This Is Philosophy: An Introduction

by Steven D. Hales

THIS IS PHILOSOPHY “The second edition of This is Philosophy improves upon an excellent first edition. This clear, succinct book is quite possibly the best introduction to Western philosophy on the market.”
―Gregory Morgan, Stevens Institute of Technology “This is a terrific book. The writing is not only extremely clear, it is downright gripping―with relevant and detailed examples at every turn. Steven Hales has produced not just a great little introduction to philosophy―he has produced a great little book in philosophy, period.”
―Michael Lynch, University of Connecticut “Hales clearly explains important philosophical ideas with a minimum of jargon and without sacrificing depth of content and he consistently gives a fair and accurate presentation of both sides of central philosophical disputes.”
―Matthew Van Cleave, Teaching Philosophy As the oldest discipline in the academy, philosophy began by asking questions of the world and of human nature. Philosophers are responsible for the Enlightenment and laid the foundations for constitutional governments. Yet, while it may have given birth to the natural sciences, philosophy has earned a contemporary reputation as an esoteric and impractical field out of touch with everyday life―but it doesn’t have to be that way. This is An Introduction expertly guides students through the fundamentals of philosophy by illuminating difficult, abstract ideas with straightforward language. Assuming no prior background in the subject, this volume brings philosophical concepts into sharp focus through relatable examples and clear explanations of philosophy’s big questions and arguments. The second edition of this accessible textbook is organized around seven central philosophical problems, including ethics, the existence of God, free will, personal identity, philosophy of mind, and epistemology. New to this edition is a chapter on political philosophy that explores the state of nature, anarchy, contractarianism, libertarianism, and the liberal state. These self-contained chapters have been reordered and recalibrated to best suit the needs of introductory philosophy courses, and can be taught independently or in sequence. Enhanced by updated examples, new hyperlinks and references, and detailed bibliographies, the book is complemented by extensively-revised online resources available to instructors, including a 200-question test bank and over 450 PowerPoint slides designed to strengthen student comprehension of key concepts. Strengthening the popular first edition which launched the series, This is An Introduction, Second Edition is the perfect primary textbook for beginning philosophy students as well as general readers with an interest in philosophy.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2012

Reviews

[October]

Though this book was poorly edited, it will have you questioning everything you thought you knew. I recommend it to everyone!

[Osore Misanthrope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Знајући да сам намазао лице пужевом слузи и сео да завршим књигу, аутсајдер би помислио да сам застранио, да искористим епитет који ми је иза леђа прилепио нико други до гимназијски “професор” филозофије који је обичавао да гледа у излазеће Сунце и на слепо чита Велесову књигу. Пужева слуз из креме није било каква, већ она која се излучује у стању стреса и стигла је као један од четири узорка уз серум. Како је неко могао да претпостави да један екоцентрик подржава тлачење и тамањење дивље врсте? Какав (не)морал је на делу? Зашто нема бога који би ово спречио? Имам(о) ли слободну вољу да одлучујем(о) (уместо других бића)? Није ли моје сопство, апсорбујући мекушчеве молекуле, постало хибридно? Је ли ум (једина) идентификациона променљива константа? На чему се темеље ова сазнања? --- Све су ово теме обрађене у аналитичко-дидактичком, мачевалачком маниру, наместо историје идеја, да не кажем лапрдања плесњиваца које се на домаћем терену подмећу ђацима. Вештина критичког мишљења, актуелност и занимљивост много су важнији од пуког меморисања броја трепавица ове или оне испушене муштикле, а како ђаво не лежи у детаљу, већ армиран у стожер, није ме мрзело да пречешљам већ виђено.

🔬 This is Philosophy of Science
🧠 This is Philosophy of Mind
Next stop: This is Epistemology…

“Lord,” you begin, “I just want you to know that I’ve always believed in you, so I’m ready to head on into Heaven.”
“Ah, well,” rumbles God, “why have you believed in me?”
“Pascal’s wager, my Lord. I read his argument as a youth and knew right away that believing in you was the best bet. And now I’m here to cash in my chips and get the payoff.”
“So let me get this straight. You believed in me out of greed? That’s the reason?”
“Yep, greed. Now, where’s my wings?” (…)
“Ah, well,” rumbles God, “why have you believed in me?”
“Faith, my Lord. Always believed in you on faith.”
“So what you mean is that you didn’t have a good argument or credible evidence of my existence, but you believed in me anyway?”
“Of course! Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
God chuckles. “Let me fill you in on a little secret. The greatest gift I gave human beings was the gift of reason, which you have obviously failed to use. I made sure that there was no good evidence of my existence when I set up the universe. If you had used your reason, you would have come to the conclusion that I do not exist. Now I’m rewarding only those who used my greatest gift, and not those who squandered it. It is only the atheists who get into Heaven. Everyone else is sentenced to Hell.”

[Lewis Housley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down the best Philosophy primer I have ever read.

Engaging, thoughtful, and easy to read (for Philosophy). This was a great way to break into Spring and revisit some of the big ideas in Philosophy. I will be picking up more books in this series and branching out from there.

Pick it up.

[Rickswan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quality introduction to fundamental philosophical concepts. Coming into this book, I'm a few years hazy on my college philosophy and logic courses, but the way the author laid out the information was clear and entertaining. The fact that a book that could be used as a course text kept my attention long enough for me to finish it should be evidence enough that it was enjoyable.

My main complaint is that in a few instances, he hints in a certain direction that one thing is more true than another. The first thing that comes to mind is the chapter on free will - he leaves off implying that there probably is no free will. To quote the end of that chapter, on page 144: "It may be that free will is, like an itch in a nonexistent hand, a persistent and troubling illusion that our brains have built for us. Like the amputee who feels the phantom limb long after knowing that there is no limb there at all, we may well continue to feel free despite the most persuasive arguments to the contrary."

I would have preferred he leave the topic more open to debate, as I think befits the philosophical mindset better. Other than that minor complaint, very entertaining and informative, I recommend it.