Bücher von Catherine Wilson

Focusing on the earliest forays into microscopical research, from 1620 to 1720, this book provides technological history of the knowledge that helped launch philosophy into the modern era. It argues that the discovery of microworld presented metaphysicians with the task of reconciling the ubiquity of life with human-centered theological systems.

This engaging and richly documented book examines the Scientific Revolution and the formation of the canon of early modern philosophy in light of the rediscovery and reworking of the materialistic philosophy of the ancient atomists, Epicurus and Lucretius. It is written equally for philosophers and historians.

Offers a different approach to moral theory. Drawing on anthropology, sociology, and evolutionary theory, as well as philosophy of language and philosophy of science, this book shows how to understand and reconcile our moral aspirations for a just world, with the constraints human nature places on us.

In this introduction to a classic philosophical text, Catherine Wilson examines the arguments of Descartes' famous Meditations, the book which launched modern philosophy. Drawing on the reinterpretations of Descartes' thought of the past twenty-five years, she shows how Descartes constructs a theory of the mind, the body, nature, and God from a premise of radical uncertainty. She discusses in detail the historical context of Descartes' writings and their relationship to early modern science, and at the same time she introduces concepts and problems that define the philosophical enterprise as it is understood today. Following closely the text of the Meditations and meant to be read alongside them, this survey is accessible to readers with no previous background in philosophy. It is well-suited to university-level courses on Descartes, but can also be read with profit by students in other disciplines.