The Social Contract, originally published as On the Social Contract; or, Principles of Political Rights by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is a 1762 book in which Rousseau theorized about the best way to establish a political community in the face of the problems of commercial society, which he had already identified in his Discourse on Inequality (1754). The Social Contract helped inspire political reforms or revolutions in Europe, especially in France. The Social Contract argued against the idea tha...

This is a critical introduction to modern French philosophy, commissioned from one of the liveliest contemporary practitioners and intended for an English-speaking readership. The dominant 'Anglo-Saxon' reaction to philosophical development in France has for some decades been one of suspicion, occasionally tempered by curiosity but more often hardening into dismissive rejection. But there are signs now of a more sympathetic interest and an increasing readiness to admit and explore shared conc...

Kant is the central figure of modern philosophy. He sought to rebuild philosophy from the ground up, and he succeeded in permanently changing its problems and methods. This revised edition of the Prolegomena, which is the best introduction to the theoretical side of his philosophy, presents his thought clearly by paying careful attention to his original language.

Also included are selections from the Critique of Pure Reason, which fill out and explicate some of Kant's central arguments (inclu...

This volume examines the philosophy of Avicenna, the greatest philosopher of the Islamic world. Leading scholars deal with his ideas in areas ranging from medicine to theology and his impact on the Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions. The book is of interest to graduate students of Arabic and medieval philosophy.

Mary Wollstonecraft, often described as the first major feminist, is remembered principally as the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), and there has been a tendency to view her most famous work in isolation. Yet Wollstonecraft's pronouncements about women grew out of her reflections about men, and her views on the female sex constituted an integral part of a wider moral and political critique of her times which she first fully formulated in A Vindication of the Rights of Me...

Critics have argued that comparative philosophy is inherently flawed or even impossible. What standards can we use to describe and evaluate different cultures' philosophies? How do we avoid projecting our own ways of thinking onto others? Can we overcome the vast divergences in history, language, and ways of organizing reality that we find in China, India, Africa, and the West? Doing Philosophy Comparatively is the first comprehensive introduction to the foundations, problems, and methods of ...

Now revised and containing three new chapters, this book provides an accessible introduction to the fundamental problems in the theory of knowledge. Written primarily for students taking a first course in epistemology, it will be of interest to anyone wanting to know more about this important area of philosophy.

Besturen op universiteiten is er niet gemakkelijker op geworden. De organisaties groeien in omvang en hebben een complexe en uitgebreide structuur. Zijn er algemeen geldende principes te onderscheiden die kunnen dienen als handvatten in die complexiteit?

Universiteiten vragen om deugdelijke leiders en gedegen managers die de kruisbestuiving van kennis, creativiteit en nieuwsgierigheid tussen docent en student op de eerste plek zetten. Deze docent-studentinteracties gelden als de basisbouwste...

‘Hooghouden kietelt de hersencellen. Twee filosofen, René ten Bos en Peter Henk Steenhuis, die tekeergaan over hun favoriete balspel. Ze mijmeren, beschouwen, bespiegelen, duiden, citeren, denken, interpreteren erop los, pochen met hun kennis en maken ons deelgenoot van hun gedachtewereld over voetbal op een manier die totaal uniek is. Gelul, maar dan anders, heel anders. Intelligent gelul. Ga lezen…’

– Theo Maassen

René ten Bos (1959) is hoogleraar filosofie aan de Faculteit der Ma...

Durf te denken! is de modernste en compleetste lesmethode filosofie voor havo en vwo. Het rijke aanbod aan oefenmateriaal is beschikbaar in de digitale leeromgeving. Per domein zijn ook werkboeken beschikbaar met een selectie van het belangrijkste oefenmateriaal.

Dit werkboek bevat de oefeningen van het domein Wetenschapsfilosofie voor vwo-leerlingen.