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A penetrating analysis of our technical civilization and of the effect of an increasingly standardized culture on the future of man.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be (...) preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant. (shrink)

This collection of essays and interviews, some previously unpublished and almost all of which appear in English for the first time, encompasses the political and ethical thinking of Jacques Derrida over thirty years. Passionate, rigorous, beautifully argued, wide-ranging, the texts shed an entirely new light on his work and will be welcomed by scholars in many disciplines--politics, philosophy, history, cultural studies, literature, and a range of interdisciplinary programs. Derrida's arguments vary in their responsiveness to given political questions--sometimes they are (...) vivid polemics on behalf of a position or figure, sometimes they are reflective analyses of a philosophical problem. They are united by the recurrent question of political decision or responsibility and the insistence that the apparent simplicity or programmatic character of political decision is in fact a profound avoidance of the political. This volume testifies to the possibility and the necessity of a philosophical politics. Negotiations assembles some of the most telling examples of the intrinsic relationship, so often affirmed by Derrida in more abstract philosophical terms, between deconstructive reading practices and what is called the "political"--more precisely, politics in an almost down-to-earth, pragmatic, and commonsense use of the word. Among the many subjects covered in the book are: the death penalty in the United States, the civil war in Algeria, globalization and cosmopolitanism, the American Declaration of Independence, Jean-Paul Sartre, the value of objectivity, politics and friendship, and the relationship between deconstruction and actuality. (shrink)

Distinguer pour unir, ou Les degres du savoir was first published in 1932 by Jacques Maritain. In this new translation of The Degrees of Knowledge, Ralph McInerny attempts a more careful expression of Maritain's original masterpiece than previous translations. Maritain proposes a hierarchy of the forms of knowledge by discussing the degrees of rational and suprarational understanding. Nine appendices, some longer than the chapters of the book, advance Maritain's thought, often by taking on criticism of earlier editions of the (...) work. Rightly called Maritain's cardinal work, The Degrees of Knowledge is a magnificent and sagacious achievement. Jacques Maritain's masterpiece proposes a hierarchy of forms of knowledge that culminate in mystical experience and wisdom, which is a gift of the Holy Ghost. Maritain argues that the intellectual life is meant to be complemented by the spiritual life and should culminate in sanctity. (shrink)

This collection makes available in English twelve papers by the distinguished French scholar Professor Jacques Brunschwig. The essays deal with problems arising in the texts and doctrines of the three major philosophical schools of the Hellenistic period - Epicureanism, Stoicism and Scepticism. The author's strategy is to focus on some specific problem and then to enlarge the conclusion of his discussion so as to reformulate or reassess some more important issue. The main subjects tackled are: problems in Epicurean cosmology (...) and linguistic theory; aspects of Stoic logic, ontology and theology; the history of Scepticism; and analysis of some of the conceptual tools used by the Sceptics in their anti-dogmatic arguments. (shrink)

À partir du XIIIe siècle, le tableau clinique de l'anorexie mentale se présente sous la forme de l'anorexie mystique. L'exemple retenu est Catherine de Sienne († 1380). Une approche de psychanalyse socio-historique permet de situer sa démarche par rapport à ses conflits intrapsychiques et aux processus idéologiques de son époque. L'anorexie mystique apparaît comme liée à l'histoire personnelle de chacune dans sa constellation familiale comme à l'essor de la mystique affective féminine. On la trouve souvent marquée par une révolte personnelle (...) contre les stratégies matrimoniales des familles bourgeoises dans les cités marchandes. (shrink)

À partir du XIIIe siècle, le tableau clinique de l'anorexie mentale se présente sous la forme de l'anorexie mystique. L'exemple retenu est Catherine de Sienne († 1380). Une approche de psychanalyse socio-historique permet de situer sa démarche par rapport à ses conflits intrapsychiques et aux processus idéologiques de son époque. L'anorexie mystique apparaît comme liée à l'histoire personnelle de chacune dans sa constellation familiale comme à l'essor de la mystique affective féminine. On la trouve souvent marquée par une révolte personnelle (...) contre les stratégies matrimoniales des familles bourgeoises dans les cités marchandes. (shrink)

Ever since its first documented live birth in 2014, the use of uterine transplantation (UTx) for the treatment of absolute uterine factor infertility (UFI) has seen major clinical advances, which include the use of alternative surgical approaches, different donor states, and diverse patient populations. In addition to the thorough research programs that developed the technique, this accomplishment has occurred in large part following a number of ethical frameworks, such as the Montreal Criteria and the Indianapolis Consensus, which paved the way (...) to transition from experimental animal trials to human ones. To date, over 60 uterine transplants have been performed in the world, and at least 18 births have been thus far confirmed. While the procedure remains experimental, the vast knowledge and procedural experience amassed over the last 20 years of rigorous research have hinted at the next step of discovery. In particular, advancing social circumstances have prompted the question regarding the use of this technology in transgender individuals. Though the potential use of uterine transplants in the transgender population has been hypothesized, no in‐depth ethical framework has been developed towards this purpose. Herein, we explore the ethical issues revolving around the use of this technology in this patient population and provide key insights that may advance this cause. (shrink)

Derrida’s recently published Life Death seminars have again highlighted the importance of values within the ongoing philosophical conversation about overcoming metaphysics. The seminars further indirectly raise a matter of great importance for constitutional theory. Values have become central to constitutional discourse since the mid-twentieth century despite critique due to their supposedly subjective nature, the potential conflict between them, and the legal uncertainty that they bring about. This essay enquires into the origin, logic, structure, and operation of (constitutional) values. It does (...) so through a close reading of the texts of Heidegger and Derrida in which Nietzsche’s call for a revaluation of values takes on a central role, along with a reflection on the relation between life and Being, as well as between life and death. A close reading of these texts in turn makes possible an unorthodox reading of Schmitt’s newly translated text on constitutional values in The Tyranny of Values, which finally opens the possibility of a move beyond such values and thus beyond metaphysics. (shrink)

The paper presents the notion of “Spirit of Nature” in Henry More and describes its position within More’s philosophical system. Through a thorough analysis, it tries to show in what respects it can be considered a scientific object and in what respects it cannot. In the second part of this paper, More’s “Spirit of Nature” is compared to Newton’s various attempts at presenting a metaphysical cause of the force of gravity, using the similarities between the two to see this notorious (...) problem of Newton scholarship in a new light. One thus sees that if Newton drew from Stoic and Neo-Platonic theories of aether or soul of the world, we need to fully acknowledge the fact that these substances were traditionally of a non-dualistic, half-corporeal, half-spiritual nature. Both More’s “Spirit of Nature” and Newton’s aether can thus be understood as different attempts at incorporating such a pneumatic theory into the framework of modern physics, as it was then being formed. (shrink)

Twelve essays exploring aspects of literacy and art criticism, retrospective sociology and the effects of relativism on moral behavior.

A feature of American political consciousness is a desire to propagate democracy throughout the world. In our enthusiasm to share what we enjoy, Barzun notes that little attention is paid to exactly what we are trying to distribute.

We know today that classical eugenics, of an essentially negative nature, was not only an aggressive and brutal practice but, like its positive counterpart, inefficient as well. In fact, numerous biological, sociological, and psychological events beyond our control arise to prevent the realisation of any eugenic plan. Thus, like all human beings, individuals whose procreation is encouraged by positive eugenics suffer unexpected mutations that are transmitted to their offspring by their gametes. Gene distribution among the gametes at meiosis is the (...) result of an uncontrollable, natural lottery. As an effect of this lottery, positive eugenics could allow the birth of defective babies whereas negative eugenics precludes the birth of normal babies. (shrink)

In my paper, I dispute Christian Hengstermann’s analysis of More’s philosophical system as a form of panentheistic panpsychism in which matter is alive by virtue of being the last emanation from God. I show that, in his mature period, More explicitly rejected such an emanationist doctrine and attributed the non-mechanical powers of matter to an outside immaterial principle, the Spirit of Nature. Ultimately, this leads to a system in which divine space, the Spirit of Nature and the spirit of God (...) are representations of various aspects of the divine essence, as it is at work in the world. On the other hand, matter is not part of this triadic structure and can only be said to be alive at the cost of a rather counterintuitive redefinition of the notion of “life”. (shrink)

Qu'est-ce qui délimite le sens et le non-sens, ce qui peut être dit et ce qui ne peut pas être dit? Comme réponse, Jacques Bouveresse propose une réflexion sur la signification linguistique, à partir des principales théories sur la limite des sens, des philosophes contemporains comme Frege, Husserl, et Wittgenstein.

La 4e de couverture indique : « En écrivant ce livre, j'ai essayé de réaliser simultanément deux ambitions : celle de comprendre les raisons qui ont pu faire de Gottfried Keller un des écrivains que Wittgenstein admirait le plus, et celle de préciser ce que j'ai écrit sur les relations que ce philosophe a entretenues avec la religion. Ces deux objectifs convergent car peu de questions sont aussi présentes et aussi centrales dans l'oeuvre du romancier que celle de la religion. (...) De plus, l'espèce de "révélation" que Wittgenstein a eue lorsqu'il est entré en contact avec le texte de la version tolstoïenne de l'Evangile semble avoir marqué de façon profonde sa relation avec le christianisme. Même le 7ractatus comporte des fo-mules qui ont parfois une ressemblance assez frappante avec ce que Wittgenstein avait pu lire dans l'Abrégé de l'Evangile. Pour lui, "le penseur religieux honnête est comme un danseur de corde. Il marche, en apparence, presque uniquement sur l'air. Son sol est le plus étroit qui se puisse concevoir. Et pourtant on peut réellement marcher sur lui". Ce livre est certainement l'un des plus personnels de Jacques Bouveresse. Ce qui est en jeu, ce n'est pas le jugement à porter sur les dogmes, les croyances, etc., mais le regard à porter sur la foi elle-même comme attitude face à la vie. Après Peut-on ne pas croire et Que faut-il faire de la religion, ce livre est le dernier volet d'une trilogie sur la philosophie de la religion.. ». (shrink)

Londres, 1945. Giles est declare heritier du titre et de la fortune de son pere Hugo Barrington. Au detriment de son ami - et peut-etre demi-frere - Harry Clifton, mais aussi au grand soulagement de celui-ci qui peut dorenavant epouser Emma, la soeur de Giles. Tandis que Harry et Emma s'installent a Bristol avec Sebastian, leur fils, et Jessica, une petite fille qu'ils adoptent, Giles, devenu membre de la chambre des Lords, se retrouve pris au piege de haines ancestrales dans (...) sa lutte pour le pouvoir. Une decennie plus tard, c'est Sebastian, representant de la nouvelle generation, qui fera basculer la carriere politique de son oncle. Secrets trop longtemps enfouis, vengeances longuement meditees, amours enfin possibles ou alliances interessees, une saga qui se devore d'une traite. Tout est reuni pour rendre cette lecture totalement addictive. Un excellent page-turner. Version Femina. (shrink)

Le present ouvrage est un recueil d'articles de J. Etienne, professeur de philosophie et de theologie morales a l'UCL, en l'honneur de son 75eme anniversaire. Le choix des articles et leur agencement dans une structure tripartite temoignent de la dynamique directrice de la vie et de la pensee de J. Etienne, a savoir une recherche ethique alimentee par la raison et motivee par la foi. C'est ainsi que la premiere partie, consacree aux sources philosophiques de la pensee de J. Etienne, (...) rassemble diverses etudes qui vont de Platon a Ricoeur en passant par Bergson et Nabert; la seconde partie s'offre comme une mediation religieuse et theologique: elle reprend diverses contributions de J. Etienne sur le sacre, sur les relations entre la dynamique evangelique et la vie morale. La troisieme partie, quant a elle, fait se croiser ces deux sources de la reflexion morale que sont la raison et la foi sur des axes fondamentaux de la reflexion ethique ainsi que sur des thematiques plus actuelles: y sont abordes, entre autres, les rapports entre nature et culture, entre anthropologie et ethique, mais aussi les droits de l'homme, le droit d'ingerence, le respect aux mourants. Le recueil se termine par une bibliographie de J. Etienne. Comme un fil rouge qui traverse ce recueil, la mise en evidence du primat dialogue et de la raison sur la victoire privee de parole qu'est la violence, rappelle la capacite ethique qui habite tout etre humain et qui confere a sa liberte sa dignite. (shrink)

Albert Einstein et Pierre Teilhard de Chardin ne se sont jamais rencontrés, même par hasard. Dommage, car il aurait été passionnant de les entendre parler de Dieu... Cet essai ne cherche pas à imaginer une telle rencontre? il aborde la question de Dieu en prenant ces deux penseurs et savants du XXe siècle pour compagnons, pour inspirateurs. Le théologien peut en effet tirer leçon des sujets auxquels ils ont réfléchi, autant que des postures intellectuelles et spirituelles qui ont été les (...) leurs. La question du hasard (Dieu joue-t-il aux dés?) sert de fil conducteur à cette réflexion qui traite aussi du rôle de la théologie et de la place de la mystique, de l'attitude humaine face au réel et du défi de la mort. A l'école de ces deux hommes libres, cet essai ne prétend pas répondre définitivement aux sempiternelles questions : où est Dieu? qui est Dieu?, mais offrir et partager le témoignage d'un théologien qui doit tant à ceux qui ont consacré leur vie à la science et osé parler de Dieu. (shrink)