Böcker utgivna av Southern Illinois University Press

In this first book-length examination of the Cartesian theory of visual perception, Celia Wolf-Devine explores the many philosophical implications of Descartes' theory, concluding that he ultimately failed to provide a completely mechanistic theory of visual perception.Wolf-Devine traces the development of Descartes' thought about visual perception against the backdrop of the transition from Aristotelianism to the new mechanistic science--the major scientific paradigm shift taking place in the seventeenth century. She considers the philosopher's work in terms of its background in Aristotelian and later scholastic thought rather than looking at it backwards through the later work of the British empiricists and Kant. Wolf-Devine begins with Descartes' ideas about perception in the Rules and continues through the later scientific writings in which he develops his own mechanistic theory of light, color, and visual spatial perception. Throughout her discussion, she demonstrates both Descartes' continuity with and break from the Aristotelian tradition.Wolf-Devine critically examines Cartesian theory by focusing on the problems that arise from his use of three different models to explain the behavior of light as well as on the ways in which modern science has not confirmed some of Descartes' central hypotheses about vision. She shows that the changes Descartes made in the Aristotelian framework created a new set of problems in the philosophy of perception. While such successors to Descartes as Malebranche, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume accepted the core of his theory of vision, they struggled to clarify the ontological status of colors, to separate what is strictly speaking given to the sense of sight from what is the result of judgments by the mind, and to confront a veil of perception skepticism that would have been unthinkable within the Aristotelian framework.Wolf-Devine concludes that Descartes was not ultimately successful in providing a completely mechanistic theory of visual perception, and because of this, she suggests both that changes in the conceptual framework of Descartes are in order and that a partial return to some features of the Aristotelian tradition may be necessary.

Theo Verbeek provides the first book-length examination of the initial reception of Descartes's written works.Drawing on his research of primary materials written in Dutch and Latin and found in libraries all over Europe, even including the Soviet Union, Theo Verbeek opens a period of Descartes's life and of the development of Cartesian philosophy that has been virtually closed since Descartes's death. Verbeek's aim is to provide as complete a picture as possible of the discussions that accompanied the introduction of Descartes's philosophy into Dutch universities, especially those in Utrecht and Leiden, and to analyze some of the major problems that philosophy raised in the eyes of Aristotelian philosophers and orthodox theologians. The period covered extends from 1637, the year in which Descartes published his Discours de la Méthode, until his death in 1650.Verbeek demonstrates how Cartesian philosophy moved successfully into the schools and universities of Holland and how this resulted in a real evolution of Descartes's thought beyond the somewhat dogmatic position of Descartes himself. Verbeek further argues that this progression was an essential step in the universal propagation of Cartesian philosophy throughout Europe during the second half of the seventeenth century. As he details the disputes between Cartesians and anti-Cartesians in Holland, Verbeek shows how the questions raised were related on the one hand to religious conflicts between the Remonstrants and the Orthodox Calvinists and on the other hand to political conflicts between more liberal factions fighting for the union of church and state to enhance religious control of society in general. Contending that Descartes and Cartesian philosophy were central to the development of the modern Dutch state, Verbeek illuminates the role they played in Dutch political, religious, and intellectual life.

Offers a detailed analysis of the end of the Vicksburg Campaign and the forty-day siege. Ranging in scope from military to social history, contributors examine the role of Grant's staff, contributions of African American troops to the Union Army of the Tennessee, both sides' use of sharpshooters, the use of West Point siege theory, and more.

This well-crafted and engaging biography of Augustus Garrett and his wife, Eliza Clark Garrett, tells two equally compelling stories: an ambitious man's struggle to succeed and the remarkable spiritual journey of a woman attempting to overcome tragedy.

Compares the decisions about Chicago's governance and finances with choices made in fourteen other large US cities. The problems that seem unique to Chicago have been encountered elsewhere, and Chicagoans, the authors posit, can learn from the successful solutions other cities have embraced.

Explores the influence and experiences of German immigrants and their descendants from their arrival in the middle of the nineteenth century to their heritage identity today. Miranda Wilkerson and Heather Richmond examine the primary reasons that Germans came to Illinois and describe how they adapted to life and distinguished themselves.

This anthology is an in-depth examination of General Ulysses S. Grant's unsuccessful assaults against Confederate defensive lines around the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, on May 19 and May 22, 1863. Steven E. Woodworth and Charles D. Grear have assembled five captivating essays from four expert historians into a unique, in-depth volume.

Proposes a definition of demagoguery based on her study of groups and cultures that have talked themselves into disastrously bad decisions. Patricia Roberts-Miller argues for seeing demagoguery as a way for people to participate in public discourse, and not necessarily as populist or heavily emotional.

Offers the first in-depth account of how Abraham Lincoln responded to the riddles of mortality, undertook personal mourning, and coped with the extraordinary burden of sending hundreds of thousands of soldiers to be killed on battlefields.

Rhetoric and feminism have yet to coalesce into a singular recognizable field. In this book, author Cheryl Glenn advances the feminist rhetorical project by introducing a new theory of rhetorical feminism. Rhetorical Feminism and This Thing Called Hope equips the field with tools for a more expansive and productive dialogue.

Considering in these poems the impact of addiction and sexual repression in the family and on its individual members, Sara Henning explores with deft compassion the psychological ramifications of traumas across multiple generations.

Gettysburg is a paradox: Today it is beautiful, still, and filled with visitors, yet this national military park serves as a powerful reminder of the clash of armies and the great loss of life that took place here. Gettysburg: This Hallowed Ground explores this Civil War battleground through contemporary photographs and poems.

Patricia Roberts-Miller argues that much current discourse about argument pedagogy is hampered by fundamental unspoken disagreements over what democratic public discourse should look like. The text's pivotal question asks: in what kind of public discourse do we want our students to engage?

On the afternoon of December 30, 1903, during a sold out matinee performance, a fire broke out in Chicago's Iroquois Theatre. This work provides a chronicle of this event to assess the titanic tragedy of the fire itself and also the municipal corruption that kindled the flames beforehand and the political cover-ups hidden in the smoke.

Circle adopts the shape as a trope for gender, family, and history. These lyrical, narrative, and hybrid poems trace the spiral trajectory of womanhood and growth and plot the progression of self as it ebbs away from and returns to its roots in an Asian American family and context.

Covers the author's years growing up in early post-settlement Illinois, where he gave in to temptations such as drinking, gambling, and the lure of prostitutes before joining the army, finding God and becoming a preacher. Blackman peppers his story with the sordid details of the sinful times of his life as well as with discussions of faith and of struggling to understand his God.

Examines the lost films and directors of the 1950s. Contrasting traditional themes of love, marriage, and family, the author's 1950s film world unveils once-taboo issues of rape, prostitution, and gangs. Television shows such as ""Captain Midnight"" and ""Ramar of the Jungle"" are juxtaposed with the cheerful world of ""I Love Lucy"" and ""Howdy Doody"".

This is a broad overview of the evolving serial killer genre in the two media most responsible for its popularity: literature and cinema of the 1980s and 1990s. The author theorizes that the serial killer genre results from a combination of earlier genre depictions of multiple murderers.