Philosophers increasingly engage in practical work with other disciplines and the world at large. This volume draws together the lessons learned from this work—including philosophers’ contributions to scientific research projects, consultations on matters of policy, and expertise provided to government agencies and non-profits—on how to effectively practice philosophy. Its 22 case studies are organized into five sections: I Collaboration and Communication II Policymaking and the Public Sphere III Fieldwork in the Academy IV Fieldwork in the Professions V Changing Philosophical Practice Together, these essays provide a practical, how-to guide for doing philosophy in the field—how to find problems that can benefit from philosophical contributions, effectively collaborate with other professionals and community members, make fieldwork a positive part of a philosophical career, and anticipate and negotiate the sorts of unanticipated problems that crop up in direct public engagement. Key features: Gives specific advice on how to integrate philosophy with outside groups. Offers examples from working with the public and private sectors, community organizations, and academic groups. Provides lessons learned, often summarized at the end of chapters, for how to practice philosophy in the field.

This agenda-setting collection argues for the importance of fieldwork for philosophy and provides reflections on methods for such ‘field philosophy’ from the interdisciplinary vantage point of the environmental humanities. Field philosophy has emerged from multiple sources – including approaches focused on public and participatory research – and others focused on ethology, multispecies studies, and the environmental humanities more broadly. These approaches have yet to enter the mainstream of the discipline, however, and ‘field philosophy’ remains an open and uncharted terrain for philosophical pursuits. This book brings together leading and emerging philosophers who have engaged in critical and constructive forms of fieldwork, for some over decades, and who, through these articles, demonstrate new possibilities and new experiments for philosophical practices. This collection will be of interest to scholars working across the disciplines of continental philosophy, environmental humanities, science and technology studies, animal studies, cultural anthropology, art, and more. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Parallax.

Philosophy of physics is concerned with the deepest theories of modern physics - quantum theory, our theories of space, time and symmetry, and thermal physics - and their strange, even bizarre conceptual implications. This book explores the core topics in philosophy of physics, and discusses their relevance for both scientists and philosophers.

Get to grips with the concepts that shaped the way we think about ethics, politics, and our place in the universe. Explaining the big ideas and groundbreaking theories of key philosophers clearly and simply, The Philosophy Book is the perfect one-stop guide to philosophy and the history of how we think. Untangling knotty theories and shedding light on abstract concepts, entries explore and explain each complex idea with easy-to-follow explanations and innovative visuals. Explore the history of philosophy, from ancient Greece and China to today, and find out how theories from over 2,000 years ago are still relevant to our modern lives. Follow the progression of human ideas and meet the world's most influential philosophers – from Plato and Confucius through René Descartes and Mary Wollstonecraft to Ludwig Wittgenstein and Judith Butler. Dive into this phenomenal philosophy book to discover: -An accessible guide to philosophy, covering every major school and movement throughout history. -The clear and detailed text explains the most groundbreaking philosophical concepts and theories ever devised, while bold illustrations and pull-out quotes bring each idea to life. -Fully revised and updated to cover any developments in the field over the last 5–10 years. -Biography and context boxes place each idea in its wider historical, cultural, and social context. Your Philosophical Questions, Simply Explained If you thought it was difficult to learn philosophy and its many concepts, The Philosophy Book presents the key ideas in a clear layout. Find out what philosophers thought about the nature of reality and the fundamental questions we ask ourselves: What is the meaning of life? What is the Universe made of? And work your way through the different branches of philosophy, such as metaphysics and ethics, from ancient and modern thinkers. The Big Ideas Series With millions of copies sold worldwide, The Philosophy Book is part of the award-winning Big Ideas series from DK. The series uses striking visuals and engaging writing, making big topics easy to understand.

Provides a unique discussion of human evolution from a philosophical viewpoint, covering such issues as religion, race and gender.

Information is a recognized fundamental notion across the sciences and humanities, which is crucial to understanding physical computation, communication, and human cognition. The Philosophy of Information brings together the most important perspectives on information. It includes major technical approaches, while also setting out the historical backgrounds of information as well as its contemporary role in many academic fields. Also, special unifying topics are high-lighted that play across many fields, while we also aim at identifying relevant themes for philosophical reflection. There is no established area yet of Philosophy of Information, and this Handbook can help shape one, making sure it is well grounded in scientific expertise. As a side benefit, a book like this can facilitate contacts and collaboration among diverse academic milieus sharing a common interest in information. • First overview of the formal and technical issues involved in the philosophy of information• Integrated presentation of major mathematical approaches to information, form computer science, information theory, and logic• Interdisciplinary themes across the traditional boundaries of natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

The definitive mission of metaphilosophy is to facilitate an understanding of how philosophy works—the aim of the enterprise, the instrumental and procedural resources for its work, and the prospect of its success. Nicholas Rescher unites two facets of metaphilosophy to show that historical perspective and forward-thinking normative, or systematic, metaphilosophy cannot be independent of one another. The descriptive, or historical, metaphilosophy provides an account of what has been thought regarding the conduct of philosophical inquiry, and the prescriptive, or normative, metaphilosophy which deliberates about what is to be thought regarding the conduct of philosophizing. Rescher argues that metaphilosophy forms a part of philosophy itself. This is a unique feature of the discipline since the philosophy of biology is not a part of biology and the philosophy of mathematics is not a part of mathematics. Ultimately, the salient features of philosophizing in general—including the inherently controversial and discordant nature of philosophical doctrines—are also bound to afflict metaphilosophy. Thus, only by a careful analysis of the central issues can a plausible view of the enterprise be developed. Metaphilosophy: Philosophy in Philosophical Perspective challenges the static, compartmentalized view of metaphilosophy, providing insight for scholars and students of all areas of philosophy.