
The Book of Absolutes
A Critique of Relativism and a Defence of Universals
William D. Gairdner(Author)
McGill-Queen's University Press
Published on 21. August 2008
Book
Hardback
416 pages
978-0-7735-3413-1 (ISBN)
Description
A lively challenge to postmodern opinion that reveals satisfying and reliable certainties
Reviews / Votes
"Strikingly original and important." Tom Flanagan, University of Calgary "Gairdner's intellectual range and control his material is breathtaking ... almost no one writing today has the command of the literature in as many disciplines as this author has." Ian Gentles, York UniversityMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Montreal
Canada
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Weight
804 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7735-3413-1 (9780773534131)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
08/2008
MQUP
€50.99
Available for download

E-Book
08/2008
1st Edition
De Gruyter
€27.99
Available for download
Person
William D. Gairdner is a best-selling author, businessman, and independent scholar . His most recent books are Canada's Founding Debates and The Trouble with Democracy.
Content
Acknowledgments; Introduction 1 A Brief History of Relativism; 2 The Main Types of Relativism; 3 Objections to Relativism; 4 The Universals of Human Life and Culture; 5 The Constants of Nature; 6 The War over Biology: Setting the Stage; 7 Hardwired: The Universals of Human Biology, Sex, and Brain Sex; 8 Universals of Law: The Natural Law and the Moral Law; 9 The Natural Law and the Moral Law at Work in the World; 10 How Language Theory Changed the (Post) Modern World; 11 German Philosophy and the Relativist Revolt against Western Civilization; 12 The Sacred Text: The French Nietzsche and the French Heidegger; 13 Po-Mo and the Return to Absolutes; 14 The Universals of Language; 15 A Postscript, with a Word about the Universals of Literature, Myth, and Symbol Appendix: Some Universals and Constants of Nature and Human Nature; Notes; Index