Neven Sesardic has taught philosophy at universities in Croatia, United States, Japan, England, and Hong Kong. His most recent book is Making Sense of Heritability (Cambridge U. P., 2005), and he has also published articles in leading philosophy journals like Journal of Philosophy, Ethics, Philosophy of Science, and the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science.
“I found this book a highly entertaining and eye-opening read,
filled with amazing anecdotes of irrationality and craziness by
famous recent philosophers. I knew about philosophers with extreme
left-wing bias before, but I didn't know of any famous philosopher
who was guilty of something close to murder. (And yet we still have
the most prestigious prize in philosophy of science named after
him!) Sesardić's examples seem to show that philosophers not only
are not immune from irrationality but are in fact especially prone
to irrationality about politics. Hopefully, his book will lead to
reflection and a renewed effort among philosophers to be more
fair-minded and rational.”
—Michael Huemer, professor of philosophy at the University of
Colorado and author of The Problem of Political Authority
“Sesardić’s book is a wake-up call to individuals and
universities alike about the remarkably poor judgment many
contemporary philosophers have exhibited about some of the
most important political questions of our age. His careful,
insightful analysis should be required reading for
anyone wanting to understand the influence they have had on
the past century’s universities and politics.”
—Andrew Irvine, professor of philosophy at the University of
British Columbia and author of Socrates on Trial
“Gripping, thoroughly researched and documented, judiciously
argued, and alternately depressing and infuriating, Sesardić’s
courageous book offers the astounding spectacle of some of the
greatest minds of the past century—including Carnap, Einstein,
Gödel, and Wittgenstein—adopting odious political views, supporting
Lenin, Stalin, and Mao, for simplistic and plainly fallacious
reasons. More shocking still is the story of how prominent
journals, encyclopedias, and the American Philosophical Association
itself have sacrificed academic integrity on the altar of political
activism. Great philosophers repeatedly reveal themselves as
terrible thinkers when it comes to morality and politics, plunging
headlong into complex controversies without drawing elementary
distinctions or differentiating degrees of good or evil.”
—Daniel Bonevac, professor of philosophy at the University of Texas
at Austin
Ask a Question About this Product More... |