From Library Journal
This is yet another exploration by Weiss (Being and Other Realities) of the metaphysics of being. His concern this time is "emphatics"--his coinage, defined as an interposition or a thrusting on being, such that it alters the import of, and makes a difference to, that which is intruded on. He starts by examining some of the more familiar, commonly used emphatics, such as "praise," "applause," "grammar," "etiquette," "status," and natural and religious emphatics. These are contrasted with those of his primary concern in this study, the "ontological" emphatics. Investigating these, Weiss writes, will make possible "a better understanding of what is real." Candidates under this rubric are "signs," "truth," "particulars," "time, space and causality," "art," "persons," and "evils and wrongs." This is metaphysics in the grand style, and interest in this work will depend very much on one's feeling about this orientation in philosophy. Recommended only for comprehensive academic collections in metaphysics and those collecting Weiss's works.
-Leon H. Brody, U.S. Office of Personnel Mgt. Lib., Washingon, DC Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
Review
This is an outstanding little book . . . [which] should be useful both in introductory philosophy and reasoning classes and for the general reader interested in an introduction to pragmatism.
--
Peirce Project NewsletterElements of Knowledge is the only book I have found that meets a long-present need. It introduces the reader to the major methods, tools, and insights needed for learning to learn. The examples it uses, drawn from daily life and a wide variety of academic fields, are apt and understandable. It is historically sound, clearly written, and interesting.
--Joseph D. Stamey, McMurry University
An exciting introduction to an area of philosophy that is often treated in a dull and unimaginative way. Stewart has captured the complexities and richness of the human mind in its quest for truth.
--James Muyskens, University System of Georgia
Arthur Stewart has written a truly innovative approach to critical thinking that takes Peirce's "pragmaticist" view of logic as its starting point and engages issues in the living world of reasoning. This immediately distinguishes it from the legion of logic texts that opt for the canonical approach deriving from Frege and Russell. The result is a highly successful text for the student and a fascinating alternative for the teacher.
--Thomas M. Alexander, Southern Illinois University
