Philosophy Archives | National Humanities Center

Philosophy

%customfield(subject)%

A World Art History and Its Objects

By David Carrier (NHC Fellow, 2006–07) Is writing a world art history possible? Does the history of art as such even exist outside the Western tradition? Is it possible to consider the history of art in a way that is not fundamentally Eurocentric? In this highly readable and provocative book, David Carrier, a philosopher and … Continued

%customfield(subject)%

Citizenship in the Western Tradition: Plato to Rousseau

By Peter Riesenberg (NHC Fellow, 1978–79) Intended for both general readers and students, Peter Riesenberg's instructive book surveys Western ideas of citizenship from Greek antiquity to the French Revolution. It is striking to observe the persistence of important civic ideals and institutions over a period of 2,500 years and to learn how those ideals and … Continued

%customfield(subject)%

Divination and Human Nature: A Cognitive History of Intuition in Classical Antiquity

By Peter T. Struck (NHC Fellow, 2002–03) Divination and Human Nature casts a new perspective on the rich tradition of ancient divination—the reading of divine signs in oracles, omens, and dreams. Popular attitudes during classical antiquity saw these readings as signs from the gods while modern scholars have treated such beliefs as primitive superstitions. In this … Continued

%customfield(subject)%

Jonathan Edwards’s Moral Thought and Its British Context

By Norman Fiering (NHC Fellow, 1978–79) The problems of moral philosophy were a central preoccupation of literate people in eighteenth-century America and Britain. It is not surprising, then, that Jonathan Edwards was drawn into a colloquy with some of the major ethicists of the age. Moral philosophy in this era was so all-encompassing in its … Continued

%customfield(subject)%

Matters of Life and Death: New Introductory Essays in Moral Philosophy

Edited by Tom Regan (NHC Fellow, 1984–85) and Tom L. Beauchamp A collection of original essays by leading moral philosophers, written specifically for students with no prior background in ethics. Focusing on the major ethical issues of the day, the essays cover problems such as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, famine, war, suicide, the environment and … Continued

%customfield(subject)%

On History and Philosophers of History

By William H. Dray (NHC Fellow, 1983–84) This book deals with theoretical problems that arise at points of contact between the concerns of philosophers and historians about the practice of historiography. In bringing together these critical studies on diverse but related themes, the book offers insight into the aims and methods of those working in … Continued

%customfield(subject)%

Practical Guilt: Moral Dilemmas, Emotions, and Social Norms

By P. S. Greenspan (NHC Fellow, 1990–91) P.S. Greenspan uses the treatment of moral dilemmas as the basis for an alternative view of the structure of ethics and its relation to human psychology. Greenspan argues that dilemmas may be regarded as possible consequences of a set of social rules designed to be simple enough to … Continued

%customfield(subject)%

Reading Seneca: Stoic Philosophy at Rome

By Brad Inwood (NHC Fellow, 1995–96) Brad Inwood presents a selection of his most influential essays on the philosophy of Seneca, the Roman Stoic thinker, statesman, and tragedian of the first century AD. Including two brand-new pieces, and a helpful introduction to orient the reader, this volume will be an essential guide for anyone seeking … Continued