
Simply Philosophy
Brendan Wilson(Author)
Edinburgh University Press
Published on 27. November 2001
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-0-7486-1568-1 (ISBN)
Description
In this vivid and incisive guide, philosophy comes to life. Using the central idea of causality as a guiding principle, Brendan Wilson shows how the history of philosophy becomes a very clear and natural sequence of events. The resulting perspective reveals the deep connections between the problems of science, mind and reality, freedom and responsibility, knowledge, language, truth and religion.Newcomers to philosophy will be able to engage with the great questions and ideas of the western tradition. The writing is clear and jargon-free, while the 'short-chapter' format gives the reader time to pause and think at each step along the way. Style and layout put accessibility first and the many illustrations include explanatory diagrams and drawings as well as pictures of philosophers from Aristotle to Wittgenstein. General Features* Encourages critical and independent thinking* Written in an engaging, non-technical style* Makes clear sense of philosophy's rich and complex history* Presents a distinctive argument* Provides a wide range of case studies and examples from philosophy, science and lawText Features* Chapter overviews* Chapter sub-headings for ease of use* Carefully-chosen quotations from philosophers ancient and modern * End of chapter discussion points* An open and attractive page layout* Lavish and relevant illustrations, including photographs, diagrams, explanatory boxes and drawings
Reviews / Votes
...lively, fun, stimulating - I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. -- Bill Newton-Smith, Balliol College, Oxford Reflects current concerns and issues very well indeed ... captivating and intelligent ... accessible to freshmen and the interested lay reader ... charming, inventive and deep ... -- Jonathan Westphal, Idaho State University ...lively, fun, stimulating - I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Reflects current concerns and issues very well indeed ... captivating and intelligent ... accessible to freshmen and the interested lay reader ... charming, inventive and deep ...More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 247 mm
Width: 191 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
594 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7486-1568-1 (9780748615681)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Brendan Wilson is Professor in the Graduate School of Language and Information Sciences at the University of Tokyo (Komaba).
Author
Professor in the Graduate School of Language and Information SciencesUniversity of Tokyo (Komaba)
Content
CONTENTS; Preface; AREA 1 - SCIENCE; Ch 1 - Progress; Ch 2 - Causes; Ch 3 - Probability; AREA 2 - MIND; Ch 4 - A Real Idea; Ch 5 - Body and Mind; Ch 6 - Other People; AREA 3 - FREEDOM; Ch 7 - Universal Causality; Ch 8 - Freedom; Ch 9 - Temptation; Ch 10 - Right and Wrong; AREA 4 - KNOWLEDGE; Ch 11 - Certainty; Ch 12 - The Veil of; Appearances; Ch 13 - Scepticism; Ch 14 - Transcendental; Confidence; Ch 15 - Common Sense; AREA 5 - LANGUAGE; Ch 16 - Classification; Ch 17 - Abstraction; Ch 18 - Names; Ch 19 - Communication; AREA 6 -OBJECTIVITY; Ch 20 - Perception; Ch 21 - Life without Ideas; Ch 22 - Truth; Ch 23 - Objectivity; AREA 7 - GOD; Ch 24 - God; Ch 25 - Cause and Design; WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?; Ch 26 - Philosophy; Postscript.