Product Description

Is there a God, should I eat meat, where does the universe come from, could I live for ever as a robot? These are the big questions readers will be wrestling with in this thoroughly enjoyable book. Dip into any chapter and you will find lively scenarios and dialogues to take you through philosophical puzzles ancient and modern, involving virtual reality, science fiction and a host of characters from this and other planets. The text is interspersed on every page with lively cartoons, and there is a list of philosophical jargon at the end.. Stephen Law has a gift for communicating complex ideas. He offers few answers, but his unstuffy, highly personal approach will have the reader thinking and arguing with as much pleasure as he does himself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16897 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
If the thought of a book about philosophy for kids turns your stomach, think again. This superb book, written by Stephen Law, a young philosophy lecturer from Oxford, is filled with an awe-inspiring enthusiasm for thinking and arguing some of the biggest questions.

From "Should I eat meat?" to "How Do I Know The World Isn't Virtual?" and the Big One: "Does God Exist?", each question is dealt with in a thoroughly modern manner that brings in the teachings of famous philosophers alongside broad philosophical arguments that are as entertaining as they are challenging.

Stephen Law has certainly hit the spot with this energetic interpretation of philosophical ideas, cleverly clearing the floor for discussion between children, and opening up conversation between children and adults.

The Philosophy Files takes an innovative step into the children's book genre with a soul-searching, thought-provoking look at the philosophical questions that shroud our everyday lives. If you ever thought that philosophy for kids would be a turn off, check this out, sit back and enjoy the ensuing debate. (Ages 9 and over) --Susan Harrison

Bridget Carrington, WRITE AWAY!
'a jargon-free, entertaining, uncomplicated approach to philosophy which makes no assumptions and encourages original thinking.'

Review
'a jargon-free, entertaining, uncomplicated approach to philosophy which makes no assumptions and encourages original thinking.' (Bridget Carrington WRITE AWAY! )

'Law is very good at dramatising philosophical problems so that children get to understand them as choices confronting them, rather than abstract questions... Highly recommended.' (Dina Rabinovitch THE GUARDIAN )

'poses challenging questions to children about life and the universe.' (IRISH EXAMINER )

Customer Reviews

The Best you'll find
An absolute masterpiece of a book. When reviews say ‘a must read’ then it usually means the book is good and that is why the reviewer is reccommending it, but this book is a lot better than good, and ‘a must read’ is a degrade of it. It deserves a much more profound and bigger compliment, more like ‘you gotta gotta gotta buy this book’ or ‘an absolute superb non fiction book - best ever’.
Dont let the word philosophy put you off. This book is fully comprehendable to anyone from young teenagers (and even younger if you give it a good stab) up to the worlds oldest person (whoever that is.) It is a superb introduction to the huge and daunting field of philosophy but Stephen Law breaks it down into little pieces, puts it on a plate so it is easy for you to use the information and by the end of the book you will know about Plato and other famous philosophers and also you’ll be debating with yourself about wheteher we are real or not and other big questions that have puzzled philosophers for centuries whatever position you started out at. Also it gives you some great arguing tips that can help win you any kind of intellectual debate with your friends.
The only disadvantage about this book is that it is not very academic - you couldn’t get a degree in this subject just by reading this book time and time again, yet Stephen Law didnt mean for this - otherwise you would find yourself with a massively heavy text book full of language that is absolut gobeldigook, yet once you have read this book (as it explains some jargon in the glossary at the back of the book) any big text book that gives the word philosophy its daunting reputation you will find will be a lot easier to handle and take in than if you just jumped into the deep end straight away, so, as I said, this is a brilliant and fun introduction to philosophy and it certainly got me interested.
The book is divided into eight ‘files’, or different philosophical questions. These are, Should I eat meat?, How do I know the world isn’t virtual?, Where am I?, What’s real? (containing Plato’s ‘forms’), Can I jump in the same river twice?, Where do right and wrong come from?, What is the mind? and Does God Exist? Each file is set out usually with a story to explain a different situation and provide a point for arguing. Each argument is set out first by explaining each others position and argument points and then by putting them into action by putting an argument on the page. This helps you see both sides of the argument and then helps you make up your own mind about what you think. This must have been very hard for Stephen Law as he would have had to see both sides of the argument and put them on paper regardless of what side he was on.
This is a superb book and if you have read this far I hope you have been pursuaded to buy it.

If a philosophy student recommends it, it must be good!
I found this in a friend's bookcase, and at first laughed when they recommended it, thinking it to be 'just a kid's book.' But having read it this morning, I am just amazed at how Law puts some of the most complex concepts in philosophy so simply, particularly the chapters on philosophy of mind and the existence of God. If only all my uni texts were as accessible and enjoyable as this work!

What an excellent book!
I love it!

What a joy to find such a thought-provoker in such an accessible format.

Simple but powerful language with fun, extremely relevant illustrations.

I enjoyed Blackburn's "Think" and de Boutton's "The Consolations of Philosophy", but compared to this little book they are rather dry and dull.

Can't wait for volume 2.

Enjoy