Matter and the Nature of the Present
Author: Osric Allen
Publisher: Robert Temple Books
Published: 2009
Total Pages: 46
ISBN-13: 0952309386
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Matter and Motion
Author: James Clerk Maxwell
Publisher: Franklin Classics
Published: 2018-10-10
Total Pages: 134
ISBN-13: 9780342221868
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis 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.
Matter and Form
Author: Ann Ward
Publisher: Lexington Books
Published: 2009-10-29
Total Pages: 269
ISBN-13: 0739135708
DOWNLOAD EBOOKMatter and Form explores the relationship that has long existed between natural science and political philosophy. Plato's Socrates articulates the Ideas or Forms as an account of the ultimate source of causality in the cosmos. Aristotle's natural philosophy had a significant impact on his political philosophy: he argues that humans are by nature political animals, having their natural end in the city whose regime is hierarchically structured based on differences in moral and intellectual capacity. Medieval theorists attempt to synthesize classical natural and political philosophy with the revealed truths of scripture; they argue that divine reason structures an ordered universe, the awareness of which allows for psychic and political harmony among human beings. Enlightenment thinkers challenge the natural philosophy of classical and medieval philosophers, ushering in a more liberal political order. For example, for Hobbes, there is no rest in nature as there are no Aristotelian forms or natural places that govern matter. Hobbes applies his mechanistic understanding of material nature to his understanding of human nature: individuals are by nature locked in an endless pursuit of power until death. However, from this mechanistic understanding of humanity's natural condition, Hobbes develops a social contract theory in which civil and political society is constituted from consent. Later thinkers, such as Locke and Rousseau, modify this Hobbesian premise in their pursuit of the protection of rights and a free society. Nevertheless, materialist conceptions of the cosmos have not always given rise to liberal democratic philosophies. Historicist influence on scientific inquiry in the nineteenth century is connected to Darwin's theory of evolution; Darwin reasoned that over time the process of natural selection produces ever newer and more highly adapted species. Reflecting a form of social Darwinism, Nietzsche envisions an aristocratic order that draws its inspiration from art rather than the rationalism embodied in the history of natural and political philosophy. Matter and Form's interdisciplinary approach, by international scholars in philosophy and political science, suits it for researchers, teachers and students of these fields.
Why Beliefs Matter
Author: E. Brian Davies
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Published: 2010-07-09
Total Pages: 272
ISBN-13: 0191591564
DOWNLOAD EBOOKIn the follow-up to his acclaimed Science in the Looking Glass, Brian Davies discusses deep problems about our place in the world, using a minimum of technical jargon. The book argues that 'absolutist' ideas of the objectivity of science, dating back to Plato, continue to mislead generations of both theoretical physicists and theologians. It explains that the multi-layered nature of our present descriptions of the world is unavoidable, not because of anything about the world, but because of our own human natures. It tries to rescue mathematics from the singular and exceptional status that it has been assigned, as much by those who understand it as by those who do not. Working throughout from direct quotations from many of the important contributors to its subject, it concludes with a penetrating criticism of many of the recent contributions to the often acrimonious debates about science and religions.
Matter and the Nature of the Present:
Author: Osric Allen
Publisher:
Published: 2009
Total Pages: 39
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKRadical Nature
Author: Christian de Quincey
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2010-02-22
Total Pages: 315
ISBN-13: 1594779171
DOWNLOAD EBOOKAn exploration of consciousness in all matter--from quantum to cosmos • Outlines theories of consciousness in ancient and modern philosophy from before Plato to Alfred North Whitehead • Reveals the importance of understanding mind-in-matter for our relationships with the environment, with other people, even with ourselves Are rocks conscious? Do animals or plants have souls? Can trees feel pleasure or pain? Where in the great unfolding of life did consciousness first appear? How we answer such questions can dramatically affect the way we live our lives, how we treat the world of nature, and even how we relate to our own bodies. In this new edition of the award-winning Radical Nature, Christian de Quincey explores the “hard problem” of philosophy--how mind and matter are related--and proposes a radical and surprising answer: that matter itself tingles with consciousness at the deepest level. It’s there in the cells of every living creature, even in molecules and atoms. Tracing the lineage of this idea through Western philosophy and science, he shows that it has a very noble history--from before Plato to Alfred North Whitehead. He reveals that the way to God is through nature and that understanding how body and soul fit together has surprising consequences for our relationships with our environment, with other people, and even with ourselves.
Particle Or Wave
Author: Charis Anastopoulos
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2008
Total Pages: 444
ISBN-13: 9780691135120
DOWNLOAD EBOOK'Particle or Wave' explains the origins and development of modern physical concepts about matter and the controversies surrounding them.
The Corpuscular Theory of Matter
Author: Joseph John Thomson
Publisher:
Published: 1907
Total Pages: 192
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKWork by the eminent physicist Thomson, discoverer of the electron, consisting of seven chapters which deal respectively with the origin and properties of corpuscles (subatomic particles), two different corpuscular theories of metallic conduction, and the number and arrangement of corpuscles in the atom.
Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science
Author: National Academy of Sciences
Publisher: National Academies Press
Published: 1998-05-06
Total Pages: 150
ISBN-13: 0309063647
DOWNLOAD EBOOKToday many school students are shielded from one of the most important concepts in modern science: evolution. In engaging and conversational style, Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science provides a well-structured framework for understanding and teaching evolution. Written for teachers, parents, and community officials as well as scientists and educators, this book describes how evolution reveals both the great diversity and similarity among the Earth's organisms; it explores how scientists approach the question of evolution; and it illustrates the nature of science as a way of knowing about the natural world. In addition, the book provides answers to frequently asked questions to help readers understand many of the issues and misconceptions about evolution. The book includes sample activities for teaching about evolution and the nature of science. For example, the book includes activities that investigate fossil footprints and population growth that teachers of science can use to introduce principles of evolution. Background information, materials, and step-by-step presentations are provided for each activity. In addition, this volume: Presents the evidence for evolution, including how evolution can be observed today. Explains the nature of science through a variety of examples. Describes how science differs from other human endeavors and why evolution is one of the best avenues for helping students understand this distinction. Answers frequently asked questions about evolution. Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science builds on the 1996 National Science Education Standards released by the National Research Councilâ€"and offers detailed guidance on how to evaluate and choose instructional materials that support the standards. Comprehensive and practical, this book brings one of today's educational challenges into focus in a balanced and reasoned discussion. It will be of special interest to teachers of science, school administrators, and interested members of the community.
Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter
Author: Terrence W. Deacon
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 2012
Total Pages: 625
ISBN-13: 0393049914
DOWNLOAD EBOOKExamines the emergent processes that bridge the gap between organisms that think and have consciousness and those that do not and discusses the origins of life, information, and free will.
