The idea of a final end of human conduct – the highest good – plays an important role in Kant’s philosophy. Unlike his predecessors Kant defines the highest good as a combination of two heterogeneous elements, namely virtue and happiness. This conception lies at the centre of some of the most influential Kantian doctrines such as his famous “moral argument” for the rationality of faith, his conception of the unity of reason and his views concerning the final end of nature as well as the historical progress of mankind. To be sure, the different treatments of the highest good in Kant’s work have led to a great deal of discussion among his readers. Besides Kant’s arguments for moral faith, recent debate has focused on the place of the highest good within Kant’s moral theory, on the antinomy of pure practical reason, and on the idea of the primacy of practical reason. This collection of new essays attempts to re-evaluate Kant’s doctrine of the highest good and to determine its relevance for contemporary philosophy.

Giving Reasons prepares students to think independently, evaluate information, and reason clearly across disciplines. Accessible to students and effective for instructors, it provides plain-English exercises, helpful appendices, and a variety of online supplements.

How important were Sioux authors such as Charles Eastman in the opinion of the writer responsible for Black Elk Speaks? What will be the legacy of modern poetry according to the poet behind The Cycle of the West? Knowledge and Opinion offers an unparalleled glimpse into the social and literary thought of John G. Neihardt (1881?1973), one of America's most celebrated poets and authors. A wealth of little-known essays and reviews deepen and round out our appreciation for the accomplishments of Neihardt by revealing his no-nonsense opinions about noted literary figures and trends, events, and social issues of his day. Featured in these pages are Neihardt's views of such literary giants as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Frost, H. G. Wells, e. e. Cummings, Dorothy Parker, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Eugene O'Neill, and Upton Sinclair. The contributions of Sigmund Freud, anthropologist Paul Radin, and modern philosophers like Bertrand Russell do not escape his sweeping gaze. In their entirety, these essays showcase Neihardt's perspectives and opinions on a wide range of subjects and issues, including modern poetry, the qualities of great literature, twentieth-century trends in writing and literary criticism, the defining characteristics of Western civilization, the literatures and cultures of Native Americans, the lost world of the Old West, economic turmoil in the Great Depression, and the enduring power of classical thought. This rich archive of essays and reviews will surprise, delight, and provoke those who thought they already knew John G. Neihardt.

The Theaetetus is one of the most widely studied of any of the Platonic dialogues because its dominant theme concerns the significant philosophical question, what is knowledge? In this new interpretation of the Theaetetus, Paul Stern provides the first full-length treatment of its political character in relationship to this dominant theme. Stern argues that this approach sheds significant light on the distinctiveness of the Socratic way of life, with respect to both its initial justification and its ultimate character.

Data mining techniques are commonly used to extract meaningful information from the web, such as data from web documents, website usage logs, and hyperlinks. Building on this, modern organizations are focusing on running and improving their business methods and returns by using opinion mining. Extracting Knowledge From Opinion Mining is an essential resource that presents detailed information on web mining, business intelligence through opinion mining, and how to effectively use knowledge retrieved through mining operations. While highlighting relevant topics, including the differences between ontology-based opinion mining and feature-based opinion mining, this book is an ideal reference source for information technology professionals within research or business settings, graduate and post-graduate students, as well as scholars.

What is knowledge? Is it the same as opinion or truth? Do you need to be able to justify a claim in order to count as knowing it? How can we know that the outer world is real and not a dream? Questions like these have existed since ancient times, and the branch of philosophy dedicated to answering them - epistemology - has been active for thousands of years. In this thought-provoking Very Short Introduction, Jennifer Nagel considers the central problems and paradoxes in the theory of knowledge and draws attention to the ways in which philosophers and theorists have responded to them. By exploring the relationship between knowledge and truth, and considering the problem of scepticism, Nagel introduces a series of influential historical and contemporary theories of knowledge, incorporating methods from logic, linguistics, and psychology, using a number of everyday examples to demonstrate the key issues and debates. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.