Publisher Description

Graham Priest presents an original exploration of philosophical questions concerning the one and the many. He covers a wide range of issues in metaphysics--including unity, identity, grounding, mereology, universals, being, intentionality, and nothingness--and deploys the techniques of paraconsistent logic in order to offer a radically new treatment of unity. Priest brings together traditions of Western and Asian thought that are usually kept separate inacademic philosophy: he draws on ideas from Plato, Heidegger, and Nagarjuna, among other philosophers.

Author Biography

Graham Priest was educated at St. John's College, Cambridge, and the London School of Economics. He has held professorial positions at a number of universities in Australia, the UK, and the USA. He is well known for his work on non-classical logic, and its application to metaphysics and the history of philosophy.

Table of Contents

Preface: What One Needs to KnowPart I: Unity1: Gluons and their Wicked Ways2: Identity and Gluons3: Form, Universals, and Instantiation4: Being and Nothing5: A Case of Mistaken IdentityPart II: In Plato's Trajectory6: Enter Parmenides: Mereological Sums7: Problems with the Forms--and their Solutions8: The One--and the Others9: In Search of Falsity10: Perception, Intentionality, and RepresentationPart III: Buddhist Themes11: Absence of Self, and the Net of Indra12: Embracing the Groundlessness of Things13: The World, Language, and their Limits14: Peace of Mind15: CompassionBibliographyIndex

Review

A bracingly original treatise. The breadth and boldness of this work, as well as its technical rigor and historical sensitivity are very much to be admired. * Michael Price, Mind *
If you are looking for a book doing something genuinely innovative, doing it with rigor, clarity, and a deep sensitivity to the breadth of philosophical tradition, then One is one for you. * Jason Turner, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online *
In just 230 pages, One is a dense, remarkably clear, and unique treatment of a wide-range of topics in philosophy. What unifies the book is the topic of what unifies objects generally -- what Priest calls 'gluon theory' -- and allied themes in Buddhist thought. Gluon theory answers the question, What makes something one? What is it that 'glues' an object together into a unity? The impressive number of topics brought together by Priest's answer, which prominently services the fringe views for which he is well-known, speaks to its power and elegance. For this reason, One could also serve as a panoramic introduction to Priestâs work generally. * C. A. McIntosh, Philosophy in Review *

Promotional

Graham Priest presents an original exploration of questions concerning the one and the many.

Long Description

Graham Priest presents an original exploration of philosophical questions concerning the one and the many. He covers a wide range of issues in metaphysics--including unity, identity, grounding, mereology, universals, being, intentionality, and nothingness--and deploys the techniques of paraconsistent logic in order to offer a radically new treatment of unity. Priest brings together traditions of Western and Asian thought that are usually kept separate inacademic philosophy: he draws on ideas from Plato, Heidegger, and Nagarjuna, among other philosophers.

Review Quote

"If you are looking for a book doing something genuinely innovative, doing it with rigor, clarity, and a deep sensitivity to the breadth of philosophical tradition, then One is one for you." -- Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online "A bracingly original treatise. The breadth and boldness of this work, as well as its technical rigor and historical sensitivity are very much to be admired." -- Mind "In just 230 pages, One is a dense, remarkably clear, and unique treatment of a wide-range of topics in philosophy. What unifies the book is the topic of what unifies objects generally-what Priest calls 'gluon theory'-and allied themes in Buddhist thought. Gluon theory answers the question, What makes something one? What is it that 'glues' an object together into a unity? The impressive number of topics brought together by Priest's answer, which prominently services the fringe views for which he is well-known, speaks to its power and elegance. For this reason, One could also serve as a panoramic introduction to Priest's work generally." -- Philosophy in Review

Feature

Highly original work by an eminent and influential thinker
Tackles central issues in metaphysics
Draws on ideas in the history of philosophy, East and West

Details