Deleuze and Guattari differentiate between philosophy, science, and the arts - seeing each as a means of confronting chaos - and challenge the common view that philosophy is an extension of logic. The authors also discuss the similarities and distinctions between creative and philosophical writing. Fresh anecdotes from the history of philosophy illuminate this book, along with engaging discussions of composers, painters, writers, and architects.

A seminal figure in the philosophy of history, culture, and language, Johann Gottfried Herder also produced some of the most important and original works in the history of aesthetic theory. A student of Kant, he spent much of his life striving to reconcile the opposing poles of Enlightenment thought represented by his early mentors. His ideas influenced Hegel, Schleiermacher, Nietzsche, Dilthey, J. S. Mill, and Goethe. This book presents most of Herder's important writings on aesthetics, including the main sections of (...) one of his major untranslated works, Kritische Wälder. These notes, essays, and treatises, the majority of which appear here in English for the first time, show this idiosyncratic thinker both deeply rooted in the controversies of his day and pointing the way to future developments in aesthetics. Chosen to reflect the extent and diversity of Herder's concerns, the texts cover such topics as the psychology and physiology of aesthetic perception, the classification of the arts, taste, Shakespeare, the classical tradition, and the relationship between art and morality. Few thinkers have reflected so sensitively and productively on the cultural, historical, anthropological, ethical, and theological dimensions of art and the creative process. With this book, the importance of aesthetics to the evolution and texture of Herder's own thought, as well as his profound contribution to that discipline, comes fully into view. (shrink)

This entirely new translation of Critique of Pure Reason by Paul Guyer and Allan Wood is the most accurate and informative English translation ever produced of this epochal philosophical text. Though its simple, direct style will make it suitable for all new readers of Kant, the translation displays a philosophical and textual sophistication that will enlighten Kant scholars as well. This translation recreates as far as possible a text with the same interpretative nuances and richness as the original.

Offering an invaluable introduction to Leibniz's philosophy, this volume collects many of his most important texts, beginning with the Discourse on Metaphysics (1686), which marks the beginning of maturity in his ideas, and ending with the Monadology (1714), which was written in response to requests for a systematic, organized account of his overall philosophy. Also included in this volume are critical reactions to Leibniz's work by his contemporaries (Antoine Arnauld, Pierre Bayle, and Simon Foucher), together with Leibniz's responses. All the (...) texts are newly translated into English for this edition, and each is preceded by a summary explaining its background, structure, and content. (shrink)

One of the cornerstone books of Western philosophy, Critique of Pure Reason is Kant's seminal treatise, where he seeks to define the nature of reason itself and builds his own unique system of philosophical thought with an approach known as transcendental idealism. He argues that human knowledge is limited by the capacity for perception and attempts a logical designation of two varieties of knowledge: a posteriori, the knowledge acquired through experience; and a priori, knowledge not derived through experience. This accurate (...) translation by J. M. D. Meiklejohn offers a simple and direct rendering of Kant's work that is suitable for readers at all levels. (shrink)

At last available in paperback, this book anticipates and explains the post-structuralist turn to empiricism. Presenting a challenging reading of David Hume's philosophy, the work is invaluable for understanding the progress of Deleuze's thought.

Suggests an open system of psychological exploration to cut through accepted norms of morality, language, and politics.

1. Die Ontologie -- 2. Die Cosmologie -- 3. Die Psychologie -- 4. Die natürliche Gottesgelahrheit.

Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten (1714-1762) ist der Begründer der Ästhetik als eigener philosophischer Disziplin. Sein bedeutendstes Werk zur Ästhetik als 'Wissenschaft der sinnlichen Erkenntnis', die er der Logik gleichberechtigt an die Seite stellt, ist die Aesthetica (1750/58), die mit dieser Ausgabe nach rund 250 Jahren erstmals in einer vollständigen deutschen Übersetzung vorliegt. Ausgehend von der ontologischen Auffassung des Einzelwesens als durchgängig bestimmtes Individuum, dessen Merkmalsfülle der deutlichen Erkenntnis der logischen Analyse entgeht, sich jedoch in der sinnlichen Erscheinung des 'phaenomenon' offenbart, erkennt (...) Baumgarten den klar-verworrenen Vorstellungen der sinnlichen Erkenntnis eine eigene, fundamentale Bedeutung für das Erfassen des Wirklichen zu. Auf der Grundlage seiner Psychologie und Semiotik begreift Baumgarten die Ästhetik nicht nur als Wissenschaft des sinnlichen Erkennens, sondern auch des sinnlichen Darstellens. Sie ist damit zugleich eine Theorie der freien Künste und auch für Rhetorik und Poetik systematisch leitbildend, aus deren historischem Fundus Baumgarten Strukturen und Anschauungsmaterial für die neu zu konstituierende philosophische Disziplin schöpft. Der Text besaß für die weitere Entwicklung der Ästhetik und Kunsttheorie im 18. Jahrhundert eine epochale Bedeutung, die er bis heute nicht verloren hat. In ihrer Einleitung stellt Dagmar Mirbach Baumgartens Projekt der Ästhetik im Kontext seiner metaphysischen und erkenntnistheoretischen Prämissen dar und eröffnet neue Perspektiven zum Verständnis. In einem Anhang werden diejenigen Paragraphen von Baumgartens Metaphysik und Ethik, auf die er in der Ästhetik verweist, übersetzt. Anmerkungen sowie ein umfangreiches Glossar erschließen den Text. (shrink)

A seminal figure in the philosophy of history, culture, and language, Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803) also produced some of the most important and original works in the history of aesthetic theory. A student of Kant, he spent much of his life striving to reconcile the opposing poles of Enlightenment thought represented by his early mentors. His ideas influenced Hegel, Schleiermacher, Nietzsche, Dilthey, J. S. Mill, and Goethe. This book presents most of Herder's important writings on aesthetics, including the main sections (...) of one of his major untranslated works, Kritische Wälder (Critical Forests). These notes, essays, and treatises, the majority of which appear here in English for the first time, show this idiosyncratic thinker both deeply rooted in the controversies of his day and pointing the way to future developments in aesthetics. Chosen to reflect the extent and diversity of Herder's concerns, the texts cover such topics as the psychology and physiology of aesthetic perception, the classification of the arts, taste, Shakespeare, the classical tradition, and the relationship between art and morality. Few thinkers have reflected so sensitively and productively on the cultural, historical, anthropological, ethical, and theological dimensions of art and the creative process. With this book, the importance of aesthetics to the evolution and texture of Herder's own thought, as well as his profound contribution to that discipline, comes fully into view. (shrink)

Mit seiner 'Aesthetica' hat Baumgarten die gleichnamige philosophische Disziplin begründet. Der umfangreiche, in zwei Teilen erschienene Text liegt nun erstmals in einer vollständigen deutschen Übersetzung vor.