Philosophy DeMYSTiFied

by Robert Arp, Jamie Carlin Watson

Written in a step-by-step format, this practical guide begins with an overview of Western philosophy and coverage of correct reasoning and critical thinking. The book goes on to discuss major branches of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy. In-depth examples, detailed diagrams, and concise explanations make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce learning.

Knowledge and the problem of skepticism
The problem of induction and the development of externalism
Personhood and personal identity over time
The question of God's existence
Moral decision-making
Justice, rights, and government
Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Philosophy Demystified helps you master this fascinating subject.

Genres: Philosophy

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 11, 2011

About the author

Robert Arp, Ph.D. (Saint Louis University, 2005), has taught Philosophy at Southwest Minnesota State University, Florida State University, and many schools in Missouri, before doing postdoctoral research in ontology through the National Center for Biomedical Ontology with Mark Musen and Barry Smith at the University at Buffalo.

Reviews

[WarpDrive · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too basic. Only adequate as an introduction for beginners.
When considered as a basic introduction to the discipline, it is not bad and it would probably rate around the three-star mark.
The reason why I was relatively harsh in my rating is the sentence in the book description, "challenging enough for an advanced student", which is simply not true.

[Ev · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me a while to get through (apparently it can be used as a textbook) but it was definitely worth it! This book felt very unbiased and went through many sound arguments with good examples. It presents difficult topics effectively. I really enjoyed the chapters on epistemology, the existence of God (which was not the kind of thing that just fed you answers based on the author's opinion, like some books) and critical thinking. It should be noted that this is meant as an introduction to philosophy, so those familiar with the topic may not be challenged.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who knew not a ton going in, this book was a good introduction to a lot of philosophical concepts and helped me to put some things I've heard in the past into context. I'm glad I got a paper copy, as being able to flip back and forth, highlight and complete the end-of-chapter quizzes was a huge plus.

A lot of typos, though, which is a bit disappointing.