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History plays have a long history--about as long as the history of plays and about as long as the history of history. But philosophers of history have typically preferred to write about written history; and philosophers of literature have typically preferred to write about novels, occasionally historical novels. Yet, when we leave a performance of a history play, it still seems natural to ask: "I wonder if it happened like that?" The answer, I'll argue, is "no." But getting to that answer tells us something about history and something about drama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the views of French philosopher Gilbert Simondon on the politics of technology. It states that the philosopher criticizes the fascination of modern people for robots and machine structures. According to the author, Simondon's book "Du mode d'existence des objets techniques," explores the mythology of internal machines.

The article explores the two major areas of the thoughts of French philosopher Gilbert Simondon. It states that his ideas correspond to his reconceptualization of ontology as onto-genesis. The author also discusses his views on the intersection between process-oriented ontology of individuation and the philosophy behind technological innovations.

The article discusses the affective dimensions of philosophy. It considers the dual focus on bodily feelings and cognitive emotions which characterized the philosophy of emotions. It examines René Descartes's conception of wonder in the light of his metaphysical commitment to disembodied reason. The authors argue that the mood of a philosopher has a role in how he or she examines and answers philosophical questions.

Tom Stoppard is not the sort of playwright one might call anti-intellectual, yet he has persistently singled out the field of academic philosophy for special assault in his plays. Stoppard's antipathy emerges from a history of contention between the theater and philosophy in England, one that originates in Friedrich Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy and its particular reception at the hands of George Bernard Shaw. Stoppard offers an apotheosis of this disputation in his 1972 farce Jumpers, which imagines a marriage between a philosopher and an actress meant to demonstrate the superiority of the theater as a mode of speculative discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers the author's insights on cognition which is a relation that something is understood within its cognizability. He says that cognizability is neither a capacity of subject to recognize, nor a property of objects or a capacity to be known that expects the opportunity to realize itself in cognition. He mentions that the philosophies of languages, cognition theories, and history philosophies were confronted by philosopher Walter Benjamin in his work.

The article discusses the main objections against the metaphysical exposition of space. It states that philosopher Immanuel Kant the space of perception, that intuition and that of mathematics are mixed with one another. It mentions the combining of concept and intuition through false terminology. It adds that propositions three and four prove only what is intelligible.

The article discusses the correspondences of philosophers Bertrand Russell, Walter Benjamin, Gershom Scholem, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. It states that Russell make claim in his "Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy" as he searches to limit the field under discussion through the distinction between mathematical and non-mathematical propositions. It mentions that Benjamin is struck by the unclarity about the nature of identity.

The article examines the sketch "Theory of Art Critique," by Walter Benjamin. In this sketch, the German-Jewish philosopher continues the dispute about Kant that he inaugurated by letter with Gershom Scholem in the winter of 1917. Benjamin begins from the position of the Stranger and Theaetetus at the end of the Sophist facing the obstacles to constructing a theory of critique. He also turns to a comment in the Symposium to cast light on critiques unjustifiable self-justification.

An essay is presented which focuses on the encounter between French philosopher Gilles Deleuze and playwright Samuel Beckett. She describes the effects in two directions produced by every encounter, in the direction of sensation and it poses a problem. In his book "Deleuze: Une philosphie de l'événement" by Francois Zourabichvili argues that thought for Deleuse is related to psychological affect.

Philosophers have mostly advocated that advance directives should bear the same authority, with regard to refusal of life-extending treatment, as a patient's contemporaneous consent or refusal. Such authors typically support this position through a theory of persistent personal identity. I agree that the loss of mental competence does not render someone a moral stranger to their prior goal but argue that equating advance direction with consent is to ignore the capacity of nonpersons to attribute and withhold moral value. A distinction should be drawn between advance directives that seek to pursue deeply held goals and those that express contempt for the mentally incompetent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author talks about immortality and its potential to undermine people's experiences and decisions of significance. He explores an argument of philosopher Bernard Williams against the value of immortality. He explains what the philosopher calls the Tiresias model of immortality. He also attempts to disclose the main problems with immortality by systematically offering an analysis of the different forms of immoral life.

The author presents her responses to commentaries by George Graham and Tim Bayne on her paper on impractical delusions in philosophy and psychiatry. She cites the efforts of Graham and Bayne to characterize the difference between the psychiatrically and philosophically deluded. She discusses the similarities between the psychiatrically and philosophically deluded by focusing on a dogmatic philosophical delusion, Theism.

This paper explores the way in which third-century philosophers, especially Platonists, portrayed themselves as high priests or "priests of the god who rules all." It argues that figures such as Origen, Porphyry, and Iamblichus incorporated this hieratic status into their identity at the expense of the reputations of more ordinary, local priests. Furthermore, they grounded their authority on theological and ritual matters in their knowledge of the nature of various kinds of spiritual beings inhabiting the cosmos, beings which they tended to order in systematic and hierarchical ways. Finally, this paper presents evidence that these intellectuals endeavored to use their authority in these matters to position themselves socially as potential advisors to provincial and imperial leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores German philosopher Ernst Grosse's approach on art theory by drawing on the field of ethnology. In an 1891 essay "Ethnologie und Aesthetik," Grosse focused on past attempts to have ethnology answer questions in art theory. Grosse's analysis draws attention to what the author thinks are overlooked means of framing the study of art and aesthetics. The author claims that the global and interdisciplinary approach to art and aesthetics that Grosse hoped for is only being attempted again by an increasing number of scholars.

The article examines the rhetoric of analytic philosophy in Great Britain. Among the characteristics of British analytic philosophers are their attempt to align their discipline with science and willingness to invoke the additional prestige of tradition. The article points out that philosophers who recognize that philosophy was not science are liberated intellectually. Philosophers are commended for their increasing interest in attempts to situate their discipline historically.

The article examines the perspective of Walter Kaufmann on existentialism based on his collection "Existentialism: From Dostoevsky to Sartre." The energy and self-confidence of the editor evident in the book are attributed to the fact that he is also a philosopher. The significance of the decision of Kaufmann to start the anthology with the novel "Notes From the Underground," by Fyodor Dostoevsky is noted. In the author's view, Kaufmann portrayed existentialism that could not serve as a way for escapism.

Olympiodorus' Commentary on Plato's Phaedo 1.3-6 has been the linchpin of the reconstructions of the supposed Orphic doctrine of original sin. While Olympiodorus links the Titans' dismemberment of Dionysus and anthropogony, he does not include any element of inherited guilt, either in his narration of the myth or in his interpretation. Moreover, his telling of the myth, which makes the anthropogony the sequel to the dismemberment of Dionysus, is an innovation made for the purposes of his own argument. Rather than preserving in fossilized form a sacred myth more than a millennium old, Olympiodorus concocts an innovative tale of his own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's insights on the responses of James Phillips and Louis Sass with regards to a Lacanian approach to the conceptions of Hegel and Kierkegaard on madness. He says that the framing of Phillips' own response is very helpful in the distinction between the madness of the philosophers and the madness of the clinic. He states that Sass views Hegel's volarization of language as implicating a similar failure to recognize the value of the ineffable.

The author focuses on moral phenomenology, defined as a study of morality as experienced in the first-person. Moral phenomenology attempts to investigate the mental introspection involved in deciding whether or not to perform an act and in determining whether a person is virtuous. The author points out that philosophers commonly claim their moral theories are superior to others' theories because they better account for the human experience of moral judgment. He critiques the failure of phenomenological arguments of Francis Hutcheson and David Hume as illustrative of the limitations of moral phenomenology among rival theories of morality.

This article explores the concept of utopia in philosopher Roland Barthes' writing. According to Barthes, a fantasy does not tell everything and can give rise to an affirmative repetition. He reconfigures utopia as domestic and the social space he constructs will be idiorrhythmic. In "Barthes and Utopia: Space, Travel, Writing," Diana Knight claims that utopia in Barthes refers to the details of everyday life and to a certain mode of corporeal and spatial being.

Presents literary criticism of the book "L'Étranger" by Albert Camus. It examines how Camus equated Jesus and Meursault, as well as the irony on the fact that despite Camus' experience in religion, yet he was unable to accept religious belief. It relates how Camus' views have brought numerous criticism from various philosophers and describes that his writings in general combines humanism and a religious temperament.

The article examines the philosophical views of Salomon Maimon who combines the skepticism of David Hume and the Leibnizian-Wolffian rationalism in his works. The author notes that Maimon describes himself as a rational dogmatist and an empirical skeptic. He narrates Maimon's early years and how his philosophy is developed. He explores Maimon's criticisms of Immanuel Kant, his adoption of Hume's skeptical naturalism, and his "Coalition-System." He discusses the possibility of rationalism in Hume's works in addition to his naturalist empiricism. He suggests that both Maimon and Hume recognize that skepticism is only a problem, and that Maimon's works challenge the presence of an apostate rationalist strand in Hume's own thought.

The article examines George Berkeley's discussion on human agency. The author explores the concepts of divine concurrentism, occasionalism and mere conservationism during medieval and early modern eras. He discusses Berkeley's position on concurrentism, his reasons for adopting concurrentism, and his understanding of human activity. He analyzes several passages from the works of Berkeley and claims that his texts consistently endorse concurrentism as opposed to occasionalism or mere conservationism. He notes that Berkeley provides a coherent, philosophically interesting, and characteristically subtle view of human agency.

The article explores the theodicy during the second half of the seventeenth century particularly the theodicy of Antoine Arnauld. The author examines the theodicy of various philosophers including that of Nicolas Malebranche and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, and compares them with Arnauld's philosophy. He discusses Arnauld's criticism to the theodicy of Malebranche which focuses on the particularity of God's volition. He mentions that Arnauld committed himself to an impassioned defense of God's omnipotence and freedom throughout his philosophical career. He suggests that it is certainly possible that Arnauld did not see the radical consequences of his conception of God and that he was the one who saw the radical consequences of the Cartesian conception of God.

ABSTRACT: This article considers the relationship between phenomenology and behaviorism in a new perspective. First, we present the phenomenological approach of the Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset (1883-1953). Ortega's perspective involves a transformation of classical phenomenology in a direction that emphasizes `life as action' and `historical reason' as a form of explanation. These aspects of Ortega's approach are of interest to contemporary phenomenology, and enable phenomenology's relationship with behaviorism to be reconsidered. Second, we present Skinner's radical behaviorism, the variant of behaviorism most relevant to phenomenology. Of particular importance here is radical behaviorism's emphasis on final causality and its approach to `private events' in terms of the interpersonal functions served by these events. Third, we propose a mutual correction, both of behaviorism by phenomenology and of phenomenology by behaviorism, in which behaviorism's notion of the environment may better be conceptualized through the phenomenological notion of the 'lived-world,' and phenomenology could adopt radical behaviorism's dialectical and constructivist perspective. Finally, we discuss several implications for understanding psychopathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the concept of melancholy as a basis for understanding a source of suffering in the work of Jew author Edmond Jabès. It also presents a reading of the Holocaust from the perspective of Jabès' personal history of persecution. She cites the studies of philosophers on Jabès' works and their consensus observation regarding the absence and loss as the organizing concepts of his work. She also acknowledges the contribution of Jabès to the understanding of what it means to write in Europe after the Holocaust.

The article focuses on Christian Delacampagne's concept of morality as depicted in his works. The author observes that Delacampagne has exemplified the Jewish tradition of rectification in his works. Additionally, his works indicate his devotion to questions of social justice. Delacampagne also views democracy as fragile and his role as an intellectual who could act as the guardian of justice. The author also cites the book "The Philosopher and the Tyrant: A Politics of Philosophy" where Delacampagne admits that he has no read-made morality.

The article focuses on the philosophy championed by Christian Delacampagne. The author points out that Delacampagne's philosophy focuses on the effect of thinking about problems in the real world. He adds that Delacampagne believes the significance of understanding why people do or do not think about certain things. According to the author, Delacampagne attempts to explain why Saint Augustine, a moral and religious philosopher, does not condemn slavery. He thinks that Saint Augustine's view of slavery is not natural.

The author discusses the role of drama in philosophy. She notes the negative attitudes toward philosophers throughout history and discusses how speculation on the beginnings of the cosmos has been influenced by narratives and ancient poetry. She uses the theatrical production "Antigone," by Sophocles as an example of the depiction of logos in drama.

The article discusses the features of Jacques Derrida's thinking of democracy. It focuses on the coordination of Derrida's perception on democracy and its relevance to crucial concepts. It also explores the distinction of Derrida's thinking from Kantian Idea and presents its casual relatedness to Aristotle's idea of deviance and perversion, a logical thinking on democracy.

The article discusses how the work of philosopher Richard Rorty influenced literary criticism. It is explained that Rorty's philosophical antitraditionalism was embraced by the schools of contemporary literature theory. The article notes that Rorty's authority as a literary scholar is rarely noted. One of the reasons for this is that many have a hard time accepting his narrative ethics.

The author reflects upon the work of philosopher Richard Rorty. It is explained that even though Rorty did write about political philosophy, philosophy of culture, and literary history, he was never attracted to the typically historical aspects of politics, culture and literary theory. The author focuses on Rorty's book "Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature." The author examines how the book reflects Rorty's views on history.

An essay is presented which examines philosophy in the context of physics. It is suggested by the author that at philosophy's center it is a series of questions concerning the relations between words and the world. The author asserts that philosophy started off as a combination of humanity's love for both wisdom and argument. The author also critically analyzes the work of philosopher Jacques Derrida.

The author reflects upon how philosopher Richard Rorty has influenced her. The author explains that she first became aware of Rorty when it was suggested that she read his book "Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature." The author found that many of Rorty's views were similar to her own. The author also asked Rorty to appear at a conference that was going to focus on his work.

The author reflects upon his relationship with philosopher Richard Rorty. The author explains that he first met Rorty when he was giving a lecture at Standford, in the academic year 1980-1981. During Rorty's lecture he expressed criticism towards the ideas of Hans Reichenbach, who was the author's hero at the time. The author also reflects upon the years Rorty spend at the University of Virginia.

The author reflects upon his relationship with philosopher Richard Rorty. The author explains that he first met Rorty in 1949 at the "Hutchins College" at the University of Chicago. It is asserted by the author that Rorty possessed a deep humanism. The author also seeks to dispel some of the misleading ideas about Rorty.

The author reflects upon his relationship with philosopher Richard Rorty. The author explains that he first met Rorty in 1974 at a conference that focused on philosopher Martin Heidegger. The author describes Rorty as someone who was seeking to foster a culture that broke away from what he saw as the conceptual obsessions of Greek philosophy and a perceived fetishism of science that was created out of metaphysics.

The author reflects upon what it was like attending philosopher Richard Rorty's lecture course at Princeton in 1972. The lecture course focused on metaphysicas and epistemology, and at the time the lecture was listed as one of the top-rated courses offered at Princeton. The author discusses Rorty's teaching style and what he focused on in lectures.

The article discusses the development and mass adoption of the teachings and philosophy of 16th century Chinese intellectual Wang Yangming. Unlike the intellectuals of the Taihe County who were quick to lost interest on cultural issues and were more likely to get involved with new intellectual trends, intellectuals at Yongkang County reconstructed their identity and patronize Yangming's teachings. Emphasis is given to the moment when new translocal trend confronted traditional norms, with the minority followers of Yangmig at the forefront.

The article focuses on the influence of philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche on Wyndham Lewis. According to author John Carey, Lewis greatly admires Nietzsche that he adopts the Nietzsche's symbolic landscape. Carey declares that Lewis' admiration depicts the increasing popularity of Nietzsche in intellectual and artistic circles. It was stated that Nietzsche continued to be a potent influence on Lewis. However, Carey observes Lewis' own polemicism that leaves the connection between him and Nietzsche.

The article focuses on the significance of the concept of possibility in the philosophical investigations of Ludwig Wittgenstein in his book "Tractatus." His conviction that philosophy was an investigation of possibilities or the nature of possibility remained constant, though his thought underwent changes. Wittgenstein calls his new approach as phenomenology, which establishes the possibilities. He equates the possibility of an object's occurring in a state of affairs with its from. Some type of grasp of possibility is essential in understanding all the propositions. The whole realm of possibilities are likened to physical or geometrical space, and individual possibilities to physical or geometrical places.

The article focuses on the phenomenology of Edmund Husserl with the aim to achieve the wholly unbiased or unprejudiced knowledge. In Husserl's essay "Ideas I and Cartesian Meditarians," many prominent philosophers in the continental tradition help motivate their own. He calls for knowledge that count as scientific in part by being unprejudiced simply in that it is justified based on evidence. He is after a foundational science of essences. He believes that phenomenology as a science is to secure non-relative truths of essences and general principles. He adds that in the phenomenon people have all that they have in their experience of an object if they were to suspend for the commitment to the existence of that object.

This essay discusses the problem of how to resist the natural investment in the idea that everything in existence is an instance of some pre-existing possibility. It explores certain aspects of French philosopher Henri Bergson's élan vital, including the unity of life, the primacy of memory and creative evolution.

This article discusses the philosophy of Immanuel Kant in so far as his views on idealism is concerned. According to the author, Immanuel Kant's transcendental idealism gives two views about a particular thing which includes the thing in itself and the thing as it appears. There is no cognition with respect to things as they are in themselves.

This article discusses various methods in understanding Plato's philosophical concepts. According to the author, there is much criticism hurled at the traditional doctrinal approach to interpreting the philosopher's dialogues. The author argues that the doctrinal approach regard Plato's dialogues as philosophical treaties. In understanding the dialogues, an alternative approach has been made which provides an analogy of the said dialogue and dramatic works.

This article reports on Socrates with emphasis on his philosophical concept and style. According to the author, Socrates as a philosopher is commonly viewed as applying philosophy by investigating interlocutors through the technique known as elenchos. Aside from Socrates the principles of elenchos may have been utilized by other thinkers as well.

The article discusses the book "Nervous Conditions: Science and the Body Politic in Early Industrial Britain" by Elizabeth Green Musselman. She demonstrated that scientific men made some personal experiences the concern of their research. According to the author, natural philosophical research required stamina and will. It is also implied in the article that she argued that British natural philosophers took the same techniques they used to discipline their own nervously disordered bodies.

This article describes philosophical allegories, whereby someone describes episodes in their life in order to illustrate a philosophical truth. The author uses this concept to analyze some of the writing of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. One such story is how Rousseau was locked out of Geneva after curfew, and consequently left his home city forever. The author suggests this story illustrates much of Rousseau's philosophy.

This article comments on the philosophical contribution of Thomas Reid in his discussions of the practice of promising. He has argued that the practice of promising presupposes the belief that the promisor is endowed with active power. He has opposed the claim that the act of promising is artificial and is a product of human convention.