John Lachs, one of American philosophy's most distinguished interpreters, turns to William James, Josiah Royce, Charles S. Peirce, John Dewey, and George Santayana to elaborate stoic pragmatism, or a way to live life within reasonable limits. Stoic pragmatism makes sense of our moral obligations in a world driven by perfectionist human ambition and unreachable standards of achievement. Lachs proposes a corrective to pragmatist amelioration and stoic acquiescence by being satisfied with wha...

Perché vogliamo sempre imporci sugli altri? Per quale ragione il nostro comportamento ci appare normale e quello altrui inevitabilmente da correggere? Com'è possibile, soprattutto, che altre persone sembrino conoscere il nostro bene perfino meglio di noi stessi? Secondo John Lachs è necessario riscoprire il piacere di scegliere e, ancor prima, imparare a lasciare in pace gli altri, affinché tutti possano condurre la loro vita come meglio credono. Consentire alle persone di cercare il propr...

Why do we feel empty when our lives seem so full? A philosopher's "clear, engaging reflection" on the psychic risks of today's world (John T. Lysaker, author of After Emerson).While comfort has not always reached everyone evenly, most of us who live in the United States today reap the benefits of modern life. We live longer, we eat better food, we have access to good medical care, and we can stay in touch with loved ones who are far away. Yet, as philosoph...

John Lachs, one of American philosophy's most distinguished interpreters, turns to William James, Josiah Royce, Charles S. Peirce, John Dewey, and George Santayana to elaborate stoic pragmatism, or a way to live life within reasonable limits. Stoic pragmatism makes sense of our moral obligations in a world driven by perfectionist human ambition and unreachable standards of achievement. Lachs proposes a corrective to pragmatist amelioration and stoic acquiescence by being satisfied with wha...

Freedom and Limits is a defense of the value of freedom in the context of human finitude. A contribution to the American tradition of philosophy, it focuses attention on moral problems as we encounter them in daily life, where the search for perfection and the incessant drive to meet obligations make it difficult to attain satisfaction. The book argues that uniformity is unproductive: Human natures are varied and changeable, making the effort to impose a unitary good on everyone futile. Mo...

Philosopher John Lachs observes that humans today live lives of comfort but also sees that these comfortable lives come at a cost: our increasing unhappiness. In The Cost of Comfort, Lachs contemplates what humans need in order to live fulfilled lives in today's world. While comfort has not always reached everyone evenly, Lachs acknowledges that most of us who live in the US today reap the benefits of modern life. We live longer, we eat better food, we have access to good medical ...

Drawing on the spirit of classical American Philosophy, A Community of Individuals is an original, highly engaging, and important philosophical exploration of pressing personal and social problems. With clear, compelling, spirited writing, Lachs tackles a wide range of topics from the responsibility of educators and the role of education to the problems of aging and the desire for immortality, from genetic engineering and biomedical research to genocide and moral progress. The work also in...

Philosophy is shaped by life and life is shaped by philosophy. This is reflected in The Philosophical I, a collection of 16 autobiographical essays by prominent philosophers. Candid and philosophically insightful, these personal narratives critically call into question the belief that philosophy should be kept separate from the personal experience of philosophers. Each contributor traces the fundamental influences-both philosophical and otherwise-that have shaped his or her identity. In th...

Santayana at 150: International Interpretations is a collection of essays by seventeen authors celebrating the life and thought of Spanish–American philosopher George Santayana. This book appears on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Santayana’s birth. Appropriately, the authors come from both sides of the Atlantic and put forth a range of insights that demonstrate the continuing life and relevance of Santayana’s thinking. The book includes considerations of the ma...

Tycho Woensdag is wees en woont in een ton. Hij is nog nooit naar het circus geweest, maar als het circus Osuro in de stad Reusel aankomt, weet hij wel dat dit geen normáál circus is. Het circus arriveert in het geheim en in het holst van de nacht. Vanuit zijn ton op een heuvel ziet Tycho hoe de tenten worden opgezet en het circusterrein langzaam maar zeker gevuld raakt. Slaapdronken ontmoet Tycho een enorme tijger en de volgende morgen besluit hij dat hij méér wil weten over dat geheimzin...

The Encyclopedia of American Philosophy provides coverage of the major figures, concepts, historical periods and traditions in American philosophical thought. Containing over 600 entries written by scholars who are experts in the field, this Encyclopedia is the first of its kind. It is a scholarly reference work that is accessible to the ordinary reader by explaining complex ideas in simple terms and providing ample cross-references to facilitate further study. The En...