Author: Anthony Hatzimoysis File Type: pdf Playwright, novelist, political theorist, literary critic and philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-80) remains an iconic figure. This book examines his philosophical ideas and methods. It is an introductory guide for the student who wishes to understand Sartres philosophical argumentation. It reconstructs in plain language key instances of Sartres philosophical reasoning at work and shows how certain questions arise for Sartre and what philosophical tools he uses to address those questions. Each chapter considers a range of issues in the Sartrean corpus including his conception of phenomenology, the question of self-identity, the Sartrean view of conscious beings, his understanding of the self, his theory of value, human action as both the originator and the outcome of social processes, dialectical reason, and his conception of artistic activity. Hatzimoysis uncovers the philosophical argumentation, identifies Sartres most important philosophical ideas and addresses the arguments in which those ideas are employed. Readers are able to get a real understanding of Sartres approach to the activity of philosophising and how his method favours certain types of philosophical analysis.

Author: David Bodanis File Type: mobi Generations have grown up knowing that the equation E=mc2 changed the shape of our world, but never understanding what it actually means, why it was so significant, and how it informs our daily lives today--governing, as it does, everything from the atomic bomb to a televisions cathode ray tube to the carbon dating of prehistoric paintings. In this book, David Bodanis writes the biography of one of the greatest scientific discoveries in history--that the realms of energy and matter are inescapably linked--and, through his skill as a writer and teacher, he turns a seemingly impenetrable theory into a dramatic human achievement and an uncommonly good story.

Author: Umberto Eco File Type: epub A posthumous collection of essays about the modern world from one of Europes greatest, and best-selling, literary figures Umberto Eco was an international cultural superstar. In this, his last collection, the celebrated essayist and novelist observes the changing world around him with irrepressible curiosity and profound wisdom. He sees with fresh eyes the upheaval in ideological values, the crises in politics, and the unbridled individualism that have become the backdrop of our livesa liquid society in which its not easy to find a polestar, though stars and starlets abound. In these pieces, written for his regular column in LEspressomagazine, Eco brings his dazzling erudition and keen sense of the everyday to bear on topics such as popular culture and politics, being seen, conspiracies, the old and the young, new technologies, mass media, racism, and good manners. It is a final gift to his readerastute, witty, and illuminating.**ReviewA swan song from one of Europes great intellectuals. After publishing numerous novels, criticism, essays, and so much more, Eco died in 2016 at the age of 84. Like a few others before him, including Edmund Wilson and Lionel Trilling, among others, Eco proved that one could write for many audiences...Theres a distinct Italian lean to these pieces, so some travel better than others, but its not so much the information they convey as much as the intellect and thought processes of the conveyor...Eco entertains with his intellect, humor, and insatiable curiosity...Theres much here to enjoy and ponder.KIRKUS REVIEWS A posthumous collection of brief opinion pieces from late in Ecoscareer *demonstrates the great novelist-scholars lively wit and vigorous intellectual engagement with our rapidly changing world. Originally appearing in the Italian news magazine lEspresso*, the essays were intended as glimpses at whatever might come into his head observations about current events and cultural trends as well as more esoteric intellectual topics. That his column was named after a well-known brand of matchbook underscores both his anecdotal, scratch-paper approach and the reliable, if quick, illumination provided...His erudition and his sharp critical eye remain constant...Eco will be missed**.BOOKLIST Ecos writing reveals a humanist in every sense of the word, well acquainted with the classics of Western civilization and able to take a broad, often amused view of human affairs...Dixons translation is seamless, capturing Ecos erudite style...This volumes primary reward lies in the pleasure of watching a finely calibrated, expansive, and logical mind build an argument or deconstruct cant. Eco has left us an intelligent, intriguing, and often hilariously incisive set of observations on contemporary follies and changing mores.**PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Starting in 1985, novelist and essayist Eco (19322016) wrote a regular column for the Italian weekly LEspresso...Although one may not recognize some of the philosophers and social thinkers analyzed and dissected here, the prose (excellently translated by Dixon) is easy to read and often amusing. *VERDICT Recommended for all library collections. Readers familiar with Ecos entertaining, occasionally humorous style will be further delighted.*LIBRARY JOURNALAbout the Author UMBERTO ECO (19322016) was the author of numerous essay collections and seven novels, including The Name of the Rose,The Prague Cemetery, and Inventing the Enemy. He received Italys highest literary award, the Premio Strega, was named a Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur by the French government, and was an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Author: Tom Mack File Type: pdf The South Carolina Encyclopedia Guide to South Carolina Writers expands the range of writers included in the landmark South Carolina Encyclopedia. This guide updates the entries on writers featured in the original encyclopedia and augments that list substantially with dozens of new essays on additional authors from the late eighteenth century to the present who have contributed to the Palmetto States distinctive literary heritage. Each profile in this concise reference includes essential biographical facts and critical assessments to place the featured writers in the larger context of South Carolinas literary tradition. The guide comprises 127 entries written by more than seventy literary scholars, and it also highlights the sixty-five writers inducted thus far into the South Carolina Academy of Authors, which serves as the states literary hall of fame. Rich in natural beauty and historic complexity, South Carolina has long been a source of inspiration for writers. The talented novelists, essayists, poets, playwrights, journalists, historians, and other writers featured here represent the countless anonymous individuals who have shared tales and lore of South Carolina.**