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Short, accessible and lively introductions to the major schools, movements and traditions in philosophy and the history of ideas since the beginning of the Enlightenment suitable for undergraduates meeting the subject for the first time.

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17 results in Understanding Movements in Modern Thought

Understanding Nietzscheanism
  • Ashley Woodward
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 May 2014
    Print publication:
    24 November 2011
  • Nietzsche's critiques of traditional modes of thinking, valuing and living, as well as his radical proposals for new alternatives, have been vastly influential in a wide variety of areas, such that an understanding of his philosophy and its influence is important for grasping many aspects of contemporary thought and culture. However Nietzsche's thought is complex and elusive, and has been interpreted in many ways. Moreover, he has influenced starkly contrasting movements and schools of thought, from atheism to theology, from existentialism to poststructuralism, and from Nazism to feminism. This book charts Nietzsche's influence, both historically and thematically, across a variety of these contrasting disciplines and schools of interpretation. It provides both an accessible introduction to Nietzsche's thought and its impact and an overview of contemporary approaches to Nietzsche.

Understanding Marxism
  • Geoff Boucher
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 April 2014
    Print publication:
    27 September 2012
  • Marxism as an intellectual movement has been one of the most important and fertile contributions to twentieth-century thought. No social theory or political philosophy today can be taken seriously unless it enters a dialogue, not just with the legacy of Marx, but also with the innovations and questions that spring from the movement that his work sparked, Marxism. Marx provided a revolutionary set of ideas about freedom, politics and society. As social and political conditions changed and new intellectual challenges to Marx's social philosophy arose, the Marxist theorists sought to update his social theory, rectify the sociological positions of historical materialism and respond to philosophical challenges with a Marxist reply. This book provides an accessible introduction to Marxism by explaining each of the key concepts of Marxist politics and social theory. The book is organized into three parts, which explore the successive waves of change within Marxist theory and places these in historical context, while the whole provides a clear and comprehensive account of Marxism as an intellectual system.

Understanding Empiricism
  • Robert G. Meyers
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    31 July 2006
  • Understanding Empiricism is an introduction to empiricism and the empiricist tradition in philosophy. The book examines the most important philosophical issues bearing on the subject, while maintaining enough distance from the intricacies of Locke, Berkeley, Hume scholarship to allow readers to gain a clear overview of empiricism without being lost in the details of exegetical disputes concerning particular philosophers. Robert Meyers begins by distinguishing between the epistemological and psychological versions of empiricism, showing how the former is of primary interest to philosophers. Meyers then provides a lucid introduction to the main protagonists in the British empiricist tradition from this perspective before focusing on some central issues such as foundationalism, the notion of the a priori, the challenge of skepticism, and the status of religious belief within empiricism. The ideas of recent philosophers, including Sellars, Goodman and Quine, are considered alongside the earlier criticisms of Leibniz, Mill and Peirce. The discussions are kept at an introductory level throughout in order to help readers locate the principles of empiricism in relation to modern philosophy. Understanding Empiricism introduces current problems in the theory of knowledge as well as offering a concise survey of the history of empiricist ideas. It will be welcome reading for courses on epistemology as well as on the history of philosophy.

Understanding Existentialism
  • Jack Reynolds
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    30 November 2005
  • Understanding Existentialism provides an accessible introduction to existentialism, the philosophical and literary movement that came to prominence in Europe, particularly France, in the mid-twentieth century. The book begins with a discussion of the movement's antecedents in the ideas of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl, Jaspers and Marcel before examining the core texts that give existentialism its philosophical foundations: Heidegger's Being and Time, Sartre's Being and Nothingness, Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception and de Beauvoir's The Ethics of Ambiguity and The Second Sex. Reynolds reveals the shared concerns and the disagreements between these thinkers, and brings into focus the recurring themes in their writings that underpin "existentialism". These themes are discussed in detail and include the notion of freedom; death, finitude and mortality; phenomenological experiences and "moods", such as anguish, angst, nausea, boredom and fear; the emphasis upon authenticity and responsibility; pessimism about human relations; and the rejection of any external determination of morality or value. The final chapter assesses the legacy of existentialist ideas, particularly their influence on poststructuralism, and argues that existentialism remains a productive school of thought. Understanding Existentialism offers an ideal introduction for students studying existentialist ideas on courses in continental philosophy, literary criticism and feminist theory.

Understanding Environmental Philosophy
  • Andrew Brennan
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    31 August 2010
  • Environmental philosophy is one of the exciting new fields of philosophy to emerge in the last forty years. Understanding Environmental Philosophy presents a comprehensive, critical analysis of contemporary philosophical approaches to current ecological concerns. Key ideas are explained, placed in their broader cultural, religious, historical, political and philosophical context, and their environmental policy implications are outlined. Central ideas and concepts about environmental value, individual wellbeing, ecological holism and the metaphysics of nature set the stage for a discussion of how to establish moral rules and priorities, and whether it is possible to transcend human-centred views of the world. The reader is also helped with an annotated guide to further reading, questions for discussion and revision as well as boxed studies highlighting key concepts and theoretical material. A clear and accessible introduction to this most dynamic of subjects, Understanding Environmental Philosophy will be invaluable for a wide range of readers.

Understanding Postcolonialism
  • Jane Hiddleston
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    30 March 2009
  • Postcolonialism offers challenging and provocative ways of thinking about colonial and neocolonial power, about self and other, and about the discourses that perpetuate postcolonial inequality and violence. Much of the seminal work in postcolonialism has been shaped by currents in philosophy, notably Marxism and ethics. Understanding Postcolonialism examines the philosophy of postcolonialism in order to reveal the often conflicting systems of thought which underpin it. In so doing, the book presents a reappraisal of the major postcolonial thinkers of the twentieth century. Ranging beyond the narrow selection of theorists to which the field is often restricted, the book explores the work of Fanon and Sartre, Gandhi, Nandy, and the Subaltern Studies Group, Foucault and Said, Derrida and Bhabha, Khatibi and Glissant, and Spivak, Mbembe and Mudimbe. A clear and accessible introduction to the subject, Understanding Postcolonialism reveals how, almost half a century after decolonisation, the complex relation between politics and ethics continues to shape postcolonial thought.

Understanding Phenomenology
  • David R. Cerbone
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    30 May 2006
  • Understanding Phenomenology provides a concise and accessible guide to one of the most important schools of thought in modern philosophy. The book traces phenomenology's historical development, beginning with its founder, Edmund Husserl and his "pure" or "transcendental" phenomenology, and continuing with the later, "existential" phenomenology of Heidegger, Sartre and Merleau-Ponty. Each chapter provides an expert distillation of each philosopher's refinements to the movement's core ideas and provides readers with a clear picture of how phenomenology moved from primarily a theory of knowledge to a new philosophical method. The final chapter assesses later, critical responses to phenomenology – ranging from Derrida to Dennett – and reflects on the continued significance of phenomenology for philosophy today. Written for those coming to phenomenology for the first time, Understanding Phenomenology guides the reader through the often bewildering array of technical concepts and jargon, and provides clear explanations and helpful examples to encourage and enhance engagement with the primary texts. It is ideally suited for courses in twentieth-century continental philosophy and for the non-specialist looking for an authoritative overview.

Understanding Virtue Ethics
  • Stan van Hooft
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    30 November 2005
  • More and more philosophers have advocated varieties of virtue-based ethics that challenge moral theory traditionally founded on moral obligation and the delineation of what is right or wrong in given situations. Virtue ethics, which focuses upon the character of moral agents more than on the moral status of their actions or the consequences of those actions, has become one of the most important and stimulating areas of contemporary ethical theory. Understanding Virtue Ethics is an accessible and lively introduction to the subject. It provides a broad overview of the history of virtue ethics from Aristotle to Nietzsche as well as examining the ideas of such contemporary writers as Ricoeur and Levinas. Major themes dealt with by moral theory are examined and how a virtue ethics approach to them differs from those of other traditions is explored. Practical problems of moral complexity such as abortion, euthanasia, and integrity in politics, and how they might be approached from a virtue perspective are considered. The charges of relativism and egoism that are often mounted against virtue ethics are rebutted and virtues that are especially relevant to contemporary life, namely, courage, taking responsibility, and reverence are examined in depth. Finally, the author argues that virtue ethics is highly relevant to our understanding of the moral dimensions of professional roles.

Understanding Utilitarianism
  • Tim Mulgan
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    30 May 2007
  • Utilitarianism – a philosophy based on the principle of the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people – has been hugely influential over the past two centuries. Beyond ethics, utilitarian assumptions and arguments abound in modern economic and political life, especially in public policy. An understanding of utilitarianism is indeed essential to any understanding of contemporary society. Understanding Utilitarianism presents utilitarianism very much as a living tradition. The book begins with a summary of the classical utilitarianism of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries while subsequent chapters trace the development of the central themes of utilitarian thought over the twentieth century. Questions covered include: What is happiness? Is happiness the only valuable thing? Is utilitarianism about acts or rules or institutions? Is utilitarianism unjust, or implausibly demanding, or impractical? Where might utilitarianism go in the future?

Understanding Hegelianism
  • Robert Sinnerbrink
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    30 May 2007
  • Understanding Hegelianism explores the ways in which Hegelian and anti-Hegelian currents of thought have shaped some of the most significant movements in twentieth-century European philosophy, particularly the traditions of critical theory, existentialism, Marxism and poststructuralism. The first part of the book examines Kierkegaard’s existentialism and Marx’s materialism, which present two defining poles of subsequent Hegelian and anti-Hegelian movements. The second part looks at the contrasting critiques of Hegel by Lukacs and Heidegger, which set the stage for the appropriation of Hegelian themes in German critical theory and the anti-Hegelian turn in French poststructuralism. The role of Hegelian themes in the work of Adorno, Habermas and Honneth are explored. In the third part, the rich tradition of Hegelianism in modern French philosophy is considered – the work of Wahl, Kojeve, Hyppolite, Lefebvre, Sartre, de Beauvoir as well as the radical critique of Hegelianism articulated by Derrida and Deleuze. Although the focus is primarily on German and French appropriations of Hegelian thought, the author also explores some of the recent developments in Anglophone Hegelianism.

Understanding Naturalism
  • Jack Ritchie
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    30 September 2008
  • Naturalist ideas in epistemology, metaphysics and philosophy of language have been some of the most influential in recent philosophy, yet there exists no introduction to naturalism as a distinct philosophical position. This book is it. Many contemporary Anglo-American philosophers describe themselves as naturalists. But what do they mean by that term? Popular naturalist slogans like, “there is no first philosophy” or “philosophy is continuous with the natural sciences” are far from illuminating. Understanding Naturalism provides a clear and readable survey of the main strands in recent naturalist thought. The origin and development of naturalist ideas in epistemology, metaphysics and semantics is explained through the works of Quine, Goldman, Kuhn, Chalmers, Papineau, Millikan and others. Key objections to naturalism, such as it fails to engage with “real” philosophical problems, it is self-refuting, and it cannot deal with normative notions like truth, justification and meaning, are all addressed. Ritchie distinguishes two strands of naturalist thinking – the constructive and the deflationary – and shows how this distinction can invigorate naturalism and the future of philosophical research.

Understanding German Idealism
  • Will Dudley
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    31 July 2007
  • Understanding German Idealism provides an accessible introduction to the philosophical movement that emerged with the publication of Kant’s monumental Critique of Pure Reason and ended fifty years later with Hegel’s death. The thinkers of this period and the themes they developed revolutionized almost every area of philosophy and had an impact that continues to be felt across the humanities and social sciences today. Notoriously complex, the central texts of German Idealism have confounded the most capable and patient interpreters for more than 200 years. Understanding German Idealism aims to convey the significance of this philosophical movement while avoiding its obscurity. Readers are given a clear understanding of the problems that motivated Kant, Fichte, Schelling and Hegel and the solutions that they proposed. Dudley outlines the main ideas of transcendental idealism and explores how the later German Idealists attempted to carry out the Kantian project more rigorously than Kant himself, striving to develop a fully self-critical and rational philosophy, in order to determine the meaning and sustain the possibility of a free and rational modern life.

Understanding Psychoanalysis
  • Matthew Sharpe
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    30 April 2008
  • Understanding Psychoanalysis presents a broad introduction to the key concepts and developments in psychoanalysis and its impact on modern thought. Charting pivotal moments in the theorization and reception of psychoanalysis, the book provides a comprehensive account of the concerns and development of Freud’s work, as well as his most prominent successors, Melanie Klein and Jacques Lacan. The work of these leading psychoanalytic theorists has greatly influenced thinking across other disciplines, notably feminism, film studies, poststructuralism, social and cultural theory, the philosophy of science and the emerging discipline of neuropsychoanalysis. Analysing this engagement with other disciplines and their key theorists, Understanding Psychoanalysis argues for a reconsideration of psychoanalysis as a resource for philosophy, science, and cultural studies.

Understanding Rationalism
  • Charlie Huenemann
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    30 January 2008
  • The three great historical philosophers most often associated with rationalism – Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz – opened up ingenious and breathtaking vistas upon the world. Yet their works are so difficult that readers often find themselves stymied. Understanding Rationalism offers a guide for anyone approaching these thinkers for the first time. With clear explanations, elegant examples and insightful summaries, Understanding Rationalism unlocks their intricate metaphysical systems, which are by turns surprising, compelling and sometimes bizarre. It also lays out their controversial stances on moral, political and religious problems. The study is framed by an opening discussion of the broad themes and attitudes common to these three philosophers and a closing analysis of the legacy they left for the rest of philosophy.

Understanding Poststructuralism
  • James Williams
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    30 October 2005
  • Understanding Poststructuralism is a lucid guide to some of the most exciting and controversial ideas in contemporary thought. Structured around the key works of the movement's most important theorists, Foucault, Derrida, Kristeva, Lyotard and Deleuze, each chapter examines a central text, providing detailed summaries of the main points and a critical analysis of the core arguments. Difficult ideas are clearly explained both in terms of their value to critical thinking and to contemporary issues. Poststructuralism's challenging methodology; deconstruction, libidinal economics, genealogy and transcendental empiricism; is illuminated by being examined in context. Although a sympathetic interpreter of poststructuralism, Williams is not dismissive of the criticism of analytic philosophers and he is able to provide a much needed balanced assessment of this philosophy. The book offers an ideal introduction for students encountering poststructuralist ideas in philosophy, social and political theory, cultural studies, gender studies and in literary and art criticism.

Understanding Hermeneutics
  • Lawrence K. Schmidt
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    31 October 2006
  • Hermeneutics concerns itself with the theory of understanding and the interpretation of language. The question of how to correctly interpret and understand others remains one of the most contested branches of philosophy. In Understanding Hermeneutics Lawrence Schmidt provides an introduction to modern hermeneutics through a systematic examination of the ideas of its key philosophical proponents. Chapter 1 examines the ideas of the Protestant theologian, Friedrich Schleiermacher, who argues that misunderstanding is always possible so we must always employ interpretation if we are to understand correctly. Chapter 2 discusses the ideas of Dilthey, who maintains that understanding in the humanities is fundamentally different from explanation in the natural sciences, and who presents a methodology to judge what another person means or feels by means of their language and also their gestures, facial expressions, and manners of acting. Chapter 3 explores the ideas of Heidegger who radicalizes the concept by shifting its focus from interpreting texts to an existential interpretation of human being. In Chapter 4 the recent ideas of Gadamer are examined, which extend to examining the structures of hermeneutic experience and to question the supremacy of the natural sciences as models for truth. The final chapters consider some of the criticisms and controversies surrounding hermeneutics, including the work of Habermas, Hirsch, Ricoeur and Derrida, and the prospects for the future of hermeneutics.

Understanding Feminism
  • Peta Bowden
  • Published by:
    Acumen Publishing
    Published online:
    05 February 2013
    Print publication:
    30 May 2009
  • Understanding Feminism provides an accessible guide to one of the most important and contested movements in progressive modern thought. Presenting feminism as a dynamic, multi-faceted and adaptive movement that has evolved in response to the changing practical and theoretical problems faced by women, the authors take a problem-oriented approach that maps the complex strands of feminist thinking in relation to women’s struggles for equal recognition and rights, and freedom from oppressive constraints of sex, self-expression and autonomy. Each chapter focuses on a different cluster of concerns, demonstrating key moves in second-wave feminist thought, as well as some of the diversity in response-strategies that encompass both socio-economic and cultural-symbolic concerns. This approach not only shows how central feminist insights, theories and strategies emerge and re-emerge across different contexts, but makes clear that far from being “over”, feminism remains a vital response to the diverse issues that women (and men) find pressing and socially important.