How do we, as individuals, accommodate a pessimistic and misanthropic view of the world? If the human condition is impossible to ameliorate, then how should we live? How do we bring about the wellbeing and happiness we seek in the face of such overwhelming evidence that our condition is and will remain very bad indeed and owes significantly to our own entrenched failings?In this thoughtful and insightful book the philosopher David E. Cooper explores this fundamental dilemma. He rej...

This collection presents twenty-seven new essays in Japanese aesthetics by leading experts in the field. Beginning with an extended foreword by the renowned scholar and artist Stephen Addiss and a comprehensive introduction that surveys the history of Japanese aesthetics and the ways in which it is similar to and different from Western aesthetics, this groundbreaking work brings together a large variety of disciplinary perspectives—including philosophy, literature, and cultural politics—to...

In this beautifully written book, David E. Cooper uses a gentle walk through a tropical garden – the view of the fields and hills beyond it, the sound of birds, voices and flutes, the reflection of light in water, the play of shadows among the trees and the presence of strange animals – as an opportunity to reflect on experiences of nature and the mystery of existence.Covering an extensive range of topics, from Daoism to dogs, from gardening to walking, from Zen to Debussy, Cooper ...

Buddhism, one increasingly hears, is an 'eco-friendly' religion. It is often said that this is because it promotes an 'ecological' view of things, one stressing the essential unity of human beings and the natural world. Buddhism, Virtue and Environment presents a different view. While agreeing that Buddhism is, in many important respects, in tune with environmental concerns, Cooper and James argue that what makes it 'green' is its view of human life. The true connection between the religio...

Meaning is one of our most central and most ubiquitous concepts. Anything at all may, in suitable contexts, have meaning ascribed to it. In this wide-ranging book, David Cooper departs from the usual focus on linguistic meaning to discuss how works of art, ceremony, social action, bodily gesture, and the purpose of life can all be meaningful. He argues that the notion of meaning is best approached by considering what we accept as explanations of meaning in everyday practice and shows that ...

According to author David E Cooper, God has sent prophets in very generation to help the people in times of trouble. But many dont listen and live the way they desire instead of following Gods desire for them. In The Prophet of God, Cooper calls on everyone to be aware of what is to come and reminds them that now is the time to repent and go back to the Heavenly Father.When we go through life, we want peace and happiness. The only way to live in peace and happiness is in Jesus. To ...

Key Thinkers on the Environment is a unique guide to environmental thinking through the ages. Joy A. Palmer Cooper and David E. Cooper, themselves distinguished authors on environmental matters, have assembled a team of expert contributors to summarize and analyse the thinking of diverse and stimulating figures from around the world and from ancient times to the present day. Among those included are:philosophers such as Rousseau, Kant, Spinoza and Heidegger...

First published in 1992. This book provides an introduction to the key environmental debates. By addressing specific global problems and placing them within an ethical context, the collection provides the reader with both theoretical and practical understanding of environmental issues. The contributors are internationally known figures drawn from a range of different disciplines, including geography, psychology, social policy and philosophy. The contributions range from those tackling indi...

Martin Heidegger is, perhaps, the most controversial philosopher of the twentieth-century. Little has been written on him or about his work and its significance for educational thought. This unique collection by a group of international scholars reexamines Heidegger's work and its legacy for educational thought. Thematically, the collection focuses on Heidegger's critique of modernity and contributors investigate the central significance for education of Heidegger's ontology and his invest...

Spirit of the Environment brings spiritual and religious concerns to environmental issues. Providing a much needed alternative to exploring human beings' relationship to the natural world through the restrictive lenses of 'science', 'ecology', or even 'morality', this book offers a fresh perspective to the field.Spirit of the Enironment addresses:* the environmental attitudes of the major religions;* the relationship between art and nature;* th...

Fifty Key Thinkers on the Environment is a unique guide to environmental thinking through the ages. Joy A. Palmer, herself an important and prolific author on environmental matters, has assembled a team of thirty-five expert contributors to summarize and analyse the thinking of fifty diverse and stimulating figures – from all over the world and from ancient times to the present day. Among those included are:Philosophers such as Rousseau, Spinoza and Heidegger

Every birth brings with it pain, suffering and death. Are life's joys and pleasures worth its costs? This book examines a set of perspectives - religious, philosophical, and literary - which find human existence deeply flawed and unacceptable. Its modern expression by philosophers Benatar and Zapffe as anti-natalism needs to be taken seriously in our choice whether to procreate or not.