The Culture of the Copy - Striking Likenesses, Unreasonable Facsimilies by Hillel Schwartz

$25.00 NZD

Category: Art | Reading Level: very good

A stunning, innovative blend of microsociology, cultural history, and philosophical reflection that will fascinate anyone concerned with problems of authenticity, identity, and originality.The Culture of the Copy is an unprecedented attempt to make sense of our Western fascination with replicas, duplica tes, and twins. In a work that is breathtaking in both its synthetic and critical achievements, Hillel Schwartz charts the repercussions of our entanglement with copies of all kinds, whose presence alternately sustains and overwhelms us.Through intriguing, and at times humorous, historical analysis and case studies in contemporary culture, Schwartz investigates most varieties of simulacra, including counterfeits, decoys, mannequins, ditto marks, portraits, genetic cloning, war games, camouflage, instant replays, digital imaging, parrots, photocopies, wax museums, apes, art forgeries, not to mention the very notion of the Real McCoy.At the same time Schwartz works through a range of modernist, feminist, and postmodern theories about copies and mechanical reproduction, posing the following compelling question: How is it that the ethical dilemmas at the heart of so many fields of endeavor have become inseparable from our pursuit of copies--of the natural world, or our own creations, indeed our very selves?The Culture of the Copy is a stunning, innovative blend of microsociology, cultural history, and philosophical reflection that will fascinate anyone concerned with problems of authenticity, identity, and originality. ...Show more

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

$8.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Penguin Civic Classics | Reading Level: near fine

In time for the upcoming election season, Penguin presents a series of six portable, accessible, and--above all--essential reads from American political history, selected by leading scholars. Series editor Richard Beeman, author of "The Penguin Guide to the U.S. Constitution," draws together the great t exts of American civic life, including the founding documents, pivotal historical speeches, and important Supreme Court decisions, to create a timely and informative mini-library of perennially vital issues. "Common Sense" is the book that created the modern United States, as Paine's incendiary call for Americans to revolt against British rule converted millions to the cause of independence and set out a vision of a just society. Published anonymously in 1776, six months before the Declaration of Independence, "Common Sense" was a radical and impassioned call for America to free itself and set up an independent republican government. Savagely attacking hereditary kingship and aristocratic institutions, Paine urged a new beginning for his adopted country in which personal freedom and social equality would be upheld and economic and cultural progress encouraged. His pamphlet was the first to speak directly to a mass audience--it went through fifty-six editions within a year of publication--and its assertive and often caustic style embodied the democratic spirit he advocated. ...Show more

A Kierkegaard Anthology by Robert Bretall (Editor)

$15.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: good

This anthology covers the whole of Kierkegaard's literary career. The selections range from the terse epigrams of the Journal through the famous "Diary of the Seducer" and the "Banquet" scene, in which S ren Kierkegaard reveals his great lyric and dramatic gifts, on to the philosophical and psychologica l works of his maturity. These are climaxed by the beautiful and moving religious discourses which accompany them; finally, there is the biting satire of his Attack upon "Christendom." This is emphatically not a collection of "snippets," but the cream of Kierkegaard, each selection interesting and intelligible in itself, and all ranking among his most important work. They are so arranged as to convey an idea of his remarkable intellectual development. Contents: A comprehensive anthology from the following works: Either/Or Fear and Trembling Stages on Life's Way Works of Love Concluding Unscientific Postscript Attack upon "Christendom" The Sickness Unto Death Philosophical Fragments and other? ...Show more

On Equilibrium by John Ralston Saul

$12.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: very good

In 'On Equlibrium', John Ralston Saul explains how our different qualities give us the intelligence, self-confidence and practical ability to think and act as responsible individuals. In this book he treats a number of fundamental questions about the human condition, such as 'What are ethics?' and 'What is intuition?'. ...Show more

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor - The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius by Donald Robertson

$12.00 NZD

Category: Ancient History | Reading Level: very good

The life-changing principles of Stoicism taught through the story of its most famous proponent. Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was the final famous Stoic philosopher of the ancient world.The Meditations, his personal journal, survives to this day as one of the most loved self-help and spiritual classics of all time. InHow to Think Like a Roman Emperor, psychotherapist Donald Robertson weaves stories of Marcus's life from the Roman histories together with explanations of Stoicism--its philosophy and its psychology--to enlighten today's listeners. He discusses Stoic techniques for coping with everyday problems, from irrational fears and bad habits to anger, pain, and illness. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor takes listeners on a transformative journey along with Marcus, following his progress from a young noble at the court of Hadrian--taken under the wing of some of the finest philosophers of his day--through to his reign as emperor of Rome at the height of its power. Robertson shows how Marcus used philosophical doctrines and therapeutic practices to build emotional resilience and endure tremendous adversity, and guides listeners through applying the same methods to their own lives. Combining remarkable stories from Marcus's life with insights from modern psychology and the enduring wisdom of his philosophy,How to Think Like a Roman Emperor puts a human face on Stoicism and offers a timeless and essential guide to handling the ethical and psychological challenges we face today. ...Show more

Derrida Downunder by Laurence Simmons and Heather Worth (eds)

$15.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: very good

This book developed from a visit to New Zealand in 1999 by Jacques Derrida, the foremost 'postmodern' philosopher of the late 20th century. It contains a collection of essays and discussions of his work, as well as an article by Derrida himself.

Paroxysm by Jean Baudrillard and Phillippe Petit

$12.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: very good

Kant's Critique of Pure Reason by T. D. Weldon

$25.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: very good

The Basic Writings of Martin Heidegger Key Selections from Being and Time to The Task of Nothing by Martin Heidegger

$12.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: very good

An Introduction to Western Philosophy - Ideas and Argument from Plato to Sartre by Antony Flew

$14.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: good

Michel Foucault, Philosopher - Essays Translated from the French and German by Timothy J. Armstrong

$16.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: very good

This collection of essays on the philosophy of Foucault assesses his various work from a variety of perspectives: his place in the history of philosophy; his style and method of philosophical expression; his notions of political power; his ethical thought; and his attitude to psychoanalysis.

Marxism and Philosophy by Karrl Korsch

$8.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: good