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Spinoza: Portrait of a Spiritual Hero
by Rudolf Kayser&“The story of how the gentle but firm Spinoza followed his conscience to the point [of excommunication] has never been better told.&” —Journal of the American Academy of Religion A forerunner of the Age of Enlightenment, Baruch Spinoza made significant contributions in virtually every area of philosophy, and his writings reveal the influence of such divergent sources as Stoicism, Jewish Rationalism, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Descartes, and a variety of heterodox religious thinkers of his day. Written by German historian Rudolf Kayser, with a foreword by Albert Einstein, this biography reveals the solitude and the struggles of a man who became famous for views that were unusual and widely unknown at that time. Born into a Portuguese Jewish family, he grew up studying Hebrew literature but, dissatisfied with his teachers explanations, sought truth on his own terms. His ideas influenced modern biblical criticism and seventeenth-century rationalism, making him one of the most important philosophers of the early modern period whose impact on later philosophers, including Nietzsche and Hegel, was profound.
Spinoza: Recent Essays On Natural Philosophy, Theology, And Biblical Criticism In The Netherlands Of Spinoza's Time And The British Isles Of Newton's Time (International Archives Of The History Of Ideas / Archives Internationales D'histoire Des Idées Ser. #139)
by Richard PopkinThis is a concise but comprehensive introduction to a key figure in the history of modern philosophy, Benedict Spinoza.
Spinoza: Spinoza On Reason And The Free Man (Routledge Revivals)
by Yirmiyahu Yovel Gideon SegalThis title was first published in 2002. This collection of essays aims to present a wide range of interpretations of central themes in Spinoza's philosophy. Philosophical interpretations of Spinoza divide into three general categories. The first sets Spinoza within what is taken to be his historical context. Special emphasis is laid here on aspects of his teaching that seem to bear the influence of Spinoza's own education (and self-education), either through concepts assimilated into his own thinking, or those he undertook to refute and displace. A second interpretative approach uses analytical tools in an attempt to reconstruct Spinozistic issues and theories critically. Finally, there are philosophers who explore Spinoza's texts in their own terms, attempting to present a coherent picture of one or more aspects of Spinoza's teaching. Given the broad span of issues with which Spinoza deals, the latter is often the most difficult track to follow. The 25 articles in this collection exemplify these three attitudes to Spinoza interpretation, though most avail themselves of more than one. In making the selection the editors preferred studies that treat their subject as a viable, endurable philosophical issue, whether the writer accepts Spinoza's presentation or highlights his difficulties. On each issue the articles critically analyze the texts, rather than simply portraying the Spinozistic ideas they express.
Spinoza: The Outcast Thinker (Philosophy for Young People)
by Devra LehmannAn entertaining and accessible introduction to the radical philosopher of freedom of thought and religion is the only biography of Spinoza for young adults. The second title in the Philosophy for Young People series.A brilliant schoolboy in 17th-century Amsterdam, Bento Spinoza -- formally Baruch and later Benedict de Spinoza -- quickly learns to keep his ideas to himself. When he is 23, those ideas prove so scandalous to his own Jewish community that he is cast out, cursed, and effectively erased from their communal life. The scandal shows no sign of waning as his ideas spread throughout Europe. At the center of the storm, he lives the simplest of lives, quietly devoted to his work as a lens grinder and to his steadfast search for truth, striving to embody a philosophy of tolerance and benevolence. Spinoza does not live to see his ideas change the world.What caused such an uproar? Spinoza challenged age-old ideas about God, the Bible, and religion. His God was the sum total of nature, not a father-figure who created the world and takes care of humankind. His bible was a book like any other, not a holy text to be interpreted only by religious authorities. His religion was a commitment to basic moral behavior, not a collection of superstitions or rituals. For such ideas, Spinoza was reviled, but he emerged from his experience as one of history's most articulate voices for freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion. Those of us who enjoy the fundamental rights of modern democracies are the beneficiaries of Spinoza's quiet bravery.Spinoza: The Outcast Thinker is the second book in the new Philosophy for Young People series, introducing readers to seminal philosophers from ancient times up through the present day.
Spinoza: Then and Now, Essays
by Antonio NegriThis third and final volume of the series of writings by Antonio Negri examines how Spinoza’s thought constitutes a radical break with past ideas and an essential tool for envisaging a form of politics beyond capitalism. Negri shows how Spinoza’s ideas have facilitated radical renewal from their beginnings to the present day. It was the democratic freedoms and spirit of solidarity fostered in The Netherlands of the 17th century that allowed Spinoza to develop a radically new form of thought, redefining notions of the state and outlining a republican alternative to absolutist monarchy. In our own era, Negri argues that the rediscovery of Spinoza was critical in reinvigorating political theory. Instead of acquiescing to the economic order of capitalism and abandoning the class struggle, Spinoza’s ideas enable us to reconstruct a revolutionary perspective. His treatment of concepts such as multitude, necessity, and liberty have given us new ways of looking critically at our present, revealing that power must always be seen as a question of antagonism and class struggle. The writings that make up this volume – some written from prison as Negri fought for his own freedom – provide an important account of the enduring relevance of Spinoza’s thought. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of philosophy and political theory, as well anyone interested in radical politics today.
Spinoza’s Epistemology through a Geometrical Lens
by Matthew HomanThis book interrogates the ontology of mathematical entities in Spinoza as a basis for addressing a wide range of interpretive issues in Spinoza’s epistemology—from his antiskepticism and philosophy of science to the nature and scope of reason and intuitive knowledge and the intellectual love of God. Going against recent trends in Spinoza scholarship, and drawing on various sources, including Spinoza’s engagements with optical theory and physics, Matthew Homan argues for a realist interpretation of geometrical figures in Spinoza; illustrates their role in a Spinozan hypothetico-deductive scientific method; and develops Spinoza’s mathematical examples to better illuminate the three kinds of knowledge. The result is a portrait of Spinoza’s epistemology as sanguine and distinctive yet at home in the new Cartesian and Galilean scientific-philosophical paradigm.
Spinoza’s Revolutions in Natural Law
by Andre Santos CamposThis first analysis of Spinoza's philosophy of law shows that he revolutionizes modern philosophy from within by developing an entirely new natural law theory connecting his ontology to radically democratic political views.
Spirals in the Caribbean: Representing Violence and Connection in Haiti and the Dominican Republic
by Sophie MaríñezAn in-depth analysis of literary and cultural productions from Haiti and the Dominican Republic and their diasporasSpirals in the Caribbean responds to key questions elicited by the human rights crisis accelerated in 2013 by the Dominican Constitutional Court’s Ruling 168-13, which denationalized hundreds of thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent. Spirals details how a paradigm of permanent conflict between the two nations has its roots in reactions to the Haitian Revolution—a conflict between slavers and freedom-seekers—contests over which have been transmitted over generations, repeating with a difference. Anti-Haitian nationalist rhetoric hides this long trajectory. Through the framework of the Spiral, a concept at the core of a Haitian literary aesthetic developed in the 1960s called Spiralism, Sophie Maríñez explores representations of colonial, imperial, and national-era violence. She takes as evidence legislation, private and official letters, oral traditions, collective memories, Afro-indigenous spiritual and musical practices, and works of fiction, plays, and poetry produced across the island and its diasporas from 1791 to 2002.With its emphases on folk tales, responses to the 1937 genocide, the Constitution of the Dominican Republic, Afro-indigenous collective memories, and lesser-known literary works on the genocide of indigenous populations in the Caribbean, Spirals in the Caribbean will attract students, scholars, and general readers alike.
Spirit Deep: Recovering the Sacred in Black Women's Travel (Studies in Religion and Culture)
by Tisha M. BrooksWhat would it mean for American and African American literary studies if readers took the spirituality and travel of Black women seriously? With Spirit Deep: Recovering the Sacred in Black Women’s Travel, Tisha Brooks addresses this question by focusing on three nineteenth-century Black women writers who merged the spiritual and travel narrative genres: Zilpha Elaw, Amanda Smith, and Nancy Prince. Brooks hereby challenges the divides between religious and literary studies, and between coerced and "free" passages within travel writing studies to reveal meaningful new connections in Black women’s writings. Bringing together both sacred and secular texts, Spirit Deep uncovers an enduring spiritual legacy of movement and power that Black women have claimed for themselves in opposition to the single story of the Black (female) body as captive, monstrous, and strange. Spirit Deep thus addresses the marginalization of Black women from larger conversations about travel writing, demonstrating the continuing impact of their spirituality and movements in our present world.
Spirit of Cricket: Reflections on Play and Life
by Mike BrearleyIf someone were to say 'it's not tennis', or 'not football' of shabby behaviour in any walk of life, he or she would not be understood. If they said 'it's not cricket', they probably would be (though less reliably than a century ago). Is there some special spirit of cricket?The laws of cricket, like the laws of the land, aim at a sort of justice or balancing between different factions. The purpose behind cricket's laws, and behind changes in them, is often to calibrate the balance in the game between batsmen and bowlers, between attack and defence, between safety and risk. Cricketing lawmakers are interested in the overall appeal of the game to players and spectators alike.In Spirit of Cricket, Mike Brearley alternates between issues and examples within the game - from 'Mankading' and the 'Sandpaper' affair to sledging, mental disintegration and racism - as well as broader issues such as the spirit and letter of the law. Brearley examines the issue of how far what purports to be justice (in law or in spirit) may or may not be the expression of the powerful within the activity or within society. He also contrasts cheating and corruption, and reflects on the nature of penalties in regard to each. He discusses the significance of the notion of the spirit of the game for umpires, groundsmen, administrators, media and spectators - and, of course, for players.Intelligent and insightful, Spirit of Cricket points to qualities in cricket that enhance our development as people - including a sense of fair play, the embracing of striving both for our team and for ourselves and the important values of playfulness in life and professional sport.
Spirit of Cricket: Reflections on Play and Life
by Mike BrearleyIf someone were to say 'it's not tennis', or 'not football' of shabby behaviour in any walk of life, he or she would not be understood. If they said 'it's not cricket', they probably would be (though less reliably than a century ago). Is there some special spirit of cricket? The laws of cricket, like the laws of the land, aim at a sort of justice or balancing between different factions. The purpose behind cricket's laws, and behind changes in them, is often to calibrate the balance in the game between batsmen and bowlers, between attack and defence, between safety and risk. Cricketing lawmakers are interested in the overall appeal of the game to players and spectators alike.In Spirit of Cricket, Mike Brearley alternates between issues and examples within the game - from 'Mankading' and the 'Sandpaper' affair to sledging, mental disintegration and racism - as well as broader issues such as the spirit and letter of the law. Brearley examines the issue of how far what purports to be justice (in law or in spirit) may or may not be the expression of the powerful within the activity or within society. He also contrasts cheating and corruption, and reflects on the nature of penalties in regard to each. He discusses the significance of the notion of the spirit of the game for umpires, groundsmen, administrators, media and spectators - and, of course, for players. Intelligent and insightful, Spirit of Cricket points to qualities in cricket that enhance our development as people - including a sense of fair play, the embracing of striving both for our team and for ourselves and the important values of playfulness in life and professional sport.
Spirit of the Arts: Towards a Pneumatological Aesthetics of Renewal (Christianity and Renewal - Interdisciplinary Studies)
by Steven Félix-JägerA contribution to the field of theological aesthetics, this book explores the arts in and around the Pentecostal and charismatic renewal movements. It proposes a pneumatological model for creativity and the arts, and discusses different art forms from the perspective of that model. Pentecostals and other charismatic Christians have not sufficiently worked out matters of aesthetics, or teased out the great religious possibilities of engaging with the arts. With the flourishing of Pentecostal culture comes the potential for an equally flourishing artistic life. As this book demonstrates, renewal movements have participated in the arts but have not systematized their findings in ways that express their theological commitments—until now. The book examines how to approach art in ways that are communal, dialogical, and theologically cultivating.
Spirit, Expression and Community in the Philosophy of Edith Stein (Contributions to Phenomenology #137)
by Michaela Sobrak-SeatonThis book examines and elucidates the concept of spirit in Stein’s philosophical work, particularly the role it plays in her philosophical anthropology and her understanding of intersubjectivity and community. Although she draws from and synthesizes the ideas of thinkers such as Husserl, Dilthey, and Conrad-Martius, Stein’s approach is distinctive and uniquely suited to comprehensively addressing these topics and questions. Despite the significance of the notion of spirit, however, very little Stein scholarship focuses directly on examining it, and there has never been an attempt to trace its development over the whole of Stein’s corpus. This book fills this lacuna by undertaking a comprehensive study of Stein’s understanding of spirit. The author argues that the key to understanding Stein’s notion of spirit is to understand it as expressive, and in so doing to recognize expression as a fundamental characteristic of the human person. This view of the person as expressive provides an understanding of the person as an embodied being that lives in the world and shares it with other embodied beings, but in this very living and sharing, moves beyond the material bounds of embodiment and constitutes the world as a world of meaning and value. The notion of expression is not only crucial to making sense of Stein’s own account of spirit, but furthermore, provides a way of understanding the person as inextricably bound up in community without compromising the individual. In going out toward others in spiritual expression, one not only forms community with the other; one also becomes more oneself. Thus, Stein’s understanding of spirit as fundamentally expressive helps make sense of what it means to be an individual human being and what it means to be a part of the human community. This volume appeals to students and scholars working in phenomenology.
Spirit, Qi, and the Multitude: A Comparative Theology for the Democracy of Creation (Comparative Theology: Thinking Across Traditions)
by Hyo-Dong LeeWe live in an increasingly global, interconnected, and interdependent world, in which various forms of systemic imbalance in power have given birth to a growing demand for genuine pluralism and democracy. As befits a world so interconnected, this book presents a comparative theological and philosophical attempt to construct new underpinnings for the idea of democracy by bringing the Western concept of spirit into dialogue with the East Asian nondualistic and nonhierarchical notion of qi. The book follows the historical adventures of the idea of qi through some of its Confucian and Daoist textual histories in East Asia, mainly Laozi, Zhu Xi, Toegye, Nongmun, and Su-un, and compares them with analogous conceptualizations of the ultimate creative and spiritual power found in the intellectual constellations of Western and/or Christian thought—namely, Whitehead’s Creativity, Hegel’s Geist, Deleuze’s chaosmos, and Catherine Keller’s Tehom.The book adds to the growing body of pneumatocentric (Spirit-centered), panentheistic Christian theologies that emphasize God’s liberating, equalizing, and pluralizing immanence in the cosmos. Furthermore, it injects into the theological and philosophical dialogue between the West and Confucian and Daoist East Asia, which has heretofore been dominated by the American pragmatist and process traditions, a fresh voice shaped by Hegelian, postmodern, and postcolonial thought. This enriches the ways in which the pluralistic and democratic implications of the notion of qi may be articulated. In addition, by offering a valuable introduction to some representative Korean thinkers who are largely unknown to Western scholars, the book advances the study of East Asia and Neo-Confucianism in particular. Last but not least, the book provides a model of Asian contextual theology that draws on the religious and philosophical resources of East Asia to offer a vision of pluralism and democracy. A reader interested in the conversation between the East and West in light of the global reality of political oppression, economic exploitation, and cultural marginalization will find this book informative, engaging, and enlightening.
Spirits Rebellious: Large Print
by Kahlil GibranA clarion call for freedom from one of the twentieth century&’s most important philosophers and writers, Kahlil Gibran A book so powerful it was burned in the marketplace of Beirut at the time of its publication, Kahlil Gibran&’s Spirits Rebellious is a clarion call for freedom in his homeland of Lebanon—for individuals and society. Gibran&’s bitter denunciation of religious and political injustice flows through his lyric pen in three parables, that of &“Madame Rose Hanie,&” &“The Cry of the Graves,&” and &“Kahlil the Heretic.&” His vision of liberty is no less powerful today.
Spirits in the Material World: Aristotle's Philosophy of Mind, in Particular His Doctrine of Nous Poiêtikos
by Sonia Kamińska-TarkowskaThis book is inspired by the quest for the proper function of Aristotle’s active intellect presented in De Anima 3.5. The urge to grasp its essence has always driven philosophy ahead. Nevertheless, the true nature of nous poiêtikos remains far from being grasped. Author didn't unravel it here either, her aim wass far more modest: to get through the existing interpretations and try to systematise them somehow. To speak in a more poetic, metaphorical way: author aim was to shed some light upon the subject - explore the light metaphor from De Anima 3.5 on many levels. To avoid getting lost in Aristotle and Aristotelian interpretations, Author have divided the readings of nous poiêtikos into mystical and rational ones.
Spiritual Artificial Intelligence: Towards a New Horizon (Signals and Communication Technology)
by Muskan GargThis unique book delves into the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) principles—rooted in scientific knowledge and technological advancements—with the concept of spiritual wellness, exploring their significance in our increasingly automated and digitized world. The author offers a synthesis of two domains often perceived as distinct, appealing to both technologists and spiritual thinkers. Beginning with an exploration of the definitions and scope of "spiritual AI," the book encourages the quantification of spiritual wellness, illustrated through examples from current literature. It sheds light on the evolution of the spiritual quotient, presenting it as an integration of intelligence quotient (IQ) and emotional quotient (EQ), enhanced by dimensions of spirituality. The discussion spans various application domains and delves into the mind's entanglement-like phenomena, raising critical questions: Can a machine truly attain consciousness? How do spiritual wellness and quantum mechanics intertwine? The author invites readers to ask their own questions, contemplate the boundless possibilities of spiritual AI, and challenge existing paradigms.
Spiritual Bypassing
by Robert Augustus MastersSpiritual bypassing--the use of spiritual beliefs to avoid dealing with painful feelings, unresolved wounds, and developmental needs--is so pervasive that it goes largely unnoticed. The spiritual ideals of any tradition, whether Christian commandments or Buddhist precepts, can provide easy justification for practitioners to duck uncomfortable feelings in favor of more seemingly enlightened activity. When split off from fundamental psychological needs, such actions often do much more harm than good.While other authors have touched on the subject, this is the first book fully devoted to spiritual bypassing. In the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa's landmark Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Spiritual Bypassing provides an in-depth look at the unresolved or ignored psychological issues often masked as spirituality, including self-judgment, excessive niceness, and emotional dissociation. A longtime psychotherapist with an engaging writing style, Masters furthers the body of psychological insight into how we use (and abuse) religion in often unconscious ways. This book will hold particular appeal for those who grew up with an unstructured new-age spirituality now looking for a more mature spiritual practice, and for anyone seeking increased self-awareness and a more robust relationship with themselves and others.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Spiritual Envy
by Michael KrasnyAs the host of one of National Public Radio's most popular interview programs, Michael Krasny has spent decades leading conversations on every imaginable topic and discussing life's most important questions with the foremost thinkers of our time. Now he brings his wide-ranging knowledge and perceptive intelligence to a thoughtful and thought-provoking exploration of belief; and lack of belief. Many books and pundits advocate for a specific God, while others adamantly declare there is no God. Yet these strident viewpoints often speak right past each other, rarely convincing anyone but the already convinced. In -- Spiritual Envy -- Krasny helps believers and nonbelievers alike understand their own questions about faith and religion, about God and human responsibility. Krasny challenges each of us to look closely at faith and its power, and to examine the positive and negative aspects of religion as expressed in culture, literature, and human relationships. Personal and universal, timely and timeless, this is a deeply wise yet warmly welcoming conversation, an invitation to ask one's own questions; no matter how inconclusive the answers.
Spiritual Life (Talking Philosophy)
by Michael McGheeThe original claim made in the introduction to this classic volume was that it broke fresh ground: that it set a new agenda for the philosophy of religion and was a reaction against a narrow conception of the discipline that had little to say philosophically about human experience, or subjectivity, or about the religious imagination, or the idea of 'spirituality'. In a new Foreword to the book, Michael McGhee reflects on how the discipline has changed or remained the same in the intervening twenty-five years since first publication. He argues that the connections between 'philosophy' and 'spirituality' are still developing; and that what we think of as 'religious' or 'spiritual' is shifting, along with ideas about self-knowledge. The book contains pertinent chapters by some of the leading thinkers in the field, including Rowan Williams, Janet Soskice, Fergus Kerr, Stephen Clark and Paul Williams, who offers a comparative piece on Tibetan Buddhism.
Spiritual Writings: A New Translation and Selection (Harper Perennial Modern Thought Ser.)
by Søren Kierkegaard George Pattison“By far the most profound thinker of the 19th century” —Ludwig Wittgenstein “Kierkegaard’s great contribution to Western philosophy was to assert, or to reassert with Romantic urgency, that, subjectively speaking, each existence is the center of the universe.” —John Updike, The New YorkerHarper Perennial Modern Classics presents the rediscovered spiritual writings of Søren Kierkegaard, edited and translated by Oxford theologian George Pattison. Called “the first modernist” by The Guardian and “the father of existentialism” by the New York Times, Kierkegaard left an indelible imprint on existential writers from Sartre and Camus to Kafka and Derrida. In works like Fear and Trembling, Sickness unto Death, and Either/Or, he by famously articulated that all meaning is rooted in subjective experience—but the devotional essays that Patterson reveals in Spiritual Writings will forever change our understanding of the great philosopher, uncovering the spiritual foundations beneath his secularist philosophy.
Spirituality Within Religious Traditions in Social Work Practice
by Mary Van Hook Beryl Hugen Marian AguilarThis text for social workers and other counselors discusses how religious traditions shape people's lives and help them construct meaning about the world around them. Each of the 14 contributions from academics and clinicians describes the history of a particular religion, some of its rituals, basic beliefs, and its implications for social work practice. Some of the faiths profiled include Islam, Judaism, Native American spirituality, Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Mormonism, and the African-American Baptist tradition. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Spirituality and Ethics in Management
by Laszlo ZsolnaiThe book - which was originally published by Kluwer in 2004 - is a collection of scholarly papers focusing on the role of spirituality and ethics in renewing the contemporary management praxis. The basic argument is that a more inclusive, holistic and peaceful approach to management is needed if business and political leaders are to uplift the environmentally degrading and socially disintegrating world of our age. The book uses diverse value-perspectives (Hindu, Catholic, Buddhist, and Humanist) and a variety of disciplines (philosophy, ethics, management studies, psychology, and organizational sciences) to extend traditional reflections on corporate purpose and focuses on a self-referential organizational-existential search for meaning, identity and success.
Spirituality for the Godless: Buddhism, Humanism, and Religion (Cambridge Studies in Religion, Philosophy, and Society)
by Michael McGheeMany people describe themselves as secular rather than religious, but they often qualify this statement by claiming an interest in spirituality. But what kind of spirituality is possible in the absence of religion? In this book, Michael McGhee shows how religious traditions and secular humanism function as 'schools of wisdom' whose aim is to expose and overcome the forces that obstruct justice. He examines the ancient conception of philosophy as a form of ethical self-inquiry and spiritual practice conducted by a community, showing how it helps us to reconceive the philosophy of religion in terms of philosophy as a way of life. McGhee discusses the idea of a dialogue between religion and atheism in terms of Buddhist practice and demonstrates how a non-theistic Buddhism can address itself to theistic traditions as well as to secular humanism. His book also explores how to shift the centre of gravity from religious belief towards states of mind and conduct.
Spirituality in Education in a Global, Pluralised World (Routledge Research in Education)
by Marian de SouzaA particular problem associated with international research in the field of spirituality and education is the reluctance of scholars to agree on what spirituality means, with numerous descriptions increasing ambiguity and reducing the impact of research in the discipline. This book argues that it is important to understand spirituality as a unifying concept that has the potential to be meaningful in its application to the lives of children and young people in areas of learning and wellbeing. Chapters show why and how spiritual learning should be addressed across the curriculum, with implications for the design of learning programs and environments.