Edited by James P. Sterba (NHC Fellow, 2001–02) This anthology is the first textbook to put the historical development of Western social and political philosophy into both feminist and multicultural perspectives. The aim of the text is twofold: to provide an introductory sampling of some of the classical works of the Western tradition in social … Continued
By Elaine Scarry (NHC Fellow, 1979–80) Part philosophical meditation, part cultural critique, The Body in Pain is a profoundly original study that has already stirred excitement in a wide range of intellectual circles. The book is an analysis of physical suffering and its relation to the numerous vocabularies and cultural forces–literary, political, philosophical, medical, religious–that confront it. … Continued
By Norman Kretzmann (NHC Fellow, 1992–93) The Metaphysics of Theism is the definitive study of the natural theology of Thomas Aquinas, the greatest of medieval philosophers, written by one of the world's most eminent scholars of medieval thought. Natural theology is the investigation by analysis and rational argument of fundamental questions about reality, considered in relation … Continued
By Martin Jay (NHC Fellow, 2005–06) When Michael Dukakis accused George H. W. Bush of being the "Joe Isuzu of American Politics" during the 1988 presidential campaign, he asserted in a particularly American tenor the near-ancient idea that lying and politics (and perhaps advertising, too) are inseparable, or at least intertwined. Our response to this … Continued
By Toril Moi (NHC Fellow, 1994–95) What is a woman? And what does it mean to be a feminist today? In her first full-scale engagement with feminist theory since her internationally renowned Sexual/Textual Politics (1985), Toril Moi challenges the dominant trends in contemporary feminist and cultural thought, arguing for a feminism of freedom inspired by Simone de … Continued
By Richard Patterson (NHC Fellow, 1985–86) Aristotle's Modal Logic presents a radically new interpretation of Aristotle's logic by arguing that a proper understanding of the system depends on an appreciation of its connection to the metaphysics. Patterson establishes that there is a fundamental connection between Aristotle's logic of possibility and necessity, and his metaphysics; that … Continued
By L. A. Paul (NHC Fellow, 2011–12) Causation is at once familiar and mysterious. Many believe that the causal relation is not directly observable, but that we nevertheless can somehow detect its presence in the world, and much work in the natural and social sciences relies on our ability to detect it. Yet neither common … Continued
By Robert Magliola (NHC Fellow, 1979–80) The book has four parts. The first provides a lengthy explication and critique of Derrida, a service still much needed by today's philosophers and literary theorists. The second part locates a recension of Heideggerian thought at a site the author calls centric mysticism. Throughout this section, there are original … Continued
Edited by Pavlos Kontos (NHC Fellow, 2017–18) Aristotle's notion of evil is highly elaborate and attractive, yet has been largely overlooked by philosophers. While most recent studies of evil focus on modern understandings of the concept, this volume shows that Aristotle's theory is an invaluable resource for our contemporary understanding of it. Twelve leading scholars … Continued
By Kwame Anthony Appiah (Trustee; NHC Fellow, 1990–91) The beating of Rodney King and the resulting riots in South Central Los Angeles. The violent clash between Hasidim and African-Americans in Crown Heights. The boats of Haitian refugees being turned away from the Land of Opportunity. These are among the many racially-charged images that have burst … Continued