Philosophy: Asking Questions--Seeking Answers

by Stephen P Stich, Tom Donaldson

Featuring a remarkably clear writing style, Asking Questions Seeking Answers is a brief and accessible guide designed for students with no prior knowledge of the subject. Written by renowned scholars Stephen Stich and Tom Donaldson, it focuses on the key issues in Western philosophy, presenting balanced coverage of each issue and challenging students to make up their own minds. Each chapter incorporates discussion questions, key terms, a glossary, and suggestions for further readings to help make the material more understandable to novices. Comprehensive enough to be used on its own, Philosophy can also be used as a supplement to any introductory anthology.

Genres: Philosophy

400 pages, Paperback

Published August 10, 2018

Reviews

[whiskey jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

i get it’s an introduction to philosophy and it can’t go into all the different ideas or nuances, but some of the conclusions they came to are still odd

[Kasey Jojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've dabbled in philosophy all my life, though too much of it I looked at through the distorted lens of Christian Theology. I needed a basic primer, and this book was perfect for that.

There's so much to love about this book. The topics are broken down and short enough that you can read one section in a sitting, and then spend the rest of the day or days digesting and pondering what you've learned. Furthermore, I really liked that each section ended with a ton of resources including websites, books, and articles that you could go to to learn more about what had been discussed.

This book is one I'll come back to time and time again, and it is sort of a map that has given me paths I can follow to learn about how those before me with great minds have approached very difficult questions. As it's always been my problem with philosophy knowing who/what to start with. Oftentimes philosophers are building upon prior concepts they've already developed, or they're providing counterarguments to concepts established by other philosophers, and I'd just be lost trying to piece things together. This book solves that problem, and all the while doesn't leave you feeling bogged down. There's even a joke or two thrown in!

Highly recommend. Will read again.

[Sourdough Bread · Rating 5 out of 5]

9.5/10

I have read numerous of textbooks for school, most of them bad, but this is probably the best one I have ever read. One of the barriers I experience as I try to read more philosophy is how lot of it is hard to read or poorly written despite insightful information in a text, however this book explains thoroughly and simply the basics texts of western philosophy. I can't recommend this book enough for anyone struggling or interest in philosophy. Maybe the what should we do sections could have been more interesting or the authors should have an added a few more chapters since they are great at explaining philosophy.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve assigned multiple textbooks for my intro to philosophy course over the years. This is the best. It’s well-written, clear, concise and, for a textbook, affordable. Highly recommended for a topical introduction to philosophy.

[Daniel Triumph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good introduction to philosophy. Easy to read, and goes over main points with some quotes. Even handed / objective coverage of all philosophical topics. It covered nearly every topic I learned in my undergraduate course on western philosophy—this could be read instead of taking such a course.

[River]

i had to read this for my philosophy 101 class and it ended up giving me an existential crisis that is still ongoing. i want it to be over i want to stop thinking. but the existential crisis didn’t really have much to do with the content of the book itself tbh

[Sarah Hiltabidel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Used this book for my college philosophy class. It is a very user-friendly book and is an excellent read.

[tara callahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

my first b0ok of the year was my philosophy text this is depressing

[Daiya Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for school, prof wrote the book

[Kirsten]

AHAHAHAAHAHAHAA

[lauren hinze · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated every second of it but I read the WHOLE stupid book. So therefore it counts.

[Is · Rating 2 out of 5]

so mediocre!

[Jacob]

PHIL 110: Intro to Philosophy