The Big Think Book
Discover Philosophy Through 99 Perplexing Problems
1st Edition
Published on 1. October 2015
544 pages
978-1-78074-743-9 (ISBN)
Description
What makes me, me - and you, you?
What is this thing called 'love'?
Does life have a point?
Is 'no' the right answer to this question?
Philosophy transports us from the wonderful to the weird, from the funny to the very serious indeed. With the aid of tall stories, jokes, fascinating insights and common sense, Peter Cave offers a comprehensive survey of all areas of philosophy, addressing the big puzzles in ethics and politics, metaphysics and knowledge, religion and the emotions, aesthetics and logic. Replete with a smorgasbord of amusing and mind-boggling examples, The Big Think Book is perfect for anyone who delights in life's conundrums.
What is this thing called 'love'?
Does life have a point?
Is 'no' the right answer to this question?
Philosophy transports us from the wonderful to the weird, from the funny to the very serious indeed. With the aid of tall stories, jokes, fascinating insights and common sense, Peter Cave offers a comprehensive survey of all areas of philosophy, addressing the big puzzles in ethics and politics, metaphysics and knowledge, religion and the emotions, aesthetics and logic. Replete with a smorgasbord of amusing and mind-boggling examples, The Big Think Book is perfect for anyone who delights in life's conundrums.
Reviews / Votes
"Now we can all be philosophers. Engaging and mentally stimulating." * New Scientist on Do Llamas Fall in Love? * "Britain's wittiest philosopher." * Raymond Tallis *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
File size
9,79 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-78074-743-9 (9781780747439)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
10/2015
Oneworld Publications
€15.50
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Person
Peter Cave is a lecturer in philosophy for The Open University and a member of the Council of the Royal Institute of Philosophy. He is also the author of Ethics: A Beginner's Guide, Humanism: A Beginner's Guide and The Big Think Book: Discover Philosophy Through 99 Perplexing Puzzles (all Oneworld).
Content
- Intro
- Part I: Ethics
- 1 On the Run: All's Fair with Bears?
- 2 Just Helping Ourselves
- 3 In the Beginning
- 4 The Violinist: Should You Unplug?
- 5 Walk On By.?
- 6 The Innocent Murderer: A Nobody Dunit
- 7 Girl, Cage, Chimp
- 8 Lucky for Some
- 9 Veils of Woe: Beats and Peeping Toms too
- 10 Someone Else Will.
- Part II: Politics and Society
- 11 Thug: Past Caring?
- 12 Mercy:Tempering or Tampering with Justice?
- 13 Squabbling Sailors: If This Be Democracy.
- 14 Vote! Vote! Vote?
- 15 Man or Sheep?
- 16 'I Shot the Sheriff'
- 17 A Bit Rich
- 18 'Women and Men Are Equal' - Really?
- 19 Exemptions: Doctors, Conscience and the Niqab
- 20 'It's All Relative. Isn't It?'
- 21 The Dangers of Health
- Part III: Logic
- 22 On Thinking Too Much or How not to Win a Princess's Hand
- 23 Irrational Preferences or How to Pump Money
- 24 Chicken! Chicken! Chicken!
- 25 'Don't Read this Notice'
- 26 The Unobtainable: When 'Yes' Means 'No'
- 27 Beauty Awake
- 28 A Gazelle, a Sloth and a Chicken
- 29 Jesters, Bertrand Russell and Paradox
- 30 Infinity, Infinities and Hilbert's Hotel
- 31 How to Gain Whatever You Want
- 32 The Card-Sharp Camel or 'Your Number's Up'
- Part IV: Metaphysics
- 33 Therapy for Tortoises
- 34 Tensions in Tense
- 35 Cocktails, Rivers and. Sir John Cutler's Stockings
- 36 A Goat with Gaps
- 37 When One Makes Two: Dressing Up
- 38 Pin Dropping
- 39 In No Time at All
- 40 Sand, Sun, Sea and.
- 41 Do We Make the Stars?
- Part V: Knowledge
- 42 Pinter and Isabella: Tethering Them Down
- 43 'Don't Tell Him, Pike!'
- 44 The Placebo: An Offer You Can Only Refuse
- 45 Indoctrination: When Believing Goes Wrong
- 46 Humpty Dumpty Advises Ms Turkey
- 47 For All You Know.?
- 48 Just Hanging Around
- 49 Slothful Sloth Speaks: 'What Will Be, Will Be'
- 50 Creamy Philosophers: Who Knows Who Knows.
- 51 Time for Zoological Investigations - from the Bedroom
- 52 Hove and Late: A Gruesome Affair
- Part VI: The self
- 53 Resolutions, Good Intentions - and Cream Buns
- 54 Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
- 55 Modesty and Shame: A Cat and Mouse Tale
- 56 'Hi, I'm Sir Isaac Newton - Don't Mention the Apples'
- 57 'I Am a Robot'
- 58 Uniquely Who?
- 59 The Brain or Where Am I?
- 60 Man with Pulley: Waving or Drowning?
- 61 A Bale of Woe
- 62 A Pill for Everything?
- 63 The Frog, Scorpion and God - or 'Thou Shalt Not'
- Part VII: Religion
- 64 'I Am the Greatest' or 'There Ain't No Sanity Claus'
- 65 The Greatest Miracle?
- 66 God, Chocolate and Prayer or Take the Box?
- 67 You'll Never Get to Heaven.?
- 68 Sympathy for the Devil
- 69 On How a Land Without Crime Is Bad, so Bad
- 70 Saints, Sinners and Suicide Bombers
- 71 A Knowing God Knows How Much?
- 72 Mysteries
- Part VIII: Personal relationships
- 73 What's Wrong With Eating People? or even Who's for Dinner?
- 74 'Thank Goodness That's Over'
- 75 The Bottle Imp - For Sale
- 76 Going for Cover: Arms Dealing to Casting Couches
- 77 'My Beloved Is Mine' or 'The Trouble With Football Is the Other Team'
- 78 Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
- 79 A Whole Cloud of Philosophy - From Cogito Ergo Sum to a Drop of Grammar
- 80 Wolves, Whistles and Women
- 81 Addicted to Love
- 82 'He Would Say that. Wouldn't He?'
- 83 What Sort of Children Should there Be?
- Part IX: Aesthetics
- 84 The Life Model: Beauty, Burglars and Beholders
- 85 Paintings, Within and Without
- 86 Fictional Feelings?
- 87 Speaking of Whom?
- 88 'But It's Art, Dear Aunt Matilda'
- 89 Eye Spy
- 90 Music: beyond Language?
- 91 Fragile Creatures that We Are.
- Part X: Values
- 92 Misfortune, Miss Fortuna - and Malicious Delight
- 93 Should We Save the Jerboa?
- 94 If this Be Judging.
- 95 Life Without End: Too Much of a Good Thing?
- 96 . And the Living is Easy
- 97 Without End?
- 98 Mindful of Barbarians - Within and Without
- 99 Is this all there Is?
- Epilogue
- Notes
- Acknowledgements
