A Parliament of Minds: Philosophy for a New Millennium [Paperback]

Mass.) World Congress of Philosophy 1998 (Boston (Author), Michael Tobias (Editor), Patrick Fitzgerald (Editor), David Rothenberg (Editor), J. Patrick Fitzgerald (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1999

A Parliament of Minds brings together groundbreaking interviews with a diverse cross-section of contemporary philosophers, demystifying and humanizing this formal discipline, making philosophy accessible and relevant to all. The companion volume to the national public television series of the same name, A Parliament of Minds highlights 23 philosophers as they discuss everyday issues. These interviews offer an unusual glimpse into their vital, active, moment-by-moment thinking processes.

Philosophers interviewed include K. Anthony Appiah, Yoko Arisaka, Peter Caws, Ewert Cousins, David Crocker, Ashok Gangadean, Marjorie Grene, Lewis Gordon, Lewis Hahn, Michael Halberstam, Tom Huhn, Joseph Margolis, John J. McDermott, Robert Muller, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Robert Cummings Neville, Martha Nussbaum, Esa Saarinen, Karan Singh, John J. Stuhr, David Rothenberg, Tu Wei-ming, and Nancy Tuana.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Tobias is a writer, director, and producer of more than 100 films. Among his many books is A Parliament of Souls: In Search of Global Spirituality. J. Patrick Fitzgerald is Honors Professor of Philosophy and Television Productions at Seminole Community College. David Rothenberg is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Editor of Terra Nova: Nature and Culture.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: State Univ of New York Pr (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791444848
• ISBN-13: 978-0791444849
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,577,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comments on "A Parliament of Minds", January 15, 2000

By 

Shane Fitzgerald - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Parliament of Minds: Philosophy for a New Millennium (Paperback)

"A Parliament of Minds: Philosophy for a New Millenium," provides a wonderfully speculative endeavor into the universality, of the timeless tradition of philosophy. Conducted in the medium of informal interviews, twenty-three of the world's most notorious contemporary thinkers, identify there own interpretations of philosophy and it's role as humankind concludes yet another millenium. For too long, the average conception of philosophy that has passed through the streets, is that of a detached, lofty and abstract discipline that can not breathe outside of the "ivory towers" that it has confined itself to. In other words, philosophy has gone for too long without a human face. Having said that, it is apparent that such a long over-do journey too "demystify" and "humanize" philosophy is an uphill climb, however, how better to facilitate such a transition then by capturing the philosophies of a diverse range of today's leading philosophers and social thinkers? A wide variety of approaches are documented in "A Parliament..," including political philosophy, classical and ancient philosophy, feminist philosophy, Eastern, African and Islamic philosophies, environmental philosophy, aesthetics and much more, all being analyzed in a uniquley applied manner. Aside from the books easy accesibility to the philosophical novice, it likewise can provide a stimulating read for the philosophical or socially aware academic, in that it probes the depths of philosophy's duty in a seemingly collapsing world and inspires us to turn the scope of philosophy away from hair-splitting problems relevant only to itself and back in the direction of humanity, which is after all it's origins. I highly recommend this book to anyone out there in the information age, who still cares about how they should live their life.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Lovely Book!, December 1, 2011

By 

Lorenzo Fincher - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Parliament of Minds: Philosophy for a New Millennium (Paperback)

Philosophy is usually far removed from the general readership but this is a book I picked up and devoured. Possibly it is because I am biased: a fan of Tobias' works. But Fitzgerald and Rothenberg add greatly to this and the combined powers are simply enduring. It is a wonderful wonderful tribute to philosophy thought through the ages, and reveals the powerful diversity of issues, perspectives and ethics that sweeps the planet and is engaged in by so many marvelous, empathetic minds. A truly satisfying introduction to the history and practice of philosophy.