Tom Rockmore Book order

Exploring the foundations of philosophy, Tom Rockmore challenges the traditional view established by Parmenides that thought and being are identical. He argues against the existence of a non-mind-dependent reality, advocating instead for a constructivist perspective where knowledge is shaped by mental constructs. The book traces the evolution of philosophical thought from ancient figures like Plato and Aristotle to modern thinkers such as Kant and Hegel, revealing how these ideas can be reinterpreted through a contemporary lens, fostering new connections in philosophical discourse.

Fichte's contributions to political theory, particularly in his work Foundations of Natural Right, are explored in this collection of essays. Recognized as a pivotal figure in philosophy and a significant influence on the Romantic tradition, Fichte's radical political ideas shaped contemporary thought and continue to resonate in modern political discourse. The essays delve into his original perspectives and their lasting impact on both his contemporaries and current political debates.

Despite its foundational role in the history of philosophy, Plato’s famous argument that art does not have access to truth or knowledge is now rarely examined, in part because recent philosophers have assumed that Plato’s challenge was resolved long ago. In Art and Truth after Plato , Tom Rockmore argues that Plato has in fact never been satisfactorily answered—and to demonstrate that, he offers a comprehensive account of Plato’s influence through nearly the whole history of Western aesthetics. Rockmore offers a cogent reading of the post-Platonic aesthetic tradition as a series of responses to Plato’s position, examining a stunning diversity of thinkers and ideas. He visits Aristotle’s Poetics, the medieval Christians, Kant’s Critique of Judgment , Hegel’s phenomenology, Marxism, social realism, Heidegger, and many other works and thinkers, ending with a powerful synthesis that lands on four central aesthetic arguments that philosophers have debated. More than a mere history of aesthetics, Art and Truth after Plato presents a fresh look at an ancient question, bringing it into contemporary relief.

With renewed attention to German idealism in general and to Fichte in particular, this timely collection of new papers will be of interest to anyone concerned with transcendental philosophy, German idealism, modern German philosophy and transcendental arguments.

Phenomenology, together with Marxism, pragmatism, and analytic philosophy, dominated philosophy in the 20th century and Edmund Husserl is usually thought to have been the first to develop the concept. The author argues for a return to phenomenology's origins in epistemology and does so by locating its roots in the work of Immanuel Kant.

Distinguished scholar and philosopher Tom Rockmore examines one of the great lacunae of contemporary philosophical discussion--idealism. Addressing the widespread confusion about the meaning and use of the term, he surveys and classifies some of its major forms, giving particular attention to Kant. He argues that Kant provides the all-important link between three main types of idealism: those associated with Plato, the new way of ideas, and German idealism. The author also makes a case for the contemporary relevance of at least one strand in the tangled idealist web, a strand most clearly identified with Kant: constructivism. In terms of the philosophical tradition, Rockmore contends, constructivism offers a lively, interesting, and important approach to knowledge after the decline of metaphysical realism.

Exploring the concept of constructivism, this volume presents an innovative approach to knowledge, drawing from the insights of influential philosophers like Hobbes, Vico, and Kant. Rockmore delves into the historical development of constructivist thought, offering a fresh perspective that integrates these foundational ideas into a cohesive epistemological framework.

Examining the relationship between Hegel and Anglo-American analytical philosophies, the author argues that the first generation of British analytic philosophers had, in fact, a limited understanding of this field, leading to a misunderstanding of Hegel's philosophies in a number of areas.

In this engaging and accessible introduction to Hegel's theory of knowledge, Tom Rockmore brings together the philosopher's life, his thought, and his historical moment--without, however, reducing one to another. Laying out the philosophical tradition of German idealism, Rockmore concisely explicates the theories of Kant, Fichte, and Schelling, essential to an understanding of Hegel's thought. He then explores Hegel's formulation of his own position in relation to this tradition and follows Hegel's ideas through the competing interpretations of his successors. Even today, according to Rockmore, Hegel's system remains an essentially modern conception of knowledge, superior to Kant's critical philosophy and surprisingly relevant to our philosophical situation. Rockmore's remarkably lucid and succinct introduction to Hegel's thought, with its distinctively historical approach, will benefit students of philosophy, intellectual history, politics, culture, and society.

"Marx After Marxism" invites readers to explore Karl Marx beyond traditional political interpretations. This accessible volume provides a comprehensive overview of Marx's philosophy, highlighting his connection to Hegel, and encourages fresh perspectives on his ideas for both Marxists and non-Marxists alike.