Free eBooks Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction Available To Downloads
How ought we to live? What really exists? How do we know? This book introduces important themes in ethics, knowledge, and the self, via readings from Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hegel, Darwin, and Buddhist writers. It emphasizes throughout the point of studying philosophy, explains how different areas of philosophy are related, and explores the contexts in which philosophy was and is studied.About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1st edition (May 16, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0192854216
ISBN-13: 978-0192854216
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 0.3 x 4.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #57,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #14 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Reference #114 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > History & Surveys #16827 in Books > Reference
There are many things I am not good at. I’ve gone to a few activities at Painting with a Twist but my portraits are, well, pretty terrible. I can grill a steak but beware if you eat anything I’ve cooked more complicated than a slab of beef. I love baseball and I used to be pretty decent at it but at no point in time have I been a very strong batter.Now that I’ve tooted by own humble-horn let me add to the above list the broad topic of philosophy. I love epistemology and logic but I don’t much care for metaphysics and ethics. It’s probably because I’m not very good at working through all the philosophical positions that surround metaphysics and ethics. But Edward Craig won’t let me off the hook on any aspect of philosophy. If I or anyone else were to claim that philosophy is useless then I or “they will be talking about the ineffectuality of certain types of thought, or of human beings’ incapacity to deal with certain types of question. And then instead of rejecting philosophy [I or] they will have become another voice within it” (2). We are all philosophers of one sort or another.For people like me who have only read a handful of philosophical works, Craig’s contribution to the VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION series is helpful in most regards. Before I get to those helpful items, let me just mention one problem I had with the volume.Craig is a Brit and he writes like one. I’m an American and though I’ve read plenty of Shakespeare, grew up reading the King James Bible, and love British television shows like “Good Neighbors,” “The Vicar of Dibley,” and “Keeping Up Appearances,” I found the prose of PHILOSOPHY: A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION a bit wonky at times. When you read it, be prepared to re-read some sentences so you are clear on what he is discussing.
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