Philosophy & General

The Power of Myth

5 stars (Thoroughly enjoyed) - Wonderful audio presentation of the Bill Moyer interview with Joseph Campbell. We originally checked it out from the library for a road trip, but just had to have our own copy. Listened to it twice on a recent cross-country road trip. 3 stars (Amazing Mythological Comparisons) - This is written in an "interview" form. I probably would get more out of the DVD format. It has very interesting comparisons of our life to mythology. Although very interesting, some ideas seem a little far-fetched. 4 stars (Intriguing, important but sometimes contradictory) - In our current secular culture where everything is de-mythologized, this is an important work. Campbell shows how the existential angst and meaninglessnes of modern toil is inextricably linked with our devaluation of mythology in the 21st century. From a philosophical point of view I especially admired the colourful way in which Campbell accounted for the dualism of the human predicament eg. In the Garden of Eden fall from unity into the knowledge of "good and evil". Buddhist conceptions of duality were also well integrated. However, in parts I found Campbell's message somewhat contradictory. Especially concerning the gnostic view that the material world is "bad", and the eternal world of the spirit, our real home. In some instances he seems to support this gnostic view, in others he wants us to embrace the tactile reality we find ourselves in, submerging ourselves in its goodness. Perhaps I just misunderstood. I would welcome enlightenment from fellow readers. Perhaps the greatest "take-away" for me was the value of investing myth into your everday world. As the Postmodern philosopher Rorty said: there is no true view of the world (even the scientific one), only a view which is the most useful. Personally I often find the meaninglessness of the materialist view pretty useless (for me, anyway), and a view rich with myth and mystical connotation might be infinitely more livable....
Anchor :: Philosophy & General :: Campbell :: Joseph :: United States :: Sociology of Religion :: Sociology :: Religious :: Religion historians :: Religion :: Philosophy :: Mytholo :: The Power of Myth

Thomson Advantage Books- Reason and Responsibility - Readings in Some Basic Problems of Philosophy

5 stars (fast shipping) - this is an old edition. but practically there is no difference. i saved a lot on this item. shipping is fast too 5 stars (Great Introductory Book) - I highly recommend Feinberg's 'Reason and Responsibility' to beginning philosophers. Feinberg presents various philosophical topics in an organized manner and selects text that is easy to understand for readers new to philosophy. Readers are weaned into the language of philosophy by first being presented with the jargon in the beginning of each section. It's a great book that covers a variety of topics, from arguments about God's existence to ethics to abortion. 5 stars (Great Anthology) - It is unclear whether my previous attempt to write a review of this book went through or not. If not, here goes again: A disclaimer: I have absolutely no connection with the authors or publishers and stand to benefit in no way from the sale of this book. My background: MA in philosophy and have taught as a teaching assistant on a number of philosophy courses at university level. Review: This is the best anthology of philosophical writing that I am aware of. It's strength lies in the range of readings it includes. The editors have, it seems, stayed very involved with their book and update the readings every few years. As a result this anthology includes some very recent material in addition to the classics. so, the reader has available to him/her a collection of writings that span nearly 2,500 years of Western philosophy. Note: it is an anthology of philosophy in the western tradition. A second notable strength of Reason and Responsibility is the introductory essays that appear at the start of each section. These are clear and especially helpful to those new to philosophy. It is also noteworthy that the editors have attempted to compile readings that give the reader a sense of the two sides to any given debate. This is not always the case with anthologies. One word of warning for those new to philosophy: mu...
Wadsworth Publishing :: Philosophy & General :: Philosophy :: General :: Russ Shafer-Landau :: Joel Feinberg :: :: Thomson Advantage Books- Reason and Responsibility - Readings in Some Basic Problems of Philosophy (

Man-s Search For Meaning

5 stars (inspiring and useful) - For me, an incredibly useful perspective on suffering. I would even go as far as to say paradigm shifting. You should especially read this if you are succeptible to depression. 4 stars (Insight into search for meaning) - This book is cited often by diverse authors providing life guidance on building a purposeful life filled with meaning. I wanted to read the original myself to see what the fuss was about. There is much here. 5 stars (Just read it.) - It isnt a lengthy book, but it's a great book. It's a book you will read again. It's a book you will read before you go to sleep at night and again when you wake in the morning. If you think your life is rough and not worth living this book WILL give you hope. Yes, it's that good. ...
Pocket :: Philosophy & General :: Psychology of Religion :: Psychology :: Psychologists :: Psychological aspects :: Personal narratives :: Holocaust :: Jewish (1939-1945) :: Ho :: Man-s Search For Meaning