Reading Philosophy – serie

A key introductory philosophy textbook, making use of an innovative, interactive technique for reading philosophical texts Reading Philosophy: Selected Texts with a Method for Beginners, Second Edition, provides a unique approach to reading philosophy, requiring students to engage with material as they read. It contains carefully selected texts, commentaries on those texts, and questions for the reader to think about as they read. It serves as starting points for both classroom discussion and independent study. The texts cover a wide range of topics drawn from diverse areas of philosophical investigation, ranging over ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, aesthetics, and political philosophy. This edition has been updated and expanded. New chapters discuss the moral significance of friendship and love, the subjective nature of consciousness and the ways that science might explore conscious experience. And there are new texts and commentary in chapters on doubt, self and moral dilemmas. Guides readers through the experience of active, engaged philosophical reading Presents significant texts, contextualized for newcomers to philosophy Includes writings by philosophers from antiquity to the late 20th-century Contains commentary that provides the context and background necessary for discussion and argument Prompts readers to think through specific questions and to reach their own conclusions This book is an ideal resource for beginning students in philosophy, as well as for anyone wishing to engage with the subject on their own.

This flexible introductory textbook explores several key themes in philosophy, and helps the reader learn to engage with the key arguments by introducing and analysing a selection of classic readings. Fully integrated introductory text with readings for beginning students of philosophy. Each chapter focusses on a core philosophical topic, and contains an introduction to the topic, 2 classic readings and interactive commentaries on the readings. An introductory book which doesn't merely tell the reader about the subject, but requires them to engage philosophically with the text. A pedagogical resource developed in the classroom by the authors at the University of London.

Designed for readers with no or little prior knowledge of the subject, this concise anthology brings together key texts in aesthetics and the philosophy of art. Designed for readers with no or little prior knowledge of the subject.Presents two contrasting pieces on each of six topics.Texts range from Plato's famous critique of art in the 'Republic' through Nietzsche's 'The Birth of Tragedy' to Barthes' 'The Death of the Author' and pieces in recent philosophical aesthetics from a number of traditions.Interactive editorial commentary helps readers to engage with the philosophical train of thought.Explains the argumentative and historical context in which each piece was written.Includes questions for debate and suggestions for further reading.

Designed for readers with no or little prior knowledge of the subject, this concise anthology brings together key texts in aesthetics and the philosophy of art. Designed for readers with no or little prior knowledge of the subject.Presents two contrasting pieces on each of six topics.Texts range from Plato's famous critique of art in the 'Republic' through Nietzsche's 'The Birth of Tragedy' to Barthes' 'The Death of the Author' and pieces in recent philosophical aesthetics from a number of traditions.Interactive editorial commentary helps readers to engage with the philosophical train of thought.Explains the argumentative and historical context in which each piece was written.Includes questions for debate and suggestions for further reading.

This collection brings together key contemporary texts in metaphysics and features an interactive commentary which helps readers engage the texts critically and to use them to develop their own views. Each text is followed by a detailed commentary, setting it in contextIncludes questions designed to help readers think hard about what the author is saying and why, to think of objections, and to formulate his or her own viewsAims to improve the reader's ability to engage critically with philosophical texts, and to use them as a springboard for philosophical thought and writingIntroduces readers to the perennial problems of metaphysics and the ways that different analytic philosophers have approached them

This collection brings together key contemporary texts in metaphysics and features an interactive commentary which helps readers engage the texts critically and to use them to develop their own views. Each text is followed by a detailed commentary, setting it in contextIncludes questions designed to help readers think hard about what the author is saying and why, to think of objections, and to formulate his or her own viewsAims to improve the reader's ability to engage critically with philosophical texts, and to use them as a springboard for philosophical thought and writingIntroduces readers to the perennial problems of metaphysics and the ways that different analytic philosophers have approached them

This text encourages students to engage with key problems and arguments in ethics through a series of classic and contemporary readings. This text encourages students to engage with ethical issues through a series of classic and contemporary readingsReadings are accompanied by interactive commentary from the editorsInspires students to think about the nature of moral philosophy and to draw comparisons between different traditionsThemes include: the nature of goodness, subjectivity and objectivity, justice and virtue, moral motivation, moral obligation, and literature as moral philosophyReadings range from Plato’s Republic to Rawls’ A Theory of Justice

Designed for readers new to the subject, Reading Philosophy of Language presents key texts in the philosophy of language together with helpful editorial guidance. A concise collection of key texts in the philosophy of languageIdeal for readers new to the subject.Features seminal texts by leading figures in the field, such as Austin, Chomsky, Davidson, Dummett and Searle.Presents three texts on each of five key topics: speech and performance; meaning and truth; knowledge of language; meaning and compositionality; and non-literal meaning.A volume introduction from the editors outlines the subject’s principal concerns.Introductions to each chapter locate the pieces in context and explain relevant terminology and theories.Interactive commentaries help readers to engage with the texts.

Designed for readers new to the subject, Reading Philosophy of Language presents key texts in the philosophy of language together with helpful editorial guidance. A concise collection of key texts in the philosophy of languageIdeal for readers new to the subject.Features seminal texts by leading figures in the field, such as Austin, Chomsky, Davidson, Dummett and Searle.Presents three texts on each of five key topics: speech and performance; meaning and truth; knowledge of language; meaning and compositionality; and non-literal meaning.A volume introduction from the editors outlines the subject’s principal concerns.Introductions to each chapter locate the pieces in context and explain relevant terminology and theories.Interactive commentaries help readers to engage with the texts.

Designed for readers who have had little or no exposure to contemporary theory of knowledge, Reading Epistemology brings together twelve important and influential writings on the subject. Presents twelve influential pieces of writing representing two contrasting views on each of six core topics in epistemology.Each chapter contains an introduction to the topic, introductions to the authors, extensive commentaries on the texts, questions for debate and an annotated bibliography.Includes writings from Robert Nozick, Ernest Sosa, Laurence BonJour, and Fred Dretske.Encourages readers to engage with the texts and to think for themselves.

Designed for readers who have had little or no exposure to contemporary theory of knowledge, Reading Epistemology brings together twelve important and influential writings on the subject. Presents twelve influential pieces of writing representing two contrasting views on each of six core topics in epistemology.Each chapter contains an introduction to the topic, introductions to the authors, extensive commentaries on the texts, questions for debate and an annotated bibliography.Includes writings from Robert Nozick, Ernest Sosa, Laurence BonJour, and Fred Dretske.Encourages readers to engage with the texts and to think for themselves.

Reading Philosophy of Religion combines a diverse selection of classical and contemporary texts in philosophy of religion with insightful commentaries. Offers a unique presentation through a combination of text and interactive commentaryProvides a mix of classic and contemporary texts, including some not anthologized elsewhereIncludes writings from thinkers such as Aquinas, Boethius, Hume, Plantinga and PutnamDivided into sections which examine religious language, the existence of God, reason, argument and belief, divine properties, and religious pluralism