Reading Philosophy

Samuel Guttenplan is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London, retiring after nearly 35 years in Birkbeck's philosophy department. Professor Guttenplan was the founding Executive Editor of the interdisciplinary journal Mind & Languagein 1986 and he served in that capacity for five and then sixteen years from 2000, continuing now as an Editor. His research interests include the philosophies of mind, language, philosophical logic, and ethics. Jennifer Hornsby is Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London. She is Emeritus Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and a Fellow of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, of the British Academy, and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Christopher Janaway is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southampton. He is general editor of the Cambridge Edition of the Works of Schopenhauer, and has published widely in the history of philosophy, particularly on Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, and in aesthetics. John Schwenkler is Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Florida State University. He is the author of Anscombe's 'Intention': A Guide. Professor Schwenkler's research is in the philosophy of mind and action, ethics, epistemology, and cognitive science.

Prefaces to First and Second Edition ix Sources and Acknowledgements xiii Introduction 1 1 Doubt 7 Introduction to the Problem 7 Introduction to Descartes 8 Rene Descartes, First Meditation: What Can Be Called into Doubt 9 Commentary on Descartes 12 Introduction to Moore 17 G. E. Moore, Proof of an External World (extracts) 18 Commentary on Moore 21 2 Self 27 Introduction to the Problem 27 Introduction to Descartes 28 Rene Descartes, Second Meditation: Of the Nature of the Human Mind (extract) 29 Commentary on Descartes 32 Introduction to Ryle 35 Gilbert Ryle, Descartes Myth 36 Commentary on Ryle 45 3 Tragedy 51 Introduction to the Problem 51 Introduction to Hume 52 David Hume, Of Tragedy 53 Commentary on Hume 58 Introduction to Feagin 63 Susan L. Feagin, The Pleasures of Tragedy 64 Commentary on Feagin 72 4 Dilemma 77 Introduction to the Problem 77 Introduction to Lemmon 80 E. J. Lemmon, Moral Dilemmas (extract) 80 Commentary on Lemmon 85 Introduction to Foot 89 Philippa Foot, Moral Dilemmas Revisited (extracts) 89 Commentary on Foot 94 Introduction to Nussbaum 100 Martha C. Nussbaum, The Costs of Tragedy: Some Moral Limits of CostBenefit Analysis (extract) 100 Commentary on Nussbaum 113 5 Friendship 119 Introduction to the Problem 119 Introduction to Aristotle 121 Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book VIII (extracts) 121 Commentary on Aristotle 124 Introduction to Stroud 129 Sarah Stroud, Epistemic Partiality in Friendship (extracts) 129 Commentary on Stroud 142 6 Equality 149 Introduction to the Problem 149 Introduction to Williams 150 Bernard Williams, The Idea of Equality (extracts) 150 Commentary on Williams 165 Introduction to Nozick 173 Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State and Utopia (extracts) 173 Commentary on Nozick 178 7 Identity 183 Introduction to the Problem 183 Introduction to Locke 186 John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (extracts) 187 Commentary on Locke 194 Introduction to Williams 199 Bernard Williams, The Self and the Future 199 Commentary on Williams 213 8 Freedom 219 Introduction to the Problem 219 Introduction to Schopenhauer 220 Arthur Schopenhauer, Prize Essay on the Freedom of the Will (extracts) 220 Commentary on Schopenhauer 233 Introduction to Wolf 237 Susan Wolf, Asymmetrical Freedom (extract) 238 Commentary on Wolf 245 9 Consciousness 253 Introduction to the Problem 253 Introduction to Nagel 254 Thomas Nagel, What Is It Like to Be a Bat? (extracts) 255 Commentary on Nagel 262 Introduction to Churchland 266 Patricia Churchland, The Hornswoggle Problem (extracts) 267 Commentary on Churchland 274 10 Causality 279 Introduction to the Problem 279 Introduction to Hume 280 David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature, Book I (extracts from Part III) 282 Commentary on Hume 291 Introduction to Anscombe 300 G. E. M. Anscombe, Causality and Determination (extract) 300 Commentary on Anscombe 307 11 Qualities 313 Introduction to Some Problems 313 Introduction to Boyle and Locke 315 Robert Boyle, The Origin of Forms and Qualities (extracts) 316 Commentary on Boyle 318 John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (extract from Book II, Chapter VIII) 322 Commentary on Locke 328 Introduction to Berkeley 332 George Berkeley, The Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous (extracts) 333 Commentary on Berkeley 338 Further Reading and Resources 345 Index 351