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The Arrow Impossibility Theorem
by Amartya Sen Joseph E. Stiglitz Kenneth J. Arrow Eric Maskin Prasanta K. PattanaikKenneth Arrow's pathbreaking "impossibility theorem" was a watershed in the history of welfare economics, voting theory, and collective choice, demonstrating that there is no voting rule that satisfies the four desirable axioms of decisiveness, consensus, nondictatorship, and independence. In this book, Amartya Sen and Eric Maskin explore the implications of Arrow's theorem. Sen considers its ongoing utility, exploring the theorem's value and limitations in relation to recent research on social reasoning, while Maskin discusses how to design a voting rule that gets us closer to the ideal -- given that achieving the ideal is impossible. The volume also contains a contextual introduction by social choice scholar Prasanta K. Pattanaik and commentaries from Joseph E. Stiglitz and Kenneth Arrow himself, as well as essays by Sen and Maskin outlining the mathematical proof and framework behind their assertions.
The Arrow Impossibility Theorem (Kenneth J. Arrow Lecture Series)
by Amartya Sen Eric MaskinKenneth J. Arrow's pathbreaking "impossibility theorem" was a watershed innovation in the history of welfare economics, voting theory, and collective choice, demonstrating that there is no voting rule that satisfies the four desirable axioms of decisiveness, consensus, nondictatorship, and independence. <P><P>In this book Eric Maskin and Amartya Sen explore the implications of Arrow's theorem. Sen considers its ongoing utility, exploring the theorem's value and limitations in relation to recent research on social reasoning, and Maskin discusses how to design a voting rule that gets us closer to the ideal—given the impossibility of achieving the ideal. The volume also contains a contextual introduction by social choice scholar Prasanta K. Pattanaik and commentaries from Joseph E. Stiglitz and Kenneth J. Arrow himself, as well as essays by Maskin, Dasgupta, and Sen outlining the mathematical proof and framework behind their assertions.
The Arrows of Time
by Laura Mersini-Houghton Rudy VaasThe concept of time has fascinated humanity throughout recorded history, and it remains one of the biggest mysteries in science and philosophy. Time is clearly one of the fundamental building blocks of the universe and thus a deeper understanding of nature at a fundamental level also demands a comprehension of time. Furthermore, the origins of the universe are closely intertwined with the puzzle of time: Did time emerge at the Big Bang? Why does the arrow of time 'conspire' with the order of the initial state of the universe? This book addresses many of the most important questions about time: What is time, and is it fundamental or emergent? Why is there such an arrow of time, closely related to the initial state of the universe, and why do the cosmic, thermodynamic and other arrows agree? These issues are discussed here by leading experts, and each offers a new perspective on the debate. Their contributions delve into the most difficult research topic in physics, also describing the latest cutting edge research on the subject. The book also offers readers a comparison between the different outlooks of philosophy, physics and cosmology on the puzzle of time. This volume is intended to be useful for research purposes, but most chapters are also accessible to a more general audience of scientifically educated readers looking for deeper insights.
The Art Experience: An Introduction to Philosophy and the Arts
by Alex RajcziThe Art Experience: An Introduction to Philosophy and the Arts takes readers on an engaging and accessible journey that explores a series of fundamental questions about the nature of art and aesthetic value. The book’s 12 chapters explore three questions: What makes something a work of art? How should we experience art to get the most out of it? Once we understand art, how should we evaluate whether it is good or bad? Philosophical theory is illustrated with concrete examples: the paintings of Frida Kahlo, the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, the masks of the Nso people, and many others. Classic questions are balanced with cutting-edge challenges, such as Linda Nochlin’s work on the exclusion of women from the artistic canon.The Art Experience presupposes no prior knowledge of philosophy or art, and it will be of interest to any reader seeking an accessible and engaging introduction to this field. Along the way, readers learn how philosophical theories can affect our real-world experiences with painting, music, theater, and many other art forms.Key Features Accessible for any college student: assumes no knowledge of philosophy, art theory, or any artistic medium Organizes topics conceptually, rather than historically, allowing students to more easily grasp the core issues themselves rather than tracing their historical evolution Offers readers a large number of contemporary examples and a consistent focus on the way theory can affect people’s real-world experiences with art Explores questions about bias – for example, whether the artistic canon has excluded some groups unfairly and whether definitions of art are Western-biased
The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, & Human Evolution
by Denis DuttonThe Art Instinct combines two of the most fascinating and contentious disciplines, art and evolutionary science, in a provocative new work that will revolutionize the way art itself is perceived. Aesthetic taste, argues Denis Dutton, is an evolutionary trait, and is shaped by natural selection. It's not, as almost all contemporary art criticism and academic theory would have it, "socially constructed.
The Art Of Rhetoric
by Aristotle Hugh Lawson-TancredWith the emergence of democracy in the city-state of Athens in the years around 460 BC, public speaking became an essential skill for politicians in the Assemblies and Councils - and even for ordinary citizens in the courts of law. In response, the technique of rhetoric rapidly developed, bringing virtuoso performances and a host of practical manuals for the layman. While many of these were little more than collections of debaters' tricks, the Art of Rhetoric held a far deeper purpose. Here Aristotle establishes the methods of informal reasoning, provides the first aesthetic evaluation of prose style and offers detailed observations on character and the emotions. Hugely influential upon later Western culture, the Art of Rhetoric is a fascinating consideration of the force of persuasion and sophistry, and a compelling guide to the principles behind oratorical skill.
The Art and Craft of Political Theory
by Leslie Paul ThieleThe Art and Craft of Political Theory provides a critical overview of the discipline’s core concepts and concerns and highlights its development of critical thinking and practical judgment. The field’s interdisciplinary strengths are deployed to grapple with emerging issues and engage afresh enduring ideals and quandaries. While conventional definitions of key concepts are provided, original and controversial perspectives are also explored, revealing continuity in a tradition of thought while emphasizing its diversity and innovations. The Art and Craft of Political Theory illustrates the analytic and interpretive skills, the moral and philosophic discernment, and the historical knowledge needed to appreciate a tradition of thought, to contest its claims, and to make good use of its insights. Topics include: science, ideology and normative theory biology, culture, human nature, power and violence ancient, modern and postmodern political thought liberty, equality, justice, reason and democracy racial, religious, gender and economic identities liberalism, socialism, capitalism, communism, anarchism, feminism and environmentalism social media, automation, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. This concise, lively and accessibly written book is essential reading for all students of political theory.
The Art and Heart of Good Teaching: Values as the Pedagogy (SpringerBriefs in Education)
by Terence LovatThis book summarizes and updates findings from the Australian Values Education Program with a focus on the latest international research in the field, both theoretical and practice-based. Further, it provides a theoretical and practical basis for understanding the disenchantment with low-level accountability approaches to learning (e.g. NAPLAN in Australia). In turn, the book demonstrates the effectiveness of Values Education as a holistic pedagogy with the potential to enhance students’ learning effects in terms of their personal, social, emotional and academic development. It offers well-tested alternative pedagogical approaches, based on research insights largely originating from actual classroom-based practice.
The Art and Technique of Sumi-e Japanese Ink Painting
by Kay Morrissey ThompsonThe art of sumi-e, which literally means "ink picture," combines calligraphy and ink-painting to produce compositions of rare beauty. This beauty is paradoxical-ancient but modern, simple but complex, bold but subdued-no doubt reflecting the arts spiritual basis in Zen Buddhism. At the same time sumi-e is firmly rooted in the natural world, its various techniques serving as the painter's language for describing the wonders of nature.Art and Technique of Sumi-e Japanese Ink-Painting explores this ancient technique. Buddhist priests brought the ink stick and the bamboo-handled brush to Japan from China in the sixth century, and over the past fourteen centuries Japan has developed a rich heritage of ink-painting. Today the artistry of sumi-e can be admired in books, reproductions and museums, but the techniques of the art have been much less accessible. As a result, little information has been available to the inquisitive Western artist attracted to ink-painting. This book, designed to help remedy that deficiency, is the product of the author's study with her teacher, Ukai Uchiyama, master calligraphist and artist.
The Art and Thought of Heraclitus
by Charles H. KahnBehind the superficial obscurity of what fragments we have of Heraclitus' thought, Professor Kahn claims that it is possible to detect a systematic view of human existence, a theory of language which sees ambiguity as a device for the expression of multiple meaning, and a vision of human life and death within the larger order of nature. The fragments are presented here in a readable order; translation and commentary aim to make accessible the power and originality of a systematic thinker and a great master of artistic prose. The commentary locates Heraclitus within the tradition of early Greek thought, but stresses the importance of his ideas for topical theories of language, literature and philosophy.
The Art of Abduction
by Igor DouvenA novel defense of abduction, one of the main forms of nondeductive reasoning.With this book, Igor Douven offers the first comprehensive defense of abduction, a form of nondeductive reasoning. Abductive reasoning, which is guided by explanatory considerations, has been under normative pressure since the advent of Bayesian approaches to rationality. Douven argues that, although it deviates from Bayesian tenets, abduction is nonetheless rational. Drawing on scientific results, in particular those from reasoning research, and using computer simulations, Douven addresses the main critiques of abduction. He shows that versions of abduction can perform better than the currently popular Bayesian approaches—and can even do the sort of heavy lifting that philosophers have hoped it would do. Douven examines abduction in detail, comparing it to other modes of inference, explaining its historical roots, discussing various definitions of abduction given in the philosophical literature, and addressing the problem of underdetermination. He looks at reasoning research that investigates how judgments of explanation quality affect people&’s beliefs and especially their changes of belief. He considers the two main objections to abduction, the dynamic Dutch book argument, and the inaccuracy-minimization argument, and then gives abduction a positive grounding, using agent-based models to show the superiority of abduction in some contexts. Finally, he puts abduction to work in a well-known underdetermination argument, the argument for skepticism regarding the external world.
The Art of Appreciation: Music and Middlebrow Culture in Modern Britain (California Studies in 20th-Century Music #30)
by Kate GuthrieFrom the BBC Proms to Bernstein's Young People's Concerts, initiatives to promote classical music have been a pervasive feature of twentieth-century musical life. The goal of these initiatives was rarely just to reach a larger and more diverse audience but to teach a particular way of listening that would help the public "appreciate" music. This book examines for the first time how and why music appreciation has had such a defining and long-lasting impact—well beyond its roots in late-Victorian liberalism. It traces the networks of music educators, philanthropists, policy makers, critics, composers, and musicians who, rather than resisting new mass media, sought to harness their pedagogic potential. The book explores how listening became embroiled in a nexus of modern problems around citizenship, leisure, and education. In so doing, it ultimately reveals how a new cultural milieu—the middlebrow—emerged at the heart of Britain's experience of modernity.
The Art of Being
by Erich FrommA guide to well-being from the renowned social psychologist and New York Times–bestselling author of The Art of Loving and Escape from Freedom. Though laptops, smartphones, and TVs have in many ways made life more convenient, they have also disconnected us from the real world. Days are spent going from screen to machine, machine to screen. In The Art of Being, renowned humanist philosopher and psychoanalyst Erich Fromm draws from sources as varied as Sigmund Freud, Buddha, and Karl Marx to find a new, centered path to self-knowledge and well-being. In order to truly live, Fromm argues, we must first understand our purpose, and the places where we lost it. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Erich Fromm including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s estate.
The Art of Being: Poetics of the Novel and Existentialists Philosophy
by Yi-Ping OngIn this account of how the novel reorients philosophy toward the meaning of existence, Yi-Ping Ong shows that the existentialists discovered a radical way of thinking about the relation between the form of the novel and the nature of self-knowledge, freedom, and the world. At stake are the conditions under which knowledge of existence is possible.
The Art of Chinese Brush Painting
by Caroline Self Susan SelfChinese ink painting is an offshoot of calligraphy and is a beautiful and reflective art that's been revered in China for centuries. A wonderfully creative tool, this book is an excellent way for newcomers to experience this ancient art form.Traditional black-and-white Chinese ink painting elements, along with the tradition's essentials--such as the quality and variety of the tools and accessories used in its practice are all covered. The Art of Chinese Brush Painting encourages readers to be mindful of the principles of composition and perspective, and introduces specific techniques for several different elements, including Chinese Zodiac animals and landscapes.
The Art of Chinese Brush Painting
by Caroline Self Susan SelfChinese ink painting is an offshoot of calligraphy and is a beautiful and reflective art that's been revered in China for centuries. A wonderfully creative tool, this book is an excellent way for newcomers to experience this ancient art form.Traditional black-and-white Chinese ink painting elements, along with the tradition's essentials--such as the quality and variety of the tools and accessories used in its practice are all covered. The Art of Chinese Brush Painting encourages readers to be mindful of the principles of composition and perspective, and introduces specific techniques for several different elements, including Chinese Zodiac animals and landscapes.
The Art of Chinese Philosophy: Eight Classical Texts and How to Read Them
by Paul GoldinA smart and accessible introduction to the most important works of ancient Chinese philosophy—the Analects of Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Sunzi, Xunzi, and Han FeiziThis book provides an unmatched introduction to eight of the most important works of classical Chinese philosophy—the Analects of Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Sunzi, Xunzi, and Han Feizi. Combining accessibility with the latest scholarship, Paul Goldin, one of the world's leading authorities on the history of Chinese philosophy, places these works in rich context as he explains the origin and meaning of their compelling ideas.Because none of these classics was written in its current form by the author to whom it is attributed, the book begins by asking, "What are we reading?" and showing that understanding the textual history of the works enriches our appreciation of them. A chapter is devoted to each of the eight works, and the chapters are organized into three sections: "Philosophy of Heaven," which looks at how the Analects, Mozi, and Mencius discuss, often skeptically, Heaven (tian) as a source of philosophical values; "Philosophy of the Way," which addresses how Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Sunzi introduce the new concept of the Way (dao) to transcend the older paradigms; and "Two Titans at the End of an Age," which examines how Xunzi and Han Feizi adapt the best ideas of the earlier thinkers for a coming imperial age.In addition, the book presents clear and insightful explanations of the protean and frequently misunderstood concept of qi—and of a crucial characteristic of Chinese philosophy, nondeductive reasoning. The result is an invaluable account of an endlessly fascinating and influential philosophical tradition.
The Art of Comedy Writing
by Arthur Asa BergerJust as a distinctive literary voice or style is marked by the ease with which it can be parodied, so too can specific aspects of humor be unique. Playwrights, television writers, novelists, cartoonists, and film scriptwriters use many special technical devices to create humor. Just as dramatic writers and novelists use specific devices to craft their work, creators of humorous materials from the ancient Greeks to today's stand-up comics have continued to use certain techniques in order to generate humor.In The Art of Comedy Writing, Arthur Asa Berger argues that there are a relatively limited number of techniques forty-five in all that humorists employ. Elaborating upon his prior, in-depth study of humor, An Anatomy of Humor, in which Berger provides a content analysis of humor in all forms joke books, plays, comic books, novels, short stories, comic verse, and essaysThe Art of Comedy Writing goes further. Berger groups each technique into four basic categories: humor involving identity such as burlesque, caricature, mimicry, and stereotype; humor involving logic such as analogy, comparison, and reversal; humor involving language such as puns, wordplay, sarcasm, and satire; and finally, chase, slapstick, and speed, or humor involving action.Berger claims that if you want to know how writers or comedians create humor study and analysis of their humorous works can be immensely insightful. This book is a unique analytical offering for those interested in humor. It provides writers and critics with a sizable repertoire of techniques for use in their own future comic creations. As such, this book will be of interest to people inspired by humor and the creative process professionals in the comedy field and students of creative writing, comedy, literary humor, communications, broadcast/media, and the humanities.
The Art of Comics: A Philosophical Approach (New Directions in Aesthetics #32)
by Roy T. Cook Aaron MeskinThe Art of Comics is the first-ever collection of essays published in English devoted to the philosophical topics raised by comics and graphic novels. In an area of growing philosophical interest, this volume constitutes a great leap forward in the development of this fast expanding field, and makes a powerful contribution to the philosophy of art. The first-ever anthology to address the philosophical issues raised by the art of comics Provides an extensive and thorough introduction to the field, and to comics more generally Responds to the increasing philosophical interest in comic art Includes a preface by the renowned comics author Warren Ellis Many of the chapters are illustrated, and the book carries a stunning cover by the rising young comics star David Heatley
The Art of Conjecture
by Bertrand de JouvenelCommissions of experts regularly meet to reply to questions such as: What will be the population of the country, or even of our planet, in ten, fifteen or twenty-five years? In what proportion will production have increased, what modifications will its composition and utilizations have undergone? The attraction of efforts to forecast the future continues. That is a fact. How does it proceed? That is a problem, one on which de Jouvenel focuses on in this book.The Art of Conjecture clearly explains what the "study of the future" can mean. De Jouvenel emphasizes the logical and political problems of forecasting and discusses methods in economics, sociology, and political science by which the future can be studied. More importantly, he discusses the fallacies to which the "study of the future" is peculiarly likely to give rise. The author argues that it is natural and necessary for the population to have visions of the future. Without this, he states, we would only be able to set one opinion of the future against another. If the origins and meanings of these predictions remained obscure, only the event could decide among the opinions.If any man can be said to have created the serious "study of the future" in our time, it is Bertrand de Jouvenel. Futuribles, a periodical he created, continues to represent a major turning point in contemporary social science. Jouvenel aimed to show how "the art of conjecture" could inform prudential judgment and allow citizens and statesmen to detect troubles before they arise.
The Art of Controversy
by Arthur SchopenhauerCollected here are six short essays-- The Basis of All Dialect; Stratagems; On the Comparative Place of Interest and Beauty in Works of Art; Psychological Observations; and On the Wisdom of Life: Aphorisms, and Genius and Virtue-- by the world renowned philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer.
The Art of Controversy: Political Cartoons and Their Enduring Power
by Victor S. NavaskyA lavishly illustrated, witty, and original look at the awesome power of the political cartoon throughout history to enrage, provoke, and amuse. As a former editor of The New York Times Magazine and the longtime editor of The Nation, Victor S. Navasky knows just how transformative--and incendiary--cartoons can be. Here Navasky guides readers through some of the greatest cartoons ever created, including those by George Grosz, David Levine, Herblock, Honoré Daumier, and Ralph Steadman. He recounts how cartoonists and caricaturists have been censored, threatened, incarcerated, and even murdered for their art, and asks what makes this art form, too often dismissed as trivial, so uniquely poised to affect our minds and our hearts.Drawing on his own encounters with would-be censors, interviews with cartoonists, and historical archives from cartoon museums across the globe, Navasky examines the political cartoon as both art and polemic over the centuries. We see afresh images most celebrated for their artistic merit (Picasso's Guernica, Goya's "Duendecitos"), images that provoked outrage (the 2008 Barry Blitt New Yorker cover, which depicted the Obamas as a Muslim and a Black Power militant fist-bumping in the Oval Office), and those that have dictated public discourse (Herblock's defining portraits of McCarthyism, the Nazi periodical Der Stürmer's anti-Semitic caricatures). Navasky ties together these and other superlative genre examples to reveal how political cartoons have been not only capturing the zeitgeist throughout history but shaping it as well--and how the most powerful cartoons retain the ability to shock, gall, and inspire long after their creation.Here Victor S. Navasky brilliantly illuminates the true power of one of our most enduringly vital forms of artistic expression.
The Art of Cycling: Philosophy, Meaning, And A Life On Two Wheels
by James HibbardA meditative love letter to the sport of cycling, revealing how cycling can shed new light on age-old questions of selfhood, meaning, and purpose.Interweaving cycling, philosophy, and personal narrative, The Art of Cycling provides readers with a deep understanding of the highs and lows of being an elite athlete, the limits of approaching any sporting pursuit from a strictly rational perspective, and how the philosophical and often counterintuitive lessons derived from sport can be applied to other areas of life. Accessible to everyone from the hardened racer to the casual fan, this updated American edition of The Art of Cycling engages the history of thought through the lens of cycling to undermine much of what is typically thought of as "intellectual," breathing new vitality into life, and countering society's obsession with progress and drive towards the abstract, detached, and virtual.
The Art of Deception: An Introduction to Critical Thinking.
by Nicholas Capaldi Miles SmitThis classic work on critical thinking-now fully updated and revised-uses a novel approach to teach the basics of informal logic. On the assumption that it takes one to know one, the authors have written the book from the point of view of someone who wishes to deceive, mislead, or manipulate others. Having mastered the art of deception, readers will then be able to detect the misuse or abuse of logic when they encounter it in others-whether in a heated political debate or while trying to evaluate the claims of a persuasive sales person. Using a host of real-world examples, the authors show you how to win an argument, defend a case, recognize a fallacy, see through deception, persuade a skeptic, and turn defeat into victory. Not only do they discuss the fundamentals of logic (premises, conclusions, syllogisms, common fallacies, etc. ), but they also consider important related issues often encountered in face-to-face debates, such as gaining a sympathetic audience, responding to audience reaction, using nonverbal devices, clearly presenting the facts, refutation, and driving home a concluding argument. Whether you're preparing for law school or you just want to become more adept at making your points and analyzing others' arguments, The Art of Deception will give you the intellectual tools to become a more effective thinker and speaker. Helpful exercises and discussion questions are also included. Nicholas Capaldi, Ph. D. (Baton Rouge, LA), holds the Legendre-Soulé Distinguished Scholar Chair in Business Ethics at Loyola University of New Orleans. He is the author or editor of many books including Affirmative Action: Social Justice or Unfair Preference?; Immigration: Debating the Issues; and John Stuart Mill: A Biography. Miles Smit, Ph. D. (Toronto, Ontario), works as a business analyst in Canada and holds a Ph. D. in philosophy from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
The Art of Disappearing
by Ajahn BrahmWhether mere bumps in the road or genuine crises, we live in a world of unwanted events that no willpower can prevent. In The Art of Disappearing, Ajahn Brahm helps us learn to abandon the headwind of false expectations and follow instead the Buddha's path of understanding. Releasing our attachment to past and future, to self and other, we can directly experience the natural state of serenity underlying all our thoughts and discover the bliss of the present moment. In that space, we learn what it is to disappear. Ajahn Brahm, an unparalleled guide to the bliss of meditation, makes the journey as fun as it is rewarding. The Art of Disappearing, comprised of a series of teachings Ajahn Brahm gave to the monks of Bodhinyana Monastery, where he serves as abbot, offers a unique glimpse into the mind of one of contemporary Buddhism's most engaging figures.