Tag: philosophy

World Philosophy Day 16 November

Xinxin

Celebrate World Philosophy Day with philosophy in New Zealand; from the famous argument of Sir Karl Popper to the traditions of Mātauranga Māori, plus some key thinkers such as Rom Harré and Peter Munze.

Beyond Wittgenstein’s poker : new light on Popper and Wittgenstein / Munz, Peter
“World renowned philosopher Sir Karl Popper worked in New Zealand in 1930-40s. In 1946, Ludwig Wittgenstein, the chair of Cambridge University Moral Science Club invited Popper to present a paper. The discussion turned into an argument, and Wittgenstein used a fireplace poker to emphasize his points. Then Popper replied that an example of a moral rule is `Not to threaten visiting lecturers with pokers′.” (Librarian’s review)

Key thinkers in psychology / Harré, Rom
“Book is written by New Zealand British philosopher Rom Harré. As recommended by The Psychologist `For anyone that has spent years rowing off into convoluted estuaries, and would like an entertaining and useful chart to remind them of River Psychology as a whole, I thoroughly recommend this book′ . This is a highly enjoyable, erudite and beautifully written manuscript. It conveys a rare depth of understanding and ability to strike at the core debates. ‘ – Dr Steve Brown, Loughborough University” (Adapted from Amazon.com)

Exploring Māori values / Patterson, John
“This book, first published in 1992, offers Pakeha New Zealanders an insight into Maori thought and values and the basis for the sort of understanding and partnership that should exist between Pakeha and Maori. It also presents a new perspective from which long-held Pakeha values can be reassessed. He demonstrates a high degree of empathy with and respect for Maori and the book offers a practical model for engagement with this culture and for greater mutual understanding. “(Adapted from the Catalogue)

The certainty of doubt : tributes to Peter Munz
“These essays are written by Peter Munz’s friends and colleagues to celebrate his 75th birthday. They write on broad themes, the philosophy of history and science and the problems of knowledge and in doing so they reflect the growth and breadth of Munz’s intellectual interests and achievements. These essays are major contributions to their fields, which range from 5th century monastic life to claims before the Waitangi Tribunal to the importance of evolutionary theory for history and philosophy.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

 

 

Easy-to-read Philosophy Books

Xinxin

Illustrations and recipes, mixed with other literature forms, to make the serious matters of philosophy light and easy to read. These light reads will be fun to read, whether you are a philosopher or not.

An illustrated book of loaded language / Almossawi, Ali
“Speaking as wise old Mr. Rabbit, Almossawi leads us through a dark forest of rhetoric to ‘hear’ hidden bias, slants and spins. Public discourse? More like public discord. The battle cries of our culture wars are rife with “loaded language”. Passive voice can pardon wrongdoers, statistics may be a smokescreen, gaslighting entraps the downtrodden, and irrelevant adjectives cement stereotypes. (Adapted from Amazon.com)

Eating dirt : adventures and yarns from New Zealand’s action man / Gurney, Steve
“Steve Gurney is an extreme athlete and author of the bestselling book Lucky Legs. Steve recounts some of his recent extreme adventures – in the Sahara, on Mount Cook, and in other remote parts of the world. He also talks about his experiences of the Christchurch earthquakes which have impacted on him markedly. In true Gurney fashion, this book is part riveting story and part philosophy, all told with humour and style.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

The book of difficult fruit : arguments for the tart, tender, and unruly (with recipes) / Lebo, Kate
“Named a Best Book of the Year by The Atlantic, New York magazine and NPR. Inspired by twenty-six fruits, essayist, poet, and pie lady Kate Lebo expertly blends the culinary, medical, and personal in a book of lyrical essays, accompanied by recipes. Kate Lebo’s unquenchable curiosity promises adventure: intimate, sensuous, ranging, bitter, challenging, rotten, ripe. After reading this book, you will never think of sweetness the same way again.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

The duck that won the lottery : and 99 other bad arguments / Baggini, Julian
“This companion volume to “The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten” provides another rapid-fire selection of short, stimulating and entertaining capsules of philosophy. This time the focus is on the bad argumentative moves people use all the time, in politics, the media and everyday life. Each entry will be around 700 words and will take as its starting point an example of questionable reasoning from the media or literature, while leaving some space for readers to chew on.” (Adapted from Amazon.com)

30-second philosophies : the 50 most thought-provoking philosophies, each explained in half a minute
“A fascinating guide to the main ideas and influential thinkers in the world of philosophy.” (Catalogue)