This is the first volume in the Invitation Lecture Series of York University and it is an auspicious beginning. Three leaders in higher education in the United States here present their thoughts on challenging questions of enrolment, curriculum, and standards which today confront the ever expanding universities of North America. Professor Jones describes "The Idea of a University Once More"; Professor Riesman outlines and comments on some significant recent "Experiments in Higher Education...

This book evaluates the educational system of the United States from schools for the young up to universities and various forms of adult education. It is not confined to the evaluation of intellectual achievement. Rather it tries to arrive at some judgment as to whether schools help people acquire the degree of maturity necessary for participation in the work of a nation called upon to assume world responsibilities.Education, rightly conceived, is the process by which a growing per...

We live in a culture shaped and fueled by technology. Usually we equate access to technology with opportunity and the chance to pursue "the good life." Power Failure raises some crucial, if disconcerting, questions about technology: If technology liberates us, what kind of liberation does it promise? Are we prospering, and by what definition?Albert Borgmann looks at the relationship between Christianity and technology by examining some of the "invisible" dangers of a technology-driv...

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 ...

Is work as we know it disappearing? And if so why should we care? These questions are explored by Raymond Geuss in this compact but sweeping survey which integrates conceptual analysis, historical reflection, autobiography and social commentary. Geuss explores our concept of work and its origins in industrial production, the incentives and compulsions which societies use to get us to work, and the powerful hold which the work ethic has over so many of us. He also looks at dissatisfaction w...

In search of true virtue is written in the spirit of engagement, and not indoctrination. It is intended to engage the reader, rather than dictating to the reader what ought to be. As life is full of mysteries and speculations, followers and conformers are bound to get the short end of the stick. This book is a culmination of multiple and diverse schools of thought, ranging from music, gymnastics, mass-media, philosophy, politics, religion, social sciences, mathematics, relationships to lov...

For centuries, philosophers, theologians, moralists, and ordinary people have asked: How should we live? What makes for a good life? In The Best Things in Life, distinguished philosopher Thomas Hurka takes a fresh look at these perennial questions as they arise for us now in the 21st century. Should we value family over career? How do we balance self-interest and serving others? What activities bring us the most joy? While religion, literature, popular psychology, and everyday wis...

Why do people choose authoritarianism over freedom? The classic study of the psychological appeal of fascism by the New York Times –bestselling author.The pursuit of freedom has indelibly marked Western culture since Renaissance humanism and Protestantism began the fight for individualism and self-determination. This freedom, however, can make people feel unmoored, and is often accompanied by feelings of isolation, fear, ...

A collection of essays that sets forth the moral principles of Objectivism, Ayn Rand's controversial, groundbreaking philosophy.Since their initial publication, Rand's fictional works—Anthem, The Fountainhead, and *Atlas Shrugged—*have had a major impact on the intellectual scene. The underlying theme of her famous novels is her philosophy, a new morality—the ethics of rational self-interest—that offers a robust challenge to altruist-collectivist ...

A New York Times bestseller about overcoming the profound ills of modern society by a legendary social psychologist, the author of Escape from Freedom ."A distinguished contribution to a growing body of social-psychological reflections on modern times." — The Washington PostOne of Fromm's main interests was to analyze social sy...

Happiness is an everyday term in our lives, and most of us strive to be happy. But defining happiness can be difficult. In this Very Short Introduction, Dan Haybron considers the true nature of happiness. By examining what it is, assessing its importance in our lives, and how we can (and should) pursue it, he considers the current thinking on happiness, from psychology to philosophy. Illustrating the diverse routes to happiness, Haybron reflects on contemporary ideas about the pur...

This collection of essays was the last work planned by Ayn Rand before her death in 1982. In it, she summarizes her view of philosophy and deals with a broad spectrum of topics.According to Ayn Rand, the choice we make is not whether to have a philosophy, but which one to have: rational, conscious, and therefore practical; or contradictory, unidentified, and ultimately lethal.Written with all the clarity and eloquence that have placed Ayn Rand’s Objectivist...