Continuum Philosophy News

Happy birthday (for tomorrow...) Slavoj Žižek!

Dubbed 'the world's hippest philosopher' by The Telegraph, 'philosophy's answer to Bob Dylan' by The Guardian and an 'intellectual rock star' by The Times Literary Supplement, Slavoj Žižek turns 63 tomorrow (21st March) and so we felt it was only right to celebrate with some of our popular books by and about the man himself.

 

Whether you're just dipping your toe into his writing or are well-versed and looking for something new to read, we're guaranteed to have something to interest you.

 

 

Interrogating the Real and The Universal Exception

By Slavoj Žižek and edited by Rex Butler and Scott Stephens

These two volumes of Žižek's collected works offer a superb introduction to the work of this prolific, controversial and vastly entertaining cultural commentator.

Drawing upon the full range of his prolific output, the articles cover psychoanalysis, philosophy and popular culture, reflecting the remarkable breadth and depth of Žižek's interest in politics, culture and philosophy, and also showcasing his entertaining style. Covering topics as controversial as the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the American-led invasion of Iraq, his celebration of the revolutionary potential of Stalinism, and his critique of Third Way politics, these books allow a full and clear sense of Žižekian philosophy to emerge, derived from Hegelian dialectics, Marxist politics and Lacanian psychoanalysis. At the same time, Žižek’s witty and accessible approach to his subject and his choice of exemplars from pop culture ensure that this is a consistently fresh and surprising body of work.

The books include new prefaces by Žižek himself, as well as an introduction by the editors and a helpful glossary for those coming to Žižek’s work for the first time.

 

Mythology, Madness, and Laughter: Subjectivity in German Idealism

By Markus Gabriel and Slavoj Žižek

This hugely important book explores some long neglected but crucial themes in German idealism. Markus Gabriel, one of the most exciting young voices in contemporary philosophy, and Slavoj Žižek show how these themes impact on the problematic relations between being and appearance, reflection and the absolute, insight and ideology, contingency and necessity, subjectivity, truth, habit and freedom.

Engaging with three central figures of the German idealist movement, Hegel, Schelling and Fichte, Gabriel and Žižek, who here shows himself to be one of the most erudite and important scholars of German idealism, ask how it is possible for Being to appear in reflection without falling back into traditional metaphysics. By applying idealistic theories of reflection and concrete subjectivity, including the problem of madness and everydayness in Hegel, this crucial book aims to reinvigorate a philosophy of finitude and contingency, topics at the forefront of contemporary European philosophy.

 

Hegel's Rabble: An Investigation into Hegel's Philosophy of Right

By Frank Ruda, with a preface by Slavoj Žižek

In Hegel’s Rabble, Frank Ruda identifies and explores a crucial problem in the Hegelian philosophy of right that strikes at the heart of Hegel’s conception of the state. This singular problem, which Ruda argues is the problem of Hegelian political thought, appears in Hegel’s text only in a seemingly marginal form under the name of the “rabble”: a particular side-effect of the dialectical deduction of the necessity of the existence of state from the contradictory constitution of civil society. Working out from a thorough analysis of this problem and drawing on contemporary discussions in the work of such thinkers as Alain Badiou, Jean-Luc Nancy and Slavoj Žižek, the book proceeds to re-examine and reconstruct Hegel’s entire political project. Ruda goes on to argue that only by re-thinking this problem of ‘the rabble’ in Hegel’s thought – the only problem Hegel is able to neither resolve nor sublate – can the early Marxian conception of ‘the proletariat’ be properly understood.

 

Žižek: A Guide for the Perplexed

By Seán Sheehan

This is the most up-to-date guide available for readers struggling to master the ideas of this hugely influential thinker. Unpacking the philosophical references that fill Žižek’s writings, the book explores his influences, including Lacan, Kant, Hegel and Marx. From there, a chapter on 'Reading Žižek' guides the reader through the ways that he applies these core theoretical concepts in key texts like Tarrying With the Negative, The Ticklish Subject and The Parrallax View and in his books about popular culture like Looking Awry and Enjoy Your Symptom! Major secondary writings and films featuring Žižek are also covered.

 

 

So, a happy birthday to Žižek from all in the Continuum Philosophy team and be sure to watch this space, we have more to come in 2013...

 

(Header image sourced from Wikipedia.)

 

Charlotte Hoare

Marketing Executive UK and ROW

Hello from Marketing!

Just a quick post to say hello to everyone from me, the new marketing executive for the Philosophy list in the UK. I've already begun tweeting so if you follow the twitter (and, if not, why not? Fix that please! @continuumphilos) then you'll be well aware of me by now. I'm very excited to be working on the list and look forward to more blogging in the future.

In the mean time, anyone who hasn't seen it yet should definitely check out the author of hit books How to Be an Existentialist and How to Be a Philosopher Gary Cox's new website: http://www.garycoxphilosophy.com. It has all the latest news on what he's up to and information on all of his books.

Drop him a line and tell him how good it looks, be sure to say we sent you!

Charlotte

Marketing Executive for Philosophy (UK)

The Tehran Times - Interview with Charles Taliaferro

Charles Taliaferro, professor of philosophy at St. Olaf College, is part of a small delegation of American philosophers currently in Iran. They hope to meet with Islamic philosophers in Qom in March. This interview with Charles was published in Saturday's issue of The Tehran Times.

Among Charles' many publications are two recently published Continuum books.

The Image in Mind: Theism, Naturalism and the Imagination, co-written with Jil Evans:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Taliaferro and Evans see the age old batte between theism and naturalism as a battle between contrasting images, of nature, of freedom, of the self, of good and evil, of beauty, and of reality itself. Drawing on a host of thinkers, ancient and modern, and with a wealth of illustrative detail, including some evocative images of their own, they track the course of the battle fairly and comprehensively right up to the present day."-- Anthony O'Hear, Director of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, UK

"The balance in these pages between poetry and philosophy, art and science, faith and reason is exemplary." -- Daniel N. Robinson, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Georgetown University, USA

A Dictionary of Philosophy of Religion, co-edited with Elsa J. Marty:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"In conversation with some of the finest philosophical minds of our day, Taliaferro and Marty have crafted the quintessential philosophy of religion dictionary. [...] A truly outstanding accomplishment." -- Chad V. Meister, Professor of Philosophy, Bethel College, USA

"Informative, highly comprehensive, and a valuable research resource for students and scholars alike." -- Robert Audi, Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, USA, and General Editor of The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy

"Besides the accessible, succinct entries, the dictionary contains certain bonus features: excellent introductory material, a useful philosophical/historical timeline, and an extensive bibliography for further reading. A terrific resource." -- Paul Copan, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University, USA.

Patrick Lee Miller's 'Crosswise Christ' posts at The Immanent Frame

Patrick Lee Miller, author of Becoming God: Pure Reason in Early Greek Philosophy (just published in the UK), has begun a four-part post series, 'Crosswise Christ', on blog The Immanent Frame: Secularism, religion, and the public sphere.

The posts will draw on the ideas of Becoming God - in which Miller draws together some of the earliest thoughts on God, reason and selfhood in Greek philosophical and religious thought and offers fresh interpretations of its early figures.

So if, you're interested in these research areas, so far you can view #1 Love and Reason and #2 Truth in Conflict and #3 Crosswise Logic, with #4 Immortal Mortal to follow soon.  All posts are collected here.

Carly

Mary Warnock interviewed by Theos (the public theology think tank)

Theos interview Mary Warnock on why she wrote Dishonest to God: On Keeping Religion out of Politics

What role should Christianity have in contemporary politics? What moral framework should underpin our laws? Are there absolutes to be drawn on in public policy or is it all a matter of perceived consequences?

These are the questions leading Theos's interview with Mary Warnock, which is now online for everyone interested in these moral issues.

Carly

 

Guest post: Deane-Peter Baker on contracted combatants

Deane-Peter Baker is the author of Just Warriors, Inc, which publishes in our Think Now series next month. The book explores the moral issues raised by the use of private military contractors and mercenaries in war. In his guest post below, Deane examines the background to a resolution recently passed by the United Nations Human Rights Council which concluded that contracted combatants constituted a threat to peace, security and human rights.

Sarah

Guest post: Tony Milligan on vegetarianism

This month sees the publication of Beyond Animal Rights by Tony Milligan in our Think Now series. The book explores our responsibilities to the animals with whom we share the planet, an issue that remains at the heart of public debate. In his guest post below, Tony talks a bit more about a topic that has personal significance for him and his family.

Sarah

PS. Watch out later this week for a guest post from another Think Now author, Deane-Peter Baker on the role (and definition) of mercenaries.

Guest post: Stefan Skrimshire on climate change and political action

Last month we published Future Ethics: Climate Change and Apocalyptic Imagination, a collection of essays examining the philosophical questions facing activists, policy makers and educators fighting the causes of climate change. The book interrogates the ethical issues underlying social responses to climate change and in particular how these responses draw upon ideas about the future. Below the book's editor, Stefan Skrimshire, talks about what motivated him and his contributors to pursue the project. Researchers and students of environmental ethics, or indeed anyone interested in climate change and political action, please read on...

Sarah

Hello again - and a guest post from Gary Cox

One whole year and one very active little baby boy later, I'm delighted to be back at Continuum, taking up the reins of the Philosophy list once again. Many thanks to David for looking after things so well in my absence. It looks like it was a very exciting year, with some fantastic new publications and lots more to come. It's good to be back.

The first book to land on my desk on my return was Gary Cox's How to Be a Philosopher, and what better way to celebrate the book's release than to hear from the author himself. In the guest post below, Gary talks about what inspired him to write the book, how we are all philosophers whether we know it or not, and what Red Dwarf has to do with David Hume. Over to Gary...

Sarah Campbell Publisher

Guest post: Michael Mack on Spinoza and the Specters of Modernity

Published earlier this year, Spinoza and the Specters of Modernity draws new theoretical conclusions from a study of Spinoza’s legacy in the age of Goethe and beyond.  The book is exciting because it is an entire rethinking of Spinoza's impact on modern though and the author, Michael Mack (Reader in Medical Humanities and English Literature at Durham University), talks more about what his book is trying to do below for those of you that haven't read it yet but are intrigued to find out more.

Carly

Jacques Derrida

A rather deceptive gem of a book to tell you about as a way of starting off the week on Continuum Philosophy. In many ways, it should be obvious what a book called The Derrida Dictionary is all about - and, sure enough, if you pick up a copy of this book, you will indeed be getting a guide to the key terms, references and major works to be found in Jacques Derrida's extensive body of writings, arranged in an easy to access A to Z format, with terms fully cross-referenced throughout.

And yet, I think leaving it at that rather undersells a book that represents a collection of wonderfully written and suggestive mini-articles that succeeds in opening up new explorations of an incredibly diverse (and widely scattered) body of work. I can really see anyone who has already fallen under the spell of Derrida's writings and ideas having a great time getting lost in this book and finding new avenues into texts that are both familiar and unfamiliar.

I'm not the only one who has such a high opinion of the book either - we've had some incredible responses to advanced copies of the Dictionary, which was described as "a spectacular intellectual accomplishment" by J. Hillis Miller, Distinguished Research Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of California Irvine. Derek Attridge of the University of York also commented: "Doing full justice to all periods and areas of Derrida's work, [this book] succeeds in showing both his extraordinary range and the connections and continuities that link his various ventures in thought."

As you can imagine, such high praise from two such distinguished scholars, doesn't come along all that often. As ever, if you want to see for yourself what all the fuss is about, we have a free preview available and further information on the book here.

Incidentally, the author of the Dictionary is Simon Morgan Wortham, Professor of English at Kingston University, UK, who is Co-Director of the new London Graduate School at Kingston University, which we've discussed on this blog in recent months (and which will be incorporating the Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy formerly based at the University of Middlesex). It promises to be a hugely exciting venture and if you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, I'd urge you to do so via this link.

Happy Reading,

David
Acting Senior Editor,
Continuum Philosophy

New Series - Continuum Studies in Political Philosophy

The publishing process can be a long one - it typically takes two years between deciding that you want to publish a book and getting a finished copy in your hands. Especially when you are in a post temporarily (as I am on the Continuum Philosophy list), you often find yourself enthusiastically agreeing to publish books that you might never be around to see in print (or at least, not while still being in the role of the book's publisher).

That being the case, I'm very pleased indeed to be here to announce the publication of the first book I commissioned at Continuum to see the light of day. That book is Rawls, Dewey and Constructivism: On the Epistemology of Justice and it's written by Eric Thomas Weber of the University of Mississippi, USA. As the title suggests, the book offers a highly original analysis of John Rawls' epistemology, his revival of Social Contract Theory and the problems inherent in that approach. Weber here brings Rawls into contract with the work of John Dewey in attempt to resolve these problems.

As it happens, this is also Eric's first book-length publication. Given that, the book comes with some high praise from a number of very eminent scholars, including Tom Rockmore of Duquesne University, USA and Larry A. Hickman, President of the Center for Dewey Studies at Southern Illinois University. Eric's a very prolific writer, too  - we'll also be publishing his second book next year and we're even in discussions about a third.

I should mention that this book represents another first as well, in that it marks the launch of our new Continuum Studies in Political Philosophy series of cutting-edge research publications in political philosophy. We've got quite a few further books in this series to come, and we have high hopes and big ambitions for it. So keep your eyes peeled for future titles.

But, for those interested in Rawls, Dewey and Constructivism, you can find further information about the book here!

Happy Reading,

David
Acting Senior Editor,
Continuum Philosophy

New Kierkegaard Reader's Guide

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I've returned to the office to a sizeable pile of new Continuum Philosophy books (not quite still warm from the printers). As we've reached Friday already, I thought it would be worth picking one to highlight in order to take us into the weekend.

The book I've chosen for this purpose is the newest title in our Reader's Guides series that aims to take reader's through the key texts of Western Philosophy and Literature. I must say that I think this is one of the strongest series that we publish at Continuum and we have a number of top scholars writing these books. The latest addition to this series takes as its subject Soren Kierkegaard's 1843 text, Fear and Trembling. Kierkegaard is one of the most important figures of 19th Century European Thought and is often credited as being one of the founders of Existentialism. Fear and Trembling: A Reader's Guide takes readers coming to the work for the first time through its key themes and its place in the history of Philosophy.

I mentioned that this series was blessed with some of the most accomplished and high profile scholars that we publish on the Continuum Philosophy list and that's certainly the case with this book, which is written by Clare Carlisle of the University of Liverpool, UK. Professor Carlisle has also written our book Kierkegaard: A Guide for the Perplexed and was recently to be seen writing a regular column on Kierkegaard in The Guardian. I'd also highly recommend checking out her interview with Nigel Warburton on Philosophy Bites, where she can be heard eloquently discussing Fear and Trembling.

We've got quite a strong Kierkegaard strand to our publishing at the moment: this book has published at the same time as we've received the manuscript in for Patrick Sheil's forthcoming book Starting with Kierkegaard. One thing I have noticed while being so immersed in Kierkegaard recently is how personal a relationship Kierkegaard scholars seem to have with their subject (more so than you might find with, to take a random example, Heidegger scholars, say). Certainly Clare's passionate engagement with Kierkegaard's writings comes through very strongly in her Reader's Guide, especially in the preface (which you can read as part of our free preview by clicking through the 'widget' above). And for those wishing to find out more about the book, you can see further details, including a full table of contents, here.

Happy reading and have a great weekend!

David
Acting Senior Editor,
Continuum Philosophy

Kierkegaard's World - Clare Carlisle's series for The Guardian, all 8 posts

During my week away from the office (they're rare, but they do happen!), I missed Clare Carlisle's Kierkegaard's World series conclude with its 8th and final post for Comment is Free 'How to believe' at The Guardian.

So, here is the link to this and the 7 other posts in one handy place, in case you missed any like I did!

Kierkegaard's World

Part 1: What does it mean to exist? 

Part 2: The truth of knowledge and the truth of life

Part 3: The story of Abraham and Isaac 

Part 4: 'The essentially human is passion' 

Part 5: The task of becoming a Christian

Part 6: On learning to suffer 

Part 7: Spiritlessness

Part 8: God and possibility

I really hope you've all enjoyed the series.  And of course, Clare has written Kierkegaard: A Guide for the Perplexed ('Very clear, wide-ranging and quite lively introduction ... very understandable and consistently illuminating' - Metapsychology) in case you wanted to go back to the beginning!

Carly

Philosophy and the UK Election

A rare second posting for the day, but I couldn't resist sharing some election-related commentary that's come my way.

First of all, there's a great posting by Julian Baggini (co-author of such Continuum titles as Great Thinkers A-Z) on Philosophers who are actually running for election today. Interesting to see just about all the main political colours represented. Let's hope the rigorous analysis that they've picked up from their Philosophy training stands them in good stead.

Secondly, Thom Brooks (co-editor of The Legacy of John Rawls) is actually nailing his colours to the mast and making a prediction about which way the election will go. We'll soon know if he's right!

David

Author blogs #7: The Notes Taken

This is the 7th - and for now - final post from us in a series that has seen us introduce a wide range of blogs that our authors run or contribute to.

This week's blog, The Notes Taken, is dedicated to one of our favourite things - book reviews!  They review books across philosophy, history, politics, art and fiction with the hope of encouraging debate and discussion in these fields.  Occasionally, you'll find posts on other topics too  - I spotted a recent one on a documentary about North Korea, as well as a post by our author Devin Zane Shaw (who is one of the main contributors to the website), which I notice is somewhat sneakily about his new book, Freedom and Nature in Schelling's Philosophy of Art (December 2010).

The blog is updated frequently with posts by a wide range of people - including guests, with the reviews going into a great deal of depth to make for some thought-provoking reading.

Carly

Author blogs #7: Talking Philosophy (TPM)

I'm sure a lot of you will already be aware of Talking Philosophy, The Philosopher's Magazine blog - but for those of you that don't, here's a little bit about it for our blog post series.  I know I've mentioned it before, but it certainly deserves its own entry here!  And yes, I know, not strictly an 'author blog', but several of our authors do write for it..!

This popular and blog is updated with new posts on practically a daily basis, with its contributors discussing philosophy in a readable and enjoyable format.  Entries can be on virtually anything, from the more serious topics, such as the abortion debate, to more playful articles such as one titled 'Eating too much cake'  What you can be sure of wtih all of the posts to this blog is that they will provoke healthy debates in their comment sections!

I've mentioned before that James Garvey contributes to this blog, but it's also worth mentioning that another of our authors, Jeremy Stangroom also frequently writes; his recent posts have included entries on consensual sex and religious belief.  Jeremy also runs his own blog independently of Talking Philosophy.  Jeremy is co-editor with Julian Baggini, who also contributes to Talking Philosophy, of Great Thinkers A-Z (2004), What Philosophers Think (2005) and What More Philosophers Think (2007).  He also co-wrote the more recent Does God Hate Women? with Ophelia Benson that published last year, which I've mentioned before on this blog as it now has a preview on our website.

Happy reading!

Carly

Author blogs #6: OLP & Literary Studies Online

OLP & Literary Studies Online is a philosophy-literary studies blog written by, and for, academics who work across ordinary language philosophy (OLP) and literary studies. It provides news on relevant publications - particularly noting forthcoming/newly released titles and book reviews - as well as events and more. Recent posts have included notice of our new book Iris Murdoch: Philosophical Novelist - they were even so kind as to post up the content from our own guest blog post by Edward Mooney back last month! Of course, these are my favourite posts but I'm biased - you can find a full index of what they've been posting about here.

Bernie Rhie is technical editor of the website and co-editor of Stanley Cavell and Literary Studies (coming out late 2011 - you'll be able to see more information about this book on our website next year). Cavell is a particular favourite on the OLP blog and they've compiled a helpful bibliography of secondary writings about him, which I'm sure Bernie's book will be joining soon!

Carly

Marketing Executive

Latest Title in the Think Now Series - The Ethics of Metropolitan Growth

For anyone seeking some stimulating weekend reading - and following on nicely from Carly's post yesterday highlighting the blog of series co-editor James Garvey - I can highly recommend the latest title to publish in our Think Now series: The Ethics of Metropolitan Growth - The Future of Our Built Environment.

In this book, Robert Kirkman, Associate Professor of Philosophy in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology, explores the thinking that shapes our built environment, from the decisions of individual homeowners to the planned actions of governments at local and national level. As populations grow and migrate to urban areas and as we begin to face-up to the impacts of our decisions on a changing climate, this is obviously a subject that touches on some huge issues, as well as issues that affect us in our daily lives. So, I think this book is an important contribution to the debate about the future of our environment and I know from having read it that it's a hugely stimulating one as well. You can find more information about the book, including a free preview, here .

In addition, those interested in the subject should keep an eye on Robert Kirkman's blog, where he continues many of the discussions raised in the book. It's definitely worth keeping an eye on and you can find it here.

Author blogs #5: James Garvey's blog and more!

This week, I'm bringing you James Garvey's blogging world - which includes his own website, the Talking Philosophy blog and his recent articles in The Guardian! James is Secretary for the Royal Institute of Philosophy.

James is one of the series editors for our Think Now series and has also written one of our bestselling books of this series; The Ethics of Climate Change (2008).  James's website provides more information about this book and the series, as well as links to further resources on climate change. 

James is also a frequent contributor to Talking Philosophy (blog of The Philosopher's Magazine), where he posts on all kinds of philosophical topics; some recent pieces have been on temptation and being opinionated.  James posts usually get good debates going in the comment sections!  If you haven't checked out Talking Philosophy yet, I do advise it.

It's also worth noting that James often writes articles for The Guardian on matters related to global warming.

James is also the author of The Twenty Greatest Philosophy Books and edits the exciting new reference work Continuum Companion to Philosophy of Mind - coming early next year. He's clearly a busy man!

Carly

Marketing Executive