Abstract. Over time scientists have developed an effective investigative process that includes the acceptance of particular basic presuppositions, methods, content, and theories. T he deeply held presuppositions are the philosophical foundation of scientific thought and do much to define the field’s worldview. These fundamental assumptions can be esoteric for many and can become a source of conflict when they are not commonly shared with other points of view. Such presuppositions affect the observations, the conclusions drawn, and the positions taken. Furthermore, (...) in some cases presuppositions in science have undergone important shifts in meaning, causing an increasing dissonance. We argue that disputes in religion and science often are due to these very basic differences in philosophy that are held by members in the different communities. To better understand the nature of science and its differences with religious views, presuppositions rather than conclusions should be articulated and examined for validity and scope of application. (shrink)

Volume 29, Issue 2, March 2024, Page 230-232.

Laurie Johnson Bagby examines the loss of the appreciation for honor in modern Western society through an examination of the political philosophy of English political philosopher Thomas Hobbes. She finds in Hobbes's thought a 'turning point for honor,' in which honor is rejected as too dangerous, and fear and self-interest are put in its place as the chief means of peace and good order.

The European Legacy, Volume 17, Issue 5, Page 685-687, August 2012.

A thorough and detailed guide to the major works and key themes of Thomas Hobbes.

As a profession, librarians have proclaimed an ethical duty to ensure access to information for all people. However, many barriers exist to fulfilling this duty, including varying levels of education and technology around the globe, the cost of obtaining research information, and the concentration of scholarly publishing in English. This article outlines these barriers, concluding with a call to action for librarians to advocate for multilingual Open Access, to foster international scholarly communities, and to champion Internet access for all.

The faith in progress that propelled the West for over four centuries is in decline due to its own success. The emergence of capitalism with its novel market imperatives has created both the poverty that causes political crises and the material growth that has destabilized the Earth’s climate. There is a growing sense that we are dominated by the technologies and social organizations that we hoped would liberate us. Individualism and secularity have left people feeling isolated and without a sense (...) of higher purpose, leading some to reject Enlightenment values in favor of traditionalisms and even neofascism. In universities, faculty struggle to prove their utility and relevance, because they cannot guarantee their graduates a decent living in a world of automation and globalized production. As a result of these trends, the West’s ability to produce responsible citizens is in question. Our students are largely inured to appeals to transcendent values because they are urged to be “practical.” Faculty are no longer encouraged to care about the character-building nature of a liberal education. United States universities are in danger of not having an independent voice, as those departments that can consistently get major external funding seek commercial applications for the products of their research. In the United States, ideologically based harassment and censorship of unpopular ideas takes place regularly and is a major deterrent to pursuing a career in higher education. Given these challenges, can intellectuals still make a difference in universities? Many have taken to social media and other ways of getting their ideas around the increasingly steep paywalls of academic publications and the de facto censorship in their institutions. Some of the most vibrant exchanges of ideas are now happening in other places, largely online. These venues draw in people who are trying their best to learn something they are unlikely to learn at universities. But are such alternatives truly sustainable or good enough? Higher education is at a crossroads in which even this “retreat and regroup” strategy is highly problematic. (shrink)

This original book has been consistently cited by scholars of international relations who explore the roots of realism in Thucydides's history and the political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes. While acknowledging that neither thinker fits perfectly within the confines of international relations realism, Laurie M. Johnson proposes Hobbes's philosophy is more closely aligned with it than Thucydides's.

Donald Trump’s election and the subsequent roiling of the U.S. political scene have been an unsettling spectacle and have occurred during an increase in right-wing power around the world.1 Why did...

Volume 25, Issue 6, September 2020, Page 710-712.

Todd McGowan is professor of film studies at the University of Vermont and author of The Impossible David Lynch and Capitalism and Desire: The Psychic Cost of Free Markets. This most...

This book analyzes Tocqueville’s views on religion, family and gender roles, politics, relations with Native Americans, white southerners and slavery, and the military. It explores how these views can help form a uniquely American honor code, one that re-envisions aristocratic elements of honor within a modern democratic and capitalist society.

John Cottingham is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Reading, a renowned Descartes scholar, and author of over 30 books. His latest book, In Search of the Soul: A Philosophical...

This book, first published in French in 2013, has now been published in English, opening to a wider readership Alain Badiou’s understanding of, and at times disagreement with, the Freudian psychoan...

This book is the English translation of Alain Badiou’s seminar on Nicolas Malebranche, part of a series of seminars on Being, the One, and the Infinite. In this extraordinary seminar, originally ta...

Oxford anthropologist Ruben Andersson has written a book that is accessible for a general audience, because it is so engagingly written, and is full of information and arguments that should be read...

Volume 24, Issue 6, September 2019, Page 674-676.

"Geist" , or, what gives Jungian psychology its absolute uniqueness and is the source of its true life -- 'The psychological difference' in Jung's mysterium coniunctionis -- C.G. Jung's substantial denial of 'the psychological difference' in his psychology -- Interiorizing an underlined sentence into itself : some reflection on being "only that!" -- Image as picture, image as debris -- A note on 'soul', 'man', anthropology, and psychology -- A little light -- The logic of forgiveness -- Reflections on a (...) case study of neurosis in light of PDI -- The nuclear bomb re-visited through the eyes of the Shoah -- "One small step for a man..." : the moon landing and 'the psychological difference' -- This loss is not an interlude : entering the radical ecopsychology project. (shrink)

Feynman diagrams: conceptual tools for theoretical physicists Content Type Journal Article Category Book Review Pages 1-4 DOI 10.1007/s11016-011-9580-y Authors Laurie M. Brown, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201, USA Journal Metascience Online ISSN 1467-9981 Print ISSN 0815-0796.

Larry Bartels is one of the most prominent political scientists in the areas of democracy, electoral politics, and public opinion. He is the May Werthan Shayne Chair of Public Policy and Social Sci...

Diane Coyle is an economist and Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, and co-director of the Bennett Institute. She serves in many other capacities, including as expert...

Ruben Andersson is a Professor of Social Anthropology at Oxford University, and author of No Go World (2019) and Illegality, Inc. (2014), among other works. David Keen is a Professor of Conflict St...

Stephen Bullivant is a senior lecturer in theology and ethics, and Director of the Benedict XVI Centre for Religion and Society at St. Mary’s University, London. He is the author or co-author of te...

Todd McGowan is professor of film studies at the University of Vermont and author of The Impossible David Lynch and Capitalism and Desire: The Psychic Cost of Free Markets. This most...