Philosophy at the Crossroads

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy
Cover of the book Philosophy at the Crossroads by Edward G. Ballard, LSU Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Edward G. Ballard ISBN: 9780807149577
Publisher: LSU Press Publication: October 1, 1971
Imprint: LSU Press Language: English
Author: Edward G. Ballard
ISBN: 9780807149577
Publisher: LSU Press
Publication: October 1, 1971
Imprint: LSU Press
Language: English

A study of the course and consequences of modern Western thought, this volume deals with some of the most crucial philosophical questions of our time.

In Philosophy at the Crossroads, Edward G. Ballard defines philosophy as the interpretation of archaic experience -- that transition or change which forces one to attempt to understand, and usually reformulate, the basic notional framework within which order and value are discovered. He illustrates the relevance of this definition in the work of six philosophers -- Plato, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Jusserl, and Heidegger -- and develops an interpretation of several important lines of growth in Western philosophy.

The first transition Professor Ballard examines is the movement from pre-Homeric, oral, and poetic culture to the Socratic, written, intellectualist culture. The new tradition is evident in Plato, who is at once mythmaker and humanist and also the father of the sciences. Plato, says Ballard, instituted an uneasy balance between a sciencelike interest in the world and a humanist self-care by defining the former as a means to the humanistic end. He demonstrates that this uneasy balance is an important clue to understanding Western intellectual history.

The author traces the growth and various directions of Western thought through Heidegger, discusses its contemporary status, and speculates on the potential for its future development.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A study of the course and consequences of modern Western thought, this volume deals with some of the most crucial philosophical questions of our time.

In Philosophy at the Crossroads, Edward G. Ballard defines philosophy as the interpretation of archaic experience -- that transition or change which forces one to attempt to understand, and usually reformulate, the basic notional framework within which order and value are discovered. He illustrates the relevance of this definition in the work of six philosophers -- Plato, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Jusserl, and Heidegger -- and develops an interpretation of several important lines of growth in Western philosophy.

The first transition Professor Ballard examines is the movement from pre-Homeric, oral, and poetic culture to the Socratic, written, intellectualist culture. The new tradition is evident in Plato, who is at once mythmaker and humanist and also the father of the sciences. Plato, says Ballard, instituted an uneasy balance between a sciencelike interest in the world and a humanist self-care by defining the former as a means to the humanistic end. He demonstrates that this uneasy balance is an important clue to understanding Western intellectual history.

The author traces the growth and various directions of Western thought through Heidegger, discusses its contemporary status, and speculates on the potential for its future development.

More books from LSU Press

Cover of the book Stepdaughters of History by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book Swamper by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book Black Americans and Organized Labor by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book The Postsouthern Sense of Place in Contemporary Fiction by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book Miss Undine's Living Room by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book The Visible by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book Acadian Odyssey by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book Organizing for War by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book Hungry for Louisiana by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book Steward of the Land by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book Stripper in Wonderland by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book Marc-Antoine Caillot and the Company of the Indies in Louisiana by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book The Secret Life of Bacon Tait, a White Slave Trader Married to a Free Woman of Color by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book Working Congress by Edward G. Ballard
Cover of the book Ambivalent Nation by Edward G. Ballard
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy