Product Description

Philosophers have always enjoyed asking awkward and provocative questions, such as: What is the nature of reality? What are human beings really like? What is special about the human mind and consciousness? Are we free to choose who we are and what we do? Can we prove that God exists? Can we be certain about anything at all? What is truth? Does language provide us with a true picture of the world? How should we behave towards each other? Do computers think? "Introducing Philosophy" is a comprehensive graphic guide to the thinking of all the significant philosophers of the Western world from Heraclitus to Derrida. It examines and explains their key arguments and ideas without being obscure or solemn. Lively and accessible, it is the perfect introduction to philosophers and philosophical ideas for anyone coming to the subject for the first time.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69631 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

About the Author
Dave Robinson has taught philosophy for many years and is the author of numerous Introducing titles including the best-selling Ethics. He is now a part-time lecturer in Critical Studies and lives in Devon. Judy Groves is a painter, illustrator and designer who has worked on numerous Introducing titles.

Customer Reviews

Introducing philosophy
This is a good place to go if you wish to learn about the basic ideas in philosophy. It isn't too heavy a read and introduces you to all the main areas and themes of philosophy that you'd wish to explore. It is interesting to see where and how ideas developed and how they impact on philosophical thought today. This book is clear and written in the usual 'Introducing...' format, i.e lots of pictures and asides to clarify points. Well worth a look if you want to learn more about philosophy, but don't want anything too heavy or convoluted.

Lucid introduction
My 12 year old daughter has come to like philosophy having read Stephen Law's 'The Outer Limits'. She read a page or so out loud on the way to school by car every morning and we discussed it. The presentation makes these books especially suitable for discussion since so little actual reading is involved and the illustrations give the eye something to latch on to. We found the book surprisingly meaty with challenging little comments here and there that suggested further discussion. The illustrations inspire thought and make quirky criticisms from time to time. They are also consistent between books which adds to their enjoyment - we are reading 'Introducing Aristotle' at the moment and have spotted an image of Berkeley in an appropriate place - he is otherwise unidentified. This may be a little obscure but does make the series more fun to read.

Introductions All Round
This introductory volume provides an overview of the basics of Western philosophy which will either provoke interest in the subject or kill it off altogether. It illustrates how perceptions of reality have changed while remaining the same. Modern society is still looking for answers to the same questions that were being asked 8000 years ago by the Ancient Greeks. It's an good book for understanding the basic idea that each of us is a product of our times. The great thinkers are those whose work outlives their times which is why Aristotle is still read and Plato's Guardians remind us of the follies of Marxism. The substitution of so-called science for religion hasn't solved the problem of man's inhumanity to man. It is also indicative of how slender philosophy's grasp of reality is in practice. Utilitarianism, Logical Positivism, Analytical Philosophy have all wasted time and energy while the world continued to war and politicians created chaos out of order. Can be read in a couple of hours and used as a foundation for more serious study.