Nicholas Maxwell's provocative and highly-original philosophy of science urges a revolution in academic inquiry affecting all branches of learning, so that the single-minded pursuit of knowledge is replaced with the aim of helping people realize what is of value in life and make progress toward a more civilized world. This volume of essays from an international, interdisciplinary group of scholars engages Maxwell in critical evaluation and celebrates his contribution to philosophy spanning forty years. Several of the contributors, like Maxwell, took their inspiration from Sir Karl Popper's philosophy of science and were connected to the department he created at the London School of Economics. In the introductory chapter, Maxwell provides an overview of his thought and then defends his views against objections in a concluding essay.
Like many, I have given the origin and meaning of life a great deal of thought in an effort to live it fully-with grace and intelligence. In the process, I discovered that theological/philosophical discussions on reality are empty without the consideration of scientific inquiry as they inform each other on the nature of human existence. We can benefit immensely from the great minds chronicled in this book that have dramatically changed the world and helped man imagine himself in it-leading to one's own self-discovery. DISCOVER: In Theology Is the soul immortal? Is reincarnation possible? Islam's holiest shrine in Mecca was built by the founding father of the Jewish nation. How one man uprooted 1500 years of Roman Catholic domination with a simple document. In Philosophy Is the world pre-determined with orderly harmony or governed by man's free will? Is knowledge gained solely from experience and reasoning-or is it innate? How the self-awareness of existentialism allows one to live an authentic life. How 9th century Muslim scholars contributed to the foundation of modern civilization. In Science What makes all physical matter stable? How does matter reproduce itself? Isaac Newton described gravity's effect, but it was Einstein who showed how it originated. Did man evolve or was he created? The search for a unifying theoretical basis of all the sciences.
Seeking Understanding: The Lifelong Pursuit to Build the Scientific Mind explores the multiple ways in which the human mind grows in understanding of the self and the world as an essential dimension of transformative learning along the lifespan.
This is a major reinterpretation of ancient philosophy that recovers the long Greek and Roman tradition of philosophy as a complete way of life--and not simply an intellectual discipline. Distinguished philosopher John Cooper traces how, for many ancient thinkers, philosophy was not just to be studied or even used to solve particular practical problems. Rather, philosophy--not just ethics but even logic and physical theory--was literally to be lived. Yet there was great disagreement about how to live philosophically: philosophy was not one but many, mutually opposed, ways of life. Examining this tradition from its establishment by Socrates in the fifth century BCE through Plotinus in the third century CE and the eclipse of pagan philosophy by Christianity, Pursuits of Wisdom examines six central philosophies of living--Socratic, Aristotelian, Stoic, Epicurean, Skeptic, and the Platonist life of late antiquity. The book describes the shared assumptions that allowed these thinkers to conceive of their philosophies as ways of life, as well as the distinctive ideas that led them to widely different conclusions about the best human life. Clearing up many common misperceptions and simplifications, Cooper explains in detail the Socratic devotion to philosophical discussion about human nature, human life, and human good; the Aristotelian focus on the true place of humans within the total system of the natural world; the Stoic commitment to dutifully accepting Zeus's plans; the Epicurean pursuit of pleasure through tranquil activities that exercise perception, thought, and feeling; the Skeptical eschewal of all critical reasoning in forming their beliefs; and, finally, the late Platonist emphasis on spiritual concerns and the eternal realm of Being. Pursuits of Wisdom is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding what the great philosophers of antiquity thought was the true purpose of philosophy--and of life.
From the field's pioneer, an exploration of the neurobiology and psychology of wisdom: what science says it is and how to nurture it within yourself, at any stage of your life What exactly does it mean to be "wise?" And is it possible to grow—and even accelerate—its unfolding? The modern epidemics of suicides, opioid abuse, loneliness, and internet addiction are damaging people’s health and destroying the social fabric. This book shows how you can take control of your life by increasing your wisdom. For over two decades, Dilip Jeste, MD, has led the search for the biological and cognitive roots of wisdom. What's emerged from his work is that wisdom is a very real and deeply multi-layered set of traits. Across many cultures and centuries, he's found that wise people are: Compassionate and empathetic; aware of their gifts and blind spots; open-minded; resolute and calm amid uncertainty; altruistic decision-makers who learn from their experiences; able to see from many perspectives and "altitudes"; and often blessed with a sense of adventure and humor. If you seek to be a wiser person—with your family, at work, and in your community—here's the place to start, with the researcher who's launched and advanced this exciting new path to our highest human potential.
Capturing the inimitable enthusiasm of Louis Pojman's much acclaimed teaching, PHILOSOPHY: THE PURSUIT OF WISDOM introduces students to all the core topics in philosophy. Beginning with an inquiry into the nature and purpose of philosophy, this text moves through many traditional discussions--such as the existence of God, the problems of knowledge, the freewill/determinism debate, and the foundations of ethics--concluding with an exploration into existentialism and the meaning of life.
What is wisdom and how is it cultivated? These are among the most important questions we can ask, but questions that have been routinely ignored in modern times. In the twentieth century, the search for wisdom was replaced by a search for knowledge as science and technology promised answers to life's ills. However, along with scientific achievements came disasters, particularly the devastation of the planet through the accelerating use of modern technology. In an era drenched in data, a desire for wisdom has been reborn. Where can we go to learn about wisdom? The answer is clear: to the world's great religions and their accompanying philosophies and psychologies. The World's Great Wisdom makes these treasuries available. Practitioners from each of the great religions—as well as from Western philosophy and contemporary research—provide summaries of their traditions' understandings of wisdom, the means for cultivating it, and its implications for the modern world. This book offers distillations of the world's accumulated wisdom—ancient and modern, religious and scientific, philosophical and psychological. It is a unique resource that for the first time in history brings together our collective understanding of wisdom and the ways to develop it.
Teaching pastor at the influential New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Daniel Grothe explains the Bible's blueprint for becoming the kind of person who can deal with all of life's challenges. Some people have learned how to live. They can handle all that life brings. They are composed. They radiate strength. They are whole, with lives worth emulating, and when they speak people listen. They are, in a word, wise. How did these people get wisdom? And perhaps more importantly, how can we? In his long-awaited first book, Daniel Grothe of New Life church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, shows us how to get wisdom for ourselves by examining what the Bible has to say about it and by providing practical steps for acquiring it, among them: learning to ask for help, loving Scripture, going to Church, living quietly, and, above all, seeking those who are themselves wise. Drawing upon Scripture and upon his own experience learning from his friend and mentor Eugene Peterson, Grothe shows how our lives can be secured by the resource that will keep us from collapsing under the onslaught of the difficulties of life. Wisdom is available to us. It takes work to pursue it. Chasing Wisdom reveals how.
