Product Description

Philosophy: Basic Readings is an acclaimed anthology that brings philosophy to life with a rich and stimulating selection of philosophical writings on key topics.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37613 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 592 pages

From the Back Cover
Nigel Warburton brings philosophy to life with an imaginative selection of philosophical writings on key topics. Philosophy: Basic Readings is structured around the same key themes as its companion volume, Philosophy: The Basics, but is also ideal for independent use on any undergraduate introductory philosophy course.

Philosophy: Basic Readings includes short and accessible sections from:
* classic works of philosophy such as Descartes' Medititations and Hobbes' Leviathan
* contemporary thinkers such as Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett
* thought-provoking works by figures outside philosophy such as Jorge Luis Borges and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The second edition has been revised and expanded to include nineteen new readings. The introductory chapter, What Is Philosophy?, has new selections from Thomas Nagel, Simon Blackburn, Edward Craig and Bryan Magee. Other new readings throughout the book include:
* Jean-Paul Sartre on nature
* Hubert Dreyfus on the Internet
* Ronald Dworkin on censorship
* Bernard Williams on immortality
* Peter Singer on ethics.

About the Author
Nigel Warburton is the author of the bestsellers Philosophy: The Basics (4th edition), Thinking from A-Z (2nd edition), Philosophy: The Classics (2nd edition) and The Art Question, all published by Routledge. He is a senior lecturer at The Open University

Customer Reviews

A very good introduction
As a newcomer to philosophy I find this an absorbing and approachable book. I imagine it would be suitable for reading cover-to-cover or dipping into. The selections are stimulating without being too daunting, and Warburton has minimised his own commentary, making for a book that shows rather than telling, and also invites you to join in.

WONDERFUL SELECTION
A review by Luciano Lupini. A truly wonderful selection of readings about philosophy and philosophy's central issues by professor Nigel Warburton. Very highly recommended for those that want to enhance their knowledge and have a better understanding of the basic topics that torture human mind, without having to yawn and dwell with dull or inextricable texts, as it happens with other anthologies, of a more complex and ambitious structure (which usually remain unread). This compilation indeed lives up to the purpose that the author set up to accomplish, as it is set forth in the Preface: "My aim has been to select writing that will repay study, and which is, above all interesting. Part of the point of this anthology is to demonstrate philosophy in action.."
The book is divided in eight parts, if you count the Introduction about the topic "What is Philosophy ?", as one. Here, scope, method and value of P. are presented through writings by Warnock, Mellor,Ayer and the Earl Russell. Then the subject of God, its existence and the discussion about the proofs of God is left to the writings of Pascal, Gardner, Mackie, Swinburne, Hume and Dawkins. Another section deals with ethics and morals, titled "Wright and Wrong". Other sections dwell with the subjects of Politics, The External World, Science, the Mind and, finally, Art. Each section has a brief and balanced introduction by the author. Here, again, he accomplishes the task of setting the basic mainframe to aid the reader, and refrains from providing a resume that, in other anthologies, enables the reader to dispense with the reading of the material itself.....
This selection can be read with relative ease and constitutes a fresh and modern approach to the divulgation of philosophy. Kudos to professor Warburton !

Good value for money
I enjoyed reading this volume. It consists of either extracts from the great philosophers or articles and essays written by distinguised academics.

Most of them were interesting. I think that I only read one or two readings where the topic didn't really interest me that much. Again most of them anticipated reasonable objections and tried to deal with obvious counter-arguments. There were only about one or two readings where the arguments seemed so preposterous and wrong-headed or where one thought that some sleight of hand or even 'bullying' was being used in the presentation of an argument.

Although a professional accountant, I have a wide range of interests including the fine arts, history, languages, literature, mathematics, politics, religion and the natural sciences and I therefore find all aspects of philosophy extremely interesting.

Nigel Warburton is an Open Univesity lecturer and has written a number of good books for non-specialists.

Highly recommended.