition)
Written by Walter G. Jeffko

Now in a newly revised third edition, this explores a series of compelling moral problems from a personalist perspective influenced by the Scottish philosopher John Macmurray (1891-1976). In many publications spanning fifty years, most notably his Gifford Lectures titled "The Form of the Personal," Macmurray developed a robust personalism that emphasizes the primacy of persons as rational agents. In his
view, self-realization is achieved in community where justice and individual rights are respected. From the background of a liberal Roman Catholic, Walter G. Jeffko utilizes key elements of Macmurray's thought in developing his own philosophical viewpoint, and he relates Macmurray's ideas to those of a wide variety of important philosophers, ethicists, and other notable thinkers, including ecologists and war theorists. New to this third edition is an essay on the moral treatment of civilians in war, including a rigorous critique of Michael Walzer's "supreme emergency" and the communitarianism that grounds it. Many recent Supreme Court decisions are evaluated, as is the threat to our democracy posed by unlimited sums of money in politics, the growing inequality of wealth and income, and the rise of political extremism on the right and its threat to women's rights. Jeffko brings logical precision and a lucid style to the study of ethics, blending powerful scholarship with readability.

Contemporary Ethical Issues by Walter G. Jeffko

2013-06-11T00:30:00-05:00

Contemporary Ethical Issues A Personalist Perspective (Third Edition)
Written by Walter G. Jeffko

Philosophy for a Better World by Floris Van Den Berg

2013-06-04T00:30:00-05:00

Philosophy for a Better World
Written by Floris Van Den Berg

After reading this book, the world won't look the same. Imagine yourself confined to a wheelchair; or living within the severely constricted lifestyle options of a woman in Saudi Arabia; or being a homosexual in a homophobic society; or a coffee farmer in Ethiopia; or a cow on a factory farm; or growing up impoverished in a developing country; or living 500 years from now when future generations may be negatively impacted by what we do today. This compelling thought experiment invites readers to take a moral journey, which in turn leads to an inconvenient evaluation of the way most of us live. The author proposes a new perspective, called universal subjectivism, which can be adopted by anyone regardless of religious or philosophical orientation. It takes into consideration the universal capacity for suffering and, through raising awareness, seeks to diminish that suffering and increase happiness. With consistent and crystal clear moral reasoning, van den Berg shows that the world can be organized to ensure more pleasure, beauty, justice, happiness, health, freedom, animal welfare, and sustainability. He emphasizes that today the near-term future is our greatest challenge: our affluent western lifestyle will soon exceed the limits of the earth's sustainable capacity and must soon change drastically to ward off a worldwide environmental collapse. Knowing this, we should all reevaluate the daily routines we take for granted: taking the car to work, boarding a plane to a business or vacation destination, eating meat, buying strawberries in winter, or using plastic bags in stores. There are ethical and ecological objections to each of these examples. In fact, if we applied a strict ethical analysis to our lifestyle, almost nothing we do would pass muster. Concluding with an eco-humanist manifesto, this offers much food for thought but, more importantly, an urgent and inspiring call to action.

Philosophy for a Better World by Floris Van Den Berg

2013-06-04T00:30:00-05:00

Philosophy for a Better World
Written by Floris Van Den Berg

We Have Only This Life to Live by Ronald Aronson

2013-06-04T00:30:00-05:00

We Have Only This Life to Live The Selected Essays of Jean-Paul Sartre, 1939-1975
Written by Jean-Paul Sartre
Edited by Adrian van den Hoven and Ronald Aronson
Introduction by Ronald Aronson

Jean-Paul Sartre was a man of staggering gifts, whose accomplishments as philosopher, novelist, playwright, biographer, and activist still command attention and inspire debate. Sartre’s restless intelligence may have found its most characteristic outlet in the open-ended form of the essay. For Sartre the essay was an essentially dramatic form, the record of an encounter, the framing of a choice. Whether writing about literature, art, politics, or his own life, he seizes our attention and drives us to grapple with the living issues that are at stake.

We Have Only This Life to Live is the first gathering of Sartre’s essays in English to draw on all ten volumes of Situations, the title under which Sartre collected his essays during his life, while also featuring previously uncollected work, including the reports Sartre filed during his 1945 trip to America. Here Sartre writes about Faulkner, Bataille, Giacometti, Fanon, the liberation of France, torture in Algeria, existentialism and Marxism, friends lost and found, and much else. We Have Only This Life to Live provides an indispensable, panoramic view of the world of Jean-Paul Sartre.

Philosophical Pearls of the Shakespearean Deep by Farhang Zabeeh

2013-05-29T00:30:00-05:00

Philosophical Pearls of the Shakespearean Deep
Written by Farhang Zabeeh

eBook | Humanity Books | Philosophy; Literary Criticism & Collections - Shakespeare | $14.99 | May 29, 2013 | 978-1-61614-653-5 (1-61614-653-2)

Offers many fresh insights that will give even longtime readers of Shakespeare a new appreciation of the great master.
Scholars have long debated the extent of Shakespeare's education. Although his friend and admirer Ben Jonson said of him, "thou hadst small Latine and lesse Greek," Shakespeare's plays reveal a wide familiarity with literary and philosophical works from the Renaissance, the Middle Ages, and the classical age. Philosopher Farhang Zabeeh delves into this fascinating topic in this detailed study of the philosophical influences evident in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. Readers will be surprised and delighted to discover in Shakespeare unmistakable echoes of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Dante, Montaigne, and other famous thinkers. In one chapter, the author makes a convincing case that one of the bard's most famous comic characters, John Falstaff, is a parody of Socrates. In other chapters, he demonstrates indirect references to Plato in Shakespearean passages concerning appearance versus reality, as well as the influence of Aristotle's ethics. Other common philosophical themes evident in the plays concern the nature of time, subjectivity versus objectivity, and political and moral values. This new work offers many fresh insights that will give even longtime readers of Shakespeare a new appreciation of the great master.

The Science Delusion by Curtis White

2013-05-28T00:30:00-05:00

The Science Delusion Asking the Big Questions in a Culture of Easy Answers
Written by Curtis White

Hardcover, 224 pages | Melville House | Philosophy - History, Criticism, Surveys; Science - Philosophy & Social | $23.95 | May 28, 2013 | 978-1-61219-200-0 (1-61219-200-9)

One of our most brilliant social critics—author of the bestselling The Middle Mind—presents a scathing critique of the “delusions” of science alongside a rousing defense of the tradition of Romanticism and the “big” questions.

With the rise of religion critics such as Richard Dawkins, and of pseudo-science advocates such as Malcolm Gladwell and Jonah Lehrer, you’re likely to become a subject of ridicule if you wonder “Why is there something instead of nothing?” or “What is our purpose on earth?” Instead, at universities around the world, and in the general cultural milieu, we’re all being taught that science can resolve all questions without the help of philosophy, politics, or the humanities.

In short, the rich philosophical debates of the 19th century have been nearly totally abandoned, argues critic Curtis White. An atheist himself, White nonetheless calls this new turn “scientism”—and fears what it will do to our culture if allowed to flourish without challenge. In fact, in “scientism” White sees a new religion with many unexamined assumptions.

In this brilliant multi-part critique, he aims at a TED talk by a distinguished neuroscientist in which we are told that human thought is merely the product of our “connectome,” a map of neural connections in the brain that is yet to be fully understood. . . . He whips a widely respected physicist who argues that our new understanding of the origins of the universe obviates any philosophical inquiry . . . and ends with a learned defense of the tradition of Romanticism, which White believes our technology and science-obsessed world desperately needs to rediscover.

It’s the only way, he argues, that we can see our world clearly. . . and change it.

The Science Delusion by Curtis White

2013-05-28T00:30:00-05:00

The Science Delusion Asking the Big Questions in a Culture of Easy Answers
Written by Curtis White

eBook | Melville House | Philosophy - History, Criticism, Surveys; Science - Philosophy & Social | $23.95 | May 28, 2013 | 978-1-61219-201-7 (1-61219-201-7)

If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him by Sheldon Kopp

2013-05-22T00:30:00-05:00

If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him The Pilgrimage Of Psychotherapy Patients
Written by Sheldon Kopp

eBook, 256 pages | Bantam | Philosophy - Eastern | $7.99 | May 22, 2013 | 978-0-8041-5096-5 (0-8041-5096-6)

Therapists do not and cannot give answers. Explore the true nature of the therapeutic relationship, and realize that the guru is no Buddha. He is just another human struggling. Understanding the shape of your own personal ills will lead you on your journey to recovery. Sheldon Kopp has a realistic approach to altering one's destiny and accepting the responsibility that grows with freedom.

The 36 Strategies of the Martial Arts by William Scott Wilson

2013-05-14T00:30:00-05:00

The 36 Strategies of the Martial Arts The Classic Chinese Guide for Success in War, Business, and Life
Written by Hiroshi Moriya
Translated by William Scott Wilson

Trade Paperback, 256 pages | Shambhala | Philosophy - Eastern; Sports & Recreation - Martial Arts & Self-Defense; Business & Economics - Negotiating | $18.95 | May 14, 2013 | 978-1-59030-992-6 (1-59030-992-8)

Here is a collection of ancient Chinese maxims on strategy, battlefield tactics, and deception—in the spirit of such classics as The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings—made fresh and relevant with contemporary examples and explanation. The origin of The 36 Strategies of the Martial Arts is unknown; however, the text is a synthesis of various military principles, political expressions, and even folk sayings, some of which are from sources that date back 1,500 years. Professor Hiroshi Moriya supplies clear and succinct explanations of each saying and illustrates them with examples not only from Chinese literature and history but also from events in Europe and modern business affairs. This book will resonate with anyone interested in a classic approach to anticipating an opponent’s moves and emerging victorious—in martial arts, business, sports, or politics.

Hating Perfection (Revised Edition) by John F. Williams

2013-05-14T00:30:00-05:00

Hating Perfection (Revised Edition) A Subtle Search for the Best Possible World
Written by John F. Williams

eBook, 396 pages | Humanity Books | Philosophy - Humanism | $11.99 | May 14, 2013 | 978-1-61614-876-8 (1-61614-876-4)

The best heaven and the worst hell are the same place. Travel with author John F. Williams into the jungles of Laos and into a new understanding of existence.

In lively short stories, Hating Perfection shows the everyday world as uncanny, equally strange as the imaginary worlds of Borges or Kafka. This engrossing, strikingly original book invites you to experience your life in a new way.

Hating Perfection weaves its stories together with an elegant logic. Our hateful world—painful, unjust, ruthless, fatal—stands revealed as the best of all possible worlds, flooded everywhere by a perfection both alien and addicting. What we want is different from what we get. But the reason why has a divine splendor.

In this revised edition, Mr. Williams has added a postscript that addresses the well-known philosopher’s paradox of the Chinese room. The author explains for the first time how we know that such a room as usually described would not have consciousness.

Stand beside Mr. Williams for a time, and look in the direction he is looking. Your troubles may still be your troubles, but the world will be more than it was.

Hating Perfection (Revised Edition) by John F. Williams

2013-05-14T00:30:00-05:00

Hating Perfection (Revised Edition) A Subtle Search for the Best Possible World
Written by John F. Williams

Trade Paperback, 396 pages | Humanity Books | Philosophy - Humanism | $19.99 | May 14, 2013 | 978-1-61614-875-1 (1-61614-875-6)

Putting Philosophy to Work by Susan Haack

2013-05-14T00:30:00-05:00

Putting Philosophy to Work Inquiry and Its Place in Culture -- Essays on Science, Religion, Law, Literature, and Life (Expanded Edition)
Written by Susan Haack

eBook | Prometheus Books | Philosophy | $12.99 | May 14, 2013 | 978-1-61614-494-4 (1-61614-494-7)

This engaging and wide-ranging collection of essays is informed and unified by the conviction that philosophy can, and should, engage with real-world issues. Susan Haack's keen analytical skills and well-chosen illustrations illuminate a diverse range of cultural questions; and her direct style and wry sense of humor make complex ideas and subtle distinctions accessible to serious readers whatever their discipline or particular interests. Putting Philosophy to Work will appeal not only to philosophers but also to thoughtful scientists, economists, legal thinkers, historians, literary scholars, and humanists. This new, expanded second edition includes several previously unpublished essays: a devastating critique of Karl Popper's highly (and dangerously) influential philosophy of science; a searching and thought-provoking analysis of scientism; and a groundbreaking paper on "academic ethics in a preposterous environment" that every professor, and would-be professor, should read.

Putting Philosophy to Work by Susan Haack

2013-05-14T00:30:00-05:00

Putting Philosophy to Work Inquiry and Its Place in Culture -- Essays on Science, Religion, Law, Literature, and Life (Expanded Edition)
Written by Susan Haack

Trade Paperback, 320 pages | Prometheus Books | Philosophy | $23.00 | May 14, 2013 | 978-1-61614-493-7 (1-61614-493-9)

The Spirit of Noh by William Scott Wilson

2013-05-14T00:30:00-05:00

The Spirit of Noh A New Translation of the Classic Noh Treatise the Fushikaden
Written by Zeami
Translated by William Scott Wilson

Trade Paperback, 184 pages | Shambhala | Drama - Asian - Japanese; Philosophy - Eastern | $17.95 | May 14, 2013 | 978-1-59030-994-0 (1-59030-994-4)

The Japanese dramatic art of Noh has a rich six-hundred-year history and has had a huge influence on Japanese culture and such Western artists as Ezra Pound and William Butler Yeats. The actor and playwright Zeami (1363–1443) is the most celebrated figure in the history of Noh, with his numerous outstanding plays and his treatises outlining his theories on the art. These treatises were originally secret teachings that were later coveted by the highest ranks of the samurai class and first became available to the general public only in the twentieth century.

William Scott Wilson, acclaimed translator of samurai and Asian classics, has translated the Fushikaden, the best known of these treatises, which provides practical instruction for actors, gives valuable teachings on the aesthetics and spiritual culture of Japan, and offers a philosophical outlook on life. Along with the Fushikaden, Wilson includes a comprehensive introduction describing the historical background and philosophy of Noh, as well as a new translation of one of Zeami's most moving plays, Atsumori.

Treasury of the True Dharma Eye by Kazuaki Tanahashi

2013-05-14T00:30:00-05:00

Treasury of the True Dharma Eye Zen Master Dogen's Shobo Genzo
Edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi

Hardcover, 1280 pages | Shambhala | Religion - Zen Buddhism; Religion - Buddhism - Sacred Writings; Philosophy - Eastern | $100.00 | May 14, 2013 | 978-1-59030-935-3 (1-59030-935-9)

This monumental work is considered to be one of the most profound expressions of Zen wisdom ever put on paper, and also the outstanding literary and philosophical work of Japan. It is a collection of essays by Eihei Dogen (1200–1253), founder of Zen’s Soto school.

Kazuaki Tanahashi and a team of translators that represent a Who’s Who of American Zen have produced a translation of the great work that combines accuracy with a deep understanding of Dogen’s voice and literary gifts. This volume includes a wealth of materials to aid understanding, including maps, lineage charts, a bibliography, and an exhaustive glossary of names and terms—and, as a bonus, the most renowned of all Dogen’s essays, “Recommending Zazen to All People.”

The Shambhala Principle by Sakyong Mipham

2013-05-07T00:30:00-05:00

The Shambhala Principle Discovering Humanity's Hidden Treasure
Written by Sakyong Mipham

Hardcover, 224 pages | Harmony | Religion - Buddhism - Rituals & Practice; Philosophy - Eastern; Religion - Meditations | $22.00 | May 7, 2013 | 978-0-7704-3743-5 (0-7704-3743-5)

One of Tibet's highest and most respected lamas elucidates for us the principles of Shambhala, or the path to happiness, set down by his legendary father, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Dear Reader,
We humans have come to a crossroads in our history: we can either destroy the world or create a good future. The Shambhala Principle offers the principle of basic goodness as a way of addressing the personal and social challenges that we face. Do we, as humans, have confidence in the basic goodness of humanity, as well as of society itself? As a Tibetan lama and spiritual leader, this strikes me as our most compelling global issue.

The book revolves around a dialogue with my father, the legendary Chögyam Trungpa. Whether his responses were direct or mystical, he continuously returned to the topics of basic goodness and enlightened society. Not only did he show me how I could become confident in their existence through awareness and meditation, he also taught me how basic goodness is a socially viable standard that could stabilize and transform our world.

However, this book is not a memoir, or even a message. It is an invitation to readers to reflect on their own basic goodness and the basic goodness of society, and then contemplate the question, Can we rouse our energy and confidence to create a good world that is founded on this principle?

I encourage you to join me in this contemplation.
—Sakyong Mipham

The Shambhala Principle by Sakyong Mipham

2013-05-07T00:30:00-05:00

The Shambhala Principle Discovering Humanity's Hidden Treasure
Written by Sakyong Mipham

eBook, 224 pages | Harmony | Religion - Buddhism - Rituals & Practice; Philosophy - Eastern; Religion - Meditations | $11.99 | May 7, 2013 | 978-0-7704-3744-2 (0-7704-3744-3)

The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas by Etienne Gilson

2013-05-01T00:30:00-05:00

The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas
Written by Etienne Gilson

eBook, 480 pages | Random House | Philosophy - Religious; Religion - Philosophy; Religion | $11.99 | May 1, 2013 | 978-0-307-82335-9 (0-307-82335-0)

Etienne Gilson explains the foundations of St. Thomas Aquinas's thoughts and Christian philosophy.

Gilson is also the author of History of Christian Philosophy in the Middle Ages.

The Essential Dogen by Peter Levitt

2013-04-30T00:30:00-05:00

The Essential Dogen Writings of the Great Zen Master
Edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt

Eihei Dogen (1200–1253), founder of the Soto School of Zen Buddhism, is one of the greatest religious, philosophical, and literary geniuses of Japan. His writings have been studied by Zen students for centuries, particularly his masterwork, Shobo Genzo or Treasury of the True Dharma Eye. This is the first book to offer the great master’s incisive wisdom in short selections taken from the whole range of his voluminous works. The pithy and powerful readings, arranged according to theme, provide a perfect introduction to Dogen—and inspire spiritual practice in people of all traditions.

Random House New Releases - Philosophy - Between May 24, 2012 and June 23, 2013.

Contemporary Ethical Issues by Walter G. Jeffko

Contemporary Ethical Issues A Personalist Perspective (Third Edition)Written by Walter G. Jeffko

Contemporary Ethical Issues by Walter G. Jeffko

Contemporary Ethical Issues A Personalist Perspective (Third Edition)Written by Walter G. Jeffko

Philosophy for a Better World by Floris Van Den Berg

Philosophy for a Better World Written by Floris Van Den Berg

Philosophy for a Better World by Floris Van Den Berg

Philosophy for a Better World Written by Floris Van Den Berg

We Have Only This Life to Live by Ronald Aronson

We Have Only This Life to Live The Selected Essays of Jean-Paul Sartre, 1939-1975Written by Jean-Paul Sartre Edited by Adrian van den Hoven and Ronald Aronson Introduction by Ronald Aronson

Philosophical Pearls of the Shakespearean Deep by Farhang Zabeeh

Philosophical Pearls of the Shakespearean Deep Written by Farhang Zabeeh

The Science Delusion by Curtis White

The Science Delusion Asking the Big Questions in a Culture of Easy AnswersWritten by Curtis White

The Science Delusion by Curtis White

The Science Delusion Asking the Big Questions in a Culture of Easy AnswersWritten by Curtis White

If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him by Sheldon Kopp

If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him The Pilgrimage Of Psychotherapy PatientsWritten by Sheldon Kopp

The 36 Strategies of the Martial Arts by William Scott Wilson

The 36 Strategies of the Martial Arts The Classic Chinese Guide for Success in War, Business, and LifeWritten by Hiroshi Moriya Translated by William Scott Wilson

Hating Perfection (Revised Edition) by John F. Williams

Hating Perfection (Revised Edition) A Subtle Search for the Best Possible WorldWritten by John F. Williams

Hating Perfection (Revised Edition) by John F. Williams

Hating Perfection (Revised Edition) A Subtle Search for the Best Possible WorldWritten by John F. Williams

Putting Philosophy to Work by Susan Haack

Putting Philosophy to Work Inquiry and Its Place in Culture -- Essays on Science, Religion, Law, Literature, and Life (Expanded Edition)Written by Susan Haack

Putting Philosophy to Work by Susan Haack

Putting Philosophy to Work Inquiry and Its Place in Culture -- Essays on Science, Religion, Law, Literature, and Life (Expanded Edition)Written by Susan Haack

The Spirit of Noh by William Scott Wilson

The Spirit of Noh A New Translation of the Classic Noh Treatise the FushikadenWritten by Zeami Translated by William Scott Wilson

Treasury of the True Dharma Eye by Kazuaki Tanahashi

Treasury of the True Dharma Eye Zen Master Dogen's Shobo GenzoEdited by Kazuaki Tanahashi

The Shambhala Principle by Sakyong Mipham

The Shambhala Principle Discovering Humanity's Hidden TreasureWritten by Sakyong Mipham

The Shambhala Principle by Sakyong Mipham

The Shambhala Principle Discovering Humanity's Hidden TreasureWritten by Sakyong Mipham

The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas by Etienne Gilson

The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas Written by Etienne Gilson

The Essential Dogen by Peter Levitt

The Essential Dogen Writings of the Great Zen MasterEdited by Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt

Contemporary Ethical Issues A Personalist Perspective (Third Edition)
Written by Walter G. Jeffko

Contemporary Ethical Issues A Personalist Perspective (Third Edition)
Written by Walter G. Jeffko

Philosophy for a Better World
Written by Floris Van Den Berg

Philosophy for a Better World
Written by Floris Van Den Berg

We Have Only This Life to Live The Selected Essays of Jean-Paul Sartre, 1939-1975
Written by Jean-Paul Sartre
Edited by Adrian van den Hoven and Ronald Aronson
Introduction by Ronald Aronson

Philosophical Pearls of the Shakespearean Deep
Written by Farhang Zabeeh

The Science Delusion Asking the Big Questions in a Culture of Easy Answers
Written by Curtis White

The Science Delusion Asking the Big Questions in a Culture of Easy Answers
Written by Curtis White

If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him The Pilgrimage Of Psychotherapy Patients
Written by Sheldon Kopp

The 36 Strategies of the Martial Arts The Classic Chinese Guide for Success in War, Business, and Life
Written by Hiroshi Moriya
Translated by William Scott Wilson

Hating Perfection (Revised Edition) A Subtle Search for the Best Possible World
Written by John F. Williams

Hating Perfection (Revised Edition) A Subtle Search for the Best Possible World
Written by John F. Williams

Putting Philosophy to Work Inquiry and Its Place in Culture -- Essays on Science, Religion, Law, Literature, and Life (Expanded Edition)
Written by Susan Haack

Putting Philosophy to Work Inquiry and Its Place in Culture -- Essays on Science, Religion, Law, Literature, and Life (Expanded Edition)
Written by Susan Haack

The Spirit of Noh A New Translation of the Classic Noh Treatise the Fushikaden
Written by Zeami
Translated by William Scott Wilson

Treasury of the True Dharma Eye Zen Master Dogen's Shobo Genzo
Edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi

The Shambhala Principle Discovering Humanity's Hidden Treasure
Written by Sakyong Mipham

The Shambhala Principle Discovering Humanity's Hidden Treasure
Written by Sakyong Mipham

The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas
Written by Etienne Gilson

The Essential Dogen Writings of the Great Zen Master
Edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt