Philosophy in Practice

Adam Morton is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oklahoma. He has previously taught at Princeton University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Bristol. His publications include Frames of Mind (1980), Disasters and Dilemmas (Blackwell, 1991), The Importance of being Understood: Folk Psychology as Ethics (2002), A Guide Through the Theory of Knowledge (third edition, Blackwell, 2003), and On Evil (2004).

"This second edition of Morton's Philosophy in Practice is the best introductory textbook on the market. Morton's approach to teaching takes into account what we have learned about learning and critical thinking over the past twenty years, and the text emphasizes doing philosophy as an integral part of learning it. If you want an introductory textbook which makes it possible to teach philosophy as a verb to undergraduates, one that makes possible real conversation with beginners, this is it." Michael Silberstein, Elizabethtown College "I find it hard to imagine that one could get very far into this engaging book without wanting to think through, for oneself, the core issues of philosophy. Fortunately, Adam Morton has also provided the basic resources one would need to deal responsibly with those great issues." Gareth B. Matthews, University of Massachusetts–Amherst, author of Socratic Perplexity and the Nature of Philosophy

• Thanks. Note to Teachers.The Contract.Part I: The Lure of Certainty:.1. Certainty and Doubt.2. Sources of Conviction.3. Rationalism.4. Rationalism versus Relativism in Morals.5. Induction and Deduction.6. The Retreat from Certainty.Postcard History of Philosophy I.Part II: Life in an Uncertain World: .7. Utilitarianism.8. Kantian Ethics.9. Empiricism.10. Beyond Empiricism.11. Objectivity.Postcard History of Philosophy II.Part III: Reality: .12. Materialism and Dualism.13. Morality for Naturalists.14. Deep Illusions.15. Realism.Postcard History of Philosophy III.Definitions.Index.