Essays in Post-Critical Philosophy of Technology

Edited by Mihály Héder, Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BUTE), Hungary and Eszter Nádasi, Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BUTE), Hungary

November 2018 / ISBN: 978-1-62273-457-3
Availability: In stock
170pp. ¦ $42 £32 €36

Technology, in all its forms, has had and continues to have an indisputable impact on society and culture. Philosophy of technology seeks to understand this impact and the meaning of technology for society and culture. Although its origins can be traced back to the Greeks, it wasn’t until the late 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century that it gained ground as a philosophical discipline. Now more than ever it is considered an essential philosophical enterprise. ‘The Budapest Workshop on Philosophy of Technology’ was a lively and successful event that sought to discuss, reflect on and apply this branch of philosophical inquiry to both historical and contemporary examples. Importantly, the contributors’ methodological approaches were influenced by, although not limited to, Michael Polanyi’s term ‘post-critical’. Moving beyond the rigidity of past approaches, the selected essays were driven by two lines of inquiry, what has been the historical role of technology in social and scientific change? And, how can a ‘post-critical’ approach enhance and extend our understanding of philosophy of technology? This edited volume begins by exploring the role of technology in social and scientific developments from a historical perspective, before moving towards a discussion of philosophy of technology from a ‘Post-Critical’ epistemic stance. Free from the constraints of previous methodologies, the third part of this work engages with the term ‘Post-Critical’ in its broadest sense. The contributors to this section consider the phenomenology of the body and the influence of technology on our lives. Finally, the four concluding chapters of this book apply this philosophical approach to a wide range of contemporary problems from Decision Support Systems to Crisis Communication.

God: A brief philosophical introduction II

K.H.A. Esmail, University of Cambridge

November 2018 / ISBN: 978-1-62273-520-4
Availability: In stock
369pp. ¦ $66 £50 €56

This is a clear and original investigation of God's nature and existence. First of all, it considers two of God’s traditional properties: being all-knowing and being all-powerful. It argues he cannot possess these properties. But, it argues this is in accord with him being worthy of worship. Secondly, it introduces the notion of evil being “overridden”. It argues he has to bring about other free living things and it is plausible they have to be liable to experience evil due to their conditions. But, it argues the evil in this world is “overridden”. Thirdly, it considers the principal arguments for the claim he does not exist. (They refer to the evil in the world.) It argues they do not establish sufficient grounds for this claim. Finally, it considers some well-known arguments for the claim he exists. It argues they face difficulties. It sets out other arguments: eg, some arguments to increase any degree of belief one has that God can exist. It includes a number of Appendices: God’s sovereignty; Are there sufficient grounds for the claim that, very probably, God does not exist?; Theodicy and some theodicies; .... It covers as a whole the principal parts of the Philosophy of Religion. It unifies these parts to a significant degree. It proceeds regularly by way of formal and clear arguments. It will be of interest to advanced students and specialists in Philosophy, Religious Studies and Theology. Given its explanation of key terms, its jargon-free language, its clarity and brevity.... , it will be of interest to others, too.

Introducción a la Macroeconomía Computacional

Anelí Bongers, Universidad de Málaga, Spain et al.

January 2019 / ISBN: 978-84-17332-02-0
Availability: In stock
352pp. ¦ $41 £26 €35

Este libro presenta una introducción a la macroeconomía computacional, utilizando un nuevo enfoque para el estudio de los modelos macroeconómicos dinámicos. Para ello resolveremos numéricamente una gran variedad de modelos en tiempo discreto, utilizando como herramienta informática una hoja de cálculo; en particular, Excel de Microsoft. Los modelos resueltos incluyen tanto modelos macroeconómicos dinámicos con expectativas racionales no microfundamentados, como modelos microfundamentados, constituyendo un enfoque que facilita el aprendizaje y uso de los modelos de equilibrio general dinámico, los cuales se han convertido en la principal herramienta para el análisis macroeconómico en la actualidad. Las hojas de cálculo son ampliamente conocidas y relativamente fáciles de usar, lo que supone que los conocimientos informáticos necesarios para poder trabajar con modelos de equilibrio general dinámico son asequibles para alumnos de grado.

Introducción a la Macroeconomía Computacional

Anelí Bongers, Universidad de Málaga, Spain et al.

February 2019 / ISBN: 978-1-62273-600-3
Availability: In stock
352pp. ¦ $65 £49 €55

Este libro presenta una introducción a la macroeconomía computacional, utilizando un nuevo enfoque para el estudio de los modelos macroeconómicos dinámicos. Para ello resolveremos numéricamente una gran variedad de modelos en tiempo discreto, utilizando como herramienta informática una hoja de cálculo; en particular, Excel de Microsoft. Los modelos resueltos incluyen tanto modelos macroeconómicos dinámicos con expectativas racionales no microfundamentados, como modelos microfundamentados, constituyendo un enfoque que facilita el aprendizaje y uso de los modelos de equilibrio general dinámico, los cuales se han convertido en la principal herramienta para el análisis macroeconómico en la actualidad. Las hojas de cálculo son ampliamente conocidas y relativamente fáciles de usar, lo que supone que los conocimientos informáticos necesarios para poder trabajar con modelos de equilibrio general dinámico son asequibles para alumnos de grado.

Writing as a Way of Staying Human in a Time that Isn’t

Edited by Nate Mickelson, Guttman Community College, City University of New York (CUNY)

July 2018 / ISBN: 978-1-62273-437-5
Availability: In stock
246pp. ¦ $61 £44 €50

The human element of our work has never been more important. As Robert Yagelski explains in Writing as a Way of Being (2011), the ideological and social pressures of our institutions put us under increasing pressure to sacrifice our humanity in the interest of efficiency. These problems only grow when we artificially separate self/world and mind/body in our teaching and everyday experiences. Following Yagelski and others, Writing as a Way of Staying Human in a Time that Isn't proposes that intentional acts of writing can awaken us to our interconnectedness and to ways in which we—as individuals and in writing communities—might address the social and environmental challenges of our present and future world. Featuring essays drawn from a range of contexts, including college composition and developmental reading and writing, professional and legal writing, middle school English, dissertation projects, academic conferences, and an online writing group, the collection outlines three ways writing can help us stay human: caring for ourselves and others; honoring the times and spaces of writing; and promoting justice. Each essay describes specific strategies for using writing as a means for staying human in inhuman times. The authors integrate personal stories, descriptions of classroom assignments and activities, and current research in writing studies. Their work shows that writing can contribute to personal, social, and political transformation by nurturing vulnerability, compassion, and empathy among students and instructors alike.