The Mind of God and the Works of Man - Hardcover

Craig, Edward

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198236824 ISBN 13: 9780198236825

Publisher: Clarendon Press, 1997

Synopsis

What is the connection between philosophy as studied in universities and those general views of man and reality which are commonly considered "philosophy"? Through his attempt to rediscover this connection, Craig offers a view of philosophy and its history since the early 17th century. Craig discusses the two contrary visions of man's essential nature that dominated this period--one portraying man as made in the image of God and required to resemble him as closely as possible, the other depicting man as the autonomous creator of his own environment and values--and uses this context to clarify previously opaque textual detail. Illustrating how general concepts embodied by philosophical thought can be embodied in other media--especially literary--the author brings together disparate disciplines; he also reveals striking similarities between Anglo-American and certain 20th-century continental European lines of thought.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Seeking to rediscover the connection between philosophy as studied in universities and those general views of man and reality which are 'philosophy' to the educated layman, Edward Craig here offers a view of philosophy and its history since the early seventeenth century. He presents this period as concerned primarily with just two visions of the essential nature of man. One portrays human beings as made in the image of God, required to resemble him as far as lies in our power; the other sees us as autonomous creators of our own environment and values. The author writes with a broad sweep, yet shows ( with particular reference to Hume and Hegel) how textual detail which previous commentators have found opaque becomes transparent when viewed against such a background. In the final chapter he treats passages from recent work in the same way.

About the Author:

Edward Craig is Reader in Modern Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, where he has taught, and been a member of Churchill College, since 1966. He has held visiting professorships at Hamburg, Heidelberg, and Melbourne. He is the author of Knowledge and the State of Nature (Clarendon Press, 1990). He was the editor of the journal Ratio from 1988 to 1992, and is now Chief Editor of the ten-volume Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, to be published in 1998. In 1993 he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy.

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarendon Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0198236824
• ISBN 13: 9780198236825
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 364