Through a journey in the mountains, Aaron Simmons invites readers to engage in deep reflection on life, nature, and personal growth. The narrative intertwines philosophical insights with the beauty of the natural world, encouraging a connection between the inner self and the surrounding environment. As he explores themes of solitude, mindfulness, and the human experience, Simmons offers a contemplative space for readers to consider their own paths and the lessons nature imparts.
Children growing up in harsh environments may develop intact, or even
enhanced, skills for solving problems in high-adversity contexts (i.e.,
'hidden talents'). This Element proposes that stress-adapted skills represent
a form of adaptive intelligence enabling individuals to function within the
constraints of harsh environments.
In this open access book, Andrea Rota makes the case for philosophical, theoretical, and empirical approaches to the study of religion, drawing on ongoing debates and challenging individualist perspectives. Rota begins with a survey of the work of Michael Bratman, John Searle, Raimo Tuomela, and Margaret Gilbert exploring the relevance of their insights for the study of religion. He sets out a theoretical framework to operationalize their philosophical ideas in an empirical research setting. Applying this framework in Part Two, Rota analyses the collective agency of Jehovah’s Witnesses, focusing on the roles that print and electronic media play in structuring communicative processes that conduce to collective intentions and commitments. He presents extensive fieldwork carried out in Switzerland and Germany, examining both qualitative and quantitative data. By demonstrating the fruitfulness of philosophical perspectives on collective intentionality and social ontology, Rota's study makes a timely contribution to our understanding of the beliefs, emotions, and aesthetic experiences of religious groups. The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
