Our Fundamental Problem : A Revolutionary Approach to Philosophy

Nicholas Maxwell

ISBN 10: 0228001528 / ISBN 13: 9780228001522

Published by Mcgill-Queen's University Press Jun 2020, 2020

About this Item

Neuware - How can the world we live in and see, touch, hear, and smell, the world of living things, people, consciousness, free will, meaning, and value - how can all of this exist and flourish embedded as it is in the physical universe, made up of nothing but physical entities such as electrons and quarks How can anything be of value if everything in the universe is, ultimately, just physics In Our Fundamental Problem Nicholas Maxwell argues that this problem of reconciling the human and physical worlds needs to take centre stage in our thinking, so that our best ideas about it interact with our attempts to solve even more important specialized problems of thought and life. When we explore this fundamental problem, Maxwell argues, revolutionary answers emerge for a wide range of questions arising in philosophy, science, social inquiry, academic inquiry as a whole, and - most important of all - our capacity to solve the global problems that threaten our future: climate change, habitat destruction, extinction of species, inequality, war, pollution of earth, sea, and air. An unorthodox introduction to philosophy, Our Fundamental Problem brings philosophy down to earth and demonstrates its vital importance for science, scholarship, education, life, and the fate of the world.

Seller Inventory # 9780228001522

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Our Fundamental Problem : A Revolutionary Approach to Philosophy
• Publisher: Mcgill-Queen's University Press Jun 2020
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0228001528
• ISBN 13: 9780228001522
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 228W x 151H x 22D millimeters 228 millimeters width by 151 millimeters height by 22 millimeters depth
• Weight: 463 grams

About this title

Synopsis

How can the world we live in and see, touch, hear, and smell, the world of living things, people, consciousness, free will, meaning, and value - how can all of this exist and flourish embedded as it is in the physical universe, made up of nothing but physical entities such as electrons and quarks? How can anything be of value if everything in the universe is, ultimately, just physics?

In Our Fundamental Problem Nicholas Maxwell argues that this problem of reconciling the human and physical worlds needs to take centre stage in our thinking, so that our best ideas about it interact with our attempts to solve even more important specialized problems of thought and life. When we explore this fundamental problem, Maxwell argues, revolutionary answers emerge for a wide range of questions arising in philosophy, science, social inquiry, academic inquiry as a whole, and - most important of all - our capacity to solve the global problems that threaten our future: climate change, habitat destruction, extinction of species, inequality, war, pollution of earth, sea, and air.

An unorthodox introduction to philosophy, Our Fundamental Problem brings philosophy down to earth and demonstrates its vital importance for science, scholarship, education, life, and the fate of the world.

About the Author

Nicholas Maxwell is emeritus reader at University College London and the author of In Praise of Natural Philosophy.