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The Study of Human Nature: A Reader

Stevenson, Leslie

Science & Math

Nelson Education

Who is God? How should we think about the concept of God? How have religions shaped and altered various conceptions of God over time? Many use language about God which, if taken at face value, implies that he inhabits a human body (usually male) and walks and talks as we do. Yet to other traditions God is a genderless and spiritual form unconstrained by space or time. And while some people are firm in their faith in God, however conceived, many others are uncertain what they think--what they believe, what they think they know, and how much they think one can know rather than believe. Even among believers, there are many conceptions of God from different points in time and parts of the world--even within faiths. For readers who are puzzled by religion, it helps to have an entry point into this confusing range of possibilities. In this short and friendly guide, Leslie Stevenson walks the reader through eighteen conceptions of God, tracing how women and men have perceived him (or her) since the time of Abraham. As Stevenson acknowledges, there can be no such thing as a completely detached and neutral approach to this subject. Everyone has their own upbringing, life experiences, prejudices, and commitments to (or rejections of) the religious traditions they have encountered. Moreover, there are anciently-entrenched differences in different strands of Hinduism and Buddhism, as there are between and within Jewish, Christian, and Islamic monotheistic conceptions of God. By ranging over the thought of philosophers of religion like Feuerbach, Kant, Wittgenstein, Iris Murdoch, Simone Weil, Rudolf Otto, Martin Buber, and Abbe Louf, and practice of the Quakers, Stevenson unpacks difficult questions, including whether religious language refers to anything beyond human life, and whether God is a person (or an existing being of any sort), whether he changes over time, or can be spoken of at all. Drawing from his deep familiarity with religion and philosophy acquired over decades of scholarly work, Stevenson presents a richly informed and yet clear and accessible guide. Readers will come away with a profounder and more compassionate understanding of some of the varieties of experiencing or understanding the divine, a more critical grasp of their meaning, and an appreciation of how such views inspire people the world over.

Eighteen Takes on God: A Short Guide for Those Who Are Still Perplexed

History

World

Oxford University Press

Over six previous editions, Twelve Theories of Human Nature has been a remarkably popular introduction to some of the most influential developments in Western and Eastern thought. Now titled Thirteen Theories of Human Nature, the seventh edition adds a chapter on feminist theory to those on Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, Islam, Kant, Marx, Freud, Sartre, and Darwinism. The authors juxtapose the ideas of these and other thinkers and traditions in a way that helps students understand how humanity has struggled to comprehend its nature. To encourage students to think critically for themselves and to underscore the similarities and differences between the many theories, the book examines each one on four points--the nature of the universe, the nature of humanity, the diagnosis of the ills of humanity, and the proposed cure for these problems. Ideal for introductory courses in human nature, introduction to philosophy, and intellectual history, this unique volume will engage and motivate students and other readers to consider how we can understand and improve both ourselves and human society.

Thirteen Theories of Human Nature

Politics & Social Sciences

Haberman, David L.

Matthews Wright, Peter

Witt, Charlotte

Philosophy

Drawing on philosophy, psychology, sociology, politics, biology, and theology, Stevenson introduces readers to the endlessly fascinating subject of human nature. He outlines background theories of the universe, basic approaches to human nature, diagnoses of what is wrong with humankind and prescriptions for putting it right while offering clear, critical analyses of the ideas of Plato, Christianity, Karl Marx, Freud, Sartre, Skinner, and Lorenz. Including completely revised and updated bibliographies, the second edition also provides a new interdisciplinary final chapter suggesting areas of further inquiry.

Seven Theories of Human Nature: Christianity, Freud, Lorenz, Marx, Sartre, Skinner, Plato

With over a quarter of a million copies sold, Seven Theories of Human Nature has established itself as the classic introduction to Western intellectual theory. Ranging from Plato's Republic to Edward O. Wilson's On Human Nature, and drawing on philosophy, psychology, sociology, politics, biology, and theology, this admirably lucid volume compresses into a small space the essence of such thinkers as Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Jean-Paul Sartre, B.F. Skinner, and Konrad Lorenz. Stevenson juxtaposes the ideas of these and other thinkers in a way that helps us to understand how humanity has struggled to comprehend its nature. We see how Freud's theory of subconscious motivation is directly attacked by Sartre's claim that there are no subconscious acts at all. And how Skinner's theories, which assert the primacy of learned behavior, are undercut by Lorenz's studies of animals, which suggest that complex behavior can occur prior to learning. To bring these comparisons into sharper relief, Stevenson examines each theorist on four points--his speculation on the nature of the universe, his assessment of the nature of man, how he views the ills of the world, and what he would do to change it. This structure enables Stevenson to compare Plato's theory of the philosopher-king with Skinner's idea of utopia in Walden Two and pose the same questions to both: Who decides what is best for everyone else? And how can the misuse of power be prevented? Along the way, we are treated to fascinating analyses of some of the most pivotal and controversial books ever written, including Marx's Das Capital, Sartre's Being and Nothingness, Plato's Republic, and Konrad Lorenz's On Agression. The revised edition of Seven Theories of Human Nature is more relevant than ever. For the new volume, Stevenson has added an extended discussion of sociobiology, and cites recent books for further reading on such topics as Creationism, nuclear holocaust, and feminism. Brought completely up to date, this classic introduction will fascinate anyone curious about who we are, what motivates us, and how we can understand and improve the world.

Seven Theories of Human Nature

Ten Theories of Human Nature

With over a quarter of a million copies sold since 1974, Seven Theories of Human Nature was a remarkably popular introduction to key points of Western thought. Now completely revised, taking into account the most recent scholarship, and expanded to include Eastern thinkers, Ten Theories of Human Nature is more appealing than ever, with added chapters on Hinduism and Confucianism as well as a new chapter on Kant. The virtues of the book remain the same, compressing into a small space the essence of such thinkers as Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Jean Paul Sartre, B.F. Skinner, and Konrad Lorenz. Moreover, the authors juxtapose the ideas of these and other thinkers in a way that helps us to understand how humanity has struggled to comprehend its nature. We see, for instance, how Skinner's theories, which assert the primacy of learned behavior, are undercut by Lorenz's studies of animals, which suggest that complex behavior can occur prior to learning. To bring these comparisons into sharp relief, the book examines each theorist on four points on the nature of the universe, on the nature of humanity, on the ills of the world, and on the proposed cure for these ills. And at the same time, we are treated to fascinating analyses of some of the most influential books ever written, from Sartre's Being and Nothingness and Konrad Lorenz's On Aggression, to Plato's Republic and The Bible. Ten Theories of Human Nature will engage anyone curious about who we are, what motivates us, and how we can understand and improve the world.

With over a quarter of a million copies sold since 1974, Seven Theories of Human Nature was a remarkably popular introduction to key points of Western thought. Now entitled Ten Theories of Human Nature, this completely revised and expanded third edition broadens the cultural and historical range by incorporating new chapters on Hinduism, Confucianism, and Kant. It also extends and deepens the discussion of the original seven theories, taking into account the most recent scholarship and addressing issues of feminism and relativism. A new final chapter reviews the prospects and limits of the scientific understanding of human nature and includes a survey of nine different types of psychology. This lucid text compresses into a small space the essence of such ancient traditions as Confucianism, Hinduism, and the Old and New Testaments as well as the theories of Plato, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Jean-Paul Sartre, B.F. Skinner, and Konrad Lorenz. The authors juxtapose the ideas of these and other thinkers in a way that helps students understand how humanity has struggled to comprehend its nature. To encourage readers to think critically for themselves, the book examines each theory on four points--the nature of the universe, the nature of humanity, the ills of humanity, and the proposed cure for these ills. Ideal for introductory courses in philosophy, religious studies, human nature, and intellectual history, Ten Theories of Human Nature will engage and motivate students and other readers to consider who we are, what motivates us, and how we can understand and improve the world.

Over three previous editions, Ten Theories of Human Nature has been a remarkably popular introduction to some of the most influential developments in Western and Eastern thought. This thoroughly revised fourth edition features substantial new chapters on Aristotle and on evolutionary theories of human nature; the latter centers on Edward O. Wilson but also outlines the ideas of Emile Durkheim, B. F. Skinner, Nikolaas Tinbergen, Konrad Lorenz, Noam Chomsky, and recent evolutionary psychology. This edition also includes a rewritten introduction that invites readers (even if inclined toward fundamentalism, or to cultural relativism) to careful, critical thought about human nature; a useful new section that summarizes the history of ideas from the Stoics to the Enlightenment; and a new conclusion that suggests a way to synthesize the various theories. Lucid and accessible, Ten Theories of Human Nature, 4/e, compresses into a small space the essence of such ancient traditions as Confucianism, Hinduism, and the Old and New Testaments as well as the theories of Plato, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Jean-Paul Sartre. The authors juxtapose the ideas of these and other thinkers and traditions in a way that helps readers understand how humanity has struggled to comprehend its nature. To encourage readers to think critically for themselves and to underscore the similarities and differences between the many theories, the book examines each one on four points--the nature of the universe, the nature of humanity, the diagnosis of the ills of humanity, and the proposed cure for these problems. Ideal for introductory courses in human nature, philosophy, religious studies, and intellectual history, Ten Theories of Human Nature, 4/e, will engage and motivate students and other readers to consider how we can understand and improve both ourselves and human society.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stevenson, Leslie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Stevenson, Leslie

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stevenson, Leslie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Study of Human Nature: A Reader

Eighteen Takes on God: A Short Guide for Those Who Are Still Perplexed

Thirteen Theories of Human Nature

Thirteen Theories of Human Nature

Seven Theories of Human Nature: Christianity, Freud, Lorenz, Marx, Sartre, Skinner, Plato

Seven Theories of Human Nature

Ten Theories of Human Nature

Ten Theories of Human Nature

Ten Theories of Human Nature

Ten Theories of Human Nature