F. F. Centore - Böcker

Contemporary society, according to F.F. Centore, is dominated by a post-modern philosophical world-view. Therefore, he argues, it behooves the educated individual to know what this perspective means, where it came from, and where it is taking humankind. Lacking until now, from the many works that have been written on post-modernism, is one that scrutinizes its fundamental assumptions and presuppositions.Being and Becoming fills this need by synthesizing the key developments in contemporary post-modernism. By taking the reader through the various historical periods and developments which have led to the current situation, Centore shows how, that which is now taken for granted by the vast majority of people, is not necessary for either philosophical or theological reasons. Moreover, he shows that post-modernism is not required as the rational foundation for personal freedom, privacy, and creativity. Centore offers an alternative solution to the basic problems that lie at the root of post-modern philosophy. The comprehensive, rational, and scientific approach that he advocates would, he argues, render post-modernism irrelevant and unnecessary. Our intellectual and social-political life would be much better without post-modern doctrine and with a more rational, emotionally satisfying philosophy of being and becoming. Centore's work is certain to prove controversial, but deserves to be given careful attention by anyone seriously interested in understanding the contemporary world.

Centore's work is an inquiry into the weaknesses and strengths of the two basic positions in ethics: the man-centered model and the God-centered model for deciding between right and wrong behavior. The philosophical paradigm for the man-centered approach is absolute relativism, while the paradigm for the God-centered approach is relative absolutism. Centore argues that the man-centered model in actual practice proves not to be realistic as an ethical guide, while the God-centered model, if properly understood, is the most useful approach. This work penetrates difficult ethical issues by examining human experience and reasoning in conjunction with actual choices of action. Although the God-centered approach is shown to be the most practical, Centore argues for a natural moral law that avoids any specific theology.Each chapter discusses the historical and theoretical background of the approaches and two possible compromises. The work is enlivened with examples of possible contexts in which moral decisions must take place. Various ethical dilemmas are presented with an examination of the potential consequences of applying either the atheistic or the theistic ethical approach. Centore's argument is complex, but he explains the elements clearly and his conclusion is strengthened by real-life cases and an extensive Bibliography.

This book brings together the chief elements of 3,000 years of philosophy as found mainly in Western thought in a highly readable form. The work concentrates on problems and issues much more than on names, dates and places. It begins with just those elements of logic needed to understand what follows in the rest of the book. It then explains why philosophy is a worthwhile and distinctive branch of knowledge relative to the other main areas of intellectual interest. Next, it deals with the central problem in philosophy insofar as philosophy is a speculative study. And finally, the text deals with the central issue in philosophy as a practical science, or the art of managing one's affairs well. The book includes an extensive bibliography of works related to the main themes of the text, followed by a long list of names and dates of leading historical figures in various fields, especially in science, philosophy, and theology.