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Everything, Briefly
A Postmodern Philosophy
Foreword by Mel Thompson
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
"As a man thinks, so is he." Personally, and socially, so is he. Yet if this is true, then "as a man thinks" has led us into the thick of global crisis. What exactly is it, about our thinking, that fails us? What has gone so wrong? There are firm reasons why we may hope for new direction. Firstly, we have a new view of the connectedness of all things. Never before has this encompassed so much. It makes a crucial difference to philosophy. Secondly, when we recast philosophy's high-level concepts in more concrete terms, it becomes possible to discuss them without confusion. This is the method of this book. There is much of interest for the theologian, too. Legendary film director Ingmar Bergman once wrote, "What will happen to us who want to believe, but can not?" His "can not" had to do with what Professor Karen Barad calls the "hegemony of physics". Everything, Briefly details why it is impossible, in fact, to believe in a closed universe of cause and effect.
Thomas O. Scarborough is a philosophy editor and Congregational minister. He holds two postgraduate degrees in three fields: linguistics, theology, and global leadership (including global dynamics and global thought). Published in peer-reviewed journals in six fields, he is also an inventor and prize-winning designer. His innovations include RFL-class logic and CCO-class metal detectors.
“In a world where philosophy is too often narrowly defined, Everything, Briefly is a work of amazing breadth and ambition. Presenting a view that is holistic, interconnected, relational, and boundless, it seeks to reshape our thinking about meaning, language, ethics, and religion, challenging many of our assumptions and setting out an entirely new metaphysics.”
—Mel Thompson, author of The Art of Living
“Thomas Scarborough’s Everything, Briefly is wide-ranging and very engaging. It is refreshing—after so much work in analytic philosophy that is narrow in scope and highly technical—to see someone take on the project of constructing a panoramic metaphysics.”
—Christian B. Miller, author of The Character Gap
“What I most appreciate about this book is the recreation of a frame in which to have meaningful discussion around the connection of ideas and values. . . . Perhaps its most valuable contribution is the creation of a ‘table’ where all can come, sit, discuss, and identify what we have in common and brings us together rather than what divides us.”
—Mailin Young, National Director of Leadership Development, US and Europe InterVarsity
“This book will be a terrific help to all of us. Scarborough explains well our presence in and familiarity with the muddy physical reality, and then opens the door to the fuller reality of metaphysics, which we remembered, perhaps even craved, all along.”
—Udo Middelmann, author of The Innocence of God
“Scarborough has provided an important resource material for those interested in metaphysics. It is new, fresh, and engaging. A must-read for the year!”
—Samuel Waje Kunhiyop, author of African Christian Theology
“This metaphysic reveals the extraordinary intellectual investment Thomas Scarborough put into thinking deeply about the weighty issues of philosophy. The ambitious scope is striking; and it succeeds. The result is a profound, and often original, work worthy of joining the best from history. I’m impressed. His ideas offer much to ponder, appreciably presented in a delightfully accessible style.”
—Keith Tidman, author of The Operations Evaluation Group
“Everything, Briefly is a unique metaphysic that seeks to unify nothing less than all human experience, and argues for unifying principles. There is breadth here, but not a removal from everyday experience. It’s extraordinarily valuable to see beyond our immediate experiences. . . . As an antidote to tribalism and polarization, Scarborough’s emphasis on connectedness is apt and timely—a starting point for conversations on the relatedness of all aspects of life.”
—Stephen Galanis, Philosophy Graduate, Rhodes University
“What are we doing here? Everything, Briefly gives us a new perspective on the journey that life is, starting with an examination of the basics—What is real?—then looking at language and its blind spots, and how that relates to our thinking; and taking us through ethics, science, mathematics, and the classics; and finally to places of deep meaning—religion and metaphysics. If you want to examine your life, Everything, Briefly can give you a place to start.”
—Jill Hacker, NOVA Math Lab Tutor
“Everything, Briefly is a courageous attempt to subsume human experience and knowledge under a single metaphysics. Its largely impressionistic, bite-size style will appeal to the interested nonspecialist, while its unique perspective on some of the classic conundrums of traditional philosophy should pique the interest of academic philosophers of all stripes.”
—Geoffrey Marnell, author of Correct English: Reality or Myth?
“This book is extremely interesting and well written. Its logical progression of ideas culminates in a competently presented new metaphysic that deserves exposure in today’s world . . . . The effect that this book has had on me, personally, is that it has refocused my inner eye, giving it X-ray vision to see deeper and clearer into the vast connectedness of everything that we so often take at face value.”
—Ann Moore, winner, 2020 AVBOB Poetry Project
Thomas O. Scarborough
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