Are our 'democracies' truly democratic? In the Name of the People examines the myth of modern democracy and finds it wanting. The various oligarchies of the world blame the madness of modern life on the greed and stupidity of ordinary people: this book argues that, on the contrary, elites indulge a limitless greed for power and wealth under cover of 'giving the people what they want'. As a coda to his short book, Ivo Mosley examines what true democracy has meant over the last two and a half millennia, and examines how it could be incorporated into current political structures to give them meaning, life and accountability.

This volume reflects the up-and-coming academic interest in sortition. It is based on contributions to the first international conference dedicated to the subject held at the University of Political Science (Sciences-Po) in Paris in November 2008.The papers explore important theoretical questions such as how we should recognise and define differing lottery forms; the relationship between sortition and different aspects and forms of democracy; and its potential benefits to current political and commercial practice.Contributors include: Hubertus Buchstein, Gil Delannoi, Oliver Dowlen, Gerhard Goehler, Barbara Goodwin, Michael Hein, Yves Sintomer, Peter Stone and Antoine Vergne.

Clinical psychologist Richard Ryder approaches three iconic celebrities - Horatio Nelson, Adolph Hitler, and Diana Princess of Wales - as though they were his patients and presents a short psycho-biography of each. Beneath their obvious differences he finds striking similarities in their backgrounds and early experience, especially being deprived of their mothers' love. In a short Epilogue the author asks what lessons might be learned for the future from these three famous figures of the past.

Orwell's Faded Lion traces the history of Britain from the end of the Second World War, during the darkest days of which George Orwell wrote The Lion and the Unicorn, calling for a British revolution, to the present. The book confronts the actual direction taken by British society against the background of the high hopes of the generation that survived the war. The book also considers Britain alongside its European neighbours, drawing upon personal experiences of living and travelling widely in Europe, as well as experience of left-wing party politics and of the Northern Ireland situation in the 1980s.

Dugald Stewart was appointed assistant professor of mathematics in the University of Edinburgh in 1772, aged only 19. He became one of the most influential academics in the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European 'Republic of Letters'. Both Stewart's contemporaries and modern scholars have recognised the impact his influential figure had over many young minds. He was one of the leading figures of the Scottish Common Sense school, a name by which we are used to identifying the philosophical tradition headed by Thomas Reid.The selection given here departs in some ways from Stewart's own division of the subject, and aims to reflect the logical priority of each discipline, a priority which Stewart himself seems to give in the internal development of his 'system'.

This book is based on the author's ten-year research into the politics of belief surrounding paranormal ideas. Through a detailed examination of the participants, issues, strategies and underlying factors that constitute the contemporary paranormal debate, the book explores the struggle surrounding the status of paranormal phenomena. It examines, on the one hand, how the principal arbiters of religious and scientific truths - the Church and the academic establishment - reject paranormal ideas as "e;occult"e; and "e;pseudo-scientific"e;, and how, on the other hand, paranormal enthusiasts attempt to resist such labels and instead establish paranormal ideas as legitimate knowledge.The author contends that the paranormal debate is the outcome of wider discursive processes that are concerned with the construction and negotiation of truth in Western society generally. More specifically, the debate is seen as an aspect of the "e;boundary work"e; that defines the contours of religious and scientific orthodoxy.The book paves new ground in understanding the nature of belief relating to a topic that has long held fascination to academics and lay people alike - paranormal ideas. It develops a discursive framework for understanding a contemporary social phenomenon, hence placing the study at the cutting edge of ethnographic development that seeks to integrate discursive perspectives with empirical accounts of sociological phenomena. Most importantly, the study is intended to contribute to the debate surrounding communicative action, by outlining a discursive perspective on the negotiation of ideational differences that goes beyond the incommensurability theories that have dominated the sociology of communication and knowledge.

Julian Jaynes' 1976 book, The Origins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, continues to arouse an unsettling ambivalence. Richard Dawkins called it "e;either complete rubbish or a work of consummate genius, nothing in between"e;. The present book suggests that the bicameral mind is a phantasm; the dating of the origin of consciousness contradicts archeological and literary evidence; and the theory contributes nothing toward explaining why some physical states are conscious while others are not because the nonconscious bicameral brain is neurophysiologically equivalent to the conscious brain.However, the author pays tribute to Jaynes's work as a work of "e;consummate genius"e; because it compels us to re-evaluate the significance of humankind's earliest traditions and texts that might shine light on the "e;very suspicious totem of evolutionary mythology"e; that consciousness has evolved continuously and gradually from worms to man.The present book suggests that the evolution of the relationship between consciousnesses, mass, energy, and spacetime radically changed nearly 6,000 years ago during the epigenetic, evolutionary degeneration of a little-known, threadlike structure originating from the center of the central nervous system called Reissner's fiber. The earliest Egyptian, Hebrew, Indian and Chinese traditions, buried beneath the dust of fallen Babel and thousands of years of distortions and disguisings, describe this process during the origin of religion and mystical traditions.

Columbanus ("e;The Dove of the Church"e;), not to be confused with his near-contemporary Columba of Iona, was a towering figure in the religious and political life of Europe in the Dark Ages. In this lively biography of the saint, Carol Richards evokes the violent and unstable age that laid the foundations for the achievements of the Middle Ages.

Lotteries are widely used to decide places (seats) at schools, colleges and universities. Conall Boyle explores many examples to find out why. The emotional turmoil that the use of ballots can cause to students and parents alike is graphically described. But lottery selection teaches lessons too; now we can find proper answers to controversial questions like "e;Does choice work?"e;This book will be of interest to parents, pupils and teachers as well as educational administrators. Any student applying for admission to a university course should learn about the amazing weighted lottery for entry to medical schools in the Netherlands. There is a better way: it's a lottery!

The philosophy of John Macmurray is only now receiving the attention it deserves. It is in the contemporary climate of dissatisfaction with individualism that Macmurray's emphasis on the relations of persons has come to the fore. Moreover, Macmurray's recognition of the central importance of acknowledging human embodiment is being favourably received by a wide range of fields, which includes philosophers, theologians and psychologists.Macmurray's overriding concern is to present an adequate account of the person and of personal relationships. Nevertheless, he is an eclectic writer, whose work addresses concerns in education, science and art, which all stem from his understanding of human agency. In addition, this leads Macmurray into a discussion of the ethics of personal and political relations and a critique of otherworldly religion. Hence, Macmurray's philosophy is informed by fairly unconventional religious beliefs.

Liberal education is not a theory. It is the tradition by which Western civilisation has preserved and enriched its inheritance for two and a half thousand years. Yet liberal education is a term that has fallen from use in Britain, its traditional meaning now freely confused with its opposite. This book is intended to correct that misapprehension, through the presentation of original source material from the high points in the liberal education tradition with particular focus on the British experience.Section 1: Origins (c. 450 BC to c. 450 AD)Section 2: The British Tradition (c. 750 to 1950)Section 3: After Tradition (1950 onward)Section 4: Liberal Education Redux (America)

A philosopher and historian, Adam Ferguson occupies a unique place within eighteenth-century Scottish thought. Distinguished by a moral and historical bent, his work is framed within a teleological outlook that upholds the importance of action and virtue.

During the intellectual and cultural flowering of Scotland in the 18th century few subjects attracted as much interest among men of letters as aesthetics - the study of art from the subjective perspective of human experience. All of the great philosophers of the age - Hutcheson, Hume, Smith and Reid - addressed themselves to aesthetic questions. Their inquiries revolved around a cluster of issues - the nature of taste, beauty and the sublime, how qualitative differences operate upon the mind through the faculty of taste, and how aesthetic sensibility can be improved through education. This volume brings together and provides contextual introductions to the most significant 18th century writing on the philosophy of art. From the pioneering study of beauty by Francis Hutcheson, through Hume's seminal essays on the standard of taste and tragedy, to the end of the tradition in Dugald Stewart, we are swept up in the debate about art and its value that fascinated the philosophers of enlightenment Scotland - and continues to do so to this day.

The book presents the conclusions of a psychologist seeking to make sense of contemporary particle physics as described in a number of popular science texts and media articles, written by physicists, seeking to explain the workings of the sub-atomic world. The accounts, it is argued, are a) mutually exclusive and contradictory, and b) metaphysical or magical in essence.Themes of the book include: a discussion of the way we allow physicists to invent things that have no perceivable qualities, on the grounds that they 'must' be there because otherwise their preconceptions are wrong or their sums don't work; that, from a psychological perspective, contemporary theory in particle physics has the same properties as any other act of faith, and the same limitations as belief in God; and that physics has now reached a point at which increasingly physicists research their own psychological constructions rather than anything which is unambiguously 'there' or real.It encourages people to ask basic questions of the type we often use to question the existence of God; such as 'Where is he/it?', 'Show me?', 'Do it then', 'When did it happen?', 'How do you know it exists?', and so on, and suggests that people take a leaf out of Dawkins' text, The God Delusion, but apply it to high-end physics as much as to religious dogma: turning water into wine is a mere conjuring trick compared to producing an entire universe out of nothing.

This volume contains selections from the philosophical writings of James Frederick Ferrier (1808-1864). Ferrier was the Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of St Andrews between 1845 and 1864 and he was one of the earliest post-Hegelian British idealists. He develops a system of absolute idealism via a rejection of the Scottish school of common sense and Enlightenment philosophy in general. These selections focus on his primary philosophical interests: epistemology and ontology. Ferrier denies the possibility of a science of man and suggests that philosophy should focus on self-consciousness, the defining feature of humanity.

Between 1965 and 2002 several key lines of research emerged which, taken together, can potentially revolutionise our understanding of the place of consciousness in the universe. Two of these are crucial: first, the analyses of human mental processes by Barnard, and independently by McGilchrist, revealing two separate elements, one rational and one based on relationships; and, second, research by several workers linking quantum theory to consciousness in much greater detail then hitherto. Both of these investigations use an alternative logical system in order to make sense of the quantum/consciousness area. In this book the author explains the close connections between these new ingredients - connections which until now have barely been noticed. Using these insights the author set out a new foundation for consciousness studies in which consciousness is integrated with physics while retaining its qualitatively different character. Finally the book discusses how this affects our everyday approach to ecology, religion, and spiritual practice.

Throughout his life, Thomas Jefferson constructed a seemingly impenetrable wall between his public legacy and his private life, a division maintained by his family and the several traditional biographies written about this founding father. Now Virginia Scharff breaks down the barrier between Jefferson's public and private histories to offer an intriguing new portrait of this complicated and influential figure, as seen through the lives of a remarkable group of women.Scharff brings together for the first time in one volume the stories of these diverse women, separated by race but related by blood, including Jefferson's mother, Jane Randolph; his wife, Martha; her half sister, Sally Hemings, his slave mistress; his daughters; and his granddaughters. "Their lives, their Revolutions, their vulnerabilities, shaped the choices Jefferson made, from the selection of words and ideas in his Declaration, to the endless building of his mountaintop mansion, to the vision of a great agrarian nation that powered his Louisiana Purchase," Scharff writes. Based on a wealth of sources, including family letters, and written with empathy and great insight, The Women Jefferson Loved is a welcome new look at this legendary American and one that offers a fresh twist on American history itself.

Americans have experienced a love-hate relationship with Wall Street for two hundred years. Long an object of suspicion, fear, and even revulsion, the Street eventually came to be seen as an alluring pathway to wealth and freedom. Steve Fraser tells the story of this remarkable transformation in a brilliant, masterfully written narrative filled with colorful tales of confidence men and aristocrats, Napoleonic financiers and reckless adventurers, master builders and roguish destroyers. Penetrating and engrossing, this is an extraordinary work of history that illuminates the values and the character of our nation.

Un mister de 5 000 de ani este, ?n sf?r?it, elucidat.Opt zile ?nainte de solsti?iul de var?, ?n str?vechiul sit Stonehenge, un b?rbat este ?njunghiat ?n cadrul unui ritual la care particip? un grup de oameni ?nve?m?nta?i ?n robe. C?teva ore mai t?rziu, unul dintre cei mai importan?i v?n?tori de comori din lume se sinucide ?n propria cas?, l?s?ndu-i fiului s?u, t?n?rul arheolog Gideon Chase, o scrisoare misterioas?… ?n ?ncercarea de descoperi ce se ascunde ?n spatele acestei sinucideri, Gideon intr? ?ntr-o lume dominat? de o ordine str?veche: ritualuri, procesiuni, sacrificii. ?ntr-un sanctuar labirintic din apropiere de Stonehenge au loc ritualurile de purificare ale unei societ??i secrete care ??i transmite ?nv???turile din genera?ie ?n genera?ie. Av?nd la c?rm? un lider nou, charismatic ?i nemilos, grupul s?v?r?e?te sacrificii umane rituale, ?n ?ncercarea terifiant? de a dezv?lui secretul pietrelor.Un thriller exploziv, care concureaz? chiar ?i cel mai bun roman al lui Dan Brown.?Christer combin? cu succes jurnale secrete, coduri ?i o serie de detalii istorice fascinante, despre unul dintre cele mai misterioase locuri din lume.“ – Publishers Weekly?Cu o eficacitate diabolic?, povestea descrie plauzibil legendele supranaturale care ?nv?luie acest sit de 5 000 de ani.“ – Le Parisien?Captivanta simbolistic? a lui Dan Brown se ?mbin? cu ac?iunea exploziv? a lui Indiana Jones ?i cu investiga?ia detectivistic? a Patriciei Cornwell.“ – Longridge NewsCel mai bine v?ndut thriller ?n Marea BritanieRoman publicat ?n 40 de ??ri

Practically Posh is the budget babe's guide to the good life. Filled with thrifty tips and delivered with style and humor, this do-it-yourself handbook is designed for glam girls on the go who want to live large on their little paychecks.Packed with brilliantly simple advice, Robyn Moreno teaches that it's about more than just finding deals—it's about finding pleasure in your present life. It is about being resourceful—working with what you have, then working what you have. Practically Posh is your bible for living as a bon vivant on a budget.From how to score a seat at the trendiest restaurant and tips for being arty without being affected, to easy cheats for staying beautiful and advice on how to book your dream vacation now, the book includes anecdotes, sidebars, quotes, quizzes, and gorgeous photos to punctuate the information from Moreno and her team of experts.So for anyone who refuses to be slowed down by life's practicalities, let ingenuity and attitude be your currency and Practically Posh be your guide.

Take your Haskell and functional programming skills to the next level by exploring new idioms and design patternsAbout This BookExplore Haskell on a higher level through idioms and patternsGet an in-depth look into the three strongholds of Haskell: higher-order functions, the Type system, and Lazy evaluationExpand your understanding of Haskell and functional programming, one line of executable code at a timeWho This Book Is ForIf you’re a Haskell programmer with a firm grasp of the basics and ready to move more deeply into modern idiomatic Haskell programming, then this book is for you.What You Will LearnUnderstand the relationship between the “Gang of Four” OOP Design Patterns and HaskellTry out three ways of Streaming I/O: imperative, Lazy, and Iteratee basedExplore the pervasive pattern of Composition: from function composition through to high-level composition with LensesSynthesize Functor, Applicative, Arrow and Monad in a single conceptual frameworkFollow the grand arc of Fold and Map on lists all the way to their culmination in Lenses and Generic ProgrammingGet a taste of Type-level programming in Haskell and how this relates to dependently-typed programmingRetrace the evolution, one key language extension at a time, of the Haskell Type and Kind systemsPlace the elements of modern Haskell in a historical frameworkIn DetailDesign patterns and idioms can widen our perspective by showing us where to look, what to look at, and ultimately how to see what we are looking at. At their best, patterns are a shorthand method of communicating better ways to code (writing less, more maintainable, and more efficient code).This book starts with Haskell 98 and through the lens of patterns and idioms investigates the key advances and programming styles that together make "modern Haskell". Your journey begins with the three pillars of Haskell. Then you'll experience the problem with Lazy I/O, together with a solution. You'll also trace the hierarchy formed by Functor, Applicative, Arrow, and Monad. Next you'll explore how Fold and Map are generalized by Foldable and Traversable, which in turn is unified in a broader context by functional Lenses. You'll delve more deeply into the Type system, which will prepare you for an overview of Generic programming. In conclusion you go to the edge of Haskell by investigating the Kind system and how this relates to Dependently-typed programming.Style and approachUsing short pieces of executable code, this guide gradually explores the broad pattern landscape of modern Haskell. Ideas are presented in their historical context and arrived at through intuitive derivations, always with a focus on the problems they solve.