Download or read book The Human Predicament written by David Benatar and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-05-05 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are our lives meaningful, or meaningless? Is our inevitable death a bad thing? Would immortality be an improvement? Would it be better, all things considered, to hasten our deaths by suicide? Many people ask these big questions -- and some people are plagued by them. Surprisingly, analytic philosophers have said relatively little about these important questions about the meaning of life. When they have tackled the big questions, they have tended, like popular writers, to offer comforting, optimistic answers. The Human Predicament invites readers to take a clear-eyed and unfettered view of the human condition. David Benatar here offers a substantial, but not unmitigated, pessimism about the central questions of human existence. He argues that while our lives can have some meaning, we are ultimately the insignificant beings that we fear we might be. He maintains that the quality of life, although less bad for some than for others, leaves much to be desired in even the best cases. Worse, death is generally not a solution; in fact, it exacerbates rather than mitigates our cosmic meaninglessness. While it can release us from suffering, it imposes another cost - annihilation. This state of affairs has nuanced implications for how we should think about many things, including immortality and suicide, and how we should think about the possibility of deeper meaning in our lives. Ultimately, this thoughtful, provocative, and deeply candid treatment of life's big questions will interest anyone who has contemplated why we are here, and what the answer means for how we should live.

Download or read book The Limits to Growth written by Donella H. Meadows and published by Universe Pub. This book was released on 1972 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines the factors which limit human economic and population growth and outlines the steps necessary for achieving a balance between population and production. Bibliogs

Download or read book The Post Romantic Predicament written by Paul De Man and published by Frontiers of Theory. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first collection of texts by Paul de Man to follow the posthumous Aesthetic Ideology (1996), the title refers to de Man's Harvard thesis of the late 1950s, from which the long section on Mallarmé is reproduced. Also included are texts by de Man on Stefan George, as well as essays on Rousseau, Derrida, Symbolism and Keats.

Download or read book Putin s Predicament written by Bo Petersson and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2021-09-09 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using the Russian president’s major public addresses as the main source, Bo Petersson analyzes the legitimization strategies employed during Vladimir Putin’s third and fourth terms in office. The argument is that these strategies have rested on Putin’s highly personalized blend of strongman-image projection and presentation as the embodiment of Russia’s great power myth. Putin appears as the only credible guarantor against renewed weakness, political chaos, and interference from abroad—in particular from the US. After a first deep crisis of legitimacy manifested itself by the massive protests in 2011–2012, the annexation of Crimea led to a lengthy boost in Putin’s popularity figures. The book discusses how the Crimea effect is, by 2021, trailing off and Putin’s charismatic authority is increasingly questioned by opposition from Alexei Navalny, the effects of unpopular reforms, and poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, Russia is bound to head for a succession crisis as the legitimacy of the political system continues to be built on Putin’s projected personal characteristics and—now apparently waning—charisma, and since no potential heir apparent has been allowed on center stage. The constitutional reform of summer 2020 made it possible in theory for Putin to continue as president until 2036. Yet, this change did not address the Russian political system’s fundamental future leadership dilemma.

Download or read book The Predicament of Culture written by James Clifford and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1988-05-18 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Predicament of Culture is a critical ethnography of the West in its changing relations with other societies. Analyzing cultural practices such as anthropology, travel writing, collecting, and museum displays of tribal art, James Clifford shows authoritative accounts of other ways of life to be contingent fictions, now actively contested in post-colonial contexts. His critique raises questions of global significance: Who has the authority to speak for any group’s identity and authenticity? What are the essential elements and boundaries of a culture? How do self and “the other” clash in the encounters of ethnography, travel, and modern interethnic relations? In chapters devoted to the history of anthropology, Clifford discusses the work of Malinowski, Mead, Griaule, Lévi-Strauss, Turner, Geertz, and other influential scholars. He also explores the affinity of ethnography with avant-garde art and writing, recovering a subversive, self-reflexive cultural criticism. The surrealists’ encounters with Paris or New York, the work of Georges Bataille and Michel Leiris in the Collège de Sociologie, and the hybrid constructions of recent tribal artists offer provocative ethnographic examples that challenge familiar notions of difference and identity. In an emerging global modernity, the exotic is unexpectedly nearby, the familiar strangely distanced.

Download or read book Mandie and Jonathan s Predicament written by Lois Gladys Leppard and published by Bethany House Publishers. This book was released on 1997 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While visiting New York City in 1901, thirteen-year-old Mandie uncovers a mystery in the mansion where she is staying.

Download or read book Mr Crum s Potato Predicament written by Anne Renaud and published by Kids Can Press Ltd. This book was released on 2017-09-05 with total page 41 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A mouthwatering tale of invention. When a persnickety customer named Filbert P. Horsefeathers complains that George CrumÍs fried potatoes are too thick, George makes them thinner. When Filbert insists they are still too thick, George makes them even thinner. But when the plate is sent back a third time, George mischievously decides to use his sharpest knife to cut paper-thin potato slices, which he fries until they are crackling and douses liberally with salt. At last, Filbert is satisfied, proclaiming, ñPerfection!î Which they are. Because, quite by accident, George has invented potato chips! Based on true events, this delicious tale will have kids clamoring for more, more, more!

Download or read book The Princess Predicament written by Lisa Childs and published by Harlequin. This book was released on 2013-03-05 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Passion, peril and a princess in hiding Forced into hiding after a threat to her life, Princess Gabriella St. Pierre must protect both herself and her unborn child. Working at an orphanage, the princess tries to suppress memories of a passionate night long ago with Whit Howell—her father's royal bodyguard and a man she never thought she'd see again. When an attempted abduction occurs as Princess Gabriella is leaving the orphanage, Whit rescues her and vows to keep her safe. But how can he shepherd the princess back to her country without knowing who is orchestrating these attacks…and why? It is the most important mission of his life—and he'd risk everything to save the one woman he can't live without.

Download or read book The Object of Morality written by G.J. Warnock and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-07-20 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The central issue is that of identifying and understanding the fundamental principles of morality but the book also discusses the place of rules in moral thought, the nature of obligation, the relation between morality and religion and that of being moral and rational.

Download or read book Teaching and Its Predicaments written by David K. Cohen and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2011-08-31 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since Socrates, teaching has been a difficult and even dangerous profession. Why is teaching such hard work? In this provocative, witty, sometimes rueful book, Cohen writes about the predicaments that teachers face and explores what responsible teaching can be. He focuses on the kind of mind reading teaching demands and the resources it requires.

Download or read book Radical Regeneration written by Carolyn Baker and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2020-11-03 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a demanding book—but our times are demanding. It is an honest book—and our times demand truth. —Matthew Fox, American priest, theologian, and author The genius of this book is the knowledge that this catastrophe is a necessary precursor to a radical transformation that we are co-creating with the divine. Radical Regeneration is an indispensable guide for what lies ahead. —Betty J. Kovács, Ph.D., author of Merchants of Light: The Consciousness That Is Changing the World This book, Radical Regeneration, is a radiant offering of the possibility of the evolution of human consciousness in the midst of extinction. It’s exactly the fierce and sacred medicine we need right now. —V (formerly known as Eve Ensler), author of The Vagina Monologues and The Apology Andrew Harvey and Carolyn Baker invite us to rise to these times as a grand initiation, to be renewed in splendor, or to stand idly and be swallowed by Kali, the goddess of time and death. —Alberto Villoldo PhD, Bestselling author of One Spirit Medicine and Shaman Healer Sage If ever we needed a guidebook that truly addressed the crises of our times while inspiring us with guidance and wisdom, this is that book. —Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Intimate Conversations with the Divine What is being made crystal clear is that humanity stands at a monumentally fragile threshold with two stark choices placed before it in a situation of complete uncertainty: Those choices are: 1) To continue to worship a vision of power, totally distanced from sacred reality 2) Or to choose the path of submitting bravely to the alchemy of being transfigured by a global dark night event that shatters all illusions but reveals the greatest imaginable possibility being born out of the greatest imaginable disaster. If humanity chooses the second path, which is what is being celebrated in this book, then it will have trained itself in the new radical unity necessary to weather the even worse crises that most certainly will quickly follow.

Download or read book Paul Tillich written by Paul Tillich and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paul Tillich, forced into exile by the Nazis in 1933, settled in the United States. His many theological works and especially his three volume Systematic Theology have had a profound influence upon contemporary religious thought. This volume concentrates on the key texts and ideas in Tillich's thought. It presents the essential Paul Tillich for students and the general reader. Taylor's introductory essay and notes on the selected texts set Tillich in his historical context, chart the development of this thought and indicate the significance of his theology in the development of Christian theology as a whole. Substantial selections from Tillich's work illustrate key themes: --The struggle for a new theonomy --Protestant theology amid socialist crisis --In the sacred void: being and God --Amid structures of destruction: Christ as new being --Among the ambiguities of life: Spirit and churches --In the end: revisioning and hope

Download or read book Living Untethered written by Michael A. Singer and published by New Harbinger Publications. This book was released on 2022-05-10 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now a New York Times bestseller! The book you need right now is finally here! From beloved spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer—author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, The Untethered Soul—this transformative and highly anticipated guide will be your compass on an exciting new journey toward self-realization and unconditional happiness. Now more than ever, we’re all looking to feel more joy, happiness, and deeper meaning in our lives. But are we looking in all the wrong places? When our sense of wholeness depends on things or people outside ourselves—whether it’s a coveted job, a new house, a lavish vacation, or even a new relationship—sooner or later we’re bound to feel unsatisfied. That’s why we must look inside for real freedom, love, and inspiration. But how do we embark on this inner journey? Living Untethered is the book to reach for. At once profoundly transcendent and powerfully practical, it provides clear guidance for moving beyond the thoughts, feelings, and habits that keep you stuck—so you can heal the pain of the past and let your spirit soar. On each page, you’ll discover a deeper understanding of where your thoughts and emotions come from, and how they affect your natural energy flow. Finally, you’ll find freedom from the psychological scars, or samskaras, that block you and keep you from reaching your highest potential. It’s time to stop struggling and start experiencing. This miraculous book will show you how to put the spiritual teachings of Michael A. Singer into practice every day, and propel you toward a life of liberation, serenity, openness, and self-knowledge. Isn’t it time you started Living Untethered? This book is copublished by New Harbinger Publications, Inc., the premier publisher of psychology and self-help books for nearly fifty years; and Sounds True, the leading multimedia publisher of original works by world-renowned spiritual teachers.

Download or read book The Presence of the Word written by Walter J. Ong and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1967-01-01 with total page 828 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This provocative exploration of the nature and history of the word in some of its social, psychological, literary, phenomenological, and religious dimensions argues that the word is initially aural and in the last analysis always remains sound; it cannot be reduced to any other category. Father Ong contends that sound is essentially an event manifesting power and personal presence, and his descriptive analysis of the development of the media of verbal expression, from their oral sources through the laborious transfer to the visual world and then to contemporary means of electronic communication, shows that the predicament of the human word is the predicament of man himself. Examining the close alliance of the spoken word with the sense of the sacred, particularly in the Hebreo-Christian tradition, he reveals that in a world where presence has penetrated time and space as never before, modern man must find the God who has given himself in the Word which brings man more into the world of sound than of sight.

Download or read book Better Never to Have Been written by David Benatar and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most people believe that they were either benefited or at least not harmed by being brought into existence. David Benatar presents a startling challenge to these assumptions. He argues that people systematically overestimate the quality of their life, and suffer quite serious harms by coming into existence.

Download or read book His Loving Law Our Lasting Legacy written by Jani Ortlund and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2007-08-09 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many Christians view the Ten Commandments as laws they are forced to obey in order to stay on God's good side. In her book His Loving Law, Our Lasting Legacy, Jani Ortlund invites readers to look at the Ten Commandments from a different perspective. Ortlund urges believers to recognize the Ten Commandments as a mirror, reflecting our need for God's cleansing and forgiveness. Throughout the book, each commandment is presented not as another rule to follow, but as an invitation to experience more of God's love. As readers grasp this knowledge, they are able to experience true freedom in Christ. They will begin to understand how embracing God's laws and passing them along to future generations offers a needy world a glimpse of the truth of God's love.

Download or read book The People Called Quakers written by Elton Trueblood and published by . This book was released on 1971 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: D. Elton Trueblood depicts the Quaker experiment in radical Christianity and presents the Quaker faith as a live option for contemporary men and women. The People Called Quakers, a Quaker classic, has enduring value as his vision of what Quakerism has been, is, and can be.