9. Starting over
Simon Glendinning
in Derrida: A Very Short Introduction
‘Starting over’ quotes Derrida on his fears — and implied hopes — for his readers: ‘Because I still like him, I can foresee the impatience of the bad reader: this is the way I name or ...
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10. Nature and grace
Henry Chadwick
in Augustine: A Very Short Introduction
In reaction against Manicheism, Augustine in his thirties stressed both church authority and individual freedom. Without God's grace to rescue the fallen man, the right path could not be ...
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8. Freedom and its place in nature
Thomas Pink
in Free Will: A Very Short Introduction
‘Freedom and its place in nature’ assesses the randomness problem. According to scepticism, there is no middle ground between predeterminism and uncontrollable randomness. Libertarianism ...
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1. Life
John Dunn
in Locke: A Very Short Introduction
‘Life’ provides an overview of how Locke's experiences shaped his philosophy. Locke studied medicine at Oxford, and was later able to bring his scientific background to bear on the ...
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10. What is metaphysics?
Stephen Mumford
in Metaphysics: A Very Short Introduction
‘What is metaphysics?’ attempts to explain the discipline as trying to understand the fundamental nature of reality. Metaphysics seeks to organize and systematize all these specific truths ...
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6. Vagabond reverie
Robert Wokler
in Rousseau: A Very Short Introduction
‘Vagabond reverie’ assesses the inspiration and imagination that shaped Rousseau's work. The New Héloïse was written as a work of fantasy to help him to deal with his unrequited love for ...
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3. How do we know?: Hume’s Of Miracles
Edward Craig
in Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction
Many regard David Hume as the greatest English-speaking philosopher. He was a very intellectual thinker. As well as being a philosopher he was a historian, an economist, and a political ...
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1. The background
Stillman Drake
in Galileo: A Very Short Introduction
‘The background’ gives an explanation of the prevailing scientific doctrine in the time of Galileo. Aristotelian philosophy was the basis of University education from the thirteenth ...
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17. Teleology
Jonathan Barnes
in Aristotle: A Very Short Introduction
Aristotle had a teleological view of nature. Natural behaviour and natural structure usually have final causes, but these are constrained by necessity: nature does the best she can ‘in the ...
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3. Disillusionment and Withdrawal
Michael Tanner
in Nietzsche: A Very Short Introduction
‘Disillusionment and Withdrawal’ first considers Untimely Meditations, a collection of four meditations on David Strauss, the practice of historiography, and celebrations of the genius of ...
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1. Reason and Belief: Richness and diversity in Indian thought
Sue Hamilton
in Indian Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction
India has a very long tradition of philosophical debate which has lasted for two and a half millennia and straddles many diverse religious traditions. Philosophy in India is seen as an ...
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5. Logic and reality
Julia Annas
in Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction
Why is logic needed as part of philosophy? This topic has always been controversial. We need logic to make sure that our arguments are sound. In ancient philosophy, logic has the function ...
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11. Change
Jonathan Barnes
in Aristotle: A Very Short Introduction
Unlike Plato’s Forms, which are eternal and unchanging, Aristotle’s substances are temporary and undergo alterations. Aristotle considered there to be four types of change: in respect of ...
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5. Theatres of the body
John Phillips
in The Marquis de Sade: A Very Short Introduction
Sade was fascinated with the theatre. Throughout his adult life, he put much enthusiasm into putting on plays and even playing the leading roles himself. Sade wrote more than twenty plays, ...
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Locke: A Very Short Introduction
John Dunn
Locke: A Very Short Introduction unravels the meaning of John Locke's political thought and his contribution to English ideology. One of the greatest English philosophers of ...
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2. The politics of trust
John Dunn
in Locke: A Very Short Introduction
‘The Politics of Trust’ considers the nature of political authority. Locke initially feared any challenge to the authority of a monarch, because of the danger of disorder, but eventually ...
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3. Knowledge, belief, and faith
John Dunn
in Locke: A Very Short Introduction
‘Knowledge, belief and faith’ explores the link that Locke believed existed between knowledge, faith and morality. Locke thought that knowledge consisted of the union of the simple ideas of ...
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3. Biological robotics
Alan Winfield
in Robotics: A Very Short Introduction
Since the late 1980s, there has been a major shift in the approach of intelligent robots towards what are termed ‘biological inspiration’, or bio-inspired, robots. Bio-inspired means two ...
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2. Atomic worlds
Catherine Wilson
in Epicureanism: A Very Short Introduction
In Epicureanism, the ‘atom’ is the fundamental element of reality. There is a finite number of different atom shapes, but an infinite number of each shape, which move and congregate in a ...
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3. German Idealism
Andrew Bowie
in German Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction
How does nature in itself relate to human freedom? ‘German Idealism’ examines how Kant sought to sustain the idea of self-determination by locating freedom in a domain which was not subject ...
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