Michael Ayers (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264201
- eISBN:
- 9780191734670
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264201.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This book comprises three main chapters on Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz, with extensive responses. It explores the common ground of the great early-modern rationalist theories, and provides an ...
More
This book comprises three main chapters on Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz, with extensive responses. It explores the common ground of the great early-modern rationalist theories, and provides an examination of the ways in which the mainstream Platonic tradition permeates these theories. One chapter identifies characteristically Platonic themes in Descartes’s cosmology and metaphysics, finding them associated with two distinct, even opposed attitudes to nature and the human condition, one ancient and ‘contemplative’, the other modern and ‘controlling’. It finds the same tension in Descartes’s moral theory, and believes that it remains unresolved in present-day ethics. Was Spinoza a Neoplatonist theist, critical Cartesian, or naturalistic materialist? The second chapter argues that he was all of these. Analysis of his system reveals how Spinoza employed Neoplatonist monism against Descartes’s Platonist pluralism. Yet the terminology — like the physics — is Cartesian. And within this Platonic-Cartesian shell Spinoza developed a rigorously naturalistic metaphysics and even, Ayers claims, an effectually empiricist epistemology. The final chapter focuses on the Rationalists’ arguments for the Platonist, anti-Empiricist principle of ‘the priority of the perfect’, i.e. the principle that finite attributes are to be understood through corresponding perfections of God, rather than the reverse. It finds the given arguments unsatisfactory but stimulating, and offers a development of one of Leibniz’s for consideration. These chapters receive informed and constructive criticism and development at the hands of, respectively, Douglas Hedley, Sarah Hutton and Maria Rosa Antognazza.Less
This book comprises three main chapters on Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz, with extensive responses. It explores the common ground of the great early-modern rationalist theories, and provides an examination of the ways in which the mainstream Platonic tradition permeates these theories. One chapter identifies characteristically Platonic themes in Descartes’s cosmology and metaphysics, finding them associated with two distinct, even opposed attitudes to nature and the human condition, one ancient and ‘contemplative’, the other modern and ‘controlling’. It finds the same tension in Descartes’s moral theory, and believes that it remains unresolved in present-day ethics. Was Spinoza a Neoplatonist theist, critical Cartesian, or naturalistic materialist? The second chapter argues that he was all of these. Analysis of his system reveals how Spinoza employed Neoplatonist monism against Descartes’s Platonist pluralism. Yet the terminology — like the physics — is Cartesian. And within this Platonic-Cartesian shell Spinoza developed a rigorously naturalistic metaphysics and even, Ayers claims, an effectually empiricist epistemology. The final chapter focuses on the Rationalists’ arguments for the Platonist, anti-Empiricist principle of ‘the priority of the perfect’, i.e. the principle that finite attributes are to be understood through corresponding perfections of God, rather than the reverse. It finds the given arguments unsatisfactory but stimulating, and offers a development of one of Leibniz’s for consideration. These chapters receive informed and constructive criticism and development at the hands of, respectively, Douglas Hedley, Sarah Hutton and Maria Rosa Antognazza.
Steven Horst
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195317114
- eISBN:
- 9780199871520
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195317114.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
Contemporary debates in philosophy of mind‐between reductionists, dualists, nonreductive materialists, and eliminativists‐have been based upon the perception that mental phenomena like consciousness ...
More
Contemporary debates in philosophy of mind‐between reductionists, dualists, nonreductive materialists, and eliminativists‐have been based upon the perception that mental phenomena like consciousness and intentionality are uniquely irreducible. The “explanatory gap” between mind and body seems to be an urgent and fascinating problem if one assumes that intertheoretic reductions are the rule in the special sciences, with the mind as the lone exception. While this debate was going on in philosophy of mind, however, philosophers of science were rejecting this very sort of reductionism: intertheoretic reductions are not ubiquitous but rare. This book argues that post‐reductionist philosophy of science poses problems for all the familiar positions in philosophy of mind and calls for a deep rethinking of the problematic. To this end, a new perspective, Cognitive Pluralism, is urged.Less
Contemporary debates in philosophy of mind‐between reductionists, dualists, nonreductive materialists, and eliminativists‐have been based upon the perception that mental phenomena like consciousness and intentionality are uniquely irreducible. The “explanatory gap” between mind and body seems to be an urgent and fascinating problem if one assumes that intertheoretic reductions are the rule in the special sciences, with the mind as the lone exception. While this debate was going on in philosophy of mind, however, philosophers of science were rejecting this very sort of reductionism: intertheoretic reductions are not ubiquitous but rare. This book argues that post‐reductionist philosophy of science poses problems for all the familiar positions in philosophy of mind and calls for a deep rethinking of the problematic. To this end, a new perspective, Cognitive Pluralism, is urged.
Milmon F. Harrison
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195153132
- eISBN:
- 9780199784578
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195153138.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Does God want us to be wealthy? Many people believe that God offers not only eternal joy in the hereafter but also material blessings in the here and now. Other Christians see this “prosperity ...
More
Does God want us to be wealthy? Many people believe that God offers not only eternal joy in the hereafter but also material blessings in the here and now. Other Christians see this “prosperity theology”, as nothing more than vulgar materialism, incompatible with orthodox Christianity. This book examines the Word of Faith movement, an independent, non-denominational Christian movement that preaches the so-called “health and wealth gospel”. Drawing on the author's personal experiences as a former insider and in-depth interviews with members, this book takes the reader inside the movement, revealing what it is like to belong, and how people accept, reject, and reshape Word of Faith doctrines to fit their own lives. Analyzing the movement's appeal to African Americans, the book argues that because of their history of oppression and discrimination, African American religious institutions have always had to address the material ' as well as spiritual ' concerns of their members.Less
Does God want us to be wealthy? Many people believe that God offers not only eternal joy in the hereafter but also material blessings in the here and now. Other Christians see this “prosperity theology”, as nothing more than vulgar materialism, incompatible with orthodox Christianity. This book examines the Word of Faith movement, an independent, non-denominational Christian movement that preaches the so-called “health and wealth gospel”. Drawing on the author's personal experiences as a former insider and in-depth interviews with members, this book takes the reader inside the movement, revealing what it is like to belong, and how people accept, reject, and reshape Word of Faith doctrines to fit their own lives. Analyzing the movement's appeal to African Americans, the book argues that because of their history of oppression and discrimination, African American religious institutions have always had to address the material ' as well as spiritual ' concerns of their members.
Peter Forrest
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199214587
- eISBN:
- 9780191706523
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199214587.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics, Philosophy of Religion
This book is a speculative philosophical theology based on three themes: that a version of materialism is a help, not a hindrance, in philosophical theology; that God develops; and that this ...
More
This book is a speculative philosophical theology based on three themes: that a version of materialism is a help, not a hindrance, in philosophical theology; that God develops; and that this development is kenotic, an abandonment of power. The materialism considered in this work is non-reductive: of metaphysical necessity, the mental supervenes on the physical. Materialism leads to the thesis that the primordial God is metaphysically necessary, the limiting case of supervenience. It is speculated that the brain-analogue of the primordial God consists of all the possibilities for creation. It is also speculated that God changes. In the beginning there was a God which loved no one and which was not lovable, but was all-powerful and all-knowing. A sequence of acts resulted in a community of divine love, the Holy Trinity, and a world with many creatures who were autonomous agents. God loved us so much that one Divine Person became fully human and was willing to suffer to show us divine love. This is the kenotic development of God from Pure Will to Unbounded Love. In addition, kenosis provides a new resource for understanding evil. The Primordial God is good but in an inhuman way; why should anyone expect otherwise? But as a result of God's kenotic development, God is now like a loving parent, as the great monotheistic religions teach.Less
This book is a speculative philosophical theology based on three themes: that a version of materialism is a help, not a hindrance, in philosophical theology; that God develops; and that this development is kenotic, an abandonment of power. The materialism considered in this work is non-reductive: of metaphysical necessity, the mental supervenes on the physical. Materialism leads to the thesis that the primordial God is metaphysically necessary, the limiting case of supervenience. It is speculated that the brain-analogue of the primordial God consists of all the possibilities for creation. It is also speculated that God changes. In the beginning there was a God which loved no one and which was not lovable, but was all-powerful and all-knowing. A sequence of acts resulted in a community of divine love, the Holy Trinity, and a world with many creatures who were autonomous agents. God loved us so much that one Divine Person became fully human and was willing to suffer to show us divine love. This is the kenotic development of God from Pure Will to Unbounded Love. In addition, kenosis provides a new resource for understanding evil. The Primordial God is good but in an inhuman way; why should anyone expect otherwise? But as a result of God's kenotic development, God is now like a loving parent, as the great monotheistic religions teach.
Etienne Schweisguth
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294757
- eISBN:
- 9780191599040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294751.003.0012
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
The central hypothesis of this chapter is that members of the middle class are conservative on socio‐economic issues but progressive on cultural issues, whereas members of the working class are ...
More
The central hypothesis of this chapter is that members of the middle class are conservative on socio‐economic issues but progressive on cultural issues, whereas members of the working class are progressive on socio‐economic issues but conservative on cultural issues. This can create contradictory effects within an individual's political orientation, in terms of three value orientations – left‐right materialism, libertarianism/post‐modernism, and materialism/post‐materialism.Less
The central hypothesis of this chapter is that members of the middle class are conservative on socio‐economic issues but progressive on cultural issues, whereas members of the working class are progressive on socio‐economic issues but conservative on cultural issues. This can create contradictory effects within an individual's political orientation, in terms of three value orientations – left‐right materialism, libertarianism/post‐modernism, and materialism/post‐materialism.
Masja Nas
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294757
- eISBN:
- 9780191599040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294751.003.0010
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter attempts to gain an insight into the relationship between changing value orientations and the concept of ‘greenness’. Unfortunately, there exist no data permitting green attitudes to be ...
More
This chapter attempts to gain an insight into the relationship between changing value orientations and the concept of ‘greenness’. Unfortunately, there exist no data permitting green attitudes to be studied alongside religious‐secular or left‐right materialist value orientations, so the analysis only uses data on the materialist and post‐materialist value orientation. After a brief summary of environmentalist political thinking, the chapter presents an operationalization of ‘greenness’ and a typology of green attitudes. It concludes with a discussion of greenness and post‐materialism, at the aggregate as well as the individual level.Less
This chapter attempts to gain an insight into the relationship between changing value orientations and the concept of ‘greenness’. Unfortunately, there exist no data permitting green attitudes to be studied alongside religious‐secular or left‐right materialist value orientations, so the analysis only uses data on the materialist and post‐materialist value orientation. After a brief summary of environmentalist political thinking, the chapter presents an operationalization of ‘greenness’ and a typology of green attitudes. It concludes with a discussion of greenness and post‐materialism, at the aggregate as well as the individual level.
Sami Borg
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294757
- eISBN:
- 9780191599040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294751.003.0016
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter looks at the relationship between value orientation and voting behaviour from an individual or micro perspective. Its primary aim is to evaluate, in the light of available data, the ...
More
This chapter looks at the relationship between value orientation and voting behaviour from an individual or micro perspective. Its primary aim is to evaluate, in the light of available data, the impact of two value orientations (materialist/post‐materialist and religious‐secular) on the decision to vote (without regard to the choice of party to vote for), and to compare this with the impact of traditional socio‐economic factors. The findings suggest that while post‐materialist values have little effect, at least some part of the decline in voter turnout is attributable to the weakening of religious orientations in Western Europe.Less
This chapter looks at the relationship between value orientation and voting behaviour from an individual or micro perspective. Its primary aim is to evaluate, in the light of available data, the impact of two value orientations (materialist/post‐materialist and religious‐secular) on the decision to vote (without regard to the choice of party to vote for), and to compare this with the impact of traditional socio‐economic factors. The findings suggest that while post‐materialist values have little effect, at least some part of the decline in voter turnout is attributable to the weakening of religious orientations in Western Europe.
Elinor Scarbrough
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294757
- eISBN:
- 9780191599040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294751.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Many of the chapters in this book discuss various aspects of the impact of post‐materialist value orientations on political behaviour and beliefs in government. This chapter sets out the conceptual ...
More
Many of the chapters in this book discuss various aspects of the impact of post‐materialist value orientations on political behaviour and beliefs in government. This chapter sets out the conceptual background to such discussions––first reviewing the tenets of post‐materialist theory, then looking at trends in the development of materialist and post‐materialist orientations. Finally, it assesses the social distinctiveness of post‐materialism, and the social correlates by which it is measured.Less
Many of the chapters in this book discuss various aspects of the impact of post‐materialist value orientations on political behaviour and beliefs in government. This chapter sets out the conceptual background to such discussions––first reviewing the tenets of post‐materialist theory, then looking at trends in the development of materialist and post‐materialist orientations. Finally, it assesses the social distinctiveness of post‐materialism, and the social correlates by which it is measured.
Oddbjørn Knutsen
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294757
- eISBN:
- 9780191599040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294751.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter examines the antithesis between right‐wing materialist beliefs, dominated by emphasis on market competition, personal freedom and private ownership, and left‐wing materialist beliefs, ...
More
This chapter examines the antithesis between right‐wing materialist beliefs, dominated by emphasis on market competition, personal freedom and private ownership, and left‐wing materialist beliefs, which espouse a range of regulatory mechanisms for achieving egalitarian socio‐economic objectives. It then reviews comparative statistical data on divergences between Western European countries on the left‐right materialist orientation spectrum.Less
This chapter examines the antithesis between right‐wing materialist beliefs, dominated by emphasis on market competition, personal freedom and private ownership, and left‐wing materialist beliefs, which espouse a range of regulatory mechanisms for achieving egalitarian socio‐economic objectives. It then reviews comparative statistical data on divergences between Western European countries on the left‐right materialist orientation spectrum.
B. Alan Wallace
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195173109
- eISBN:
- 9780199849833
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195173109.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This book takes a bold new look at ways of exploring the nature, origins, and potentials of consciousness within the context of science and religion. It draws careful distinctions between four ...
More
This book takes a bold new look at ways of exploring the nature, origins, and potentials of consciousness within the context of science and religion. It draws careful distinctions between four elements of the scientific tradition: science itself, scientific realism, scientific materialism, and scientism. Arguing that the metaphysical doctrine of scientific materialism has taken on the role of ersatz-religion for its adherents, it traces its development from its Greek and Judeo-Christian origins, focusing on the interrelation between the Protestant Reformation and the Scientific Revolution. It also looks at scientists' long term resistance to the firsthand study of consciousness and details the ways in which subjectivity has been deemed taboo within the scientific community. In conclusion, the book draws on William James's idea for a “science of religion” that would study the nature of religious and, in particular, contemplative experience.Less
This book takes a bold new look at ways of exploring the nature, origins, and potentials of consciousness within the context of science and religion. It draws careful distinctions between four elements of the scientific tradition: science itself, scientific realism, scientific materialism, and scientism. Arguing that the metaphysical doctrine of scientific materialism has taken on the role of ersatz-religion for its adherents, it traces its development from its Greek and Judeo-Christian origins, focusing on the interrelation between the Protestant Reformation and the Scientific Revolution. It also looks at scientists' long term resistance to the firsthand study of consciousness and details the ways in which subjectivity has been deemed taboo within the scientific community. In conclusion, the book draws on William James's idea for a “science of religion” that would study the nature of religious and, in particular, contemplative experience.
John McGarry and Brendan O'Leary
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- August 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199266579
- eISBN:
- 9780191601446
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199266573.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, UK Politics
This chapter criticizes five popular arguments central to the thinking of liberal integrationists: (i) extremist political and religious elites are responsible for conflicts; (ii) conflicts have ...
More
This chapter criticizes five popular arguments central to the thinking of liberal integrationists: (i) extremist political and religious elites are responsible for conflicts; (ii) conflicts have fundamental economic and material foundations; (iii) conflicts flow from archaic religious and non-religious political cultures; (iv) segregation is the key social and structural cause of conflict; and (v) individual discrimination is the primary motor of conflict. The authors insist instead on the ethno-national nature of the conflict and the need for appropriate political means to address this.Less
This chapter criticizes five popular arguments central to the thinking of liberal integrationists: (i) extremist political and religious elites are responsible for conflicts; (ii) conflicts have fundamental economic and material foundations; (iii) conflicts flow from archaic religious and non-religious political cultures; (iv) segregation is the key social and structural cause of conflict; and (v) individual discrimination is the primary motor of conflict. The authors insist instead on the ethno-national nature of the conflict and the need for appropriate political means to address this.
Gregg H. Rosenberg
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195168143
- eISBN:
- 9780199850075
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195168143.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
What place does consciousness have in the natural world? If we reject materialism, could there even be a credible alternative? In this book, the author addresses the causal role of consciousness in ...
More
What place does consciousness have in the natural world? If we reject materialism, could there even be a credible alternative? In this book, the author addresses the causal role of consciousness in the world from an anti-physicalist perspective. Introducing a new paradigm called Liberal Naturalism, he offers a profound framework that proposes a deep link between consciousness and causation. Using this framework, he undercuts the logic of the historical debate and deflates the question of causality that physicalists have long been posing to anti-physicalists. Ultimately, he gives consciousness a causally important role without supposing either that it is physical or that it interacts with the physical.Less
What place does consciousness have in the natural world? If we reject materialism, could there even be a credible alternative? In this book, the author addresses the causal role of consciousness in the world from an anti-physicalist perspective. Introducing a new paradigm called Liberal Naturalism, he offers a profound framework that proposes a deep link between consciousness and causation. Using this framework, he undercuts the logic of the historical debate and deflates the question of causality that physicalists have long been posing to anti-physicalists. Ultimately, he gives consciousness a causally important role without supposing either that it is physical or that it interacts with the physical.
Joseph Levine
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195132359
- eISBN:
- 9780199833375
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195132351.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
Consciousness presents a problem. There are excellent reasons for believing that materialism, or physicalism, is the correct metaphysical view of our world, yet it is extremely difficult to see how ...
More
Consciousness presents a problem. There are excellent reasons for believing that materialism, or physicalism, is the correct metaphysical view of our world, yet it is extremely difficult to see how conscious experiences, or qualia, can be incorporated into the materialist framework. Both aspects of the problem are defended. First, a positive argument for materialism is given, with responses to dualist objections. Second, objections are presented to most materialist attempts to explain consciousness – in particular, higher‐order theories, representationalism, and eliminativism. Finally, it is argued that to make genuine progress on this problem we need to delve deeper into the question of our cognitive access to our own experience. Thus the problems of intentionality and consciousness are not as separable as has often been thought.Less
Consciousness presents a problem. There are excellent reasons for believing that materialism, or physicalism, is the correct metaphysical view of our world, yet it is extremely difficult to see how conscious experiences, or qualia, can be incorporated into the materialist framework. Both aspects of the problem are defended. First, a positive argument for materialism is given, with responses to dualist objections. Second, objections are presented to most materialist attempts to explain consciousness – in particular, higher‐order theories, representationalism, and eliminativism. Finally, it is argued that to make genuine progress on this problem we need to delve deeper into the question of our cognitive access to our own experience. Thus the problems of intentionality and consciousness are not as separable as has often been thought.
Justin Morris
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199265206
- eISBN:
- 9780191601866
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199265208.003.0016
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
In this final chapter, The author asks whether the shift from a multipolar to unipolar society of states has led to normative change in international society, using the norm prohibiting the use of ...
More
In this final chapter, The author asks whether the shift from a multipolar to unipolar society of states has led to normative change in international society, using the norm prohibiting the use of force as a case study, and arguing that although material changes in international society do have an impact, the norms that underpin international society are not infinitely malleable and constrain even powerful actors like the USA. He begins his chapter with a discussion of the relationship between power and norms, which reinforces the linkages between English School of International Relations and constructivist approaches identified in Ch. 4 by Reus‐Smit. The author dismisses the realist and materialist arguments that norms play, at most, a peripheral role in international life, by arguing that even powerful states prefer to act in accordance with international rules. In relation to the use of force, he argues that it is very difficult to find a case since 1945 where a state has not sought to justify its use of force with reference to the rules governing that discussion. After charting the evolution of norms pertaining to the use of force and the globalization of international society, he turns to the post‐September 11 era, arguing that although the USA continues to follow the rules to a large extent, its attempt to act as a ‘normative innovator’ by claiming an exceptional right to self‐defence poses a grave danger to both the UN and the system of law that underpins the society of states.Less
In this final chapter, The author asks whether the shift from a multipolar to unipolar society of states has led to normative change in international society, using the norm prohibiting the use of force as a case study, and arguing that although material changes in international society do have an impact, the norms that underpin international society are not infinitely malleable and constrain even powerful actors like the USA. He begins his chapter with a discussion of the relationship between power and norms, which reinforces the linkages between English School of International Relations and constructivist approaches identified in Ch. 4 by Reus‐Smit. The author dismisses the realist and materialist arguments that norms play, at most, a peripheral role in international life, by arguing that even powerful states prefer to act in accordance with international rules. In relation to the use of force, he argues that it is very difficult to find a case since 1945 where a state has not sought to justify its use of force with reference to the rules governing that discussion. After charting the evolution of norms pertaining to the use of force and the globalization of international society, he turns to the post‐September 11 era, arguing that although the USA continues to follow the rules to a large extent, its attempt to act as a ‘normative innovator’ by claiming an exceptional right to self‐defence poses a grave danger to both the UN and the system of law that underpins the society of states.
David Papineau
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199243822
- eISBN:
- 9780191598166
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199243824.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
Elaborates a materialist view of consciousness. The central thesis of the book is that while conscious states are material, we humans have two quite different ways of thinking about them. We can ...
More
Elaborates a materialist view of consciousness. The central thesis of the book is that while conscious states are material, we humans have two quite different ways of thinking about them. We can think about them materially, as normal parts of the material world, but we can also think about them phenomenally, as states that feel a certain way. These two modes of thought refer to the same items in reality, but at a conceptual level they are distinct. By focusing on the special structure of phenomenal concepts, David Papineau is able to expose the flaws in the standard arguments against materialism, while at the same time explaining why dualism can seem so intuitively compelling. The book also considers the prospects for scientific research into consciousness, and argues that such research often promises more than it can deliver. Once phenomenal concepts are recognized for what they are, many of the questions posed by consciousness research turn out to be irredeemably vague.Less
Elaborates a materialist view of consciousness. The central thesis of the book is that while conscious states are material, we humans have two quite different ways of thinking about them. We can think about them materially, as normal parts of the material world, but we can also think about them phenomenally, as states that feel a certain way. These two modes of thought refer to the same items in reality, but at a conceptual level they are distinct. By focusing on the special structure of phenomenal concepts, David Papineau is able to expose the flaws in the standard arguments against materialism, while at the same time explaining why dualism can seem so intuitively compelling. The book also considers the prospects for scientific research into consciousness, and argues that such research often promises more than it can deliver. Once phenomenal concepts are recognized for what they are, many of the questions posed by consciousness research turn out to be irredeemably vague.
Richard Swinburne
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198236986
- eISBN:
- 9780191598593
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198236980.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
Part 1 (Chs. 2–7) argues that mental events (consisting in the instantiation of mental properties – sensations, thoughts, purposes, desires, and beliefs) are distinct from physical events (such as ...
More
Part 1 (Chs. 2–7) argues that mental events (consisting in the instantiation of mental properties – sensations, thoughts, purposes, desires, and beliefs) are distinct from physical events (such as brain events), although in causal interaction with them. Part 2 argues that these mental events consist in the instantiations of properties in immaterial substances, souls. A human being (and any higher animal) consists of two parts, the essential part – his soul, and a contingent part – his body. It is extremely unlikely that there could be a scientific explanation of the creation of souls. Humans are distinguished from the higher animals by an ability to reason logically, and by having moral awareness, free will, and an integrated system of beliefs and desires. Neither direct empirical evidence nor pure a priori philosophical argument can show what will happen to the soul after death. This could only be shown by some very general metaphysical system.Less
Part 1 (Chs. 2–7) argues that mental events (consisting in the instantiation of mental properties – sensations, thoughts, purposes, desires, and beliefs) are distinct from physical events (such as brain events), although in causal interaction with them. Part 2 argues that these mental events consist in the instantiations of properties in immaterial substances, souls. A human being (and any higher animal) consists of two parts, the essential part – his soul, and a contingent part – his body. It is extremely unlikely that there could be a scientific explanation of the creation of souls. Humans are distinguished from the higher animals by an ability to reason logically, and by having moral awareness, free will, and an integrated system of beliefs and desires. Neither direct empirical evidence nor pure a priori philosophical argument can show what will happen to the soul after death. This could only be shown by some very general metaphysical system.
Jan W. Van Deth and Elinor Scarbrough (eds)
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294757
- eISBN:
- 9780191599040
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294751.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This book is the fourth in the ‘Beliefs in government’ series, and focuses on phenomena indicative of widespread change in the value orientations of citizens in Western Europe during the past two ...
More
This book is the fourth in the ‘Beliefs in government’ series, and focuses on phenomena indicative of widespread change in the value orientations of citizens in Western Europe during the past two decades. These include a decline in religious belief, waning class values, and rising post‐materialism – along with environmentalism, feminism, and post‐modernism. The extent of these changes, and their impact on the conduct of politics, are the dual concerns of this book. Its first few chapters present a simple model of the relationship between value orientations and political participation, and follow up with an account of how value orientations can be established empirically. Subsequent chapters draw on extensive data from across Europe, in order to track changes in three key types of value orientation – religious/secular, left/right materialism, and materialism/post‐materialism – and additionally discusses the emergence of the value orientations relating to feminism, post‐modernism, and environmentalism. The third part of the book examines the impact of the three key types on political effectiveness, political trust, interest in politics, voting behaviour, and involvement in new social movements. It concludes with an assessment of the implications of changing value orientations for the governability of advanced industrial societies.Less
This book is the fourth in the ‘Beliefs in government’ series, and focuses on phenomena indicative of widespread change in the value orientations of citizens in Western Europe during the past two decades. These include a decline in religious belief, waning class values, and rising post‐materialism – along with environmentalism, feminism, and post‐modernism. The extent of these changes, and their impact on the conduct of politics, are the dual concerns of this book. Its first few chapters present a simple model of the relationship between value orientations and political participation, and follow up with an account of how value orientations can be established empirically. Subsequent chapters draw on extensive data from across Europe, in order to track changes in three key types of value orientation – religious/secular, left/right materialism, and materialism/post‐materialism – and additionally discusses the emergence of the value orientations relating to feminism, post‐modernism, and environmentalism. The third part of the book examines the impact of the three key types on political effectiveness, political trust, interest in politics, voting behaviour, and involvement in new social movements. It concludes with an assessment of the implications of changing value orientations for the governability of advanced industrial societies.
Terence Ball
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198279952
- eISBN:
- 9780191598753
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198279957.003.0010
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Many commentators have claimed that Marx's materialist conception of history owes something to Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection. Why else, they ask, would Marx have offered to dedicate a ...
More
Many commentators have claimed that Marx's materialist conception of history owes something to Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection. Why else, they ask, would Marx have offered to dedicate a volume of Capital to Darwin? I argue, to the contrary, that Marx never made such an offer and that it would have been surprising if he had done so. Claims about a connection, methodological or otherwise, between Marx and Darwin are chimerical.Less
Many commentators have claimed that Marx's materialist conception of history owes something to Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection. Why else, they ask, would Marx have offered to dedicate a volume of Capital to Darwin? I argue, to the contrary, that Marx never made such an offer and that it would have been surprising if he had done so. Claims about a connection, methodological or otherwise, between Marx and Darwin are chimerical.
Terence Ball
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198279952
- eISBN:
- 9780191598753
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198279957.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Although both Giambattista Vico and Karl Marx claimed that men `make’ their own history, each had a different view of what `making’ means and what it entails. Both agreed that humans have a special ...
More
Although both Giambattista Vico and Karl Marx claimed that men `make’ their own history, each had a different view of what `making’ means and what it entails. Both agreed that humans have a special sort of knowledge—`maker's knowledge—of what they have made. But Vico's view that Verum et factum convertuntur—that knowing and making are one—relies on a distinctly non‐material or linguistic–communicative conception of making (as in making a promise or making sense), while Marx's conception of making is decidedly materialist and is concerned with the human transformation of nature through productive labour.Less
Although both Giambattista Vico and Karl Marx claimed that men `make’ their own history, each had a different view of what `making’ means and what it entails. Both agreed that humans have a special sort of knowledge—`maker's knowledge—of what they have made. But Vico's view that Verum et factum convertuntur—that knowing and making are one—relies on a distinctly non‐material or linguistic–communicative conception of making (as in making a promise or making sense), while Marx's conception of making is decidedly materialist and is concerned with the human transformation of nature through productive labour.
Oscar W. Gabriel and Jan W. Van Deth
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294757
- eISBN:
- 9780191599040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294751.003.0014
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter examines the relations between value orientation and shifts in levels of political concern and engagement in Western Europe. First, it considers some interpretations of the link between ...
More
This chapter examines the relations between value orientation and shifts in levels of political concern and engagement in Western Europe. First, it considers some interpretations of the link between ‘new’ value orientations and increasing political interest. Second, it discusses various operationalizations of the complicated concept ‘interest in politics’. Third, it presents empirical data revealing the salience of post‐materialism as a predictor of political involvement. The small numerical size of post‐materialists, combined with the relative intensity of their interest in politics, suggests that they will constitute a strident and vociferous minority, though likely to exercise only modest influence on government.Less
This chapter examines the relations between value orientation and shifts in levels of political concern and engagement in Western Europe. First, it considers some interpretations of the link between ‘new’ value orientations and increasing political interest. Second, it discusses various operationalizations of the complicated concept ‘interest in politics’. Third, it presents empirical data revealing the salience of post‐materialism as a predictor of political involvement. The small numerical size of post‐materialists, combined with the relative intensity of their interest in politics, suggests that they will constitute a strident and vociferous minority, though likely to exercise only modest influence on government.
