On Bullshit (Hardcover)

+

+

Price For All Three: £18.10

Show availability and shipping details

• This item: On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt

  In stock.
  Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
  This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
  

• On Truth by Harry G. Frankfurt

  In stock.
  Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
  This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
  

• Bad Science by Ben Goldacre

  In stock.
  Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
  Eligible for FREE UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
  

On Truth by Harry G. Frankfurt 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £6.99

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre 4.6 out of 5 stars (142)  £4.85

Irrationality by Stuart Sutherland 4.2 out of 5 stars (26)  £6.99

Mindfucking: A Critique of Mental Manipulation by Colin McGinn £9.49

The Reasons of Love by Harry G. Frankfurt 4.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £8.99

› Explore similar items

Review
[Frankfurt] tries, with the help of Wittgenstein, Pound, St. Augustine and the spy novelist Eric Ambler, among others, to ask some of the preliminary questions--to define the nature of a thing recognized by all but understood by none. . . . What is bullshit, after all? Mr. Frankfurt points out it is neither fish nor fowl. Those who produce it certainly aren't honest, but neither are they liars, given that the liar and the honest man are linked in their common, if not identical, regard for the truth.
(Peter Edidin New York Times )

The scholar who answers the question, 'What is bullshit?' bids boldly to define the spirit of the present age. . . . Frankfurt's conclusion . . . is that bullshit is defined not so much by the end product as by the process by which it is created. Eureka! Frankfurt's definition is one of those not-at-all-obvious insights that become blindingly obvious the moment they are expressed.
(Timothy Noah Slate )

Immediately, I must say: read it. Beautifully written, lucid, ironic and profound, it is a model of what philosophy can and should do. It is a small and highly provocative masterpiece, and I really don't think I am bullshitting you here.
(Bryan Appleyard The Sunday Times )

This is what the world has long needed. . . . Bullshit is now such a dominant feature of our culture that most of us are confident we can recognize and rebuff it. But Frankfurt shows the reader just how insidious (and destructive) it can be. . . . This book will change your life.
(Leopold Froehlich Playboy )

Frankfurt's book should be required reading for anyone whose speech or writing are intended for public consumption. Despite his subject, he is definitely not full of it.
(Kevin Wood The Daily Yomiuri )

On Bullshit offers a tightly focused, telling critique of a political and cultural climate that seems positively humid with mendacity, obfuscation, evasion and illusion.
(Steven Winn San Francisco Chronicle )

There is an interesting problem sketched at the end of the book, wherein sincerity is described as an ideal for those who do not believe that there is any (objective) truth, thus departing from the ideal correctness. . . . Needless to say, there are numerous problems which may be expanded, looked into and analyzed concerning bullshit. And I dare say that Frankfurt's little book is a nice starting point.
(Petter A. Naessan Philosophy Now )

[On Bullshit's] calm, clearheaded deconstruction of everyday deceit is without parallel.
(Gordon Phinn Books in Canada )

With its relevance to contemporary issues and culture, On Bullshit is well worth the read. . . . The analysis is strict and philosophical with the clear intention of seeking the truth.
(Karen Boore The Michigan Review )

Harry Frankfurt, a Princeton philosophy professor, presents a scholarly and formal essay on inflated truth, purposeful obfuscation, and pretentious duplicity. . . . I'm sure he had a blast writing it, and the droll prose is a tasty treat.
(Richard Pachter The Boston Globe )

Professor Frankfurt concludes that bullshit is a process rather than an end product. . . . If you are fed up with hype, spin and bullshit this book will provide insight - and therapy.
(Australian Doctor )

Terrific. . . . Has anything truer ever been written?
(William Watson Montreal Gazette )

Review
A gem of psychological insight, social commentary, philosophical analysis, and good humor. This is the work of an extraordinarily acute, attentive, and versatile philosopher who has succeeded in addressing an audience comprised of both other philosophers and the general public on a topic of considerable human interest in a characteristically wry and engaging way. It is one of the most enjoyable and humanly illuminating short pieces of philosophy produced in the past fifty years.
(Raymond Geuss, University of Cambridge )

See all Product Description

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt

Search inside this book:

4 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 3.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   36 of 51 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, 15 Feb 2005 By  Carl (Richmond, USA) - See all my reviews Rich in philosophical thinking, challenging in content, and gripping as a smooth read, On BullShit stands out as a tantalizing novel. You never guess what you will find until you start reading it. One thing for sure is that you will laugh, smile and ponder in turns. In the end, you will be more of a truthful guy than a bullshitter. Another wryly humorous and philosophically insightful novel is THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   43 of 62 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A well-fertilised discussion..., 10 Mar 2005 By  Kurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (London, SW1) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    My first surprise about this book (other than the title, which I cannot add to this review due to the propriety involved) is its brevity. Given the vastness, at least in potential, of the subject matter, the book could fill volumes. Of course, the author Harry Frankfurt might argue that there are indeed already volumes and volumes of balderdash. He states at the beginning that 'One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much', er, humbug. 'Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share.' Frankfurt claims that the issue has not attracted sustained inquiry (he obviously has not been part of the committee meetings I've attended in the past few decades). This book, or rather booklet, is more of a brief essay or primer on the subject, looking at the issue from a linguistic standpoint as well as conceptual framework. There are many synonyms that come close; words such as humbug and balderdash (already used in this review) approximate the title term. Quoting Max Black's essay, 'The Prevalence of Humbug', Frankfurt suggests other closely related words such as claptrap, hokum, drivel, and such. Drawing from the OED definitions, he analyses the key elements of humbug, including misrepresentation just short of lying, elements of pomposity and pretentiousness (loosely applicable), and a possibility of embodiment in feeling or in thought. Frankfurt also explores the issue of the title term in relation to an incident between Ludwig Wittgenstein (whose philosophical work reaches great heights in clarity and precision, particularly with regard to language and locution) and Fania Pascal. Wittgenstein's substitute term for the title term might have been 'nonsense', and he was diligent at working against such forms of language that might fall into disarray. When is a joke not a joke? Perhaps when it is uttered by Wittgenstein. Or perhaps when it is misinterpreted by Pascal. Frankfurt looks at the title term in pieces. He looks at the term 'bull' and the later half separately, seeing what difference they make to each other. A 'bull' session is generally unstructured, personal, emotion-dominated. The other term is similarly unstructured for the most part, indicative of waste and odour, and generally not useful, save in very particular circumstances. There is a general lack of importance about it. But is this really true? Frankfurt quotes the OED's use of the title term as verb (previously he had been looking at it from the standpoint of a noun), drawing Ezra Pound's Cantos into the mix, and the Bible as well. There is a sense of bluffing - one could easily use the title term in regard to something someone says that probably is not going to be true, or not going to be done. Frankfurt even draws St. Augustine into the mix, attaching the title term to the rarest form of lying among Augustine's construct of the eight types of lying. It isn't necessarily lying to attain a goal, but rather for its own sake. But then, what becomes of the definition of humbug, offered earlier, that claims to stop just short of lying. Frankfurt claims that the title term, perhaps as a thing or an act, 'is unavoidable whenever circumstances require someone to talk without knowing what he is talking about.' This comes close to being a universal truth. Frankfurt proceeds to talk about anti-realist doctrines, sincerity versus correctness, and finally, to making a declaration that makes the reader wonder, was this entire thing an exercise in seeing just how much of the title term he could get away with as an author? If so, he is brilliantly tapping into the postmodern ethos. Or perhaps that is all hokum, too. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   1.0 out of 5 stars It's what it says on the box!, 6 Jul 2009 By  Archie Stanton (UK) - See all my reviews In brief: this book has nothing to say, is atheoretical, doesn't break any new ground.... I found it frustrating and by half way through was convinced I had been conned. So I tore it up and tried to flush it down the toilet. But the cover got wedged. I can only assume the author was having a laugh! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 4 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars How to recognize steaming piles of humbug, quackery, balderdash - and sincerity This surprising essay opens with the kind of observation one would expect to emanate from a disaffected teenager's bedroom rather than an Ivy League university. Read more Published 9 months ago by Sphex Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 4 customer reviews...

Books for today: A list by Fiction Fan   May I suggest...?: A list by Tania Barry   Samuel Johnson BBC Prize for Non-Fiction 2009: A list by J. Holden "johnlholden" Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

• Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity
• Books > Science & Nature > Earth Sciences & Geography > Education > Higher Education
• Books > Science & Nature > Earth Sciences & Geography > Geography
• Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Philosophy > Topics > Ethics & Morality

• Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
• I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
• I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.