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Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy

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For Use in Some Intro to Philosophy Courses
A distorted picture of philosophy
Create a quantum leap in your philosophical fluency
A great starting point for a journey through philosophy
Great introduction into philosophical thought

Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy
G. Lee Bowie , Meredith W. Michaels , and Robert C. Solomon
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0495007110

Book Description

TWENTY QUESTIONS, one of the best selling introductory anthologies available today, presents a proven, well-acclaimed forum for introducing students to the rich variety of philosophical reflection. Animated by some of philosophy's more concrete questions?questions that students are likely to have pondered long before signing up for their first philosophy classes?TWENTY QUESTIONS fosters the creative exploration of many renowned classical and contemporary thinkers' responses to the very same questions.

Customer Reviews:

For Use in Some Intro to Philosophy Courses.......2006-11-04

I am a philosophy instructor, and I chose this book last summer in my first intro to philosophy course.

The selections are very short and ecclectic. To object to the book on this basis is rather disingenuous because one should know that about this book prior to selecting it. That is one of the main selling points of the book for others.

This book really worked for me and my students because I wanted to give them short tastes from a broad spectrum of philosophical topics and authors. Since philosophy includes such a diversity of topics, writing styles, and time periods, and because philosophy is not so much about reading the one true theory as about discussing many contrasting viewpoints, and because you never know what kind of philosophy each student will gravitate towards (some love Nietzsche, while others prefer Socrates), it is a nice thing to be able to expose a class to such a wide array of topics, time periods, and styles from which to begin their philosophical researches.

I required supplemental readings (available online) for those philosphers that we wanted to spend more time on.

If you are looking for a more in-depth approach to each philosopher then this is not your book! But if you want a broad spectrum of fun, short readings (an ADD approach to beginning philosophy), this can be a wonderful and enjoyable first experience of the subject.

A distorted picture of philosophy.......2004-11-24

This is a terrible book. True, it's hard to go wrong with the likes of Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Wittgenstein, and the other great figures represented in this volume. But the editors manage it just the same.

One problem is the length of the selections. There is no way a reader can come to grips with, say, Marx's critique of capitalism or Russell's theory of sense-data after reading a two-page snippet wrenched from its context. Some of the selections are even shorter than this; at least one is only 80 words long. Often the reader is given a philosopher's position on a particular issue, but without getting the arguments for the position! The subtext seems to be that reasons don't matter -- which, it seems safe to say, is distinctly unphilosophical.

Another problem is the banality of many of the chapter headings. As the title indicates, the book is structured around twenty philosophical questions; each chapter gives the answers of various philosophers to a different question. Chapter 10 is called, "How Should I Feel About Abortion?" This one seems easy to answer -- presumably, everyone feels pretty badly about abortion, regardless of their position on the issue. The more important question, obviously, is how we should *think* about abortion. Chapter 4 is called, "Which Should I Believe: Darwin or Genesis?" This question assumes that there is no way to harmonize Darwin's claims with those found in Genesis. It also assumes that, if they can't be harmonized, there are only two possible positions on this issue. Anyone with a passing acquiantance with the literature on creation and evolution knows just how naive these assumptions are.

Finally, the book's selections reflect a palpable bias toward the extreme left of the political spectrum. For instance, in the chapter on creation and evolution, Duane Gish, an ignoramus, is pitted against Philip Kitcher, a leading philosopher of science. The fight might be fairer had the editors chosen J.P. Moreland, Alvin Plantinga, William Lane Craig, William Dembski, or any of a number of other leading critics of naturalistic evolution, rather than a minor figure from the fundamentalist lecture circuit. Another question asks, "Does Religion Give My Life Meaning?" Apparently the answer is NO, since, with the exception of a couple watery selections on Buddhism, all of the other selections in this chapter come from opponents of traditional religion. There is also an emphasis placed on irrationalist views of science, linguistic determinism, and other liberal themes. The editors are entitled to their opinions, of course, but anyone interested in an objective and fair-minded introduction to philosophy should look elsewhere.

Create a quantum leap in your philosophical fluency.......2004-07-01

I recommend this book for the same reasons that others have criticized it. The book is brief, clearly organized, amazingly deep, and covering a wide breadth of common sense questions.

Some members of the philosophical community are not comfortable with this. Some conservative members of the old guard are less interested in creating philosophy so much as studying philosophy that already exists. For them the study of philosophy is an ends in and of itself, whereas it should be a means to the greater end of developing your own philosophical opinions. Actually, philosophical opinions are only useful insofar as they provide a person with a framework to clearly and logically decide what they think about real issues in the world and their life.

This book is all about Applied Philosophy, a phrase I coin to describe the divorce of philosophy from the non-creative, non-applicable academic study that actually discourages people from developing their own opinions. Like Applied Physics it recognizes that the study of philosophy does not necessarily have anything to do with the paramount goal of philosophy: having your very own sound, philosophically based opinions of the world.

After all, what is the value of Aristotle if not to provoke new thinking in people who read his work and had never thought of it before? Is Aristotle the person somehow better than any other man today? Is it that words, simply by virtue of Aristotle speaking them, become true, valuable and immutable? I would take a less theistic approach to the veneration of past philosophers. I would say they are useful and commit their ideas to print so as to provoke others to think like them. Where that provocation comes from, be it Wittgenstein, Napoleon, the Buddha twirling a flower, a schizophrenic's hallucinations, or MTv, what does it matter? The product is all the same: philosophical inspirations, leading to philosophical theory, leading to applied philosophy.

Some entrenched in the academic establishment of Philosophy have a vested interest in not seeing this broad of a philosophical education become the standard. Why? Because they are not themselves trained for independent thought. After all, what need would we have for conventional philosophy teachers if this were the case? Instead, they decry anything that is readable as `over-simple' and anything that presents philosophy in layman's terms as not serious work, because they suppose that everyone should have to go through what they did to approach philosophy, that it should be difficult and inaccessible, and that it can only come from taking their classes at their universities.

If you want a revolution in education and intelligence, abolishing ignorance, then the solution is to make education and philosophy something that is easy to approach. That is exactly what this book does. It creates a broad survey of philosophy that will familiarize anyone with the issues of philosophy with out an 8-year doctorate.

My favorite articles include Pinker, Kant, Kuhn, and Popper.

A great starting point for a journey through philosophy.......2001-11-11

This book is used as the primary text in my university's introductory Philosophy course, and I think it's an excellent choice. It includes classic texts written by well-known philosophers and the writings of scientists, novelists, religious figures and many others. The inclusion of philosophical writings from such unlikely sources is a great illustration of how philosophy is woven into all aspects of our lives. Reading this book will help you to realize how many philosophical issues you already deal with in your own life and will also help you to find new ways of thinking about and dealing with them.

Great introduction into philosophical thought.......2001-01-16

I ordered this book as a requirement from a great professor during college. Having only read just more than a handful of chapters in that semester I became hooked. I have since moved on and really started to appreciate the ultimate questions of life. Not that this book answers them. That is still the uniqueness of humanity, individual thought. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to be a better skeptic. We so readily just accept things that our ancestors accepted without a thought as to how reality really is. The wide array of topics is to be applauded and a great concept to take a look at may arenas of thought. Thank you professor Buenter(Binter).

Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality Presented in Four Paths, Twenty-Six Themes, and Two Questions

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A must read for all Christians
True inspiration
Interesting and necessary theological exploration of the God-world relationship
Fox's Creation Spirituality between the Contemporary Mystics
A Supplement to Original Blessing Spotlight Reviews

Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality Presented in Four Paths, Twenty-Six Themes, and Two Questions
Matthew Fox
Manufacturer: Tarcher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Creativity

ASIN: 1585420670
Release Date: 2000-09-07

Book Description

Here is a reissue of the critically acclaimed bestseller, named one of the "20 books that changed the world" in New Age Journal's Annual Source Book for 1995. Maverick theologian Matthew Fox provides a daring view of historical Christianity and a theologically sound basis for personal discovery of spiritual liberation.

In this revolutionary work, Fox shows how Christianity once celebrated beauty, compassion, justice, and provided a path of positive knowledge and ecstatic connection with all creation.

Customer Reviews:

A must read for all Christians .......2007-05-30

First up, a little about me, the reader! If I do a BeleifoMatic quiz I come up as "100% Mainline Conservative Protestant", so that's the position from which I read this book. The main message that I took from this book is that the churches have and are focusing (particularly the Evangelical ones) solely on justification to the detriment of sanctification. Where sanctification is focused on it is seen as a negative exercise (i.e., pursuit of a mortified body rather than a resurrected one). So many churches are very keen to "get" people saved, but are weak on what it means to thereafter "be" saved on a day to day life basis.
Fox corrects this, showing that the biblical vision of salvation is that we are saved for sanctification and that sanctification involves becoming an integral part of God's solution for a creation that, altough fallen, is still one sustained through His presence within it. Seeing God as being present in creation as well as transcending was something great that reading this book enabled me to do. So why only 4 stars?
Well, the book is a product of its times and regardless of the wonderful content, the form is one of 70s new age narrative. Sometimes reading between the lines is needed to see that what is being said has relevance beyond this context. Also, whilst Fox has some profound and thought provoking insights from a biblical perspective on issues such as original sin, in other areas he lacks the same incisiveness (e.g., sexuality), so that what he has to say might be appealing, but not wholly convincing. Still, this book is in my top 10 of Christian books, and I have read a lot!

True inspiration.......2007-04-10

Other reviews gave good summaries, so I'll just add my voice to those who gave this book a five-star rating. Just what we need in today's turbulent world. He helps us discover how we got that way, and offers a way back to our primeval Oneness with all of life.

Interesting and necessary theological exploration of the God-world relationship.......2006-11-15

In the 21st century, we face a depressing series of enviromental crises. These range from global warming to pollution to mass extinction of species to collapse of global ecosystems. It seems something is very seriously wrong with the way we live and the way we view the world.

The ecological crisis the world faces has several different root causes, but certainly one is related to a desacralisation of nature which leads to us not seeing nature as something to be protected and cherished, but rather just another resource to be exploited for our own use. In one of his works Fox uses the dramatic image of Earth as being crucified daily to represent the terrible strain our species is placing on the planet.

What Fox argues for in this book and also others is that Christianity desperately needs to consider the God/world relationship not just in terms of God being the sovereign and omnipotent maker of all (the Father in Christian creeds) but also in terms of God's immanent relationship with the world (as the Holy Spirit and also in terms of the incarnation of the Son). Fox argues for a panentheistic picture of God, that is, of nature existing in God, but not nature being God. This position is in fact well supported by both the Bible and also theological tradition in most of the major branches of Christianity. Fox sets out four paths to rethinking the creation and God/world relationship, using the 'via positiva', 'via negativa', via creativa and via transformita as symbols for the new ways we can think of the relationship in panenthetic terms. Fox has also used this template to look at Thomas Aquinas and Meister Eckhart, great Dominican thinkers who also had a positive view of the world.

I agree with a lot of what Fox argues, and certainly there is a need to re-appropriate a positive incarnational spirituality rather than a dualistic one which sets matter against spirit. This is certainly important in terms of learning to live in a more sustainable way, and also having a better relationship between religion and science, which recently have been in bitter conflict but were originally seen as part as the overall task of understanding God and the good world he has made. While sometimes he can overdo the syncretism, in most parts he is quite accurate in his judgement and I have few reservations about his work.

Fox's Creation Spirituality between the Contemporary Mystics.......2006-03-26

"Blessed be the One who took off His glory to reveal His love
It is the day that has no end
It has its beginning in your divine and eternal plan;
When you formed Adam, You saw your future love" Dr. G. Bebawi

Maverick Theologian:
Michael Toms calls Matthew Fox a 'Maverick theologian,' who dares to provide a novel view of historical Christianity, and a new discovery of spiritual liberation. He describes 'Original Blessing,' as a revolutionary work, in which Fox shows how Christianity once celebrated aesthetic values, providing a positive path to the Creator's knowledge and an ecstatic connection with all His cosmic creation. The effect of the advancement of Fall/Redemption theology on contemporary society, is described by reviewers as being recovered by Fox's treatise on Creation-centered theology.

Original Sin & Initial Grace:
Matthew Fox follows the sayings of Oriental Church fathers, on initial creation Grace, in contrast to Original sin, a concept initiated by Tertullian(225), who spoke of a propensity to sin sown in human souls, while Cyprian of Carthage's advocated the arguement (250) to baptize infants to wash the 'contagion of sin.' Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was the pioneer to coin this term of Western doctrine, a difficiency which he claimed to have passed from Adam and he has identified with concupiscence, that became a central dogma of Western Christianity, established by North African Latin church fathers. Later on, in the controversy with Pelagius, the Eastern Church did not agree with Augustine, defending that the Lord after the fall, never took away human freedom, and thus Orthodox were called 'Semi-Pelagian'!

Merton and Fox:
It is of great help to clarify most of the concepts in Fr. Fox's themes by his great Trappist brother Fr. Thomas Merton, whom Fox quoted repeatedly, in his patristic debut, 'The New Man.' Merton anticipated Fox's two questions, ".. And in the midst of that paradise stands Christ himself, the tree of life. From the base of the tree the four rivers of Eden flow out to irrigate not only all the faculties of our soul and body, filling them with grace and mystical light, but the whole world around us." (Paragraph 101)

Oriental Patristic View:
The Alexandrine position on the initial Creation and redeeming grace is poetically illustrated by Dr. George Bebawi, the Cantab Patristic scholar of Nottingham and Cambridge,
"O love divine incomparable to any ...
Communicative allowing creation to be included
Redeeming where imperfection is healed
Uplifting all those created out of nothing,
to the highest divinity
Sustaining all and leading us to the bliss of eternity
Condescending to the level of the finites
Revealing your inner communion"

Epilogue; Creation Spirituality:
In his comparison at a glance, with Fall-Redemption theology, I am copying his Appendix B Church Fathers compatible statements: Faith is trust (St. Paul), God as mother (Isaiah), Holiness is cosmic hospitality (Jesus to Zaccheus), Teaching us about nature, teaches us about the Creator (St. Anthony the Great), Cosmic Christ, Son of God who calls others to their divinity (Maximus the confessor), Eternal life is now (Desert Fathers; John 17:3)

A Supplement to Original Blessing Spotlight Reviews .......2006-03-20

Fox's Original Blessings:
This is one of Fox's books published before 1985, so must have been examined and declared orthodox by Dominican theologians. This challenging book, together with, 'The Coming of the Cosmic Christ,' are enriched with eastern Christian Church thought. While Thomas Merton, who led in this venue of ecumenical reunion, kept away from the controversial issues of Far-Eastern spirituality until the last years of his shorter life, Fox's writings pace was faster than the average American Catholic capacity to absorb and assimilate his newly presented concepts, that caused much agitation. The Four Paths, and Twenty six Themes which he reorganizes as unfolding essays, in reply to his own legitimate two questions, containing some expressions that are foreign to western Corporate Christianity. That is its main puzzling problem !

Creation Spirituality:
Creation Spirituality begins with the notion of creation as an original blessing in opposition to dogmatic 'Original sin.' Sin results, not so much from disobedience of God's laws, as a consequence of disconnection to God's creation, claims Fox, based on the Biblical narrative, and the Church fathers.
He compares the seven 'mortal sins' to seven principles of Creation Spirituality: Cosmology, Feminism, Liberation, Compassion, Prophecy, Creativity, and Community. This is where Fox shifts his focus from the perspective of original Christian tradition. Instead of focusing on the historical Jesus, he has focused on the Cosmic Christ and the divinity within creation (Theosis). Fox says that sin and redemption may be central to the Christian faith, but he would rather emphasize human connections to the life of the cosmos. Fox insists that the gospel writers were not describing the historical Jesus; whom they were disciples; they developed hymns to the cosmic Christ. Fox does not attack the doctrine of original sin, but underlines that we start with original blessing, as assumed in Genesis. He prefers a positive accent of wonder, and awe of amazement by the original blessing, extended to the divine beauty, around and within us. Fox's theology, extrapolates eastern church belief, to re-conceive the universe, rather than only the faithful, as the mystical body of the Christ.
Father Fox, a Christian mystic, who preaches that every person possesses mystical possibilities, credits Hildegard of Bingen and Meister Eckhart as his two most influential mentors, whom focused on a personal experience of the Divine. Creation Spirituality teaches ten concepts to reach one's "mystical possibilities" His teachings are centered around few fundamental concepts;
We are microcosm of the macrocosm.
We are all sons and daughters of God.
Divinity is as much mother as father, as much child as parent, as much Godhead (mystery) as God (history), as much beyond all being as in all things.
We experience the Divine in all things, which all abide in the Divine.

Issues of Controversy:
Matthew Fox and his developed Creation Spirituality have caused much controversy among Catholics and confusion within New-Age students, alike. Fox's problems started with the Catholic curia in 1984, when Cardinal Ratzinger, then, the Vatican's watchdog on orthodoxy, asked the Dominican order to investigate Fox's writings. Three Dominican theologians examined his books in 1985 and concluded they were not heretical. The Vatican however continued to object to Fox's teachings, such as his emphasis on original blessings undermining the doctrine of Original sin. More problematic is endorsing homosexual unions, calling God 'our Mother,' and identifying humans as 'mothers of God,' The presence of a Wicca witch, on the ICCS, 'Institute of Culture and Creation Spirituality' staff caused concern among church members. So the Vatican asked the Dominican Order Master in 1986 to stop Fox from teaching. Insteas the Dominican superior defended Fox and let him continue in his practices.
In 1987, an investigation of Fox and his teachings were launched, but Fox's teachings were not discredited, still insisting to prevent Fox from teaching and writing. Fox was to take a sabbatical year to invite calm into the controversy on his teachings. Fox responded to this by publicly calling the Catholic church a dysfunctional family since, "power, not theology, is the real issue." Despite his claims, Fox began a year-long silence after which he resumed his teaching, writing, and lecturing. In Fox was ordered to leave the ICCS or face dismissal from the Dominican order. Fox refused, the Vatican formally announcing his dismissal from the order in 1993; Fox would remain a defrocked priest.
Fox's troubles were over when he joined the Episcopal Church, but his move was seen as the last straw for his career, "The Episcopal Church is being used to give Matthew Fox credibility," says Rev. Lytle, who taught at Berkeley and knew Fox. "He wants the authority of the priesthood without the accountability."

Fox & New Age:
Confusion among Fox followers is caused by linking Creation Spirituality with a New Age Spirituality which got its name from the belief in society transformation. Fox has been called a New Ager by followers who view him as focused on motivating others to change their ideology and theology, convinced that a new Aquarian Age is shortly upon the world and the church. On the one hand, Fox employs New Age ideas, such as setting the right brain against the left, and mysticism as the basis of religion, not dogma. He also quotes many New Age thinkers, such as Capra, and G. Bateson. On the other hand, Fox criticizes New Age pseudo-mysticisms. He claims that creation-centered spirituality has many issues in common with New Age movement, but differs in its social conscience, being concerned with reclaiming spiritual power from institutions to the apostolate. "I believe in tradition, the Anglican tradition is very close to the Roman Catholic. Half my books are about the medieval mystical tradition in Christianity. To teach, you have to be connected with a tradition. That's why I fought like hell to stay within the Dominican Order and the Roman Catholic Church," says Fr Fox.

A Musical Mystical Bear:
'Creation Spirituality,'which tries to bridge the split between body and spirit, and antagonism between science and religion, by adopting an Eastern church world view, brings together mysticism, science, endorsing it with art. In his Institute Fox's version of the gospel, is offered with studies in 'pagan' spirituality, as well as Tao physics and the Wicca tradition, commonly considered as witchcraft.
Canadian producer Tim Wilson tried to draw a portrait of a priest by questioning Fr Fox on some of the foundations of his religious thought, has helped advertising Fox's books!

Spiritual Questions for the Twenty-First Century: Essays in Honor of Joan D. Chittister

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Grey spirituality for diehard liberals stuck in the 60s
Spiritual Questions Nurture Consciousness and Wisdom

Spiritual Questions for the Twenty-First Century: Essays in Honor of Joan D. Chittister

Manufacturer: Orbis Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1570753695

Customer Reviews:

Grey spirituality for diehard liberals stuck in the 60s.......2002-04-08

What does reading these essays do for me and for other readers in their twenties? Like Sr. Joan, these writers point the way to the past, not the future. All right, the 60's happened. Get over it. Puh-leaze. Meanwhile, the rest of us have to figure out how to live the faith here and now, stuck in the middle of this scandal-ridden Weak-Land called "american cathoicism" They may aspire to be a Catholic mod-squad, but they come off more like the Flintstones. Perhaps they should have all gotten themselves ordained by the Peace Corps.

Spiritual Questions Nurture Consciousness and Wisdom.......2001-09-11

Spiritual Questions for the 21st Century - edited by Mary Hembrow Snyder - is a collection of fascinating essays by contemporaries of Joan Chittister OSB. The book is not a gushy tribute to Joan but an incredible, thought provoking, and nourishing tribute to the questions that each essayist believes is the defining spiritual question for her/him for this new century. Joan herself, a purveyor extrordinaire of spiritual questions throughout her own life, offers a timely and eloquent 'Afterword' entitled: The Power of Questions to Propel.

Twenty-five contemporaries of Joan's including Diana Hayes, Dan Berrigan, Richard Rohr, Edwina Gately, Rembert Weakland, Sandra Schneiders, and Thomas Gumbleton were asked to address this: "What do you think is the most important spiritual question of our time?" The diversity and richness of the responses illuminate the darkness that has become so representative of the times in which we are living.

I highly recommend the use of this book for peace and justice study groups as well as for all people of good will who are beginning to see the connection of the 'consciousness of the sacred' and 'action on behalf of justice' for the least among us, including our endangered earth.

No Litmus Test: Law versus Politics in the Twenty-First Century

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Democratizing Legal Doctrine

No Litmus Test: Law versus Politics in the Twenty-First Century
Michael C. Dorf
Manufacturer: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

The courts and, indeed, the law itself are under assault from both right and left. By analyzing the most pressing controversies of our day, No Litmus Test defends the possibility of principled legal decision-making against the attacks of both the right and the left. From Bush v. Gore to the war in Iraq, No Litmus Test demonstrates that even when the law provides no clear-cut right answers, it offers tools for distinguishing good arguments from bad ones.

Customer Reviews:

Democratizing Legal Doctrine .......2006-06-01

This book is a great purchase for the layperson looking to understand legal doctrine and its interrelation and autonomy from workaday politics.
By applying legal analysis to political controversies and political insights into legal questions, Professor Dorf democratizes the law in a way that allows access without loss of nuance while reminding legal professionals and students why the law really is relevant. In short, any enjoyable and edifying book for law students, lawyers, and the myriad friends and family that are prone to asking for that explanation which the former groups can never quite give without further obscuring the Law.

The People of Turkey: Twenty years' residence among Bulgarians, Greeks, Albanians, Turks, and Armenians. Volume 1

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The People of Turkey: Twenty years' residence among Bulgarians, Greeks, Albanians, Turks, and Armenians. Volume 1
Fanny Janet Blunt
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 140215108X
Release Date: 2004-03-12

Book Description

Edited by Stanley Lane Poole. This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1878 edition by John Murray, London.

The Anguish of the Jews: Twenty-Three Centuries of Anti-Semitism

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The Anguish of the Jews: Twenty-Three Centuries of Anti-Semitism
Edward H. Flannery
Manufacturer: Macmillan Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0020322801

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A insightful book
Crucial Questions About the Future
Cogent, engaging, and informative.

Crucial Questions About the Future
Allen Tough
Manufacturer: University Press of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0819182753

Book Description

Crucial Questions About the Future presents readers concerned about the long-range future and their place in it with a series of tough but necessary questions and, refreshingly, offers no pat answers. Instead, what is offered is a structured and reason-bound exploration of the complexities of modern life with which the reader, or the future-studies inclined academic, can provide his own answers to these eternal and critical questions. Contents: The Future of Human Civilization; What Is Most Important of All?; Why Do We Act In Ways That Hurt Our Future?; What Will Our Actual Future Turn Out To Be?; How Can We Achieve a Satisfactory Future?; Preventing the Worst Catastrophes; Intelligent Life in the Universe: What Role Will It Play In Our Future?; From Which Aspects of Reality Can We Gain Meaning and Purpose?; How Can Each Person Contribute?

Customer Reviews:

A insightful book.......2006-02-24

While most people are preoccupied with immediate daily concerns, Allen Tough, a Professor of Futuristics at the University of Toronto, in his book "Crucial Questions about the Future" reminds us of some critical issues. Tough points out that we need to think and rethink what we consider of supreme value in the future, the relation of human civilization with future, the dialectics embedded in our current human civilization, the possible outcomes of human civilization, ways to unleash constructive and transformational forces while harnessing the destructive ones, and what each individual can contribute at the daily micro level.

What Tough concerns most with future is human civilization-- a process of "diversity of cultures, organizations, beliefs, world views, values, music, architecture, environments, capacities, and lift-styles (p. 1)," which he assumes to be a shared anthropocentric consensus and based on what majority of human beings would construct their meaning and purposes. He points out that human civilization encompasses simultaneously positive forces toward happy flourishes and negative forces toward total catastrophes. Even more, "at this peculiar moment in human history, our two extreme potentials ... may both be vaster then at any time during the past 10,000 years (p.1)." Tough believes by rethinking carefully of what we think is most important of all and looking four decades ahead, people can effective avoid a myopic perspective and reorient ourselves toward importance of continued flourishing of human civilization. However, there is an array of micro and macro forces which has caused the society as a whole to choose priorities and actions that reduce the chance for a positive future (p. 25-31). The development of human civilization has been destructively threatened. For example, some countries rather expend military spending than on their nationals; people look for immediate interests and never realize what they do will greatly affect the next 40 years; and merchants consider their own benefits better than anything else. Some people destroy environment and destruct nature of human civilization at any cost only for profit gaining. Why there are so many such people around the world? Tough's answer is people rarely think about future or do not care about future.

If uncontrolled, Tough argues, these forces can lead to the total vanish of human species but also other forms of life on the planet. However, instead of being determined, Tough believes human beings do have the capacity to reduce or offset destructive forces. Therefore, he encourages us to increase awareness and understanding of what actually we can do to prevent catastrophes and enhance well-being. In other words, he tends to think the future of human civilization is more a matter of choice and a continuation of titanic struggle. What outcomes would actually happen will be determined more by what human being would prioritize to be achieved and by what strategies and actions they would eventually take. For example, in order to create a positive and sustainable developed future, he also proposes ten long-term priority goals for human civilization which include: increasing proportion of the population having adequate basic necessities, ensuring care of children, increasing knowledge of the universe, increasing learning opportunities and wisdom, widespread freedoms, eliminate second-class citizens, improvements in human well-being, developed ethical and moral principles, maximize gains from new technologies, and achieving contact with other intelligent life (p. 65-66).

Tough considers enlightened knowledge, awareness, and actions are critical not only to the sustainability and further development of human civilization but also an integrated cosmos project of the continuing development of intelligent life and culture. Tough argues that this is a project that everyone can contribute to. He encourages each of us to face our inner personal process (inner work) and see what we can do (outer work) by clarifying values and setting priorities. He outlines five priorities to achieve a satisfactory future: (1) expand knowledge and ideas about problems, solutions, and the future; (2)help people care the future and make changes; (3) improve planning and governance, and adopt long-term perspective; (4) avoid catastrophes; and (5) foster positive improvements (p. 50-64).

Basically, I agree with what Tough has outlined in his book. While some has criticized Tough for being over-anthropocentric, I tend to consider he rightfully point out what the responsibilities human being have for the future not only of their own but also of other species. In today's world, many people are looking only for immediate interests, lack foresight for the future, and never realize what their behavior will greatly affect the next generation and, not to mention, other species. In a world of trivializing, Tough's book reorients us to rethink carefully of what are most important at all and provides scientific foundations for positive social changes. In sum, this book makes a significant contribution to the development of a blueprint for a positive future.

Crucial Questions About the Future.......2000-05-18

Allen Tough writes a compelling and fascinating blueprint for saving the future of mankind in "Crucial Questions About the Future." Whether you are reading this book for a class or for yourself, the questions raised inside will tumble around inside your head long after you have read the words on the page. I believe this book should be read by every high school graduating class. We need to get the next generation thinking about answers to these questions before they are already out in the world potentially screwing it up! The three main things that impressed me the most in this book are: 1. Dr. Tough challenges us to believe in life outside our planet and to deal with the possible consequences before such a discovery. 2. We are encouraged to think far enough into the future that we lose the immediate gratification problem that can be so detrimental to our world, but not so far as to force us to lose focus on the issues because we assume we'll probably be dead by then. And 3. One man can indeed make a difference. I heartily recommend this book.

Cogent, engaging, and informative........1999-01-23

Dr. Allen Tough's "Crucial Questions About the Future" is a cogent and engaging book that at once introduces beginners to futurology and expands the perspective of established scholars in the field. Although filled with interesting anecdotes and examples, this book goes beyond mere linear extrapolation and "gee whiz" technology to get at the heart of humankind's future. After explaining the value of futurology, Dr. Tough provides us with a conceptual framework for futures studies; offers some simple but plausible methods for increasing the accuracy of our predictions; and explores such compelling issues as preventing catastrophes, the discovery of intelligent extraterrestrial life, and sustaining meaning and purpose in an increasingly fast-paced technological civilization. Although "Crucial Questions About the Future" is well-researched and authoritative, Tough offers us guidance, not admonition, and he reminds us that futurology, like everything else, must be approached with a touch of humility. "Crucial Questions" has helped guide my thinking about several of the issues that confront us in the world of today as well as my writing on the world of tomorrow. His book is a great introduction for readers who wonder about tomorrow, but seek an exposition that goes beyond hype and glitz.

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Twenty Questions
Jerry Oltion
Manufacturer: Wheatland Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0972054758

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Not Enough
Great Ideas for Unromantics
Hey, guys!
Romanticism at its best
Twenty Ways is wonderful...

Twenty Ways to Pop the Question
David W. Richardson , and Jean M. Means
Manufacturer: Janisue Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Love & Romance | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0970828101

Book Description

Looking for a unique, romantic way to propose to the woman you love? Or, how about a gift for a man seeking ways to become more romantic?

This book is written to help men create a beautiful proposal of marriage or a romantic Valentine's Day, birthday, anniversary, or Christmas that she will treasure for a lifetime. It doesn't have to be real fancy nor does it have to be expensive. Women don't really care how much you spend; they care about how much you care.

As you read through these heartwarming stories, give some serious thought about how you can create a romantic event with the greatest of love, care, and deep sincerity.

Customer Reviews:

Not Enough.......2002-07-02

Some good ideas but I found much more at howtopropose. com

Great Ideas for Unromantics.......2002-06-07

The premise of this book is excellent, however it falls short of five stars simply because it is so short. 20 ideas aren't simply enough to get a good idea on the best way for YOU to propose. I liked the ideas but none worked for me. I had much better luck with the over 100 super creative ideas at ...-- I also found out there how to get my proposal on TV which netted me ... .

Hey, guys!.......2001-08-28

If you are romantically impaired. . . this book will get your creative juices going. Twenty Ways to Pop the Question is more than popping the question. It features a gourmet selection of amorous adventures in gift giving from "creative romantics" that will enrich your relationship! Highly recommended.

Romanticism at its best.......2001-08-06

Just an outstanding book. Anyone who is engaged or thinking of becoming engaged should get a copy. And for married men-what wonderful ideas to make your marriage more meaningful, more binding and more romantic. And there are even great ideas for single guys who would like to impress the opposite sex.

Twenty Ways is wonderful..........2001-07-19

I read this book with a smile on my face and laughter in my heart. The stories reminded me so much of my dad. He was always doing something creative to make anniversaries and birthdays very special occaisions. The story in the book, "Treasure Hunt" on page 92, brought back some fond memories of his crazy treasure hunts in our home. I strongly recommned this book to anyone who wants to celebrate a special day with fun, romantic moments that will last a lifetime.

The People of Turkey: Twenty years' residence among Bulgarians, Greeks, Albanians, Turks, and Armenians. Volume 2

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The People of Turkey: Twenty years' residence among Bulgarians, Greeks, Albanians, Turks, and Armenians. Volume 2
Fanny Janet Blunt
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1402150938
Release Date: 2004-03-12

Book Description

Edited by Stanley Lane Poole. This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1878 edition by John Murray, London.

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