The Limits of State Action

The Limits of State Action

Author: Wilhelm von Humboldt

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2008-12-11

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1316284018

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This text is important both as one of the most interesting contributions to the liberalism of the German Enlightenment, and as the most significant source for the ideas which John Stuart Mill popularized in his essay On Liberty. Humboldt's concern is to define the criteria by which the permissible limits of the state's activities may be determined. His basic principle, like that of Mill, is that the only justification for government interference is the prevention of harm to others. He discusses in detail the role and limits of the state's responsibility for the welfare, security and morals of its citizens. Humboldt's special achievement in this work is to enlarge our sense of what a liberal political theory might be by his particularly sensitive grasp of the complexity of our attitudes to and our need of other people. Dr Burrow has based his translation on Coulthard's version of 1854. In an important introduction, he provides a most perceptive as well as scholarly guide to Humboldt's political thought.


The Altruistic Brain

The Altruistic Brain

Author: Donald W. Pfaff

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 0199377464

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"Unlike any other study in its field, The Altruistic Brain synthesizes into one theory the most important research into how and why - by purely physical mechanisms - humans empathize with one another and respond altruistically."--Jacket.


On Liberty

On Liberty

Author: John Stuart Mill

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2016-08-05

Total Pages: 102

ISBN-13: 9781536930368

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In his much quoted, seminal work, On Liberty, John Stuart Mill attempts to establish standards for the relationship between authority and liberty. He emphasizes the importance of individuality which he conceived as a prerequisite to the higher pleasures-the summum bonum of Utilitarianism. Published in 1859, On Liberty presents one of the most eloquent defenses of individual freedom and is perhaps the most widely-read liberal argument in support of the value of liberty.


Language, Culture and Cognition from Descartes to Lewes

Language, Culture and Cognition from Descartes to Lewes

Author: Timo Kaitaro

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2022-02-28

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 9004507248

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The monograph tells a different story on the history of modern philosophy: the narrative is no longer centred on the question whether knowledge results from experience or reason, but whether experience and reason are in fact possible without language.


Forming Humanity

Forming Humanity

Author: Jennifer A. Herdt

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2019-08-22

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 022661851X

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Now in paperback, Forming Humanity reveals bildung, or ethical formation, as the key to post-Kantian thought. Kant’s proclamation of humankind’s emergence from “self-incurred immaturity” left his contemporaries with a puzzle: What models should we use to sculpt ourselves if we no longer look to divine grace or received authorities? Deftly uncovering the roots of this question in Rhineland mysticism, Pietist introspection, and the rise of the bildungsroman, Jennifer A. Herdt reveals bildung, or ethical formation, as the key to post-Kantian thought. This was no simple process of secularization, in which human beings took responsibility for something they had earlier left in the hands of God. Rather, theorists of bildung, from Herder through Goethe to Hegel, championed human agency in self-determination while working out the social and political implications of our creation in the image of God. While bildung was invoked to justify racism and colonialism by stigmatizing those deemed resistant to self-cultivation, it also nourished ideals of dialogical encounter and mutual recognition. Herdt reveals how the project of forming humanity lives on in our ongoing efforts to grapple with this complicated legacy.


Sourcebook in the History of Philosophy of Language

Sourcebook in the History of Philosophy of Language

Author: Margaret Cameron

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-09-08

Total Pages: 1108

ISBN-13: 3319269089

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For the first time in English, this anthology offers a comprehensive selection of primary sources in the history of philosophy of language. Beginning with a detailed introduction contextualizing the subject, the editors draw out recurring themes, including the origin of language, the role of nature and convention in fixing form and meaning, language acquisition, ideal languages, varieties of meanings, language as a tool, and the nexus of language and thought, linking them to representative texts. The handbook moves on to offer seminal contributions from philosophers ranging from the pre-Socratics up to John Stuart Mill, preceding each major historical section with its own introductory assessment. With all of the most relevant primary texts on the philosophy of language included, covering well over two millennia, this judicious, and generous, selection of source material will be an indispensable research tool for historians of philosophy, as well as for philosophers of language, in the twenty-first century. A vital tool for researchers and contemporary philosophers, it will be a touchstone for much further research, with coverage of a long and varied tradition that will benefit today’s scholars and enhance their awareness of earlier contributions to the field. ​


The Constitution of Liberty

The Constitution of Liberty

Author: F.A. Hayek

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-06-29

Total Pages: 588

ISBN-13: 0429637977

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Originally published in 1960, The Constitution of Liberty delineates and defends the principles of a free society and traces the origin, rise, and decline of the rule of law. Casting a skeptical eye on the growth of the welfare state, Hayek examines the challenges to freedom posed by an ever expanding government as well as its corrosive effect on the creation, preservation, and utilization of knowledge. In distinction to those who confidently call for the state to play a greater role in society, Hayek puts forward a nuanced argument for prudence. Guided by this quality, he elegantly demonstrates that a free market system in a democratic polity—under the rule of law and with strong constitutional protections of individual rights—represents the best chance for the continuing existence of liberty. Striking a balance between skepticism and hope, Hayek’s profound insights remain strikingly vital half a century on. This definitive edition of The Constitution of Liberty will give a new generation the opportunity to learn from Hayek’s enduring wisdom.


Brave Companions

Brave Companions

Author: David McCullough

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2022-09-20

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1668003546

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For more than two decades, McCullough has fascinated readers with portraits of exceptional men and women who not only have shaped the course of history but whose stories express much that is timeless about the human condition. From Harriet Beecher Stowe to a young Theodore Roosevelt, the subjects possess a sense of purpose that make for unforgettable reading.