From Pythagoreans to Hegel, and beyond, this book gives a brief overview of the history of the notion of graphs and introduces the main concepts of graph theory in order to apply them to philosophy. In addition, this book presents how philosophers can use various mathematical notions of order. Throughout the book, philosophical operations and concepts are defined through examining questions relating the two kinds of known infinities – discrete and continuous – and how Woodin’s approach can influence elements of philosophy. We also examine how mathematics can help a philosopher to discover the elements of stability which will help to build an image of the world, even if various approaches (for example, negative theology) generally cannot be valid. Finally, we briefly consider the possibilities of weakening formal thought represented by fuzziness and neutrosophic graphs. In a nutshell, this book expresses the importance of graphs when representing ideas and communicating them clearly with others.

W. J. Mander examines the nature of idealist ethics, that is to say, the form and content of ethical belief most typically adopted by philosophical idealists. While there exist many studies of the ethical views of individual idealist philosophers there has been no literature at all on the notion of idealist ethics per se. Never is it asked: at which points, if any, do the ethical systems of all these thinkers overlap, and what relation, if any, do such commonalities bear to their authors' idealism? Never is the question posed: were you suddenly to become convinced of the truth of some form of philosophical idealism what revisions, if any, would that necessitate in your conception of the truth, nature, and significance of ethical judgements? The inquiry has two aims. The first is historical. From the record of past philosophy, Mander demonstrates that there exists a discernible idealist approach to moral philosophy; a tradition of 'idealist ethics.' He examines its characteristic marks and varieties. The second aim is apologetic. Mander argues that such idealist ethics offers an attractive way of looking at moral questions and that it has much to contribute to contemporary discussion. In particular he argues that Idealist ethics have the power to cut through the sterile opposition between moral realism and moral anti-realism which has come to dominate contemporary thinking about ethical questions. To be an idealist is precisely to hold that the universe is so constituted that things are real if and only if they are ideal; to hold that uncovering in something the work of mind makes it more not less significant.

Publisher Description

The original text of this work was published in the French journal Revue d’Histoire et de Philosophie Religieuses. This English translation presents Kojève’s attempt to unify the religious philosophy of Vladimir Solovyov into a metaphysical system that Solovyov strived for but was never able to fully articulate in his lifetime.