This volume on Contemporary Philosophy deals with the main thinkers and themes of Western Philosophy from the beginning of 19th century. Movements like idealism, positivism, existentialism and philosophy of life are dealt with succinctly. A brief history of the main thinkers (including Fichte, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Comte, Spencer, Kierkegaard, Sartre and Heidegger, etc.) are given and their contemporary relevance emphasized. Based on his 40 years of interaction with young philosophy scholars, this volume is a must for anyone interested in dealing with contemporary thought and vision. This concise book is a continuation of the author’s earlier volume on Ancient, Medieval and Modern Philosophy. A must for anyone interested in the history of contemporary Western philosophy.
Contents Author’s Introduction General Bibliography 1. IDEALISM
1A. Introductory 1B. Beginnings 1.1. Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1772–1814) 1.2. Friederich Wilhelm Josef Schelling (1775–1814) 1C. The Watershed 1.3. George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) 1D. Later Developments 1.4. Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) 1.5. The Young Hegelians 1.6. Elsewhere in the West 1E. General Conclusion
2. POSITIVISM
2A. Introductory 2B. Beginnings: Early Evolutionists 2.1. Auguste Comte (1798–1857) 2.2. Charles Darwin (1809–1882) 2.3. Herbert Spencer (1820–1903) 2C. The Watershed 97 2.4. Karl Marx (1818–1883) 2D. Later Developments 2.5. Utilitarianism 2.6. Behaviourism 2.7. Psychoanalysis 2.8. Durkheimian Sociology 2.9. Select Bibliography 2.10. Concluding General Remarks on the Later Developments of Positivism
3. Existentialism
3A. Introductory 3A.1. The Term and Origins 3A.2. Some General Studies 3B. Beginnings 3.1. Soren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) 3C. The Watershed 3.2. Jean Paul Sartre (1905–1980) 3.3. Gabriel Marcel (1889–1973) 3.4. Karl Jaspers (1883–1969) 3.5. Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) 3.6. Other Existentialist Writers 3D. General Conclusion
4. The Philosophy of Life Movement
4A. Introductory 4B. The Thinkers 4.1. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844–1900) 4.2. Henri Bergson (1859–1951) 4.3. Maurice Blondel (1861–1949) 4.4. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955) 4.5. Concluding Remarks on the Philosophy of Life Movement Dr Cyrils Desbruslais (1940-) is an Indian Jesuit priest, Professor of Philosophy at Jnana- Deepa, Pune, India, and an accomplished playwright. He has been inspiring countless number of youth to lead meaningful and visionary lives. Accompanying young minds (including luminaries like Dr Shashi Tharoor and General Shankar Roychowdhury), Dr Desbruslais, who completed 80 eventful and fruitful years, has contributed significantly to the flourishing and well-being of youth in India at the emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels.
The Editor: Dr Valerian Mendonca SJ, a student of Dr Desbruslais, is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Loyola College, Chennai.
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