This book explores two contradictory realities: our continuing belief that nature is subject to our willful control and nature's refusal to abide by this belief. It investigates particular aspects of modern science and spotlights the impact Newtonian science had upon the Western world. It then critically assesses twentieth century developments in science, presenting a number of biological and ecological case studies that document the various limitations that the natural world places upon human knowledge. The analysis argues against programmatic proposals to control nature via genetic engineering and planet management.

Contemporary technology has the potential to hinder humanity's attainment of freedom in the opinion of Thomas Merton and Jacques Ellul. Both thinkers offer unique perspectives on the impact that they believe technology has had on society in the twentiethcentury, and they both offer unconventional definitions of the concept of freedom. Shaw compares their views on technology and its impact on freedom, and in doing so allows those who may not be familiar with either of these thinkers to investigate some of their other writing more thoroughly.

Dissecting the hype from the frontiers of bioethics, genomics and neuroscience.

This ground-breaking volume brings together the essays of top theorists including Arjo Klamer, Deirdre McCloskey, Julie Nelson, Shaun Hargreaves-Heap and Philip Miroswki on a diverse range of topics.

In-depth exploration of the life and thought of Louis Massignon (1883-1962), a very influential French Islamic scholar and Christian mystic. This is a translation of an original French by an expert on Massignon's life and works, revised and augmented.

Making available for the first time the entire known corpus of Beckett's poetry and extensive excerpts from the early unpublished prose, the author's study of Beckett's poetry and criticism provides the opening chapter in the story of the evolution of a formidable talent. Originally published in 1970. 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.

Bringing her original insights into theory and philosophy to bear upon the controversial question of revision in Irish history, Evi Gkotzaridis presents the first historical and theoretical examination of the trailblazer historians who, from 1938, spearheaded an unpoliticized Irish history. Drawing on hitherto unused archives, Trials of Irish History shows how the venture to disenthrall Irish and European history from official propagandas proved stimulating and challenging, but perilous. Providing a new and stimulating conceptual framework for the study of Irish historiography, the book combines a theoretical approach with close analysis of important case studies and includes: * an incisive restaging of the passionate joust that took place between revisionists and traditionalists in the shadow of the Troubles * examination of the cultural contradiction of the first decades of independence, the estrangement of two regimes and the devastation of the Second World War * comparison of the Irish Kulturkampf to similar discussions in German and France in order to identify and examine the arguments propounded on each side. Prising open conflicting intellectual notions about the function of history in a divided society, this will be an informative and stimulating addition to the study of Irish history.

This book brings together various discourses concerned with violence and punishment, paying special attention to the extreme variations of these phenomena. Starting from a narrow definition of violence as an infliction of physical harm, paired with a broad discussion of its causes and a wide definition of punishment as an authority claim to retribution or reform, the book maps and interprets political-theoretical discourses on the death penalty, historical explanations of the changes of violence and punishment, and comparative differences in punishment. It also puts violence and punishment into perspective with political power, world religions, literature and film, and criminological theory. The final chapter changes the perspective taken in the bulk of the book, dealing with discourses of theodicy in the face of cases of extreme violence and suffering. By juxtaposing many unusual discourses, the book attempts to fulfill three primary functions. First, it skeptically probes numerous discourses explaining and legitimizing violence and punishment in the light of extreme cases. The book is a map of violence and punishment. Second, it invites the reader to confront, choose, and combine these discourses when thinking about facts and norms of punishment. The book provides an analytical toolbox for research of violence and punishment. Third, the book presents wider sense-seeking strategies employed to deal with suffering such as irony, redemption, or rationalization.

A comprehensive study of theology and film that explores how the Christian faith is portrayed in film throughout history.

A powerful critique of the revolutionary mentality and sexual aggression represented in the works of authors including D. H. Lawrence, Georges Bataille, Henry Miller, and Norman Mailer.