Böcker av Catherine Wilson

Focusing on the earliest forays into microscopical research, from 1620 to 1720, this book provides technological history of the knowledge that helped launch philosophy into the modern era. It argues that the discovery of microworld presented metaphysicians with the task of reconciling the ubiquity of life with human-centered theological systems.

In our troubled world, looking back to ancient wisdom can shed light on fresh solutions.

This engaging and richly documented book examines the Scientific Revolution and the formation of the canon of early modern philosophy in light of the rediscovery and reworking of the materialistic philosophy of the ancient atomists, Epicurus and Lucretius. It is written equally for philosophers and historians.

Offers a different approach to moral theory. Drawing on anthropology, sociology, and evolutionary theory, as well as philosophy of language and philosophy of science, this book shows how to understand and reconcile our moral aspirations for a just world, with the constraints human nature places on us.

This study of the metaphysics of G. W. Leibniz gives a clear picture of his philosophical development within the general scheme of seventeenth-century natural philosophy. Catherine Wilson examines the shifts in Leibniz's thinking as he confronted the major philosophical problems of his era. Beginning with his interest in artificial languages and calculi for proof and discovery, the author proceeds to an examination of Leibniz's early theories of matter and motion, to the phenomenalistic turn in his theory of substance and his subsequent de-emphasis of logical determinism, and finally to his doctrines of harmony and optimization. Specific attention is given to Leibniz's understanding of Descartes and his successors, Malebranche and Spinoza, and the English philosophers Newton, Cudworth, and Locke.Wilson analyzes Leibniz's complex response to the new mechanical philosophy, his discontent with the foundations on which it rested, and his return to the past to locate the resources for reconstructing it. She argues that the continuum-problem is the key to an understanding not only of Leibniz's monadology but also of his views on the substantiality of the self and the impossibility of external causal influence. A final chapter considers the problem of Leibniz-reception in the post-Kantian era, and the difficulty of coming to terms with a metaphysics that is not only philosophically "e;critical"e; but, at the same time, "e;compensatory."e;Originally published in 1990.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

In this introduction to a classic philosophical text, Catherine Wilson examines the arguments of Descartes' famous Meditations, the book which launched modern philosophy. Drawing on the reinterpretations of Descartes' thought of the past twenty-five years, she shows how Descartes constructs a theory of the mind, the body, nature, and God from a premise of radical uncertainty. She discusses in detail the historical context of Descartes' writings and their relationship to early modern science, and at the same time she introduces concepts and problems that define the philosophical enterprise as it is understood today. Following closely the text of the Meditations and meant to be read alongside them, this survey is accessible to readers with no previous background in philosophy. It is well-suited to university-level courses on Descartes, but can also be read with profit by students in other disciplines.

Our Revision Workbooks help students develop vital skills throughout their course in preparation for the exam.

Our Revision Workbooks are designed to help students develop vital skills throughout the course in preparation for the exam.

Our Revision Workbooks are designed to help students develop vital skills throughout the course in preparation for the exam.

Our Revision Workbooks help students develop vital skills throughout their course in preparation for the exam.

Through classroom scenes and dialogue, this study explores the role that reading to children plays in an early childhood education programme. The author questions prevailing prescriptions for ""developmentally appropriate practice"" and examines the impact of public policy on teachers and pupils.