The Big Questions: Philosophy

The Big Questions

by Simon Blackburn

The Big Questions series is designed to let renowned experts confront the 20 most fundamental and frequently asked questions of a major branch of science or philosophy. Each 3000-word essay simply and concisely examines a question that has eternally perplexed enquiring minds, and provides answers from history's great thinkers. This ambitious project is a unique distillation of humanity's best ideas.
In Big Philosophy, bestselling author Simon Blackburn addresses 20 essential questions.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Psychology, 21st Century, Education

208 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Simon Blackburn FBA is an English academic philosopher known for his work in metaethics, where he defends quasi-realism, and in the philosophy of language; more recently, he has gained a large general audience from his efforts to popularise philosophy.

He retired as the professor of philosophy at the University of Cambridge in 2011, but remains a distinguished research professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, teaching every fall semester. He is also a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and a member of the professoriate of New College of the Humanities. He was previously a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford and has also taught full-time at the University of North Carolina as an Edna J. Koury Professor. He is a former president of the Aristotelian Society, having served the 2009–2010 term. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2002 and a Foreign Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2008.

Reviews

[Reshad · Rating 5 out of 5]

نیچه، مکانیک کوانتوم، امانوئل کانت، جاذبه ی گرانش، گوتریفت ویللهلم لایب نیتس، انفجار بزرگ، دیوید هیوم، طیف رنگ های نوری، آرتور شوپنهاور، علم عصب شناسی و جنین شناسی.‌..
آره ناگهان یک کتاب فلسفی تولید میشه!



شاید باورش سخت باشه ولی ارزش خوندن رو داشت. اولش که کتاب رو شروع کردم به خودم گفتم چرا دری وری میگه! می تونید
ریویو قبلیم رو زمانی که ۲۰ درصد کتاب رو خودته بودم مشاهده بفرمایید.
ولی بعد ۲ بار خوانش میگم دمش گرم!

خیلی خب؛ کتاب پرسش های اساسی فلسفه به راستی مربوط به دغدغه های اصلی اندیشه هست. در این کتاب به مفاهیم عدالت، آزادی، جامعه ی آرمانی، اخلاقیات پرداخته نشده. صحبت از مفاهیم بنیادی تری شده نظیر منشا پیدایش خلقت، ماهیت انسان، دامنه و حدود و ثغور تفکر انسان.
ولی نکته ی حائز اهمیت در روند استدلالی کتاب به وضوح خود نمایی میکنه. شما با یک رشته استدلال مجرد و بی ارتباط با دنیای واقعیات طرف نیستید. برای فهم کتاب میبایست اطلاعات فیزیک و زیست شناسی مناسبی برخوردار باشید. به عنوان نمونه از قوانین فیزیکی مربوط به طیف نوری، علم عصب شناسی و مطالعه و رفتار شناسی انسان یک رشته تحلیل و استدلال برای تبیین ماهیت انسان عنوان میکند.
به همین طریق از علم مکانیک کوانتوم، یافته های اخترشناس و البته به کمک تامل و استنتاج آنجا که علم دیگر حرفی برای گفتن ندارد به منشا هستی میپردازد.

ماحصل آنچه توضیح داده شد، تبدیل به یک ترکیب همگون و موشکافانه از رشته استدلال های فلسفی و مشاهدات علمی برای پاسخ به پرسش های اساسی فلسفه شده است.

[Omid Milanifard · Rating 3 out of 5]

سوالات جالبی مطرح شده بود و البته برای همه پاسخ سر راستی هم داده نشده، فقط نظرات مختلف سرجمع شده است. سوالاتی مثل: "آیا انسان روحی در یک دستگاه است؟" "چرا خوب باشیم؟" "واقعا چه می دانیم؟" "آیا به خدا نیاز داریم؟"
به رغم جالب بودن سوالات و توصیف آنها، متاسفانه ترجمه چندان خوب نبود. به خصوص عدم استفاده مناسب از علامتهای نشانه گذاری باعث می شود کتاب خیلی خوش خوان نباشد. باشد در چاپهای بعدی تصحیح شود..

[Al Bità · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, philosophy is one of the great pleasures for the inquiring mind. Take any subject, and there is bound to be a thinker somewhere who has expostulated upon it.

This book is one of a series put out by Quercus under the general title 'The Big Questions'. It's intent, apparently, is to make some of the major issues of various subjects (Physics, Mathematics, and the Universe, for example, are separate books in the series) more accessible to the general public. From this perspective Blackburn does a generally good job in at least broaching some often thorny subjects in Philosophy. He is limited, however, in that he must do so within a framework that will not frighten ordinary mortals away.

There is a risk in this kind of venture that the reader may simply find it all too confusing, and too 'clever' by half, making them think that perhaps all philosophers are simply wankers determined to confound with subtleties. There is a real sense wherein the 'big questions' in philosophy are simply those questions for which either there is no clear answer (since philosophers can provide three or four interpretations) or which persistently end up in paradoxes, implying that no definitive answer is possible. If so, one risks the response that philosophy ultimately does not help at all. Or perhaps the 'answer' is that the questions are the wrong kind of questions...

My main concern, however, is in something not directly linked with philosophy: the design of the book. Quercus has gone for a type of moleskine note-book presentation (the ones with the rounded corners and the elastic band) perhaps to create a stylistic impression for the possessor... And each of the articles appears to be designed as if it were meant for some kind of magazine, with blocked off inserts and headings. These headings seem to be arbitrarily inserted without due regard for the content, often splitting an argument in the middle. Sloppy! Overall, then, I personally found this book slightly disappointing.

[Grant P · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little too intro level for my tastes. The topics are a little short handed (as would be for a book styled this way) which left me wanting to delve into some of the minutia in a more careful way than presented here. Good for an introduction for those without a more sophisticated philosophy background. Not good for the already philosophically well read.

[Rose :) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
In my opinion this book was just too basic and wasn’t really interesting. I found the structure of the book to be annoying and compared to other philosophy books the writing was just not as engaging.

[Heath Lowrance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to Blackburn's other work, this one feels a bit pieced-together, but I guess that's to be expected when you consider that he's trying to cover a lot of ground in a very slim volume. Regardless, it's a pretty solid introduction to the central questions of philosophy, presented in such a way that even a relatively dim lay-person like myself can follow the thread. If its central purpose is to leave the reader with much to think about after finishing, it succeeds.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introduction to a selection of, as he says, big questions in philosophy, aimed at readers without a prior background in philosophy. I think it may be my daughter's copy.
It seems (I didn't read every section) a good stab at sketching out a range of positions on the selected themes, and some problems with them, in a pretty accessible way. Blackburn puts in a fair bit of his own views along the way, which I think is effective for the presentation, even if the argumentation is naturally a bit on the cursory side, and the reader isn't expected to agree with the author so much as tacitly invited to reflect on what their own thoughts might be - or indeed read further: a section of notes gives some suggestions for following up the texts referred to.
Hard for me to evaluate how effective it would be at luring a complete innocent into the mysteries and thrills of philosophical fretting; I suppose ultimately either you have the big-questions itch or you don't, but if you do, this might well encourage further scratching.

[Mark Lisac · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting introduction to debates over big philosophical questions and to how philosophers think. A bit disappointing in that most of the questions receive a guide to further study rather than any kind of firm answer. The scale of topics such as "why is there something and not nothing" was dizzying. Most of the book presents complicated ideas in fairly clear fashion, and suggests possible further reading. In late 2020, the time of Trump and covid-19, it was also useful to read a philosopher's commentary on rationality, on "problems of toleration, truth and confidence," and on "problems of constancy and chaos."

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a big fan. There were definitely some parts that I enjoyed but it was mostly a slog.

I found the "big questions" that the book is based on to be largely uninteresting. The writing was also not very good in my opinion, just boring and scattered. Lots of wishy-washy opinions. Each question has about 15 different answers with very little personal opinion from the author which is frustrating. I don't care if it's RIGHT (most of these questions don't have conclusive answers anyway), I just want AN answer. Not a ton of answers from every other philosopher.

I just think the concept of this book isn't the best and it was not helped by the poor writing.

Don't recommend!

[Marchelita · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'uomo è un animale razionale? Perché bisogna dire la verità?
L’uomo avverte un senso di meraviglia e di stupore di
fronte al mistero dell’esistenza e si interroga in
continuazione su di essa. Ciò che differenzia l’uomo
sono le capacità:
porsi interrogativi non solo “come”, ma “perché”
; riconoscere bisogni materiali, ma anche spirituali
(quando la fame del pane è soddisfatta inizia quella del
significato).
Alcune domande che si pone l’uomo sono
“fondamentali”, poiché sulle risposte che dà ad esse
fonda il senso della vita.

[Gunblaze · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seems to function as a way to get the reader interested in philosophy with how short the chapters dealing with major philosophical ideas are. And it works decently at it.

However, there are some strangeties, like the self-quotations included in the book, which makes ol' Blackburn seem a bit self-centered and pretentious.
Additionally, this book would have to be paired with immediate reading of other philosophers or bigger, more complex works to truly function as a beginner's beginner's book to philosophy.

[Arya Moghaddam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think Mr.Blackburn is not the best author in the business. There was a couple of chapters that I really enjoyed (time-related discussions), but overall it had nothing really new to offer. Every chapter feels like a loop : The author asks the question and writes anything that comes to his mind at that moment and then leaves it there and jumps to the other question.
It was an "OK" book, but it was not satisfying at all.

[JP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can review the text but not interpretation.

To review the interpretation you have to move little higher than the book experience.

Author analysed and interpreted imdepth common element which we discuss philosophically and psychologically at peripheral
Fantastic book!
Should give few reads to understand the understanding

[Mark Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

While none of it was truly new and I didn't agree with all of it, this book definitely got me thinking again about all the "facts of life" that really are just suppositions. Who are we really? Why do we exist? Why do or believe anything. While rarely providing answers, this book definitely directs your attention deeper into each question. Great for guided reflection and deep thought.

[Kristof Verbeke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to relevant questions. I must admit my views align rather well with those of mr. blackburn. Sadly does not go crazy in dept, however, it does not need to as it rather launches you into thinking yourself about those questions.

[Charissa Ty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can tell that he does have very interesting perspectives on certain issues. However, this book is written in a way that only he can understand it. I find it very hard to focus when he starts to ramble on into his own internal monologues.

[Lora Angelova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Увличаща книга, която те кара да мислиш и разсъждаваш по доста дълбоки теми. Не е книга, която да прочетеш за ден, хубаво е да я попиваш малко по-малко. Лично за мен беше едно няколко седмично пътуване през философията. Със сигурност ще е препрочета отново някой ден.

[Nicholas · Rating 2 out of 5]

But boring

[Vad Minot]

تمام آنچه را تابحال به آن اعتقاد داشته اید در این کتاب با چند سوال و یا توضیح ساده به چالش کشیده خواهد شد.
خوندن این کتاب رو به دوستان توصیه می کنم.

[Andy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great intro and overview of some of the major philosophical questions.

[Adrienn · Rating 2 out of 5]

...well maybe my expectations were high...I was hoping to see more comparisons, clash of ideas, just more philosophy substance..and less personal opinions if that makes sense.

[Prarichut Paochanuan · Rating 4 out of 5]

สนุกมากๆ เป็นคำถามที่เราต่างคนต่างมีในหัวแน่นอน มันคือมุมมองแนวคิดใหม่ๆ ที่น่าสนใจมาก

[Jadenpaul Albay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I legitimately do not know what to say. Perhaps it is then appropriate to say only that I think there has been a good progression of topics in this book, with a good variety of sources of thought.

[Nooshari · Rating 3 out of 5]

سوال‌های خوبی تو کتاب مطرح شده و ذهن رو درگیر میکنه.
البته ترجمه‌ی روانی نداره و آدم رو خسته میکنه.

[Zoie Cowan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Challenging to get through for someone just beginning in philosophical concepts and academic writings. It felt as though the author wanted to sound intelligent, even when explaining a fairly simple concept. This, in turn, made the more difficult concepts that much more challenging to grasp from his explanations.

[Count Vamira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read on the subject of philosophy. And I loved it!! The questions we all face. The problems we all want solved and the condition of the human mind and nature. All within philosophy’s realm.
Brief view on the subjects covered in this book.
Is there life after death? In short; No there isn’t. Same as there wasn’t life before life. Do you remember what it was like 4 years before you were born? Life simply stops and there is nothing. No consciousness, no feelings there isn’t anything because you simply no longer exist. The concept that we have a ghost or spirit, has never been proven. And falls within the realm that death brings fear of the unknown. We need comfort.
What is the purpose of life? In short; whatever you want it to be. As there is no meaning as to why we are here. We simply are, and must make the best of it.
Is there Deities or a God? In short; most likely no. Just a creation of human imagination propelled forward by fear of death, promises of an afterlife, and needing explanations to questions we cannot answer on our own. The new age fear of hell. A place non-believers go to eternally burn and suffer because they never believed in a God that doesn’t reveal himself to any of the five senses we possess. It is after all the only way the brain can experience the world around it or possess any knowledge of the world in which it exists, leads to the thought that God makes you question his/her existence on a daily basis because of the lack of any/ or all evidence. And the only answer we have is…you simply have to believe. Because that’s all there is to it.
So I thought…good point.
The book covers subject like: Why be good? Am I free? Can machines think? What is human nature? T is beauty? What is time? Etc…
What I liked as that as well as pointing out religions flaws it also points to Science’s flaws a well. Stating that science is not an answer to everything either. It about asking questions and thinking about a given subject without coming to a firm and assertive mind. Saying “This is the truth” because philosophy is based on there is no truth as truth is from your mind. Not reality.

I want to read more on philosophy. I liked this book very much.

[Steffi Greeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Simon Blackburn really struggles to bring his thoughts together in a balanced manner. He has a strong tendency to interpret the world or philosophies in extremes. I have read and studied 3 of his books (Philisophy, Think and Truth) and found this trend througout all of them. To me, it feels like he is unable to successfully interpret the world around him, as well as inner realities. It felt like reading the work of a highly intelligent 10 year old who still clings to a black or white view of life.

I can understand that some people might strongly relate to his writing, but I suspect that it might be that they relate to his confusion and inability to understand life.

There are people who have the ability to truly grasp elements of truth from various fields and aspects (human experience, science maths, music, etc) and incorporate these truths to get a clearer understanding of life. These are people with wisdom. Simon Blackburn does not have this ability. He struggles profoundly to bring his thoughts together; he either lacks the mental capacity or the literary talent to do so. In my opinion, this makes him a terrible writer.

[Mark Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a challenging and yet worthwhile read.

I genuinely feel inspired to re-examine commmonly held assumptions surrounding the social order and the concept on self.

The book is divided into idependent chapters which cover areas ranging from "The Ghost in the Machine"; the Pirsoner's Dilemma, and consciousness after death. Each chapter is balanced and considered, and is written in a light-hearted but intelligent manner which aids both understanding, and inspires confidence to read further into selected areas of your own choice.


I would recommend this book to anyone whom, like myself, is questioning some of the existing meta-narratives surrounding our existence and our own interpersonal experiences.

[Belleza · Rating 1 out of 5]

Allthough this book seems to be a good philosophy beggining, covering all the main philosophical questions, I find the way of explaining of the writer way too quick to really understand the subject. It just gives you a first impression on the question, then even before you have a moment to think about it, the "story" continues, leaving most of your questions unanswered. I wanted to read this book to have a general culture on philosophy and have some basics, and this book failed.

PS: I read the edition translated in Turkish, it was abominable. If you have the possibility, read it in its original language.

(By the way I am not a native speaker so sorry for my English. However, I hope I was able to explain my point.)

[Bendick Ong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must say I bought the book cos it is compact and sturdy with a strap for keeping it so like a moleskin notebook. "This will be THE book I will bring along with me wherever I go to fill up all the gaps between appointments and commuting!" Or so I thought. But of course I finished everything up in one afternoon (not that it's easy though- Blackburn's always has depth) and now it is sitting comfortably on the shelf.

This book is for the intelligent layman who wants to know more about the essential questions in philosophy: meaning of life, free will, identity, time, God, truth, beauty, good, artificial intelligence, human nature, death and many more.