Taking Ourselves Seriously and Getting It Right is written in a manner that is accessible to all. Frankfurt’s arguments are, as usual, clear and persuasive. Korsgaard’s, Bratman’s, and Dan-Cohen’s comments are thought provoking. There are, however, two main areas in which Frankfurt’s arguments need clarification (the notion of wholehearted identification, and the concept of ambivalence), and there are misunderstandings of Frankfurt at work in Korsgaard’s (relationship between the self and the will, and concept of the will for Frankfurt) and Bratman’s (...) (meaning of "necessity" for Frankfurt) comments. (shrink)

Cet article porte sur l'amitié et la piété filiale dans le néo-confucianisme de l’époque Ming, notamment dans l’enseignement de Wang Yangming. J’avance que les jianghui cultivant la pensée de Yangming offrirent un environnement social idéal pour ennoblir l’amitié. On considérait la véritable amitié comme un vecteur de perfectionnement moral et le moyen de réduire le risque de subjectivisme dans la philosophie inspirée de Yangming. Je reconsidère également la question de savoir si les néo-confucianistes de l’époque Ming ont contesté l’ordre des (...) cinq relations cardinales en faisant de l’amitié la plus importante d’entre elles. À travers l’examen approfondi de la piété filiale dans la culture impériale et l’enseignement de Yangming, je souligne que la piété filiale ne constituait pas seulement la base de l’ordre socio-politique, mais aussi l’essence du vrai moi. L’amitié tire son importance de sa capacité à nous aider sur la voie du perfectionnement moral et de l’amélioration de soi. Néanmoins, elle n’a jamais pu surpasser l’importance que revêt la piété filiale et elle ne vint que compléter l’éthique familiale. (shrink)

John Pocock's edition of Burke's _Reflections_ is two classics in one: Burke's Reflections and Pocock's reflections on Burke and the eighteenth century.

In this first volume of original essays on rhetorical criticism to appear in many years, the authors stress active engagement in the critical process. Bearing in mind the complaint frequently leveled at rhetorical criticism—that method as method has taken precedence over understanding and appreciation—the editors encouraged innovation, and the contributors responded by moving beyond the merely theoretical to explore implications through implied criticism, participating in the activity rather than merely talking about it. Consequently, these essays avoid further lamentation over the (...) current state of the art and concentrate instead on constructive presentations. Not only do the essays add significantly to knowledge about rhetorical criticism, but they also serve liberal education by helping to bring understanding, discrimination, and appreciation to the entire process of human communication. (shrink)

This article is an evocatively written account of Bernard Baars’ latest ideas about the Global Workspace approach to consciousness, one he pioneered in his important book on the topic in 1988. He writes fluently and brings strong images to mind, especially with the metaphor of the ‘Working Theatre’. As with everything he writes, I enjoyed reading it. It is strong and heady stuff. When I finished I sat back and attempted to assess the claim that the best answer today with (...) which to understand the present evidence about consciousness is a ‘global workspace architecture’, especially along the lines of the Global Workspace of Baars. (shrink)