Free Delivery Over $100
|
|
|||
|
||||
OverviewHumanity has thrown everything we have at implacable luck—novel theologies, entire philosophical movements, fresh branches of mathematics—and yet we seem to have gained only the smallest edge on the power of fortune. The Myth of Luck tells us why we have been fighting an unconquerable foe. Taking us on a guided tour of one of our oldest concepts, we begin in ancient Greece and Rome, considering how Plato, Plutarch, and the Stoics understood luck, before entering the theoretical world of probability and exploring how luck relates to theology, sports, ethics, gambling, knowledge, and present-day psychology. As we travel across traditions, times and cultures, we come to realize that it’s not that as soon as we solve one philosophical problem with luck that two more appear, like heads on a hydra, but rather that the monster is altogether mythological. We cannot master luck because there is nothing to defeat: luck is no more than a persistent and troubling illusion. By introducing us to compelling arguments and convincing reasons that explain why there is no such thing as luck, we finally see why in a very real sense we make our own luck, that luck is our own doing. The Myth of Luck helps us to regain our own agency in the world - telling the entertaining story of the philosophy and history of luck along the way. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Steven D. Hales (Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, USA)Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic Weight: 0.422kg ISBN: 9781350149281ISBN 10: 1350149284 Pages: 256 Publication Date: 20 August 2020 Audience: College/higher education , Tertiary & Higher Education Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand  We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Table of ContentsAcknowledgements 1. Lachesis's Lottery and the History of Luck The Myth of Er Tuche and Fortuna Submission to luck: lucky charms Rebellion against luck: Stoicism Denial of luck: all is fated Luck and gambling 2.Luck and Skill Slaying Laplace's Demon A probability theory of luck Winners and losers Buying hope on credit A skill equation? Problems with probability 3. Fragility and Control Invisible cities of the possible The garden of (logically) forking paths A modal theory of luck Transworld 2000 Lucky necessities A control theory of luck Seances and rubber hands Wimbledon 2012 Synchronic and diachronic luck 4. Moral Luck The Kantian puzzle The Egg of Columbus The accidental Nazi and the museum of medical oddities Equalizing fortune Privilege Essential origins 5. Knowledge and Serendipity Finding Meno Discover forget The man who sold the Eiffel Tower and other skeptical threats The Overton Window Serendipity Divide and conquer 6. The Irrational Biases of Luck The frame shop Dueling vignettes Optimism vs. pessimism Sailing stones and flying witches Machine gambling Against luck Go luck yourself Notes Bibliography IndexReviewsA fascinating discourse on the nature and significance of luck that draws on a diverse range of sources; a delightful and enlightening journey. * Duncan Pritchard, UC Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine, USA * In this book, Steven Hales challenges what we often take to be uncontentious assumptions about luck and its significance in our lives, both morally and epistemically. The result is a novel and provocative account of luck, one that will be an important reference point for future work in the area. * J. Adam Carter, Lecturer of Philosophy, University of Glasgow, UK * A lively, richly illustrated romp through a deep human topic, all in hopes of freeing us from Lady Fortuna's grip. We confuse luck for chance and fortune, Hales suggests, and we re-gain our sense of agency by knowing which is which. * Aaron James, Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine, USA * A fascinating discourse on the nature and significance of luck that draws on a diverse range of sources; a delightful and enlightening journey. * Duncan Pritchard, UC Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine, USA * In this book, Steven Hales challenges what we often take to be uncontentious assumptions about luck and its significance in our lives, both morally and epistemically. The result is a novel and provocative account of luck, one that will be an important reference point for future work in the area. * J. Adam Carter, Lecturer of Philosophy, University of Glasgow, UK * A lively, richly illustrated romp through a deep human topic, all in hopes of freeing us from Lady Fortuna's grip. We confuse luck for chance and fortune, Hales suggests, and we re-gain our sense of agency by knowing which is which. * Aaron James, author of Assholes: A Theory and Surfing with Sartre, and Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine, USA * Author InformationSteven D. Hales, Ph.D. (Brown) is Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, USA. He works primarily in metaphysics and epistemology, and also in popular philosophy. He has been a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Cambridge, Turin, Edinburgh, and London. He is an award-winning writer and teacher, and has published numerous books and articles. Find him at stevenhales.org. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
||||
