Allen W. Wood, The Free Development of Each: Studies on Freedom, Right, and Ethics in Classical German Philosophy

Allen W. Wood, The Free Development of Each: Studies on Freedom, Right, and Ethics in Classical German Philosophy

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The Free Development of Each collects twelve essays on the history of German philosophy by Allen W. Wood, one of the leading scholars in the field. They explore moral philosophy, politics, society, and history in the works of Kant, Herder, Fichte, Hegel, and Marx, and share the basic theme of freedom, as it appears in morality and in politics.
All of the essays have been re-edited and revised for this collection, and five are previously unpublished. They are accompanied by an Introduction which sets out the central, philosophical viewpoint of the volume, and a comprehensive bibliography.

Allen W. Wood, Karl Marx (Second Edition)

Allen W. Wood, Karl Marx (Second Edition)
 
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This is one of the most respected books on Marx's philosophical thought. Wood explains Marx's views from a philosophical standpoint and defends Marx against common misunderstandings and criticisms of his views. All the major philosophical topics in Marx's work are considered: the central concept of alienation; historical materialism and Marx's account of social classes; the nature and social function of morality; philosophical materialism and Marx's atheism; and Marx's use of the Hegelian dialectical method and the Marxian theory of value.

The second edition has been revised to include a new chapter on capitalist exploitation and new suggestions for further reading. Wood has also added a substantial new preface which looks at Marx's thought in light of the fall of the Soviet Union and our continued ambivalence towards capitalism, exploring Marx's continuing relevance in the twenty-first century.

Allen W. Wood, Kant

Allen W. Wood, Kant

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 The aim of this book is to introduce the philosophical thought of Immanuel Kant, especially to readers who are not yet familiar with it. What is most remarkable about the philosophy of Kant, in my opinion,is the wide range of topics on which his thoughts repay carefulstudy. In so many areas - not only in metaphysics but in natural science,history, morality, the critique of taste - he seems to have gone to the rootof the matter, and at least raised for us the fundamental issues, whetheror not we decide in the end that what he said about them is correct. Inhis brief, five-page essay on the question "What is Enlightenment?" forexample, he locates the essence of enlightenment not in learning or thecultivation of our intellectual powers but in the courage and resolve tothink for oneself, to emancipate oneself from tradition, prejudice, andevery form of authority that offers us the comfort and security of lettingsomeone else do our thinking for us. Kant's essay enables us to see thatthe issues raised by the challenge of the Enlightenment are still just asmuch with us as they were in the eighteenth century.