As part of the Blog of the APA‘s partnership with Exact Editions, we are offering eight new books in their entirety for readers to enjoy for the month of November. Click on the links below to visit the virtual reading rooms.
Books for November 2020
Political Argument in a Polarized Age, by Scott F. Aikin and Robert B. Talisse: From obnoxious public figures to online trolling and accusations of “fake news”, almost no one seems able to disagree without hostility. But polite discord sounds farfetched when issues are so personal and fundamental that those on opposing sides appear to have no common ground. How do you debate the “enemy”?
Existentialism, second edition, by Kevin Aho: Existentialism has established itself as the most comprehensive and accessible book on the subject available. In this fully revised and expanded second edition, Kevin Aho draws on a wide range of existentialist thinkers from both the secular and religious traditions, adding a wealth of new material on existentialism’s relationship with Marxist thought and its impact on feminist phenomenology and critical race theory.
W.E.B. Du Bois, by Elvira Basevich: W.E.B. Du Bois spent many decades fighting to ensure that African Americans could claim their place as full citizens and thereby fulfill the deeply compromised ideals of American democracy. Yet he died in Africa, having apparently given up on the United States.
White Privilege, by Shannon Sullivan: Some embrace the idea of white privilege as an important concept that helps us to make sense of the connection between race and social and political disadvantages, while others are critical or even hostile. Regardless of personal views, it can be difficult to agree on what ‘white privilege’ even means.
Utilitarianism, with related remarks from Mill’s other writings, Edited with an introduction by Ben Eggleston: This edition of Utilitarianism supplements the text of Mill’s classic essay with 58 related remarks carefully selected from Mill’s other writings, ranging from his treatise on logic to his personal correspondence. In these remarks, Mill comments on specific passages of Utilitarianism, elaborates on topics he handles briefly in Utilitarianism, and discusses additional aspects of his moral thought.
Nicomachean Ethics, Third Edition, Aristotle, translated, with introduction, notes and glossary by Terence Erwin: Terence Irwin’s edition of the Nicomachean Ethics offers more aids to the reader than are found in any modern English translation. It includes an Introduction, headings to help the reader follow the argument, explanatory notes on difficult or important passages, and a full glossary explaining Aristotle’s technical terms.
The Plotinus Reader, Edited, with an Introduction and Notes by Lloyd P. Gerson: The Plotinus Reader provides a generous selection of translations from the fifty-four treatises that together make up the Enneads of Plotinus, a central work in the history of philosophy.
Zhuangzi: The Complete Writings, Translated, with introduction and notes by Brook Ziporyn: Ideal for students and scholars alike, this edition of Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) includes the complete Inner Chapters, extensive selections from the Outer and Miscellaneous Chapters, and judicious selections from two thousand years of traditional Chinese commentaries, which provide the reader access to the text as well as to its reception and interpretation.
I appreciate these texts. They are difficult to use on my laptop. I need to be able to enlarge the print and find and hold my place.