Problems From Philosophy: An Introductory Text

Description

Problems from Philosophy is an introductory text organized around the great philosophical problems―the existence of God, the nature of the mind, human freedom, the limits of knowledge, and the truth about ethics. It begins by reflecting on the life of the first great philosopher, Socrates. Then it takes up the fundamental question of whether God exists. Next comes a discussion of death and the soul, which leads to a chapter about persons. The later chapters consider whether objective knowledge is possible in science and ethics. Problems from Philosophy represents the final work of philosopher James Rachels. In it, he brings the same liveliness and clarity to the introduction of philosophy present in his many other best-selling texts. Problems from Philosophy has been revised by James Rachels’ son Stuart, who has carefully refined his father’s work to further strengthen its clarity and accessibility. The fourth edition features revisions on discussions of free will, artificial intelligence, idealism, and Kantian ethics. Cover Half Title Title Copyright Contents Preface About the Fourth Edition Chapter 1. The Legacy of Socrates Chapter 2. God and the Origin of the Universe Chapter 3. The Problem of Evil Chapter 4. Do We Survive Death? Chapter 5. The Problem of Personal Identity Chapter 6. Body and Mind Chapter 7. Could a Machine Think? Chapter 8. The Case against Free Will Chapter 9. The Debate over Free Will Chapter 10. Our Knowledge of the World around Us Chapter 11. Ethics and Objectivity Chapter 12. Why Should We Be Moral? Chapter 13. The Meaning of Life Appendix. How to Evaluate Arguments Notes on Sources Index About the Authors