Background
Yolton, John William was born on November 10, 1921 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Son of Robert Elgene and Ella Maude (Holmes) Yolton.
(The Essay Concerning Human Understanding is John Locke's ...)
The Essay Concerning Human Understanding is John Locke's most important work, and through this selective commentary, first published in 1970, Professor Yolton concentrates our attention on the more interesting and controversial of the doctrines in it. His method of interpretation is to ask very specific questions of the text in order to test the propriety of the philosophical labels traditionally applied to Locke, an approach which he believes yields surprising results. He looks afresh at the various discussions of essence, perception, scientific method, ethics and meaning, and argues that throughout his epistemology Locke is more concerned with problems of description and analysis than with those of justification. This historical perspective is extended by the discussion of issues in the Essay, which retain an independent and philosophical interest.
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( Perceptual Acquaintance was first published in 1984. Mi...)
Perceptual Acquaintance was first published in 1984. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions. Philosophers, wrote Thomas Reid in 1785, "all suppose that we perceive not external objects immediately, and that the immediate objects of perception are only certain shadows of the external objects." To Reid, a founding father of the common-sense school of philosophy, John Locke's "way of ideas" threatened to supplant, in human knowledge, the world of physical objects and events—and to point down the dreaded path to scepticism. John Yolton finds Reid at least partly responsible for this standard (and by now stereotypic) account of Locke and his eighteenth-century British successors on the subject of perception. By carefully examining the writings of Descartes and the Cartesians, and Locke and his successors, Yolton is able to suggest an alternative to this interpretation of their views. He goes back to a wide range of original texts—those of the period's major philosophers, to Descartes' scholastic precursors, to obscure pamphleteers, and to writers on religion, natural philosophy, medicine, and optics—all in an effort to help us understand the issues without the interference of modern labels and categories. The subtle changes over time reveal an important transformation in the understanding of perception, yet one that is prefigured in earlier work, contrary to Reid's view of the past. Included in Yolton's reevaluation is a full account of the role of Berkeley and Hume in the study of perceptual acquaintance, and of the connection between their work.
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(This book tells for the first time the long and complex s...)
This book tells for the first time the long and complex story of the involvement of Locke's suggestion that God could add to matter the power of thought in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding in the growth of French materialism. There is a discussion of the 'affaire de Prades', in which Locke's name was linked with a censored thesis at the Faculty of Theology in Paris. The similarities and differences between English "thinking matter" and the French "matière pensante" of the philosophes are also discussed.
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(This book addresses one of the fundamental topics in phil...)
This book addresses one of the fundamental topics in philosophy: the relation between appearance and reality. John Yolton draws on a rich combination of historical and contemporary material, ranging from Locke, Berkeley and Hume to Churchland and McDowell, to examine this central philosophical preoccupation, which he presents in terms of distinctions between phenomena and causes, causes and meaning, and persons and man. His important study will be of interest to a wide range of readers in the history of philosophy and in contemporary philosophy of mind, epistemology and metaphysics.
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(Using his intimate knowledge of John Locke's writings, Jo...)
Using his intimate knowledge of John Locke's writings, John W. Yolton shows that Locke comprehends "human understanding" as a subset of a larger understanding of other intelligent Beings―angels, spirits, and an omniscient God. Locke's books on Christianity (The Reasonableness of Christianity and Paraphrases of St. Paul's Epistles) have received extensive analysis and commentary, but little attention has been given to the place of his Essay concerning Human Understanding in his religious and theological beliefs. Yolton shows that Locke's account of what it is to be human in that work is profoundly religious.Yolton's book opens with an attempt to sort out several important terms basic to Locke's account of identity: man, self, person, and soul. A number of rarely examined components of Locke's thought emerge: the nature of man, the nature of a human being, and the place of man in the universe among the other creatures. Some will be surprised to learn that the domain of God, angels, and spirits is a part of Locke's universe, where it is considered the hoped-for destination of the just.The Two Intellectual Worlds of John Locke also includes Yolton's exploration of Locke's commitment to immaterial principles for understanding the world; his obsession with happiness; the dialectical tensions between man, person, and soul; several interesting conjectures about spirits; and the notion of natural philosophy that includes speculation about spirits as well as bodies.
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(This dictionary presents and explains the key words and c...)
This dictionary presents and explains the key words and concepts in Locke's thought and books. Over 130 entries include accounts of his various books, his place in science and religion and his writings on education, theology and economics. The dictionary should make Locke's thought accessible to specialist and non-specialist readers alike. The concepts and terms are taken from the full range of his publications and the dictionary is based on all that he published, including his correspondence. Each "Blackwell Philosopher Dictionary" presents the life and work of an individual philosopher in a scholarly yet accessible manner. Entries cover key ideas and thoughts, as well as the main themes of the philosopher's work. A comprehensive biographical sketch is also included. It is aimed at undergraduates in philosophy.
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("Is your life half-empty or half-full? What if I chose to...)
"Is your life half-empty or half-full? What if I chose to find and embrace the silver linings, the life lessons in disguise? What if I chose to let go of the baggage I have been carrying around? The choice in perception makes all the difference." ~ John J. Murphy We are all blessed with an opportunity to bring greater joy and prosperity to this world. The hand we are dealt simply makes life interesting. The secret to it all is in how we perceive things. Is your life "half-empty" or "half-full"? More importantly, what is even "in your glass," and how long have you been holding on to it? In Half-Full, award-winning author John J. Murphy shows us how this choice in perception makes all the difference.
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(In 1984, John W. Yolton published Perceptual Acquaintance...)
In 1984, John W. Yolton published Perceptual Acquaintance from Descartes to Reid. His most recent book builds on that seminal work and greatly extends its relevance to issues in current philosophical debate. Perception and Reality examines the theories of perception implicit in the work of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century philosophers which centered on the question: How is knowledge of the body possible?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0801432278/?tag=2022091-20
( Thinking Matter was first published in 1984. Minnesota ...)
Thinking Matter was first published in 1984. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions. This book, a reevaluation of a major issue in modern philosophy, explores the controversy that grew out of John Locke's suggestion, in the Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), that God could give to matter the power of thought. The concept of "thinking matter," as Locke's notion came to be described, offered a threat to those who held orthodox beliefs, especially to their views on the nature and immortality of the soul. In Thinking Matter,John Yolton traces this controversy from theologian Ralph Cudworth's 1678 manifesto, The True Intellectual System of the Universe: Wherein, All the Reason and Philosophy of Atheism is Confuted; and Its Impossibility Demonstrated — an attack on ancient versions of naturalism—down to the philosophical and scientific studies of Joseph Priestley in the late eighteenth century.
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(In these articles Professor Brooke has aimed to expose an...)
In these articles Professor Brooke has aimed to expose and explore the many layers of philosophical debate that accompanied the development of chemistry in the 100 years from Priestley to Kekule. During this period the foundations of our modern science were laid: Lavosier's 'chemical revolution', Dalton's atomic theory, the electrochemical concepts of Berzelius transformed the science, as did new ideas of valency and molecular structure. But it was also a period of intense controversy when chemists called each other brigands and assassins.
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(Breakthrough drugs have saved millions of lives and impro...)
Breakthrough drugs have saved millions of lives and improved the health of countless people around the world. Unfortunately, they are also expensive, leading many political leaders to call for price controls, importation, or other procedures to reduce their cost. In Pharmaceutical Price Regulation: Public Perceptions, Economic Realities, and Empirical Evidence, John A. Vernon and Joseph H. Golec argue that price controls and other cost-limiting measures will starve pharmaceutical companies of the R&D money required to develop new drugs. A drug can cost $1 billion or more before it ever appears in the marketplace―and only three out of every ten new drugs ever recoup their development costs. This groundbreaking monograph demonstrates empirically how the free-market system of drug pricing is vital to the development of new breakthrough drugs. Drug companies take a long-term view towards R&D investment, balancing projected profits against the costs of clinical development. This puts them in conflict with politicians, who tend to focus on the short-term concerns of current voters. Prices set in the political arena will reflect current voters' wishes, as opposed to the full economic value of the pharmaceuticals. With less money to invest in R&D, drug companies would have no choice but to curtail product development that would serve the interests of future generations. While the United States has largely avoided the heavy-handed role of government price controls until now, Congress members and influential policymakers are setting the country on precisely this course. "Pharmaceutical price controls," Vernon and Golec argue, "constitute a short-sighted, wrong-headed, and possibly dangerous policy. The prices set by the free market are the signals absolutely necessary for corporations to decide whether to undertake expensive, risky research into new drugs."
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0844742775/?tag=2022091-20
(Dr. David Denton develops a virtual reality EEG machine t...)
Dr. David Denton develops a virtual reality EEG machine that makes it possible for the observer to be able to experience the exact activities, feelings, and thoughts of the subject of the test. Certain patients or victims of violent crimes are those who most often undergo this unusual examination. The technology is stolen by one of the doctor’s technicians. He uses it for recordings during intimate relations, which can be played back reproducing the same experience for whomever uses this device. He successfully markets this and begins to make a great income. However, this technician inadvertently scans the disc of a patient who died during the recording, undergoes a most unusual experience, and pays for his crime.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1413756344/?tag=2022091-20
Yolton, John William was born on November 10, 1921 in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Son of Robert Elgene and Ella Maude (Holmes) Yolton.
Bachelor with honors, University Cincinnati, 1945. Master of Arts, University Cincinnati, 1946. Postgraduate, University California, Berkeley, 1950.
Doctor of Philosophy (Fulbright fellow), Balliol College, Oxford, England, 1952. Honorary Doctor of Laws, York University, 1974. Doctor of Literature (honorary), McMaster University, 1976.
Visiting lecturer philosophy Johns Hopkins University, 1952-1953. Assistant professor Princeton University, 1953-1957. Associate professor Kenyon College, 1957-1961.
Professor University Maryland, 1961-1963. Professor philosophy York University, Toronto, 1963-1978, chairman department, 1963-1973, acting dean graduate studies, 1967-1968, acting president, 1973-1974. Professor philosophy Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, from 1978, dean Rutgers College, 1978-1985, John Locke professor history of philosophy, 1989-1992, professor emeritus philosophy, from 1992.
Consultant Bertrand Russell Archives, McMaster University, 1973-1986.
(The Essay Concerning Human Understanding is John Locke's ...)
("Is your life half-empty or half-full? What if I chose to...)
(This book tells for the first time the long and complex s...)
(In these articles Professor Brooke has aimed to expose an...)
(This book addresses one of the fundamental topics in phil...)
(Breakthrough drugs have saved millions of lives and impro...)
(This dictionary presents and explains the key words and c...)
(Using his intimate knowledge of John Locke's writings, Jo...)
( Perceptual Acquaintance was first published in 1984. Mi...)
( Thinking Matter was first published in 1984. Minnesota ...)
(Lang:- English, Pages 189. Reprinted in 2015 with the hel...)
(Book by Yolton, John W.)
(In 1984, John W. Yolton published Perceptual Acquaintance...)
(Dr. David Denton develops a virtual reality EEG machine t...)
Author: John Locke and the Way of Ideas, 1956, Metaphysical Analysis, 1967, Locke and the Compass of Human Understanding, 1970, Thinking Matter, 1983, Perceptual Acquaintance from Descartes to Reid, 1984, Locke and French Materialism, 1991, Perception and Reality, 1996, Realism and Appearances, 2000, The Two Intellectual Worlds of JOhn Locke, 2004, other books. General editor Clarendon Edition of Works of John Locke, Oxford University Press, 1984-1992, Blackwell's Companion to the Enlightenment, 1992, Locke Dictionary (Blackwell), 1993, Library of the History of Ideas, 5 books in field. Member editorial board journals in field.Editor (with Jean Son of Yolton) Some Thoughts Concerning Education, by Locke, 1989. Vice president, board directors Journal of the History of Ideas, 1991-1998. Contributor articles to professional journals.
Yolton is one of the foremost authorities on seventeenthand eighteenth-century philosophy and on Locke in particular, although he has also written on other topics, including the philosophy of science and metaphysics.
Yolton's approach is typified by John Locke and the Way of Ideas (1956). In a thorough, exact and highly technical way, he showed how Locke’s Essay Concerning Human Understanding marked the beginning of the empirical tradition in British philosophy. Arguing that Locke’s chief purpose in the Essay was practical, Yolton also demonstrated how Locke’s philosophical doctrines were very often directly related to the burning moral and religious issues of the day.
Yolton’s many subsequent writings are augmentations of his initial book, offering detailed studies of Locke's place in science and religion, of his relation to his contemporaries, and of his lesser known works on economics, education and theology.
Yolton’s highly acclaimed corpus represents one of the fullest explorations of Locke’s philosophy ever undertaken.
American Council Learned Societies fellow, 1960-1961. Canada Council fellow, 1968-1969. Member New Jersey Committee for Humanities, 1978-1985, treasurer, 1980-1985. Member of Hume Society, American Society for 18th Century Studies, Canada Philosophical Association, Mind Association, American Philosophical Association.
Married Jean Sebastian, September 5, 1945. Children: Karin Frances Yolton Griffith, Pamela Holmes Yolton Smith.