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Philosophy Matters: An Introduction to Philosophy
Written for those who may be approaching the subject for the first time, Philosophy Matters shows that philosophy is crucial in questioning our presuppositions, and for helping us to establish our own beliefs about the nature of the world.
- GenresPhilosophy
Paperback
First published October 8, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 1, 2018
Most Introduction to Philosophy books are Introduction to the History of philosophy books, which is not an introduction to what philosophy is. My idea of an Introduction is an introduction to the idea of philosophy itself, an exploration of truth and an assessment of man's relationship with others and the world he lives in.
Trigg's book is one such introduction. Rather than walking through a series of historical philosophers, Trigg examines and questions basic tenets of such contemporary schools of thought as Physicalism, Materialism, Scientism, Relativism, and Darwinism. For example, if materialists believe free will is an illusion, and that we live in a deterministic universe consisting only of causes and effects that cannot be altered, then how can they explain a human's capacity to reason? What evolutionary value does reason have if we cannot use it to make decisions that alter outcomes (free will)?
Trigg does not answer these questions, and I think intentionally. How much better is it to leave the novice with the question unanswered to work out for herself?
Gets a little dry at times, and you may have to be read this twice, but it's a good introduction to how to do philosophy.
Trigg's book is one such introduction. Rather than walking through a series of historical philosophers, Trigg examines and questions basic tenets of such contemporary schools of thought as Physicalism, Materialism, Scientism, Relativism, and Darwinism. For example, if materialists believe free will is an illusion, and that we live in a deterministic universe consisting only of causes and effects that cannot be altered, then how can they explain a human's capacity to reason? What evolutionary value does reason have if we cannot use it to make decisions that alter outcomes (free will)?
Trigg does not answer these questions, and I think intentionally. How much better is it to leave the novice with the question unanswered to work out for herself?
Gets a little dry at times, and you may have to be read this twice, but it's a good introduction to how to do philosophy.
June 29, 2017
I've noticed that introductory books on philosophy tend to fall into two categories: (1) books that focus on the history of notable philosophers and their perspectives, or (2) books that are organized around common philosophical topics.
"Philosophy Matters" falls into this latter category, which is something I'm thankful for since the first type of book tends to be much more common (at least at my local library).
However, readers should keep in mind that Trigg doesn't give a comprehensive overview of the field of philosophy in this short text. Sure, he mentions most of the issues discussed by philosophers and includes a helpful glossary, but there are obviously certain issues within the field that interest him more than others. Much of book is devoted to working out how philosophy is related to the field of science; a glance at the table of contents reveals how Trigg organizes almost every discussion around scientific theories. It's also important to know that Trigg doesn't hold back from giving his own perspective on these issues: "I have not been afraid to take up a definite stance on some basic philosophical questions, and do not always take the most fashionable view" (vii).
Granted, much of modern philosophy influenced by empiricism has been informed by the scientific method, but there are other major issues in the field that I think could have been given more attention. For example, how does the field of analytic philosophy--specifically theories about language from philosophers such as Russell and Wittgenstein--fit in with the larger field?
However, as I was looking back at the book's preface I noticed this important concession by the author: "I have chosen to concentrate on the problem of the nature of the world, and how we obtain knowledge of it, particularly through science . . . As a result, many important issues are barely mentioned" (viii).
However, I ended up giving "Philosophy Matters" four stars not because of its exhaustive nature (which it never claims in the first place), but because Trigg provides an excellent introduction to the issues he DOES choose to write about.
"Philosophy Matters" falls into this latter category, which is something I'm thankful for since the first type of book tends to be much more common (at least at my local library).
However, readers should keep in mind that Trigg doesn't give a comprehensive overview of the field of philosophy in this short text. Sure, he mentions most of the issues discussed by philosophers and includes a helpful glossary, but there are obviously certain issues within the field that interest him more than others. Much of book is devoted to working out how philosophy is related to the field of science; a glance at the table of contents reveals how Trigg organizes almost every discussion around scientific theories. It's also important to know that Trigg doesn't hold back from giving his own perspective on these issues: "I have not been afraid to take up a definite stance on some basic philosophical questions, and do not always take the most fashionable view" (vii).
Granted, much of modern philosophy influenced by empiricism has been informed by the scientific method, but there are other major issues in the field that I think could have been given more attention. For example, how does the field of analytic philosophy--specifically theories about language from philosophers such as Russell and Wittgenstein--fit in with the larger field?
However, as I was looking back at the book's preface I noticed this important concession by the author: "I have chosen to concentrate on the problem of the nature of the world, and how we obtain knowledge of it, particularly through science . . . As a result, many important issues are barely mentioned" (viii).
However, I ended up giving "Philosophy Matters" four stars not because of its exhaustive nature (which it never claims in the first place), but because Trigg provides an excellent introduction to the issues he DOES choose to write about.
March 23, 2025
Prof. Trigg makes the fatal scientistic error of taking metaphysics and epistemology (rather than ethics and political theory) to constitute the core of philosophy; in fact, he explicitly sidelines discussion of moral philosophy and its concomitants, including questions of human nature. In spite of the lip service that Prof. Trigg pays to Socrates, then, his book proceeds in a thoroughly un-Socratic way.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews