The Web of Belief7 reviews W. V. Quine, J. S. Ullian McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages, 1978 Still wonderfully useful as an introduction + Semantics Relativized + Very much worth the challenge + Approached as a textbook, this work shines + excellent introduction to rational thought             A Guide through the Theory of Knowledge2 reviews Adam Morton Wiley-Blackwell, 2002 This is great I think this book is a great introduction to critical thinking. It is written in clear, intelligible prose, and is suitable for high school students on up. In my opinion, it is far superior to Antony Flew's "How to Think Clearly", which for some reason I see in bookstores more often than Morton's ...             Thinking It Through: An Introduction to Contemporary Philosophy2 reviews Kwame Anthony Appiah Oxford University Press, USA, 2003 Non-patronising beginners guide to philosophy + Good Introduction Philosophy is a subject that most people feel intrigued by but for many reasons most people never get involved with. I have been surrounded by philosophy students for many years and I have always wanted to learn more but was put off because I didn't know where to start, there is so much new ...             A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will3 reviews Robert Kane Oxford University Press, USA, 2005 Wonderful Introduction and Research Tool + One look at 'Kane, A Contemp. Intro. to Free Will' + Good Introduction to the Free Will Debate Robert Kane's "Contemporary Introduction to Free Will" is hands down the finest text in its class. Professors who wish to include a component on free will in their introductory courses, or who are looking for a scholarly and accessible text for a class on free will and related issues, will find in ...             Practical Ethics39 reviews Peter Singer Cambridge University Press, 1999 Controversial and Compelling + Some Reviewers Are Not Smart + Perfect, at least most of it... Those who come to Singer's book expecting to be applauded for their preconceived notions of right and wrong may be disappointed. Singer's book is actually one long argument for his particular brand of consequentialist ethics, and it leaves aside any mollifying lip-service to contract ethics, ...             Moral Theory4 reviews Mark Timmons Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2002 simply the best mid-level introduction to ethics text + Excellent + A very good introductory survey + A Good Choice for an Ethics class.             Explanation and Meaning: An Introduction to Philosophy Daniel M. Taylor Cambridge University Press, 1970             Retrieving the Ancients: An Introduction to Greek Philosophy2 reviews David Roochnik Wiley-Blackwell, 2004 profound, lucid, moving + Excellent introduction to Greek philosophy If there's a more graceful, convincing, learned and moving introduction to ancient thought out there, I don't know it. This work is philosophically deep, and yet not cold to the language, style and emotions that moved the various authors (Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle) to philosophize, teach and ...             Augustine (Blackwell Great Minds) Gareth B. Matthews Wiley-Blackwell, 2005 This lucid survey takes readers on a thought-provoking tour through the life and work of Augustine. Explores new insights into one of antiquity’s most important philosophers Topics Include: skepticism, language acquisition, mind-body dualism, philosophical dream problems, time and creation, faith and reason, foreknowledge and free will, and Augustine’s standing as a ...             An Introduction to Philosophical Logic9 reviews Anthony C. Grayling Wiley-Blackwell, 2001 Highly recommended. + Analytic philosophy + A great introduction to philosophical logic + Philosophy Majors: Read This Before Tackling Logic Exercises + Very helpful and clear             Ethics (2nd Edition) (Foundations of Philosophy)3 reviews William K. Frankena Prentice Hall, 1988 wonderful introduction + An oldie, but a good one.. + A small gem I have read many introductory texts on ethics and moral theory. In my opinion, this is by far the clearest and most helpful of them all. Short and sweet.             Deconstruction in a Nutshell: A Conversation with Jacques Derrida (Perspectives in Continental Philosophy)12 reviews John Caputo Fordham University Press, 1996 A very welcome nutshell indeed.... + Good book + A note of caution ....for Derrida is not easy reading. This fine book takes some of his best concepts and explains them in a clear and witty style. Highly recommended starting point for the beginner to deconstructionist thought.             Modern Movements in European Philosophy: Phenomenology, Critical Theory, Structuralism Manchester University Press, 1995 In this now classic textbook, Richard Kearney surveys the work of nineteen of this century’s most influential European thinkers. The second edition has a new chapter devoted to Julia Kristeva, whose work in the fields of semiotics and psychoanalytic theory has made a significant contribution to recent continental thought.             Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy)1 review John Heil Routledge, 2004 It Usually Begins With Descartes PHILOSOPHY OF MIND is one of Routledge's "Contemporary Introduction to Philosophy" series. Although there are other similar series, this is my favorite because the contributions are particularly comprehensive. Professor Heil's work is no exception. This book takes as its point of departure (like ...             Metaphors We Live By29 reviews George Lakoff, Mark Johnson University Of Chicago Press, 1980 Applicable to many disciplines + 25 Years Afterwards + Great book to get you thinking about everyday language I read this book back in the 90s while I was studying psycho-linguistics as an undergrad and then grad student. My linguistic interest aptly augmented my interest for roles in information technology - implementation and management (ie communication principles, hierarchical, object-oriented, ...             Heidegger: An Introduction8 reviews Richard F. H. Polt Cornell University Press, 1999 Highly Recommended + Great introduction...best on Division 1, but still strong on Div. 2 + Excellent introductory text + Best introduction to Heidegger's philosophy in depth.             Making Mortal Choices: Three Exercises in Moral Casuistry Hugo Adam Bedau Oxford University Press, USA, 1997 The answer, to crew and passengers aboard the sinking lifeboat, must have seemed both grimly obvious and unthinkably alien. To save the lives of many, the lives of some would have to be sacrificed. With seawater crashing over the gunwhales, only a lightening of the human cargo would keep the craft afloat. In a procedure that took much of the night, fourteen men and two women were consigned to ...             Kant (Blackwell Great Minds)3 reviews Allen W. Wood Wiley-Blackwell, 2004 excellent overview + Overall a welcome addition to any Kant enthusiast + A wonderful explication on Kant's most complex work. Allen Wood's new book on Kant is a first-rate overview of the sage from Königsberg's "critical" work. In less than 200 pages, it manages to cover all three Critiques, as well as Kant's later writings on political theory, religion, and the philosophy of history. Wood even squeezes in a brief but ...             Hobbes (The Routledge Philosophers) A.p Martinich Routledge, 2005 Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was the first great English philosopher and one of the most important theorists of human nature and politics in the history of Western thought. This superlative introduction explains Hobbes's main doctrines and arguments, covering all of Hobbes's philosophy. A.P.Martinich begins with a helpful overview of Hobbes's life and work, setting his ideas against the political ...             An Introduction to Political Philosophy (Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy) Colin Bird Cambridge University Press, 2007 Providing a comprehensive introduction to political philosophy, this book combines discussion of historical and contemporary figures, together with numerous real-life examples. It ranges over an unusually broad range of topics in the field, including the just distribution of wealth, both within countries and globally; the nature and justification of political authority; the meaning and ...