The renowned philosopher and political theorist presents a summation of his influential work in this series of Columbia University lectures. A pioneer in the fields of modern linguistics and cognitive science, Noam Chomsky is also one of the most avidly read political theorist of our time. In this series of lectures, Chomsky presents more than half a century of philosophical reflection on all three of these areas. In precise yet accessible language, Chomsky elaborates on the scientific study of language, sketching how his own work has implications for the origins of language, the close relations that language bears to thought, its eventual biological basis. He expounds and criticizes many alternative theories, such as those that emphasize the social, the communicative, and the referential aspects of language. He also investigates the apparent scope and limits of human cognitive capacities. Moving from language and mind to society and politics, Chomsky concludes with a philosophical defense of a position he describes as "libertarian socialism," tracing its links to anarchism and the ideas of John Dewey, and even briefly to the ideas of Karl Marx and John Stuart Mill. Demonstrating its conceptual growth out of our historical past, he also shows its urgent relation to our present moment.

Creatures We Dream of Knowing is a compilation of seven heartwarming stories that probe the wonders of creation through the eyes of creatures who ask those they encounter to open their eyes and hearts to their wisdom. When a young boy receives a plea in a dream from a frightened colt with purple diamond eyes, he embarks on an unforgettable adventure that leads him from the warmth of his bed to a dark horse pasture where he must learn to use his hands and his heart to rescue the abandoned foal. As the collection of short stories continues, a band of unique characters will meet a creature from the depths of the ocean previously unknown to humanity; travel into an oriental carpet with the creatures who live in it; discover a butterfly who wants to end a war; share a dragons story; find out what happens when someone rubs a genies bottle with the wrong hand; and perch in the branches of a tree unlike any other. Creatures We Dream of Knowing encourages others to simply imagine what would happen if such beautiful creatures truly existed in our universe.

What makes us human, and why are we so sure we're different from other animals? Humans are the most inquisitive, emotional, imaginative, aggressive, and baffling animals on the planet. But how well do we really know ourselves? How to Be Animal rewrites the remarkable human story and argues that at the heart of our psychology is a profound struggle with being animal. Most of our effects on the planet are the consequences of technological improvements and advances in our understanding of natural mechanisms. But why did this cognitive and technological edge come about in the first place and what kind of being has it made us? In How to Be Animal, Challenger brilliantly argues that this dizzying trajectory is the result of a singular characteristic of our species: the struggle with being an animal. Using a combination of memoir, historical texts, interweaving interviews and cultural and environmental history, How to Be Animal is lively and thought-provoking, bursting with ideas. This is a book for anyone who has ever contemplated what humans are and what makes our species so simultaneously brilliant and awful. Even more so, it is a book that asks tantalizing philosophical questions, such as whether and how human life matters. How to Be Animal is a tough-minded but ultimately sympathetic portrait of humanity. It exposes human beings as extraordinary animals defined by a profound struggle. In the third millennium, the way humans respond to being an animal among animals is the greatest and most inspiring challenge we face.

In this volume André Barbera considers the question of faith, how an individual may act faithfully, and what good (if any) is faithful action. Drawing on the letters of the Apostle Paul and the work of philosophical thinkers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Barbera explores numerous aspects of faithful living, from religion, original sin, and tests of faith, to the power of prayer, and even the concept of atheism. In particular, Barbera formulates a postulate drawn from Augustine's Confessions: God is not bound by time. The person of faith, however, is enslaved by time. Augustine's expression “faith seeking understanding” stakes the claim,” but the mode of faith and the end of faith are inherently contradictory. The faithful person waits in pursuit, choking. Works, the anxiety of faith, ensue. Barbera concludes that the person of faith engages in endless trial, struggle, and contradiction, but in so doing attempts to produce a meaningful life.

Nils Holgersson is a naughty boy who tortures animals and never listens to his parents - until one day he wakes up as an elf. Deeply puzzled by his new status, he climbs on a gander's back and flies away with him, joining a flock of wild geese. As he is carried around Sweden, Nils learns everything about birds, animals, his country and good behaviour. Incredibly charming and poignant, The Wonderful Adventure of Nils Holgersson, is a timeless classic loved by generations of children around the world.

What is knowledge? Where does it come from? What kinds of knowledge are there? Can we know anything at all? This lucid and engaging introduction grapples with these central questions in the theory of knowledge, offering a clear, non-partisan view of the main themes of epistemology. Both traditional issues and contemporary ideas are discussed in sixteen easily digestible chapters, each of which conclude with a useful summary of the main ideas discussed, study questions, annotated further reading and a guide to internet resources. Each chapter also features text boxes providing bite-sized summaries of key concepts and major philosophers, and clear and interesting examples are used throughout. The book concludes with an annotated guide to general introductions to epistemology, a glossary of key terms, and a summary of the main examples used in epistemology, This an ideal first textbook in the theory of knowledge for undergraduates coming to philosophy for the first time. The third edition has been revised and updated throughout and features two new chapters, on religious knowledge and scientific knowledge, as part of a whole new section on what kinds of knowledge there are. In addition, the text as a whole has been refreshed to keep it up to date with current developments.

Well then, Ruby still has too much trouble – and too many reasons to get close to Blake. Sorry, close? She means closer. The exorcists won’t stop, and soon it becomes apparent just how complicated this twisted plot is. When all their enemies start working together, Blake and Ruby must rely on more than their wings to keep one another safe. It’s time to learn that destiny must be wrangled and used before it kicks your teeth in and drags you to the end. … Pandora’s Demon follows a prince and a half-breed battling to save the universe. If you crave your contemporary fantasies with action, humor, romance, and fun, grab Pandora’s Demon Book Three today and soar free with an Odette C. Bell series. Pandora’s Demon is the 2nd Sons of Satan series. A witty, action-packed, romance-dashed world where Satan’s sons must find love, but only after it sticks a ring on their finger. If you like your urban fantasies packed full of charming smiles, arrogant demons, and sprinkles of romance, dive in today.

Prepare yourslef for discoveries and new adventures with this incredible book about the true origin of wanderlust. This edition forms a complete history of the earliest start and progress of navigation, discovery, and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the early 19th century. First part of the work covers voyages and travels of discovery in the middle ages; from the era of Alfred, King of England, in the ninth century to that of Don Henry of Portugal at the commencement of the fourteenth century. Second part deals with general voyages and travels chiefly of discovery; from the era of Don Henry, in 1412, to that of George III. in 1760. The rest of the work has some particular voyages and travels arranged in systematic order, Geographical and Chronological, and studies voyages during the era of George III conducted upon scientific principles, by which the Geography of the globe has been nearly perfected.