Simply Philosophy

Simply

by D.K. Publishing

A clear, simple, graphic-led introduction to philosophy.

Are you short of time but hungry for knowledge? This philosophy book proves that sometimes less is more. Bold graphics and easy-to-understand explanations make it the most accessible guide to philosophy on the market.

Organized by major philosophical themes, each pared-back, single-page entry demystifies the groundbreaking theories of famous philosophers. The essential ideas of the major philosophical schools and traditions, such as empiricism, rationalism, dualism, and materialism, can be grasped in seconds.

Understanding Philosophy Has Never Been Easier

This smart but powerful guide cuts through the jargon and gives you the facts in a clear, visual way. Unlock the mysteries of more than 90 key philosophical ideas, from “I think, therefore I am” and Jean-Paul Sartre’s existential angst to Nietzsche’s Übermensch and Plato’s ideal forms.

Whether you’re a philosophy student or just a deep thinker with questions about the world, this indispensable guide is packed with everything you need to quickly and easily understand the basics.

Complete the

Part of DK Book's exciting, brand-new reference series for those who are time-poor but keen to learn more. Discover the strange and fascinating world of physics in Simply Quantum Physics.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Dorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.

Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Maede · Rating 3 out of 5]

فلسفه‌ی ساده
آیا ساده بود؟ نه
آیا تلاشش رو کرده بود ساده باشه؟ آره

این کتاب از مجموعه‌ی «به سادگی» از نشر دی‌کِی هست و ویژگی جذاب این کتاب‌ها تصاویری هستند که در کنار متن‌های کوتاه قرار داده شدند. این تصاویر خیلی جاها واقعاً به درک بهتر مطلب کمک می‌کنند و خیلی اوقات هم فقط تزیینی هستند. اما در کل برای من که تصاویر بهتر یادم می‌مونن، کمک خوبی برای به خاطر سپردن مطلب هستند

درباره‌ی فلسفه‌ی ساده مشکل اینجاست که فلسفه معمولاً ساده نیست و تلاش برای ساده‌سازیش انگار اثر معکوس داره و گاهی سخت‌ترش می‌کنه. خواندن بخش‌هایی که ساده‌تر بودند یا از قبل در موردشون مطالعه داشتم خیلی خوب بود، اما خیلی از بخش‌ها رو اصلا نمی‌فهمیدم و فقط متوجه شدم که اصلا چنین چیزی وجود داره

به جز تصاویر، یک مزیت دیگه‌ی این کتاب اینه که شاخه‌های مختلف فلسفه رو از هم جدا کرده و در هر شاخه نگاه کلی‌ای از مباحث و فلاسفه معروف اون موضوع به خواننده میده. برای کسی که با فلسفه آشناست، این کتاب می‌تونه یک مطالعه‌ی سبک برای مرتب‌سازی اطلاعاتش با تصاویر جالب باشه و برای کسی که چیزی از فلسفه نمی‌دونه،‌ اینجا فقط می‌تونه بفهمه که براش جالبه یا نه و آشنایی کلی‌ای با دنیای فلسفه پیدا کنه، نه بیشتر

کتاب رو می‌تونید از اینجا دانلود کنید
Maede's Books

۱۴۰۳/۱/۳۱

[Alexandros Polenghi]

I’m still in the middle of this book, but so far it’s been a genuinely enjoyable. An enjoyable guide into ideas that usually feel overwhelming. The structure makes the concepts feel lighter without making them too complicating and the way each topic is broken into simple pieces makes it really easy to read. It’s the kind of book that makes topics, or themes, in this case philosophy, feel accessible instead of academic or a book that makes you overthink because of how sophisticated it is. On the negative side, some explanations feel a little too brief, meaning, I sometimes wish the book talked more a bit longer before jumping to the next idea, but even that isn’t much of a problem. Moreoever, I think thats why the book feels simple and not complex.

As a “currently reading” experience and following the theme of philosophy throughout books, it’s been motivating, clear and fun one to read and I’m excited to keep going.

[Signe Altersten]

Helt enkelt filosofi för dummies. Tyckte delarna som handlade om tankar kring världen och medvetande var betydligt mycket mer intressanta än dem om politik och språk mm, kanske för att det är mycket svårare att ha en ståndpunkt i så flummiga ämnen. Aja den var tydlig och enkel att förstå med jättebra illustrationer. Ska gå och läsa Simone de Beauvoir nu💪

[Fedel Palmero · Rating 1 out of 5]

❌ I read this on my kindle and it was not formatted for e-reader. Essentially just photocopied the hard copy and threw it into the electronic format. Was terrible with chunks almost impossible to read because of background colour. So infuriating that I’m submitting a complaint.

❌ Covers an array of subjects, but it’s so broad brush that it adds very little value to learning opportunities.

[JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several survey-course overviews of philosophy. This one is my favorite because of its ability to convey the concepts so succinctly, even using graphics and layout to assist. I sometimes find the DK series too simplistic. Even though that's the aim, some works are so watered down as to be not much more than a long brochure. This one hit the mark.

[Michael Prendergast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book. Shirt but packed with detail. One I want to buy.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since our son was born (well, a few years afterward), we’ve picked up a slew of DK young-person non-fiction works. DK is not only for kids, though (I just sent our son the DK Simply Quantum Physics) as they also have titles that popularize/simplify complex subjects for young adults and adults. One of their newest titles is Simply Philosophy and while DK does their usual good job, the topic I’d say is one that lends itself less well to DK’s strengths of concision and use of visuals.

The book is divided into several sections, each of which move in chronological order, thought their starting points of course differ. The overlap though helps with comprehension and a sense of unity and familiarity arises as previously referenced names crop up again. The sections are

• “Thinking About the World”: early basic ventures into philosophy including Plato, Aristotle, and moving into dualism (Descartes), rationalism, skepticism, and other ways of thinking of the world/reality and our relationship to it
• “Being and Language” look at our use of words and our thoughts on existence, with mention of Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Sartre and existentialism, Derrida and post-structuralism.
• “Mind and Matter”: explores consciousness and the relation (if any) between mind and body. Descartes shows up again, as does Wittgenstein, and Spinoza arrives on the scene
• “Right and Wrong” exploration of ethics, including hedonism, utilitarianism, relativism, etc. with references to Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, along with more recent philosophies/philosophers looking at our relationship with animals and the natural world
• “Politics and Power” pretty self-explanatory, with explanations of Locke, Rousseau, Hobbes, Marx and Adam Smith, as it defines several systems: monarchy, communism, statism, anarchy, social liberalism.
• “Logic and Argument”: at syllogisms, inductive and deductive reasoning, fallacies, and a bit more arcane logical constructions and symbols


This is a tough topic to both simplify and discuss in condensed fashion, as one really needs to think through many of the concepts and if you’ve read them in either the original (albeit in translation) or substantive discussions/summaries, you know they are dense and often will make use of metaphors and real-world examples to make difficult concepts at least a bit more concrete. For that reason, this is not a book I’d say to learn philosophy but more of a refresher to keep straight, say, the differences between Kant and Hegel and Heidegger or recall some terms. Otherwise, it acts as a solid bare-bones introduction of basic terms, but one will quickly want to move onto more in-depth (if not dense) explanations. Finally, the topic doesn’t lend itself to really being greatly enhanced by visuals, unlike when DK delves into science (with its graphic depictions say of black holes or planetary structure or the flow of electrons) or history (with its handy timelines and charts). It’s a good book, but just not as useful due to the subject matter as most of the other DK works.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Simply Philosophy is a concise survey course in philosophy and philosophical concepts collected and curated by the DK editorial group. Due out 23rd Feb 2021 from Penguin Random House on their DK imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The book is arranged in categories with numerous short capsule essays covering diverse related points. The editors have grouped the material around broad categories: our interaction and exploration of our world and our place in it, on being and language, mind and matter, right and wrong, politics and power, and logic and argument.

The essays are clearly written in accessible language which will be easily read and understood by the average reader. Despite being very short (most are 1 page long), they provide some surprisingly subtle insights into philosophical concepts and schools of thought. The short subject pages are enhanced with graphics and illustrations to help the information be retained by the reader.

This volume won't obviate the need for a textbook for studying philosophy formally, but it will provide a good intro to basic concepts in everyday language which will be understood by most readers. This would be a good choice for students looking for a supplementary text, adult readers who want a condensed and concise broad survey of concepts and language used in philosophy, and readers who are curious about philosophy for whom a short introduction is sufficient.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Alice]

Not a bad read. I'd reccommend this mostly for absolute beginners with no prior knowledge interested in philosophy.

It's strength lies in the extensive history it provides and how each idea expands on the last to reflect the succession of developments in philosophy; perfect for beginners to see how each idea is related and gives better comprehension, yet I still think how each theory connects could be made more explicit. I like the book is compartmentalised and includes sections like logic, "meaning of life", etc. However, this book can only exist as a guide for beginners to see the succession of philosophy instead of a dictionary, since the definitions and explanations are so succinct and simple that it risks oversimplifying the theories. I'd even go as far to say that sometimes the explanations were too focused on being streamlined that they didn't make any sense at all. Though, I need to briefly mention I appreciated the book's aesthetically pleasing graphic design.

Overall, it made for a good entertaining read as it helped me realise the sequence of philosophy throughout history yet it did not provide any real insight because the book was too simple and streamlined.

[Eva Novia Fitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book like this simplifies such a complex subject. In each famous theory, a picture and a (too) brief explanation are provided, so i think a more appropriate title would be "An Introduction to..." That's what i felt, I marked some chapters and will read more about them separately in a single-topic book.

Philosophy fascinates me and i always enjoy (sometimes got amazed) how the brain generates smart questions for theory to be formed. Several famous theories in this book are new to me : Arthur Scopenhauer, Charles Sanders Pierce (i will find their books later)

Simple and interesting pictures make this 5 chapters book easy to comprehend. It is brilliant that each chapter is not only arranged chronogically, but also relates to one another, so i suggest that you shouldn't skip no pages while reading ( imagine you read about "empiricism" on page 38 without first reading "rationalism" at 34 !  Unless you have read about all these philosophy theories before )

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title is exactly as described. It offers simple, concise explanations of concepts in the field.

Following an introduction, this book is broken down into sections including Thinking About the World, Being and Language, Mind and Matter and, Right and Wrong. Each of these divisions has many subsections; to name just a few: An Unknowable Origin, Hume’s Fork, Taking Language Apart, The Helpless Mind, Human Understanding, The Virtuous Life and Moral Choice.

Each entry is illustrated and short. It is the kind of book that will answer questions for many and will encourage others to dig deeper.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

[D.L. Morrese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the major topics of philosophy each boiled down (and oversimplified) into its bare essentials. This won't make you an expert in the history of philosophy, but it's a pretty good abstract. It offers no position on any of these, just simple statements and examples of what they are. It reminded me of some of my study notes when I was taking philosophy classes in college (in the latter half of the last century).

[Seale Rapolai · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a great book on explaining the basic concepts of Philosophy into bite-sized chunks that have short descriptions and good illustrations. It also splits the concepts into different categories such as the nature of thoughts and reality, language and being, ethics and politics, and logic.

This book is ideal for an entry-level understanding of Philosophy, so it may not be ideal for a deep dive.

[Shaie F · Rating 3 out of 5]

It explained various philosophical ideas very simply, and while not all of the accompanying graphics made sense to me, the majority did.
I’d highly recommend first building a foundation with Edward Craig’s Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction before diving into this eclectic sampling.

[Skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Simple Philosophy. It was conveniently split up into 6 chapters which each covered different areas of philosophy which made it somewhat more digestible and easier to relate. anywayssss it was a good book. reading isn’t wasn’t life changing however applying its content may be.

[OjoAusana · Rating 4 out of 5]

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really like DK books and happy this is good too! would like to see a print copy tho lol

[Patrycja · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Miguel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series one page vignettes dealing with basic philosophical concepts. Not an in-depth treatise by any means but contains enough nuggets to make you want to follow up on some.

[Tana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, straightforward and amazing illustrations 👍

[Julio A Borges · Rating 5 out of 5]

bien pensadp

Es un libro bien ordenado y concebido para despertar interés en filosofía. Ideal para muy jovenes o quien se inicia

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite decent for what it is, though I feel like the book could use a bit more structure. The economics book in this series was a bit better.

[Christina Whyte · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you want bite sized philosophy with eye-capturing infographics, this is for you. my complaint is that every idea was just the tiniest snapshot and there was no depth to any one idea

[Paula Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

mostly european centric, but a good overview of the topic.

[Pierre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the great currents in philosophy! Very enjoyable

[Woffa · Rating 5 out of 5]

molto bello e interessante

[Le · Rating 2 out of 5]

TOO SIMPLY.

You can learn more about Philosophy by reading https://plato.stanford.edu/index.html entries.

This book is a simplified version of How Philosophy Works, which is better, with similar structures:
- Group concepts by types: fundamental, moral, political,…
- Present concepts in chronological order, showing how they are developed overtime.
- Putting contrast concepts in opposite pages, making comparisons easier.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowledge and reality

It is possible that our experiences of the world now is also a dream.

Everything could be an illusion.

Truth serves a need.

We need to learn to live with absurdity and anxiety.