Philosophy: The Quest for Truth

by Louis P. Pojman (Editor), Lewis Vaughn (Editor)

Praised for its unique combination of accessibility and comprehensiveness, The Quest for Truth is one of the best-selling textbooks for the introduction to philosophy course. Now in its seventh edition, this acclaimed text provides an excellent selection of classical and
contemporary readings on nineteen key problems in philosophy. Louis P. Pojman and new coeditor Lewis Vaughn have carefully organized the essays in each section so that they present pro/con dialogues that allow students to compare and contrast the philosophers' positions. Topics covered include the
nature of philosophy, logic, the existence of God, immortality, knowledge, the mind-body question, personal identity, free will and determinism, ethics, political philosophy, the meaning of life, abortion, capital punishment, animal rights, and affirmative action. Pojman and Vaughn provide
substantial introductions to each major section. In addition, each of the eighty-four readings is accompanied by study questions, end-of-reading reflective questions, and an individual introduction featuring a biographical sketch of the philosopher. Short bibliographies following each major section,
a detailed glossary of key terms, and an appendix--on reading and writing philosophy papers --further enhance the text's pedagogical value.

FEATURES OF THE SEVENTH EDITION

* Eleven new readings including selections by David Chalmers, Roderick M. Chisholm, Jerry A. Fodor, David Hume, Søren Kierkegaard, Don Marquis, Michael Martin, James Rachels, Bertrand Russell, Harvey Siegel, and Judith Jarvis Thomson
* An expanded and improved discussion of logic and arguments (in Part I)
* Updated headnotes and bibliographies
* An Instructor's Manual that provides a concise summary of each reading; a bank of 672 test questions (multiple-choice and true/false); a set of essay questions for each reading; a list of key terms; sample syllabi/course schedules; and useful web links
* An Online Student Study Guide containing more than three hundred study questions; flashcards for all key terms; two essay questions for each reading; and a list of helpful web links categorized by philosophical problem

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, School

736 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of interesting. This wasn't what I was expecting. It's more about famous Philosophers rather than philosophy itself.

[Matt Smith]

I read most of it for a class. Too much for one semester => didn't retain much. Good exposure to opposing views.

[Benjamin Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've never liked collections of excerpts.