The Philosophy Book for Beginners: A Brief Introduction to Great Thinkers and Big Ideas

Description

Explore big questions and understand complex philosophy Who are you? What is truly real? Is there such a thing as free will? If you have ever considered questions like these, that’s philosophy. The Philosophy Book for Beginners breaks down the core concepts of both Eastern and Western philosophy in clear language that explains the most important people and ideas. You’ll develop an understanding of the basic ideas and see your understanding of the world expand―no dense, academic texts required. The major branches―Explore the central questions of metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and axiology as you see how they changed over time.A wide range of thinkers―Discover the diverse perspectives of philosophers, from Socrates in the fifth century BCE to modern-day thinkers like Martha Nussbaum.Thought experiments―Each chapter focuses on a topic, like existentialism, stoicism, or radical faith, and ends with a related thought experiment for you to ponder. Gain a solid understanding of philosophy, with a book that makes it easy to grasp and relevant to the world today. Title Page Copyright Dedication Contents Introduction What Is Philosophy? Why Philosophy? How to Use This Book Part One: Metaphysics Chapter One: What Is Truly Real? Adi Shankara—Karma Plato—Idealism Aristotle—Realism Margaret Cavendish—Materialism George Berkeley—Subjective Idealism Thought Experiment: The Falling Tree Chapter Two: Can the Existence of God Be Proven or Disproven? Averroes—The Teleological Argument Thomas Aquinas—The Cosmological Argument Mary Astell—The Ontological Argument C. S. Lewis—The Moral Argument J. L. Mackie—The Problem of Evil Thought Experiment: The Invisible Gardener Chapter Three: Who Am I? Zeno of Citium—Stoicism Simone de Beauvoir—Existentialism Daniel Dennett—Reductionism David Chalmers—Dualism Thought Experiment: The Floating Man Chapter Four: Am I Free to Make Choices? Epicurus—Atomism Elizabeth Anscombe—Indeterminism Epictetus—Divine Determinism Thomas Hobbes—Physical Determinism Jean-Paul Sartre—Existentialism Thought Experiment: The Calculating Demon Part Two: Epistemology Chapter Five: Can We Know Anything? Zhuang Zhou—Relativism Sextus Empiricus—Skepticism René Descartes—Rationalism John Locke—Empiricism Simone Weil—Mysticism Thought Experiment: The Butterfly Dream Chapter Six: What Makes Something True? Nagarjuna—Emptiness G. W. Leibniz—Necessity David Hume—Skepticism Ludwig Wittgenstein—Correspondence Susan Haack—Foundherentism Thought Experiment: The Stopped Clock Chapter Seven: Is Science Really Objective? William James—Pragmatism Karl Popper—Falsification Thomas Kuhn—Paradigms Michel Foucault—Power Logical Fallacies Thought Experiment: The Quantum Cat Part Three: Axiology Chapter Eight: What Makes a Good Life? Laozi—Harmony with Nature Siddhartha Gautama—Detachment Hildegard of Bingen—Enthusiasm Albert Camus—Sensual Pleasure Alain de Botton—Emotional Intelligence Thought Experiment: The Experience Machine Chapter Nine: How Do I Decide What’s Right? Augustine—Divine Command Theory Jean-Jacques Rousseau—Social Contract Theory Immanuel Kant—Deontology John Stuart Mill—Utilitarianism Rosalind Hursthouse—Virtue Ethics Thought Experiment: The Runaway Trolley Chapter Ten: What Do I Owe to the World? Confucius—Inner Propriety Søren Kierkegaard—Radical Faith Ayn Rand—Rational Egoism Peter Singer—Effective Altruism Thought Experiment: The Inhospitable Hospital Chapter Eleven: What Makes a Society Just? Abu Nasr Al-Farabi—Hierarchy John Rawls—Fairness Karl Marx—Economic Equality Martin Luther King Jr.—Racial Equality Martha Nussbaum—Gender Equality Thought Experiment: The Unconscious Violinist Chapter Twelve: What Is Beauty? Plotinus—Perfection Sen no Rikyū—Imperfection George Santayana—The Object of Pleasure Iris Murdoch—The Object of Love Thought Experiment: The Vermeer Forgeries Chapter Thirteen: What Is Art? Georg Hegel—Ideal Beauty Leo Tolstoy—Shared Emotion Friedrich Nietzsche—Inventing Value Virginia Woolf—An Infinite Difficulty for Women John Dewey—A Meaningful Experience Thought Experiment: The Four Red Squares Closing Thoughts Resources References Acknowledgment About the Author