Bøger af Simon Blackburn

This important book is about truth, and the enemies of truth, and the wars that are fought between them. As Simon Blackburn says in his introduction, "e;the ground is complicated, strewn with abandoned fortresses and trenches, fought over by shifting alliances"e;. Truth is an essential sure-footed guide through the territory, from classical to modern times. It looks at relativism and absolutism, toleration and belief, objectivity and knowledge, science and pseudo-science, and the moral and political implications, as well as the nuances, of all these.

This book presents a collection of over 350 quotes from Karl Marx - as well as from his friend and collaborator, Frederick Engels - drawing on such major works as 'The Communist Manifesto' (1848), 'Capital' (1867), 'The Poverty of Philosophy' (1847), and 'Critique of the Gotha Programme' (1875). Additionally, a range of newspaper articles, personal correspondence, pamphlets and other manuscripts have been sourced. As editor and translator, Simon Blackburn has selected quotations from several 'disciplinary' fields - including economics and politics (or, more traditionally, 'political economy') as well as sociology, criminology, social policy, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, history, even mathematics. And these writings often extend beyond such disciplines, to include juvenilia, poetry and love letters. Simon Blackburn also provides a useful introduction that explains the aims and scope of the book, while offering a short biographical sketch on the life and thought of both Marx and Engels. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the ideas of these authors, this book shows that Marx and Engels said some amazing things!

This concise book by the eminent philosopher Simon Blackburn provides an accessible explanation of what truth is and how we might think about it. Blackburn's overall message is that truth is often best thought of not as a product or an end point that is 'finally' achieved, but as an ongoing process of inquiry.

One of the world's leading thinkers on truth explains what it is, the different ways of approaching and understanding it, and why it matters.

From the author of Think, an enlightening and entertaining exploration of narcissism and self-esteemEveryone deplores narcissism, especially in others. The vain are by turns annoying or absurd, offending us whether they are blissfully oblivious or proudly aware of their behavior. But are narcissism and vanity really as bad as they seem? Can we avoid them even if we try? In Mirror, Mirror, Simon Blackburn, the author of such best-selling philosophy books as Think, Being Good, and Lust, says that narcissism, vanity, pride, and self-esteem are more complex than they first appear and have innumerable good and bad forms. Drawing on philosophy, psychology, literature, history, and popular culture, Blackburn offers an enlightening and entertaining exploration of self-love, from the myth of Narcissus and the Christian story of the Fall to today's self-esteem industry.A sparkling mixture of learning, humor, and style, Mirror, Mirror examines what great thinkers have said about self-love-from Aristotle, Cicero, and Erasmus to Rousseau, Adam Smith, Kant, and Iris Murdoch. It considers today's "e;me"e;-related obsessions, such as the "e;selfie,"e; plastic surgery, and cosmetic enhancements, and reflects on connected phenomena such as the fatal commodification of social life and the tragic overconfidence of George W. Bush and Tony Blair. Ultimately, Mirror, Mirror shows why self-regard is a necessary and healthy part of life. But it also suggests that we have lost the ability to distinguish-let alone strike a balance-between good and bad forms of self-concern.

Simon Blackburn tackles the key questions in philosophy.

In the end Dr Blackburn produces a rationale for belief in certain short-term predictions based on his reinterpretation of the classical principle of indifference. He claims that a justification for induction can be found along the lines he has suggested and must indeed be found there if anywhere.

David Hume is generally recognized as the United Kingdom's greatest philosopher, as well as a notable historian and essayist and a central figure of the Enlightenment. This book describes how Hume can be considered one of the earliest, and most successful, evolutionary psychologists.

Provides a comprehensive introduction to the major philosophical theories attempting to explain the workings of language.