This volume of the collected works of J.L. Shaw contains twelve papers that fall in the intersection of logic, metaphysics, and the philosophy of language. Professor Shaw's methodology in these papers is that of comparative philosophy. With an emphasis on classical Indian analytical philosophy and late 19th and 20th century Western analytical philosophy, Professor Shaw compares such traditions as the Nyaya, Navya Nyaya, Mimamsa, Vedanta, and Buddhism with each other and with Western thinke...

A collection of philosophical essays by famed British thinker Bertrand Russell, "The Analysis of Mind" contains the following essays: I. Recent Criticisms of "Consciousness", II. Instinct and Habit, III. Desire and Feeling, IV. Influence of Past History on Present Occurrences in Living Organisms, V. Psychological and Physical Causal Laws, VI. Introspection, VII. The Definition of Perception, VIII. Sensations and Images, IX. Memory, X. Words and Meaning, XI. General Ideas and Thought, XII. ...

The Critique of Practical Reason Immanuel Kant - The second of Kant's three critiques, Critique of Practical Reason forms the center of Kantian philosophy; published in 1788, it is bookended by his Critique of Pure Reason and Critique of Judgement. With this work Kant establishes his role as a vindicator of the truth of Christianity; he approaches his proof by presenting positive affirmation of the immortality of the soul and the existence of God. The philosopher offers an argument concern...

In the seminal work "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus," Ludwig Wittgenstein offers a profound exploration of the relationship between language, reality, and thought, articulating a framework that seeks to dissolve traditional philosophical problems through logical analysis. Written in a distinctive, aphoristic style, the text presents a series of propositions that build upon one another, ultimately asserting that the limits of language are the limits of our world. Positioned at the intersect...

In 'Menexenus,' Plato presents a thought-provoking dialogue that explores themes of rhetoric, memory, and virtue through a fictionalized eulogy delivered by Socrates. This work, characterized by its ironic tone and layered argumentation, critiques the art of persuasion prevalent in Athenian society while simultaneously serving as a homage to fallen soldiers. The dialogue invites readers to grapple with the ethical implications of oratory and the responsibilities of citizenship, illustratin...

In its chase after idols this age has not wholly forgotten the gods, and reason and faith in reason are not left without advocates. Some years ago, at Trinity College, Cambridge, Mr. G.E. Moore began to produce a very deep impression amongst the younger spirits by his powerful and luminous dialectic. Like Socrates, he used all the sharp arts of a disputant in the interests of common sense and of an almost archaic dogmatism. Those who heard him felt how superior his position was, both in ri...

What is truth? Michael Lynch defends a bold new answer to this question. Traditional theories of truth hold that truth has only a single uniform nature. All truths are true in the same way. More recent deflationary theories claim that truth has no nature at all; the concept of truth is of no real philosophical importance. In this concise and clearly written book, Lynch argues that we should reject both these extremes and hold that truth is a functional property. To understand truth we must...

Bertrand Russell changed Western philosophy forever. He tackled many puzzles--how our minds work, how we experience the world, and what the true nature of meaning is. In "Introducing Bertrand Russell "we meet a passionate eccentric, active in world politics, who had outspoken views on sex, marriage, religion, and education.

In Vagueness and Degrees of Truth, Nicholas Smith develops a new theory of vagueness: fuzzy plurivaluationism. A predicate is said to be vague if there is no sharply defined boundary between the things to which it applies and the things to which it does not apply. For example, 'heavy' is vague in a way that 'weighs over 20 kilograms' is not. A great many predicates - both in everyday talk, and in a wide array of theoretical vocabularies, from law to psychology to engineer...

Between Saying and Doing aims to reconcile pragmatism (in both its classical American and its Wittgensteinian forms) with analytic philosophy. It investigates the relations between the meaning of linguistic expressions and their use. Giving due weight bot