Philosophy and the Adventure of the Virtual

by Keith Ansell-Pearson, Keith Ansell Pearson

Overview

With the development of new technologies and the Internet, the notion of the virtual has grown increasingly important. In this lucid collection of essays, Pearson bridges the continental-analytic divide in philosophy, bringing the virtual to centre stage and arguing its importance for re-thinking such central philosophical questions as time and life. Drawing on philosophers from Bergson, Kant and Nietzsche to Proust, Russell, Dennett and Badiou, Pearson examines the limits of continuity, explores relativity, and offers a concept of creative evolution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415237284
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/27/2001
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,053,282
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Keith Ansell-Pearson, Keith Ansell Pearson

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Introducing Time as a Virtual Multiplicity 2. 'A Life of the Real' and a Single Time: Relativity and Virtual Multiplicity 3. Duration and Evolution: The Time of Life 4. The Simple Virtual: A Renewed Thinking of the One 5. The Elan Vital as an Image of Thought: Bergson and Kant on Finality 6. Virtual Image: Bergson on Matter and Perception 7. Redeeming the Time of Life: From Psychology to an Ontology of the Virtual Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

'My favourite book of the past year was Philosophy and the Adventure of the Virtual' - Jack Chapman, The Observer

'A marvellous display of philosophical reflection that tackles the major issues with a rarely seen level of metaphysical insight and maturity of thought. It has raised the level of debate in this field by several notches.' - John Mullarkey, University of Sunderland

'Constitutes one of the most sustained engagements with the 'virtual' to date.' - Critical and Cultural Theory

From the Publisher