Volume 1 of a set of 4.

Seven essays, from a November 1994 conference in Los Angeles, aspire to stamp out once and for all the notion that Kant solved the problem of skepticism. Commemorating C. F. Staudlin, the first historian of skepticism (1794), they document the continuing vitality of a skeptical tradition in Germany, France, and Britain. They consider the role of skepticism in pure philosophy itself, but also in politics; science; and social issues such as smallpox inoculation, suicide, and capital punishment. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

When the young Swedish-descended Alexandra Bergson inherits her father's farm in Nebraska, she must transform the land from a wind-swept prairie landscape into a thriving enterprise. She dedicates herself completely to the land—at the cost of great sacrifices. O Pioneers! [1913] is Willa Cather's great masterpiece about American pioneers, where the land is as important a character as the people who cultivate it. WILLA CATHER [1873-1947] was an American author. After studying at the University of Nebraska, she worked as a teacher and journalist. Cather's novels often focus on settlers in the USA with a particular emphasis on female pioneers. In 1923, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the novel One of Ours, and in 1943, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.