The research presented in this volume demonstrates that it is no longer reasonable to ask whether or not synesthesia is real--we must now ask how we can account ...

This book attempts to fairly summarize the thought of over four hundred "greatest" contributors to philosophy in addition to providing thumbnail biographies. As might be excepted, it fails. For example, all of Plato's dialogues, except the Republic, are allowed one sentence; Berkeley comes off as an influential moron. Heidegger is "to philosophy what Gertrude Stein is to literature...." Of Kierkegaard's nineteen lines, six are devoted to his alleged dislike for women, and none to his philosophic contributions of note.—L. C.

The editor has included eighteen of the best-known papers on positivism and linguistic analysis. Although the readings vary greatly in difficulty a careful selection would make the book useful for introductory courses. An introduction provides a brief survey of analytic philosophy since 1900. Included are papers by Russell, Moore, Ayer, Wisdom, Austin, and others.—L. C.

This volume consists of BBC broadcast lectures by Hampshire, Gardiner, Warnock, Foot, Williams, Trevor-Roper, and an additional essay by Pears. The essays are confined in scope because of length limitations, but an effort has been made to reflect the wide compass of Hume's interests and influence: history, epistemology, morals, religion. The overall result achieves the purpose: a critical Hume "sampler."—L. C.

The author adopts a broad analogy with physics to explicate the tension between inner and outer determinism. This analogy tends to get the better of the argument, and unfortunately most of the crucial problems involved in this longstanding controversy receive assumed answers. Hence the author concerns himself much more with explication via the analogy than with argument. There are frequent errors in grammar and sentence-structure.—L. C.

Gottlob Schulze has been almost totally neglected by English-speaking philosophers and historians of philosophy. His German commentators have been almost unanimous in their claim that his "positivism" arises out of a misunderstanding of Kant’s transcendental method and an ability to connect the various subdivisions of his own philosophical system. The present study will probably do little to set aside that verdict. Schulze’s "positivism" is more Comtean than Kantian, though the general architectonic of his "system," however ill-fitted its parts, owes much (...) to the critical philosophy. (shrink)

The author covers the history of logic and mathematics from pre-Hellenic theory forward to Gödel's theorem and metamathematics. A special effort is made to show the co-ordinate development of mathematics and logic, and the grounds for their identification in recent years. The critique of the parallel postulate, and the development of non-Euclidean geometries are dealt with in detail. A good index and an extensive bibliography are provided.—L. C.

An attempt to represent the major conflicts in discussions of the status of behavioral science as science. Most of these conflicts involve the question of just how "scientific method" is to be construed. The author suggests that many traditional bifurcations in such discussion tend to mislead rather than enlighten. An extensive treatment of the relation between natural and behavioral sciences is presented. A general sense of "scientific method" is proposed, and in that context it is concluded that there are no (...) inherent difficulties and many advantages in treating the behavioral sciences as true sciences.—L. C. (shrink)

The present study of G. E. Moore’s common sense philosophy focuses on two issues: in what sense Moore may be said to be a common sense philosopher, and whether he is consistent as a common sense philosopher. The first four chapters are devoted to his conception of philosophy, common sense, and ordinary languages, and the philosophical paradoxes which arise out of these conceptions. The second half of the study offers a detailed account of his theory of knowledge with special emphasis (...) upon his account of the existence of material things. (shrink)

Althusius is significant as an early and rigorous contract theorist who explored the concepts of confederation and social symbiosis. This work is the first English translation of a large part of the Politics. In most cases the translation is clear and readable. Both a preface by Carl J. Friedrich and an introduction by the editor provide short surveys of the general Althusian theory.—L. C.