Download or read book Wild Beasts of the Philosophical Desert written by Hein van Dongen and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2014-03-26 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientists rarely take ‘paranormal experiences’ seriously. Furthermore, in the recent past the concept of the ‘paranormal’ did not even exist in philosophy. William James, who extensively studied mediumistic phenomena, labelled them ‘wild beasts of the philosophical desert’. This book demonstrates that to important philosophers – from Kant to Derrida – controversial phenomena like telepathy and clairvoyance were serious topics. The authors of this collection have studied relevant texts that have hitherto received little attention, and illustrate how each of the philosophers in question thoughtfully interpreted exceptional experiences that seem to go beyond our understanding.