By William C. Dowling (NHC Fellow, 1979–80) “The object of this book,” writes William C. Dowling in his preface, “is to make the key concepts of Paul Ricoeur’s Time and Narrative available to readers who might have felt bewildered by the twists and turns of its argument.” The sources of puzzlement are, he notes, many. For some, … Continued
Edited by Edwin Curley (NHC Fellow, 1989–90) and Pierre-François Moreau The proceedings of the first major international conference on the philosophy of Spinoza to be held in the United States are published here. Contained are papers on all aspects of Spinoza's thought by 31 distinguished scholars from the United States, Europe, Israel and Australia including … Continued
Edited by Eleonore Stump (NHC Fellow, 1999–00) and Norman Kretzmann (NHC Fellow, 1992–93) It is hard to overestimate the importance of the work of Augustine of Hippo and its influence, both in his own period and in the subsequent history of Western philosophy. Many of his views, including his theory of the just war, his … Continued
Edited by John M. Doris (NHC Fellow, 2008–09) The Moral Psychology Handbook offers a survey of contemporary moral psychology, integrating evidence and argument from philosophy and the human sciences. The chapters cover major issues in moral psychology, including moral reasoning, character, moral emotion, positive psychology, moral rules, the neural correlates of ethical judgment, and the attribution … Continued
By William L. Rowe (NHC Fellow, 1984–85) In this succinct and well-written book, one of our most eminent philosophers provides a fresh reading of the view of freedom and morality developed by Thomas Reid (1710-1796). Although contemporary theorists have written extensively about the Scottish philosopher's contributions to the theory of knowledge, this is the first … Continued
By Francesca Bordogna (NHC Fellow, 2006–07) At Columbia University in 1906, William James gave a highly confrontational speech to the American Philosophical Association (APA). He ignored the technical philosophical questions the audience had gathered to discuss and instead addressed the topic of human energy. Tramping on the rules of academic decorum, James invoked the work … Continued
Edited and translated by Jasper Hopkins (NHC Fellow, 1983–84) Nicholas of Cusa (1401-1464), sometimes misleadingly referred to as the first "modern" philosopher, was born in Kues, Germany (today Bernkastel-Kues). He became a canon lawyer and a cardinal. His two best-known works are De Docta Ignorantia (On Learned Ignorance) and De Visione Dei (On the Vision of God).
By Alexandre KojèveTranslated by Jeff Love (NHC Fellow, 2014–15) One of the twentieth century’s most brilliant and unconventional thinkers, Alexandre Kojève was a Russian émigré to France whose lectures on Hegel in the 1930s galvanized a generation of French intellectuals. Although Kojève wrote a great deal, he published very little in his lifetime, and so … Continued
By Martin Meisel (NHC Fellow, 1983–84)
By George Sher (NHC Fellow, 1980–81) Studies the range of acts and traits for which persons are said to deserve things. These include acting wrongly, being victimized by others' wrongdoing, extending sustained effort, working productively, performing well in competition, being best qualified for positions, and possessing or exhibiting moral virtue.