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| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Genius--in Their Own Words David Ramsay Steele, 2002 In this book, seven great modern thinkers trace the roots of their contributions to philosophy. Essays include A. J. Ayer on what led to his logical positivist manifesto Language, Truth, and Logic, and Martin Buber on the origins of his view of existence. Other contributors include Bertrand Russell, Albert Einstein, and Jean-Paul Sartre. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy Avrum Stroll, 2000-07-03 Analytic philosophy is difficult to define since it is not so much a specific doctrine as a loose concatenation of approaches to problems. As well as having strong ties to scientism -the notion that only the methods of the natural sciences give rise to knowledge -it also has humanistic ties to the great thinkers and philosophical problems of the past. Moreover, no single feature characterizes the activities of analytic philosophers. Undaunted by these difficulties, Avrum Stroll investigates the family resemblances between that impressive breed of thinkers known as analytic philosophers. In so doing, he grapples with the point and purpose of doing philosophy: What is philosophy? What are its tasks? What kind of information, illumination, and understanding is it supposed to provide if it is not one of the natural sciences? Imbued with clarity, liveliness, and philosophical sophistication, Stroll ́s book presents a synoptic picture of the main developments in logic, philosophy of language, epistemology, and metaphysics in the past century. It does this by concentrating on the individual thinkers whose ideas have been most influential. Major themes in Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy include: · the innovation of mathematical logic by Gottlob Frege at the close of the nineteenth century and its independent development by Bertrand Russell; · the impact of advancements in science on the world of philosophy and its importance for understanding such doctrines as logical positivism, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and eliminative materialism; · the refusal by such thinkers as Wittgenstein, Moore, and Austin to treat logic as an ideal language superior to natural languages; and · a conjecture about which, if any, of the philosophers discussed in the book will enter the pantheon of philosophical gods. Along the way, Stroll also covers the theories of Rudolf Carnap, W. V. O. Quine, Gilbert Ryle, J. L. Austin, Hilary Putnam, Saul Kripke, John Searle, Ruth Marcus, and Patricia and Paul Churchland. Stroll ́s approach to his subject treats the critical movements in analytic philosophy in terms of the philosophers who defined them. The notoriously complex realm of analytic philosophy emerges less as an abstract enterprise than as a domain of personalities and their competing methods and arguments. The book ́s inventive presentations of complex logical doctrines relate them to the traditional problems of philosophy, seeking the continuity between them rather than polemical distinctions so as to bring the true differences of their respective achievements into sharper focus. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: A History of Philosophy in the Twentieth Century Christian Delacampagne, 2001-11-05 In A History of Philosophy in the Twentieth Century, Christian Delacampagne reviews the discipline's divergent and dramatic course and shows that its greatest figures, even the most unworldly among them, were deeply affected by events of their time. From Ludwig Wittgenstein, whose famous Tractatus was actually composed in the trenches during World War I, to Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger—one who found himself barred from public life with Hitler's coming to power, the other a member of the Nazi party who later refused to repudiate German war crimes. From Bertrand Russell, whose lifelong pacifism led him to turn from logic and mathematics to social and moral questions, and Jean-Paul Sartre, who made philosophy an occasion for direct and personal political engagement, to Rudolf Carnap, a committed socialist, and Karl Popper, a resolute opponent of Communism. From the Vienna Circle and the Frankfurt School to the contemporary work of philosophers as variously minded as Jacques Derrida, Jürgen Habermas, and Hilary Putnam. The thinking of these philosophers, and scores of others, cannot be understood without being placed in the context of the times in which they lived. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time Will Durant, 2002-11-07 A wise and witty compendium of the greatest thoughts, greatest minds, and greatest books of all time—listed in accessible and succinct form—by one of the world's greatest scholars. From the “Hundred Best Books” to the “Ten Greatest Thinkers” to the “Ten Greatest Poets,” here is a concise collection of the world’s most significant knowledge. For the better part of a century, Will Durant dwelled upon—and wrote about—the most significant eras, individuals, and achievements of human history. His selections have finally been brought together in a single, compact volume. Durant eloquently defends his choices of the greatest minds and ideas, but he also stimulates readers into forming their own opinions, encouraging them to shed their surroundings and biases and enter “The Country of the Mind,” a timeless realm where the heroes of our species dwell. From a thinker who always chose to exalt the positive in the human species, The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time stays true to Durant's optimism. This is a book containing the absolute best of our heritage, passed on for the benefit of future generations. Filled with Durant's renowned wit, knowledge, and unique ability to explain events and ideas in simple and exciting terms, this is a pocket-size liberal arts and humanist curriculum in one volume. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Twentieth-Century French Philosophy Alan D. Schrift, 2009-02-04 This unique book addresses trends such as vitalism, neo-Kantianism, existentialism, Marxism and feminism, and provides concise biographies of the influential philosophers who shaped these movements, including entries on over ninety thinkers. Offers discussion and cross-referencing of ideas and figures Provides Appendix on the distinctive nature of French academic culture |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: One Hundred Philosophers Peter J. King, 2004 What is the nature of good and evil? What is the meaning of existence and who are we really? For thousands of years the greatest minds have struggled with questions such as these, weighing every thought against its every conceivable opposite. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: The World's Great Philosophers Robert L. Arrington, 2008-04-15 The World's Great Philosophers provides an introduction to and overview of some of the most profound and influential thinkers in the history of philosophy. Presents an introduction to and overview of some of the most profound and influential thinkers in the history of philosophy. Contains 40 essays, written by an outstanding international assembly of scholars. Provides cogent and accessible discussion of key philosophers from around the world. Conveys the historical panorama of philosophical thought on the nature of reality, the human condition, and basic human values. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Great Thinkers on Great Questions Roy Abraham Varghese, 2009-04-01 This innovative and challenging book presents cogent answers from some of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century to fifteen of the most enduring questions posed by humanity. For questioning minds who seek alternative philosophical viewpoints, this is a unique and accessible assessment of humankind's common experience that offers a new vision for the next millenium. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Epistemic Injustice Miranda Fricker, 2007-07-05 In this exploration of new territory between ethics and epistemology, Miranda Fricker argues that there is a distinctively epistemic type of injustice, in which someone is wronged specifically in their capacity as a knower. Justice is one of the oldest and most central themes in philosophy, but in order to reveal the ethical dimension of our epistemic practices the focus must shift to injustice. Fricker adjusts the philosophical lens so that we see through to the negative space that is epistemic injustice. The book explores two different types of epistemic injustice, each driven by a form of prejudice, and from this exploration comes a positive account of two corrective ethical-intellectual virtues. The characterization of these phenomena casts light on many issues, such as social power, prejudice, virtue, and the genealogy of knowledge, and it proposes a virtue epistemological account of testimony. In this ground-breaking book, the entanglements of reason and social power are traced in a new way, to reveal the different forms of epistemic injustice and their place in the broad pattern of social injustice. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: A Parting of the Ways Michael Friedman, 2011-04-15 Since the 1930s, philosophy has been divided into two camps: the analytic tradition which prevails in the Anglophone world and the continental tradition which holds sway over the European continent. A Parting of the Ways looks at the origins of this split through the lens of one defining episode: the disputation in Davos, Switzerland, in 1929, between the two most eminent German philosophers, Ernst Cassirer and Martin Heidegger. This watershed debate was attended by Rudlf Carnap, a representative of the Vienna Circle of logical positivists. Michael Friedman shows how philosophical differences interacted with political events. Both Carnap and Heidegger viewd their philosophical efforts as tied to their radical social outlooks, with Carnap on the left and Heidegger on the right, while Cassirer was in the conciliatory classical tradition of liveral republicanism. The rise of Hitler led to the emigration from Europe of most leading philosophers, including Carnap and Cassirer, leaving Heidegger alone on the continent. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Forust Adam Koski, Dustin Koski, 2016-04-23 Two fairy sisters, Loro and Urosa, woke up to the sound of screaming, snapping jaws, and misshapen claws digging into their hut. The smell of rot and death was all around them. When they opened their eyes, they saw how their bodies had changed overnight into something grotesque. They desperately fled attacks by insane abominations that had once been their friends and family. Soon they learned their only chance was to put on fragile magical disguises, sneak into a nearby village, and steal enough of a magical material to lift the curse. Even as they were told of this, that village's soldiers were preparing to exterminate the sisters and all their cursed neighbors. Not only would Loro and Urosa have to defy death at the fangs and talons of monsters and the soldiers they needed to fool. Hardest of all, they'd have to get along. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Jacques Maritain James V. Schall, 2000-01-01 The engaging and inquiring mind of French philosopher Jacques Maritain reflected on subjects as varied as art and ethics, theology and psychology, and history and metaphysics. Maritain's work on the theoretical groundings of politics arose from his diverse studies. In this book, distinguished theologian and political scientist James V. Schall explores Maritain's political philosophy, demonstrating that Maritain understood society, state, and government in the tradition of Aristotle and Aquinas, of natural law and human rights and duties. Schall pays particular attention to the ways in which evil appears in political forms, and how this evil can be morally dealt with. Schall's study will be of great importance to students and scholars of political science, philosophy, and theology. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Great Philosophers Bryan Magee, Visiting Professor at King's College and Honorary Fellow Bryan Magee, 1999-10 Conversations with 15 contemporary writers and philosophers provide an accessible and exciting account of Western philosophy and its greatest thinkers. Includes contributions from A.J. Ayer, Bernard Williams, Martha Nussbaum, Peter Singer, and John Searle. 28 halftones. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Philosophy in the Twentieth Century William Barrett, Henry David Aiken, 1962 |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Mortal Subjects Christina Howells, 2011-12-27 This wide ranging and challenging book explores the relationship between subjectivity and mortality as it is understood by a number of twentieth-century French philosophers including Sartre, Lacan, Levinas and Derrida. Making intricate and sometimes unexpected connections, Christina Howells draws together the work of prominent thinkers from the fields of phenomenology and existentialism, religious thought, psychoanalysis, and deconstruction, focussing in particular on the relations between body and soul, love and death, desire and passion. From Aristotle through to contemporary analytic philosophy and neuroscience the relationship between mind and body (psyche and soma, consciousness and brain) has been persistently recalcitrant to analysis, and emotion (or passion) is the locus where the explanatory gap is most keenly identified. This problematic forms the broad backdrop to the work’s primary focus on contemporary French philosophy and its attempts to understand the intimate relationship between subjectivity and mortality, in the light not only of the ‘death’ of the classical subject but also of the very real frailty of the subject as it lives on, finite, desiring, embodied, open to alterity and always incomplete. Ultimately Howells identifies this vulnerability and finitude as the paradoxical strength of the mortal subject and as what permits its transcendence. Subtle, beautifully written, and cogently argued, this book will be invaluable for students and scholars interested in contemporary theories of subjectivity, as well as for readers intrigued by the perennial connections between love and death. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: The Future for Philosophy Brian Leiter, 2004 A selection of the world's most eminent philosophers give a picture of the current state of their subject, where it is going, and where it ought to be steered. Each offers an analysis of his or her particular specialism, building a volume that offers a vision of the future of all major branches of the discipline. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Great Philosophers Jeremy Stangroom, James Garvey, 2012-12-15 Some of the most important principles of modern society were founded hundreds, even thousands, of years ago. Readers explore the lives of some of the greatest philosophers and thinkers of all time, from Socrates to Sartre. Topics covered include, how they lived, what their principles were, and what kind of an impact they have on modern society. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Wittgenstein's Place in Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy P. M. S. Hacker, 1996-11-06 This text provides a unique and compelling account of Wittgenstein's impact upon twentieth century analytic philosophy, from its inception to its subsequent decline. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Problems from Reid James Van Cleve, 2015 In this systematic study, James Van Cleve expounds Thomas Reid's positions and arguments on topics in the philosophy of perception, knowledge, and action, taking interpretive stands on points where his meaning is disputed and assessing the extent to which his ideas make valuable contributions to issues philosophers are discussing today. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: The Oxford Handbook of Continental Philosophy Brian Leiter, Michael Rosen, 2009-10-22 The Oxford Handbooks series is a major new initiative in academic publishing. Each volume offers an authoritative and up-to-date survey of original research in a particular subject area. Specially commissioned essays from leading figures in the discipline give critical examinations of the progress and direction of debates. Oxford Handbooks provide scholars and graduate students with compelling new perspectives upon a wide range of subjects in the humanities and social sciences. The Oxford Handbook of Continental Philosophy is the definitive guide to the major themes of the continental European tradition in philosophy in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Brian Leiter and Michael Rosen have assembled a stellar group of contributors who provide a thematic treatment of continental philosophy, treating its subject matter philosophically and not simply as a series of museum pieces from the history of ideas. The scope of the volume is broad, with discussions covering a wide range of philosophical movements including German Idealism, existentialism, phenomenology, Marxism, postmodernism, and critical theory, as well as thinkers like Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Heidegger, and Foucault. This Handbook will be an essential reference point for graduate students and professional academics working on continental philosophy, as well as those with an interest in European literature, the history of ideas, and cultural studies. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Nietzsche and Morality Brian Leiter, Neil Sinhababu, 2007-02-15 Nietzsche was surprisingly neglected by most English-language moral philosophers until recently. This volume capitalizes on a growth of interest in Nietzsche's work on morality from two sides - from scholars of the history of philosophy and from contributors to current debates on ethical theory. In eleven new essays, leading philosophers aim both to advance philosophical understanding of Nietzsche's ethical views - his normative and meta-ethics, his moral psychology, his views on free will and the nature of the self - and to make Nietzsche a live participant in contemporary debates in ethics and cognate fields. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: The 100 Greatest Americans of the 20th Century Peter Dreier, 2012-06-26 A hundred years ago, any soapbox orator who called for women's suffrage, laws protecting the environment, an end to lynching, or a federal minimum wage was considered a utopian dreamer or a dangerous socialist. Now we take these ideas for granted -- because the radical ideas of one generation are often the common sense of the next. We all stand on the shoulders of earlier generations of radicals and reformers who challenged the status quo of their day. Unfortunately, most Americans know little of this progressive history. It isn't taught in most high schools. You can't find it on the major television networks. In popular media, the most persistent interpreter of America's radical past is Glenn Beck, who teaches viewers a wildly inaccurate history of unions, civil rights, and the American Left. The 100 Greatest Americans of the 20th Century, a colorful and witty history of the most influential progressive leaders of the twentieth century and beyond, is the perfect antidote. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: French Philosophy in the Twentieth Century Gary Gutting, 2001-05-10 A clear and comprehensive account of the history of French philosophy in the twentieth century. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: The Tyranny of Science Paul K. Feyerabend, 2011-05-06 Paul Feyerabend is one of the greatest philosophers of science of the 20th century and his book Against Method is an international bestseller. In this new book he masterfully weaves together the main elements of his mature philosophy into a gripping tale: the story of the rise of rationalism in Ancient Greece that eventually led to the entrenchment of a mythical ‘scientific worldview’. In this wide-ranging and accessible book Feyerabend challenges some modern myths about science, including the myth that ‘science is successful’. He argues that some very basic assumptions about science are simply false and that substantial parts of scientific ideology were created on the basis of superficial generalizations that led to absurd misconceptions about the nature of human life. Far from solving the pressing problems of our age, such as war and poverty, scientific theorizing glorifies ephemeral generalities, at the cost of confronting the real particulars that make life meaningful. Objectivity and generality are based on abstraction, and as such, they come at a high price. For abstraction drives a wedge between our thoughts and our experience, resulting in the degeneration of both. Theoreticians, as opposed to practitioners, tend to impose a tyranny on the concepts they use, abstracting away from the subjective experience that makes life meaningful. Feyerabend concludes by arguing that practical experience is a better guide to reality than any theory, by itself, ever could be, and he stresses that there is no tyranny that cannot be resisted, even if it is exerted with the best possible intentions. Provocative and iconoclastic, The Tyranny of Science is one of Feyerabend’s last books and one of his best. It will be widely read by everyone interested in the role that science has played, and continues to play, in the shaping of the modern world. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: 100 Great Thinkers Jay Greene, 1969-05-30 |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Eastern Philosophy Kevin Burns, 2019-03-28 'Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself.' This Golden Rule of morality espoused by Confucius is just one of the many maxims that originate from Eastern philosophy. From Daoism to Islam, and from The Buddha to Zoroaster, the Eastern world contains some of the most ancient and influential approaches to philosophy that exist to date. Spanning from 1200 BCE to the present day, this fascinating guide covers a wide breadth of Eastern thinkers including Muhammad, Lao Tzu and Gandhi. These individuals and their philosophical concepts are introduced in a lively and lucid narrative with fascinating biographical detail. Packed with wisdom spanning thousands of years, Eastern Philosophy introduces some unique approaches to some of life's great questions. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Bertrand Russell Ray Monk, 2016-05-21 From the author of Ludwig Wittegenstein: The Duty of Genius comes a compelling biography of Bertrand Russell, the acclaimed philosopher of the twentieth century and the ingenious author of Principia Mathematica. Over the course of his life, Bertrand Russell grew from a major philosopher into a political activist and popular writer whose name was known around the world. A man who believed in a modern, rational approach to life and was able to guide popular opinion throughout the twentieth century, ended up living a life of tragedy in which he lost everything. Now, based on thousands of documents from the Russell archives in Canada, Ray Monk takes readers through the lifetime of this iconic figure, from the turbulence of his public activities to his often outrageous and sometimes paradoxical pronouncements. Bertrand Russell: The Spirit of Solitude takes readers into the mind of a crazed philosopher, featuring analysis of his public figure that enabled Monk to reveal the inner drama of Russell’s personal life that led to his tragic ending. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: The Dawn of Analysis Scott Soames, 2005-01-30 This is a major, wide-ranging history of analytic philosophy since 1900, told by one of the tradition's leading contemporary figures. The first volume takes the story from 1900 to mid-century. The second brings the history up to date. As Scott Soames tells it, the story of analytic philosophy is one of great but uneven progress, with leading thinkers making important advances toward solving the tradition's core problems. Though no broad philosophical position ever achieved lasting dominance, Soames argues that two methodological developments have, over time, remade the philosophical landscape. These are (1) analytic philosophers' hard-won success in understanding, and distinguishing the notions of logical truth, a priori truth, and necessary truth, and (2) gradual acceptance of the idea that philosophical speculation must be grounded in sound prephilosophical thought. Though Soames views this history in a positive light, he also illustrates the difficulties, false starts, and disappointments endured along the way. As he engages with the work of his predecessors and contemporaries--from Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein to Donald Davidson and Saul Kripke--he seeks to highlight their accomplishments while also pinpointing their shortcomings, especially where their perspectives were limited by an incomplete grasp of matters that have now become clear. Soames himself has been at the center of some of the tradition's most important debates, and throughout writes with exceptional ease about its often complex ideas. His gift for clear exposition makes the history as accessible to advanced undergraduates as it will be important to scholars. Despite its centrality to philosophy in the English-speaking world, the analytic tradition in philosophy has had very few synthetic histories. This will be the benchmark against which all future accounts will be measured. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Twentieth Century Continental Philosophy Todd May, 1997 This book provides an in-depth overview of 20th century continental philosophy organized to allow the philosophers to speak for themselves. Twentieth Century Continental Philosophy presents comprehensive selections from every major 20th century continental philosopher. This allows reader to immerse themselves in the thought of a specific philosopher, rather than skimming the surface. The book's integrated structure also allows readers to understand the movement from one approach to the next and presents the origins, development, and connections among these ideas. Finally, the book provides a readable historical overview of the themes that appear in 20th century continental philosophy to orient the reader to the important themes and debates in 20th century thought. A valuable book for any reader who wishes a greater understanding of the major trends in 20th century philosophical thought. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Continental Philosophy Simon Critchley, 2001-02-22 Simon Critchley's Very Short Introduction shows that Continental philosophy encompasses a distinct set of philosophical traditions and practices, with a compelling range of problems all too often ignored by the analytic tradition. He discusses the ideas and approaches of philosophers such as Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Habermas, Foucault, and Derrida, and introduces key concepts such as existentialism, nihilism, and phenomenology by explaining their place in the Continental tradition. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Word Book Ludwig Wittgenstein, 2020-04-21 Wittgenstein's dictionary for children: a rare and intriguing addition to the philosopher's corpus, in English for the first time I had never thought the dictionaries would be so frightfully expensive. I think, if I live long enough, I will produce a small dictionary for elementary schools. It appears to me to be an urgent need. -Ludwig Wittgenstein In 1925, Ludwig Wittgenstein, arguably one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, wrote a dictionary for elementary school children. His Wörterbuch für Volksschulen (Dictionary for Elementary Schools) was designed to meet what he considered an urgent need: to help his students learn to spell. Wittgenstein began teaching kids in rural Austria in 1920 after abandoning his life and work at Cambridge University. During this time there were only two dictionaries available. But one was too expensive for his students, and the other was too small and badly put together. So Wittgenstein decided to write one. Word Book is the first-ever English translation of Wörterbuch. This publication aims to encourage and reinvigorate interest in one of the greatest modern philosophers by introducing this gem of a work to a wider audience. Word Book also explores how Wörterbuch portends Wittgenstein's radical reinvention of his own philosophy and the enduring influence his thinking holds over how art, culture and language are understood. Word Book is translated by writer and art historian Bettina Funcke, with a critical introduction by scholar Désirée Weber, and accompanied with art by Paul Chan. Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was an Austrian-born British philosopher, regarded by many as the greatest philosopher of the 20th century. He played a decisive if controversial role in 20th-century analytic philosophy, and his work continues to influence fields as diverse as logic and language, perception and intention, ethics and religion, aesthetics and culture. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Nietzsche John Richardson, 2001 This title in the Oxford Readings in Philosophy series brings together some of the most influential and stimulating essays on Nietzsche's philosophy to have appeared over the last three decades. Including a substantial editorial introduction by John Richardson, this volume covers Nietzsche's major interpretative positions and gives an argued examination of each. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Philosophy Philip Stokes, 2006 100 Essential thinkers tells the story of philosophic thought, from the ancient Greeks to W.V.O. Quine, America's greatest living philosopher up until his death on Christmas Day, 2000. While covering all of the greats of philosophy (Plato, Socrates, Spinoza, Hobbes, Rousseau, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, de Beauvoir and Camus, to name just a few), this book also includes many who are not seen primarily as philosophers, such as Darwin, Freud, Adam Smith, William James, and Einstein. , Rousseau and Nietzsche. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: This Idea Must Die John Brockman, 2015-02-17 The bestselling editor of This Explains Everything brings together 175 of the world’s most brilliant minds to tackle Edge.org’s 2014 question: What scientific idea has become a relic blocking human progress? Each year, John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org—”The world’s smartest website” (The Guardian)—challenges some of the world’s greatest scientists, artists, and philosophers to answer a provocative question crucial to our time. In 2014 he asked 175 brilliant minds to ponder: What scientific idea needs to be put aside in order to make room for new ideas to advance? The answers are as surprising as they are illuminating. In : Steven Pinker dismantles the working theory of human behavior Richard Dawkins renounces essentialism Sherry Turkle reevaluates our expectations of artificial intelligence Geoffrey West challenges the concept of a “Theory of Everything” Andrei Linde suggests that our universe and its laws may not be as unique as we think Martin Rees explains why scientific understanding is a limitless goal Nina Jablonski argues to rid ourselves of the concept of race Alan Guth rethinks the origins of the universe Hans Ulrich Obrist warns against glorifying unlimited economic growth and much more. Profound, engaging, thoughtful, and groundbreaking, This Idea Must Die will change your perceptions and understanding of our world today . . . and tomorrow. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: The Sense of the World Jean-Luc Nancy, 1997 Is there a world anymore, let alone any sense to it? Acknowledging the lack of meaning in our time, and the lack of a world at the center of meanings we try to impose, Jean-Luc Nancy presents a rigorous critique of the many discourses -- from philosophy and political science of psychoanalysis and art history -- that talk and write their way around these gaping absences in our lives. In an original style befitting his search for a new mode of thought, Nancy offers fragmentary readings of writers such as Nietzsche, Hegel, Marx, Levinas, Lacan, Derrida, and Deleuze insofar as their work reflects his concern with sense and the world. Rather than celebrate or bemoan the loss of meaning, between objectivity and subjectivity. Nancy's project entails a reconception of the field of philosophy itself, a rearticulation of philosophical practice. Neither recondite nor abstract it is concerned with the existence and experience of freedom -- the actuality of existence as experienced by contemporary communities of citizens, readers, and writers. Combining aesthetic, political, and philosophical considerations to convey a sense of the world between meaning and reality, ideal content and material form, this book offers a new way of understanding -- and responding to -- the end of the world. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: General Intellects McKenzie Wark, 2017-05-16 A guide to the thinkers and the ideas that will shape the future What happened to the public intellectuals that used to challenge and inform us? Who is the Sartre or De Beauvoir of the internet age? General Intellects argues that we no longer have such singular figures, but we do have general intellects whose writing could, if read together, explain our times. Covering topics such as culture, politics, work, technology, and the Anthropocene, each chapter is a concise account of an individual thinker, providing useful context and connections to the work of the others. McKenzie Wark’s distinctive readings are appreciations, but are also critical of how neoliberal universities militate against cooperative intellectual work to understand and change the world. The thinkers included are Amy Wendling, Kojin Karatani, Paolo Virno, Yann Moulier Boutang, Maurizio Lazzarato, Franco “Bifo” Berardi, Angela McRobbie, Paul Gilroy, Slavoj Žižek, Jodi Dean, Chantal Mouffe, Wendy Brown, Judith Butler, Azumo Hiroki, Paul B. Préciado, Wendy Chun, Timothy Morton, Quentin Meillassoux, Isabelle Stengers, and Donna Haraway. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: The Great Philosophers: The Lives and Ideas of History's Greatest Thinkers Stephen Law, 2014-09-09 Since the beginning of time mankind has struggled with the big questions surrounding our existence. Whilst most people have heard of Socrates, Machiavelli and Nietzsche, many are less clear on their theories and key concepts. In The Great Philosophers, bestselling author Stephen Law condenses and deciphers their fundamental ideas. Avoiding the technical jargon and complex logic associated with most books on philosophy, Law brings the thoughts of these great thinkers, from Confucius and Buddha to Wittgenstein and Sartre, to life. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: The 100 Most Influential Philosophers of All Time Britannica Educational Publishing, 2009-10-01 I think, therefore I am influential. Leading philosophers conduct a rational investigation of truth to arrive at a set of principles that others believe and adopt. This compendium of the worlds greatest thinkers includes the likes of Confucius, Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, Hannah Arendt, and René Descartes. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: The Madness of Crowds Douglas Murray, 2021-02-23 THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Updated with a new afterword 'Douglas Murray fights the good fight for freedom of speech ... A truthful look at today's most divisive issues' – Jordan B. Peterson 'An excellent take on the lunacy affecting much of the world today. Douglas is one of the bright lights that could lead us out of the darkness.' – Joe Rogan Are we living through the great derangement of our times? In The Madness of Crowds Douglas Murray investigates the dangers of 'woke' culture and the rise of identity politics. In lively, razor-sharp prose he examines the most controversial issues of our moment: sexuality, gender, technology and race, with interludes on the Marxist foundations of 'wokeness', the impact of tech and how, in an increasingly online culture, we must relearn the ability to forgive. One of the few writers who dares to counter the prevailing view and question the dramatic changes in our society – from gender reassignment for children to the impact of transgender rights on women – Murray's penetrating book, now published with a new afterword taking account of the book's reception and responding to the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests, clears a path of sanity through the fog of our modern predicament. |
| greatest thinkers of the 20th century: Management Advice from the World's Great Thinkers James Miller, Jim Miller, 2002-01-07 IS ANYONE SO WISE THAT HE CAN LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHERS? VOLTAIRE Few are trained to manage, we study other things-marketing, engineering, finance, manufacturing, information systems and so forth. In the course of doing these things, some are identified for their brilliance, for their hard work, or by chance and they become managers. By then, they assimilated ideas (most of which are wrong) about business principles and management's role. That personal experience is insufficient for, as Henry Kissenger said of Presidents, they enter office with a store of ideas and principles that are exhausted in execution. The same can be said of managers, and because of these limitations organization structures evolved so that people of mediocre talent can run them. Unfortunately, mediocre talent produces at best mediocre results. In times of trouble, especially, organizations need an illuminating strategy, clear thinking, unfettered inquiry and the scouring of complacency. Advice from the World's Great Thinkers is designed to help managers deal with the myriad and plethora of unanticipated events that crowd their schedule. |
GREATEST Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words - Merriam-Webster
Synonyms for GREATEST: highest, main, predominant, primary, foremost, dominant, first, big; Antonyms of GREATEST: least, last, minor, insignificant, negligible, slight, trivial, unimportant
Greatest - definition of greatest by The Free Dictionary
Remarkable or outstanding in magnitude, degree, or extent: a great crisis; great anticipation. b. Of outstanding significance or importance: a great work of art. c. Chief or principal: the great …
GREATEST Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Greatest definition: the superlative of great. See examples of GREATEST used in a sentence.
507 Synonyms & Antonyms for GREATEST | Thesaurus.com
Find 507 different ways to say GREATEST, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
GREATEST definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
2 meanings: 1. → the superlative of great 2. → See the greatest.... Click for more definitions.
greatest, adj., n., & adv. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford ...
What does the word greatest mean? There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the word greatest, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and …
Greatest - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com
/ˈgreɪɾɪst/ /ˈgreɪtɪst/ IPA guide Definitions of greatest adjective highest in quality synonyms: sterling, superlative
greatest - WordReference.com Dictionary of English
unusual or considerable in degree, power, or intensity: great pain. excellent: to have a great time. well: feeling great. remarkable:[before a noun] a great occasion. consequential:[before a noun] …
GREATEST - Definition & Meaning - Reverso English Dictionary
Greatest definition: of the highest quality or degree. Check meanings, examples, usage tips, pronunciation, domains, and related words. Discover expressions like "latest and greatest", …
What is another word for greatest? - WordHippo
Find 2,062 synonyms for greatest and other similar words that you can use instead based on 7 separate contexts from our thesaurus.
GREATEST Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words - Merriam-Webster
Synonyms for GREATEST: highest, main, predominant, primary, foremost, dominant, first, big; Antonyms of GREATEST: least, last, minor, insignificant, negligible, slight, trivial, unimportant
Greatest - definition of greatest by The Free Dictionary
Remarkable or outstanding in magnitude, degree, or extent: a great crisis; great anticipation. b. Of outstanding significance or importance: a great work of art. c. Chief or principal: the great …
GREATEST Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Greatest definition: the superlative of great. See examples of GREATEST used in a sentence.
507 Synonyms & Antonyms for GREATEST | Thesaurus.com
Find 507 different ways to say GREATEST, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.
GREATEST definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
2 meanings: 1. → the superlative of great 2. → See the greatest.... Click for more definitions.
greatest, adj., n., & adv. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford ...
What does the word greatest mean? There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the word greatest, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and …
Greatest - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com
/ˈgreɪɾɪst/ /ˈgreɪtɪst/ IPA guide Definitions of greatest adjective highest in quality synonyms: sterling, superlative
greatest - WordReference.com Dictionary of English
unusual or considerable in degree, power, or intensity: great pain. excellent: to have a great time. well: feeling great. remarkable:[before a noun] a great occasion. consequential:[before a noun] …
GREATEST - Definition & Meaning - Reverso English Dictionary
Greatest definition: of the highest quality or degree. Check meanings, examples, usage tips, pronunciation, domains, and related words. Discover expressions like "latest and greatest", …
What is another word for greatest? - WordHippo
Find 2,062 synonyms for greatest and other similar words that you can use instead based on 7 separate contexts from our thesaurus.
