Philosophy and the City

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
  • Philosophy and the City:  Classic to Contemporary Readings
    Table of Contents
         Preface
         Introduction
         Part A:  Readings from Philosophy:  Classic to Contemporary
     I.  Classic and Medieval Readings (500 B.C.E-1499 A.D.)
    ·         Thucydides, Pericles’ funeral oration
    ·         Plato, Crito and Republic
    ·         Aristotle, Politics
    ·         Augustine, City of God
    II.  Modern Readings (1500-1899)
    ·         Machiavelli, The Prince, and Discourses
    ·         St. Thomas More, Utopia
    ·         Hobbes, De Cive
    ·         Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, The Letter to M. D’Alembert on the Theater
    ·         Jefferson, Thomas, “Manufactures”
    ·         Addams, Jane, “The Subjective Necessity for Social Settlements”
    III. Late Modern Readings (1900-1969)
    ·         Georg Simmel, “The Metropolis and Mental Life “
    ·         Weber, Max, “Concepts and Categories of the City”
    ·         Dewey, John, “Philosophy and Civilization”
    ·         Benjamin, Walter, Arcades Project
    ·         Heidegger, “Building, Dwelling, Thinking”
                     Mumford, Lewis, "Retrospect and Prospect"
  • V    Contemporary Readings (1970-present)
    ·         Lefebvre, Henri, “Philosophy of the City and Planning Ideology”
    ·         Gavin, William J.  “The Urban and the Aesthetic”
    ·         Habermas, Jürgen, “The Public Sphere”
    ·         Foucault, “Panopticism”
    ·         Norberg-Schulz, “The Loss and Recovery of Place”
    ·         Young, Iris Marion, “City Life as a Normative Ideal”
    ·         hooks, bell, “Homeplace:  A Site of Resistance”
    ·         Grosz, Elizabeth, “Body Politic and Political Bodies”
    ·         West, Cornell, “Race Matters”
    ·         Grange, Joseph, “The Philosopher as Master of Heartfelt Conflict”
    ·         Conlon, James, “Cities and the Place of Philosophy”
    ·         Bickford, Susan, “Constructing Inequality:  City Spaces and the Architecture of Citizenship”
    ·         Mendieta, Eduardo,  “A Phenomenology of the Global City”
    ·         Weiss, Gail, “Urban Flesh:  The Fragility of Dwelling”
       
  • Part B:  Philosophy Matters, City Matters:  Cases for Discussion
    I.  What is a City?
           Philosophy Matters:  Engels, Friedrich, “The Failure of the City for 19th Century British Working Class” 
           City Matters:  Ginsberg, Robert, “Aesthetics in Hiroshima:  The Architecture of Remembrance”
     II.  Citizenship
               Philosophy Matters:  Gooding-Williams, Robert, “Citizenship and Racial Ideology”  
               City Matters:  Kemmis, Daniel, “Taxpayers vs. Citizens”
    III. Urban Identity and Diversity
             Philosophy Matters:   Francis, Lee, “We, the People:  Young American Indians Reclaiming their Identity”
             City Matters:  Pratt, Geraldine, “Domestic Workers, Gentrification and Diversity in Vancouver”
    IV. The Built Environment (planning and architecture)
             Philosophy Matters:   Mugerauer, Robert, “Design on Behalf of Place” 
            City Matters:  HRH The Prince of Wales, “Tall Buildings”
    V.  Social Justice and Ethics of the City
            Philosophy Matters:   Light, Andrew.  “Elegy for a Garden:  Thoughts on an Urban Environmental Ethic“  
           City Matters:  Hayek, Friedrich, “Housing and Town Planning”
     

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

“Cities matter. Philosophy matters. In this groundbreaking anthology, Sharon Meagher brings together for the first time a rich collection of readings on the nature and importance of urban life. In so doing, she provides a unique opportunity for students new to philosophy to discover the nature and importance of philosophical reflection as they engage in inquiry about a topic that is central to their lives. At the same time, Meagher offers a valuable resource for seasoned philosophers and for anyone who cares passionately about our cities and about those who live in them.” — Sean P. O’Connell, Dean, Undergraduate College, Albertus Magnus College and author of Outspeak: Narrating Identities That Matter
“Meagher’s perceptive anthology asserts the power and value of reconnecting philosophy and urban issues, a timely association as people worldwide grapple with how, and why, to address civic engagement.” — Diane Favro, Professor of Architecture, UCLA
“Sharon Meagher’s collection provides us with a much-needed compendium of the scattered sources that consider the city from a broad philosophical vantage point. Cities are not just collections of buildings and people; they are also value-laden manifestations of social relations. This book offers a spectrum of insights that assist us in understanding these complex relationships.” — Susan S. Fainstein, Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Design, Harvard University
The book jacket's cover photos are by Susan Scranton Dawson.  Front cover:  "Stack I"  (c) 2007.  Photo shot in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

                                       
copyright 2007-2021 Sharon M. Meagher, Ph.D.
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