Stephen Law

Föreställ dig följande scen: faster Gertrud är på julbesök och har i julklapp gett dig en förfärlig slips tillsammans med ett kort som föreställer ett plommonstop med några snöpudrade kattungar i. Vad gör du då? Ler du uppskattande och gömmer sedan slipsen i nedersta byrålådan? Eller berättar du sanningen och besparar dig framtida slipsar från din faster? Immanuel Kant skulle säga att vi till varje pris skall berätta sanningen. John Stuart Mill däremot skulle hävda att vi måste tänka på konsekvenserna (speciellt om faster Gertrud har svaga nerver)." En tankfull jul" är en bok som ur ett filosofiskt perspektiv handlar om vårt förhållande till julen. Det är en bok som ställer en mängd tankeväckande frågor: Existerar jultomten? Vad är det för fel med julkitsch? Är julen bara ett kommersiellt jippo? Och vad har David Hume att säga om jungfrufödseln?

- Have you ever wondered what your pet is thinking?- Or asked yourself if aliens really exist?- Have you pondered the meaning of life or tried to think about nothing, absolutely nothing at all? These are some of life’s biggest questions, and you are a daring thinker for even thinking about them! So open your mind and prepare to explore some of philosophy’s biggest, boldest ideas – from the ridiculously silly to the strikingly serious. Each question in Really Big Questions for Daring Thinkers will unlock new ways of thinking and may lead you to some intriguing answers. If you’re daring enough to take on this mind-expanding challenge, then read on! Written by philosopher Dr Stephen Law, easy-to-understand text, mind-teasers, optical illusions and thought experiments make this philosophic journey unforgettably fun!

- Have you ever wondered what your pet is thinking? - Or asked yourself if aliens really exist?- Have you pondered the meaning of life or tried to think about nothing, absolutely nothing at all? These are some of life's biggest questions, and you are a daring thinker for even thinking about them So open your mind and prepare to explore some of philosophy's biggest, boldest ideas--from the ridiculously silly to the strikingly serious. Each question in this book will unlock new ways of thinking and may lead you to some intriguing answers. If you're daring enough to take on this mind-expanding challenge, then read on Written by philosopher Dr Stephen Law, easy-to-understand text, mind-teasers, optical illusions, and thought experiments make this philosophic journey unforgettably fun

A unique and fun introduction to philosophy.

Life philosophy based on Google searchesHave I found 'the one'? Am I a psychopath? Should I be allowed to say whatever I want? Millions of people ask Google all sorts of questions, everything from the big and small. Responding to the biggest, existential questions asked online and using the wisdom of Plato, Kant, Kierkegaard and other philosophical greats philosopher, academic, and all-round polymath, Stephen Law, undertakes the challenge and explores our modern-day concerns with tongue-in-cheek sagacity. No matter what you’ve googled in a midnight moment of existential despair, this book will answer all your burning questions.

I Think Therefore I Am, Existentialism, Dialectical Materialism? The Socratic Method and Deconstruction? Sure, you know what they all mean. That is, you've certainly heard of them. But do you know enough about them to join a dinner party debate or dazzle the bar with your knowledge?30-Second Philsophies takes a revolutionary approach to getting a grip on the 50 most significant schools of philosophy. The book challenges leading thinkers to quit fretting about the meaning of meaning for a while and explain the most complex philosophical ideas - using nothing more than two pages, 300 words, and a metaphorical image. Here, in one unique volume, you have the chance to pick the potted brains of our leading philosophers and understand complex concepts such as Kant's Categorical Imperative without ending up in a darkened room with an ice pack on your head.

Tucked away in her tattoo studio in the port city of Halifax, Shaz draws meaning and symbolism onto the bodies of her clients. After the ransacking of her home, the brutal attack on her friend and the sudden appearance of her white father, Shaz is compelled to explore the racial divides in her life and in the city around her. A chance encounter with Rashid, a parkour-performing refugee from Sri Lanka, provides a stabilizing counterpoint to the tumultuous relationships in her life. Ultimately, Shaz discovers the complexities of truth, the meaning of loss and how we are all coloured by our experiences. In a narrative that explores racism, family dysfunction and the experiences of refugees, Under Her Skin paints the canvas of our landscape, making us aware of who we are.

A corrupt mining company, repossessed gravestones, a man’s fractured past, mysterious notes posted to lampposts and murder deep in the highlands of Guatemala. In Tailings of Warren Peace, Stephen Law effortlessly weaves these elements into a powerful story of love and memory, exploring how the past haunts us and how solidarity can save us all. Mysterious, passionate and powerful, Tailings of Warren Peace shows us the interconnections that exist between us, transcending social class, culture and geography.

Since the beginning of time mankind has struggled with the big questions surrounding our existence. Whilst most people have heard of Socrates, Machiavelli and Nietzsche, many are less clear on their theories and key concepts. In The Great Philosophers, bestselling author Stephen Law condenses and deciphers their fundamental ideas. Avoiding the technical jargon and complex logic associated with most books on philosophy, Law brings the thoughts of these great thinkers, from Confucius and Buddha to Wittgenstein and Sartre, to life.

A brilliantly entertaining introduction to philosophy. This edition collects The Philosophy Files and The Philosophy Files 2 together in one omnibus. Is there a God? Should I eat meat? Where does the universe come from? Could I live for ever as a robot? These are the big questions you will be wrestling with. You'll encounter lively scenarios and dialogue to take you through the philosophical puzzles that have been plaguing humans for centuries involving virtual reality, science fiction and a host of characters from this and other planets. Stephen Law has a gift for communicating complex ideas. He offers few answers, but his unstuffy, highly personal approach will have the reader thinking and arguing with as much pleasure as he does himself.

This book identifies eight key mechanisms that can transform a set of ideas into a psychological flytrap. The author suggests that, like the black holes of outer space, from which nothing, not even light, can escape, our contemporary cultural landscape contains numerous intellectual black-holes-belief systems constructed in such a way that unwary passers-by can similarly find themselves drawn in. While such self-sealing bubbles of belief will most easily trap the gullible or poorly educated, even the most intelligent and educated of us are potentially vulnerable. Some of the world's greatest thinkers have fallen in, never to escape. This witty, insightful critique will help immunize readers against the wiles of cultists, religious and political zealots, conspiracy theorists, promoters of flaky alternative medicines, and others by clearly setting out the tricks of the trade by which such insidious belief systems are created and maintained.

Religion is currently gaining a much higher profile. The number of faith schools is increasingly, and religious points of view are being aired more frequently in the media. As religion's profile rises, those who reject religion, including humanists, often find themselves misunderstood, and occasionally misrepresented. Stephen Law explores how humanism uses science and reason to make sense of the world, looking at how it encourages individual moral responsibility and shows that life can have meaning without religion. Challenging some of the common misconceptions, he seeks to dispute the claims that atheism and humanism are 'faith positions' and that without God there can be no morality and our lives are left without purpose. Looking at the history of humanism and its development as a philosophical alternative, he examines the arguments for and against the existence of God, and explores the role humanism plays in moral and secular societies, as well as in moral and religious education. Using humanism to determine the meaning of life, he shows that there is a positive alternative to traditional religious belief. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

I Think Therefore I Am, Existentialism, Dialectical Materialism? The Socratic Method and Deconstruction? Sure, you know what they all mean. That is, you've certainly heard of them. But do you know enough about them to join a dinner party debate or dazzle the bar with your knowledge?30-Second Philsophies takes a revolutionary approach to getting a grip on the 50 most significant schools of philosophy. The book challenges leading thinkers to quit fretting about the meaning of meaning for a while and explain the most complex philosophical ideas - using nothing more than two pages, 300 words, and a metaphorical image. Here, in one unique volume, you have the chance to pick the potted brains of our leading philosophers and understand complex concepts such as Kant's Categorical Imperative without ending up in a darkened room with an ice pack on your head.

Behind headlines on the conflict in Iraq and global terrorism, a much deeper battle is raging over children and the values they should adopt. Political and religious leaders including Blair and Bush have been joined by the popular press in Enlightenment-bashing and bitter attacks on `liberal parenting calling for a return to authority and religious tradition. How do we raise good children? How do we make good citizens? In defiant yet acute fashion, Stephen Law urges us to re-evaluate the liberal tradition of thinking about morality. Tackling authoritarian rhetoric head-on, he argues that children should learn about right and wrong, and respect for others, but that their education should be grounded in the hard-won values of the Enlightenment. Taking on neo-conservatives and religious and media commentators, The War for Children‘s Minds is a candid and controversial call for a liberal, philosophically informed approach to raising children. A staunch defence of the humane, liberal life, The War for Children‘s Minds is a much-needed guide to an urgent moral conundrum.

Behind headlines on the conflict in Iraq and global terrorism, a much deeper battle is raging over children and the values they should adopt. Political and religious leaders including Blair and Bush have been joined by the popular press in Enlightenment-bashing and bitter attacks on `liberal parenting calling for a return to authority and religious tradition. How do we raise good children? How do we make good citizens? In defiant yet acute fashion, Stephen Law urges us to re-evaluate the liberal tradition of thinking about morality. Tackling authoritarian rhetoric head-on, he argues that children should learn about right and wrong, and respect for others, but that their education should be grounded in the hard-won values of the Enlightenment. Taking on neo-conservatives and religious and media commentators, The War for Children‘s Minds is a candid and controversial call for a liberal, philosophically informed approach to raising children. A staunch defence of the humane, liberal life, The War for Children‘s Minds is a much-needed guide to an urgent moral conundrum.

For all those people who loved SOPHIE'S WORLD but wanted something more accessible, THE PHILOSOPHY GYM is the perfect brain-stretching companion

A philosophical analysis of some of history's most pressing mental challenges covers a wide range of issues from the existence of God to the ethics of designer babies, illustrating each with a story and then posing arguments for both sides. 15,000 first printing.