Free eBooks Philosophy: The Power Of Ideas Available To Downloads

                
              
Free eBooks 
Philosophy: The Power Of Ideas Available To Downloads
This comprehensive introductory text with readings offers a historical overview of all major subdivisions of Western Philosophy perspectives--including both the analytic and Continental traditions--as well as Eastern philosophy, postcolonial philosophy, and feminist philosophy. Written in an engaging and captivating style, it makes philosophy accessible without oversimplifying the material, and shows that philosophy's powerful ideas affect the lives of real people.
Hardcover: 624 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 8 edition (February 17, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780073407463
ISBN-13: 978-0073407463
ASIN: 0073407461
Product Dimensions:  7.5 x 1.2 x 9.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
Average Customer Review:  4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #173,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)   #77 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Philosophy > Logic   #158 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Logic & Language   #340 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > History & Surveys
I'm a trained scientist who has dabbled in philosophical readings all my life. I picked this book up some years ago to aid me in my own philosophical study. FROM A STUDENT'S PERSPECTIVE, it is the best general introduction to philosophy I've ever come across (and I've looked at dozens). It is well organized, which is always desired by the introductory student, and is very readable, which is desired by anyone. The writing also has a touch of irony and wit, which I enjoy greatly. I must say that the several chapters on Metaphysics certainly demystified that topic for me. (Though I HEAVILY 'felt' much favored toward the Russell Analytical camp from the "get-go". Continental philosophy seems just akin to refuse.)I strongly recommend this book.
This book is really amazing as it presents the most important philoshophers throughout history (from ancient times to present day) in a coprehensive way. I especially enjoyed the easy language, the illustrations and of course the content that included the major points each philosopher emphasized on.As a student, I was actually taught the material and although I had no interest in Philosophy until now, it managed to intrigue my curiocity and I have now picked up several other PH books. It is just for those starting in philosophy however, so if you are looking for in-depth analysis you should be looking somewhere else.
This book is the Cadillac of introductory textbooks, the finest text of its kind. The depth and breadth of the authors' approach is unparalled.No better textbook for "intro. to phil." courses can be found in the English language. I can't wait until the next ed. comes out. Even if I did not use this book, I would read it myself, for fun.Superb.
I used an earlier edition of this textbook to study for my comprehensive final exams for the completion of my M.A. in Philosophy. Everything I needed to know was in this textbook. This is an excellent comprehensive textbook, covering all of the major areas of philosophy.
I really love this philosophy book. It's the best one I have read so far. It's an older edition (2008) that I picked up for just a couple of dollars. The newer edition sells for more than $160. so I think I got a very good deal here at .The material is well organized and it's very easy to read and understand. The ideas are very well expressed and there are thumb nail sketches of the major contributors in philosophy, thereby making their thoughts and philosophies easy to grasp.One of the nice things in this book is a time line chart for the world's philosophers on the front and rear inside covers, allowing the reader to see at a glance the time period each of them lived and from where they came. There are pronouncing guides for some of the more difficult philosopher's names. There is an index-glossary at the end of the book.Not only are the great Western philosophers discussed but also the Eastern ones from the orient like Confucius and Zen Buddhism. Some of the works by feminists and female philosophers as well as Black writers like Martin Luther King are discussed. Additionally, there are many readings in this bookWhile I have read this book for my own personal pleasure, if I was actually taking an accredited class at university, this is the book I would prefer to study.
Got this for a college course and was excited to read it, but the information just seemed so brief on some subjects that I was really disappointed and it made it kind of difficult to get enough info. to cite in my papers.
CONS:I like to teach philosophy in one of two ways. Sometimes I like to approach the subject topically. This allows the student to grasp the overall concepts. This is "seeing the forest". Sometimes I like to teach historically, moving slowly through the different philosophers, and allowing the student to enter into the stream of thought. This is "seeing the trees". But I don't like combining these methods into a topical/historical approach. This text combines the approaches in a way I feel can become confusing.This text is broken into 4 parts. Part 1 is "Metaphysics and Epistemology". Part 3 is "Philosophy of Religion, Reason and Faith". I like to add the discussion of God into the section on metaphysics. They just seem to go together.Section 2 is "Moral and Political Philosophy". In this section ethics and political philosophy are interwoven in a complex manner. I like to keep these two apart and handle them one at a time.PROS:Now that I've stated what I don't like, let me comment on what I do like. Section 4 is a miscellaneous section containing various other subjects. This contains an excellent section on Feminist philosophy. In this section the topical/historical approach works. This section also introduces the student to Eastern philosophies and postcolonial ideas, such as liberation theology. Section 4 was my favorite section.I also appreciated the depth of the text. This text introduces more philosophers and ideas than most texts of comparable size. The instructor may not highlight them all, but it is nice to have them at hand.CONCL:I agree with those who purchase the book to read at their own speed. This is an excellent self-study primer on philosophy. I also agree with those who do not care for this text in the classroom. It doesn't lend itself as well to a 15 week - class structure.
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