Consider Philosophy

Description

Offering a balance of theory and applications through a mix of text and readings, Consider Philosophy begins with chapters covering philosophical theory, each of which is followed by related, classical readings.

Featuring selections from the world’s most influential philosophers, this combination of primary texts and explanatory pedagogy presents the material in a clear, accessible way that does not sacrifice rigor. Making connections among different philosophical theories throughout, the text helps students to engage the subject matter and apply theories to important contemporary philosophical issues.

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Distinctive Features: 

A conversational style and reader-friendly text will appeal to the interests of both students and teachers alike.

An approach that emphasizes the strongest arguments and positions on each question; making clear that many philosophical questions remain open and disputed issues — inviting students to draw their own conclusions.

All of the accessible readings were selected to engage students — while ranging over key philosophical questions and eras, from Aristotle to contemporary work.

Exercises introduce significant philosophical questions while avoiding simplistic “find the right answer” formats. They promote discussion by placing philosophical questions into the context of student life.

The subjects of this text are given firm grounding from which to begin dissection rather than posing philosophical issues as isolated exercises.  For example: Rather than simply examining the question of skepticism, the text examines the social factors that prompt periods of skepticism; rather than considering questions about the mind as a purely abstract philosophical exercise.

“Additional Reading” sections help identify extra material for students or teachers interested in expanding upon what the text already offers.

A glossary provides key defnitions of main concepts wihtin each chapter.

 

Dr. Bruce N. Waller is Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Youngstown State University. He received his Ph.D. in 1979 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His other works include Consider Ethics: Theory, Readings, and Contemporary Issues, Critical Thinking: Consider the Verdict, You Decide! Current Debates in Criminal Justice, You Decide! Current Debates in Contemporary Moral Problems, You Decide! Current Debates in Introductory Philosophy, You Decide! Current Debates in Ethics, and Coffee and Philosophy: A Conversational Introduction to Philosophy with Readings.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Thinking Critically and Cordially About Philosophy

What is Philosophy?

Thinking Critically and Playing Fair

Deductive and Inductive Arguments

Thinking Critically and Cooperatively

Irrelevant Reason Fallacy

Ad Hominem Arguments

Strawman Fallacy

Appeal to Authority

Readings

Plato, Apology

Bertrand Russell, The Value of Philosophy

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter Two: Philosophical Questions About Religion

Conceptions of God

Arguments for the Existence of God

The Cosmological Argument

The Ontological Argument

The Argument from Design

The Intuitive Argument

Pascal’s Wager

The Problem of Evil

Ockham’s Razor

Do Science and Religion Occupy Different Spheres?

Readings

From Genesis and Exodus

Spinoza, from A Theologico-Political Treatise

Aristotle, from The Metaphysics

St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (The Five Ways)

Leibniz, from Theodicy

Stephen Gould, “Non-Overlapping Magisteria”

Richard Dawkins, “You Can’t Have it Both Ways: Irreconcilable Differences?”

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter Three: What Can We Know?

Skepticism

Descartes

Certainty

Descartes and Reason

Descartes’ Method of Doubt

I Think, Therefore I Exist

The Lasting Influence of Descartes

Readings

Descartes, Meditations, 1 and 2

Wittgenstein, from On Certainty

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter Four: Rationalism, Empiricism, Kant

Rationalism

God said, Let Newton Be

Empiricism

John Locke

David Hume

Immanuel Kant

Readings

David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, sections 2 and 12

Immanuel Kant, from Prolegomena to any Future Metaphysics

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter Five: Contemporary Epistemology

Permanence and Change

Evolution

Darwin

Pragmatism

Readings

William James, from Pragmatism

Bertrand Russell, “Transatlantic Truth”

John Dewey, from Reconstruction in Philosophy

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter Six: What Is the Mind?

Mechanism and the Mind

Descartes and Mind-Body Dualism

Advantages of Mind-Body Dualism

Problems for Mind-Body Dualism

Interactionism

Preestablished Harmony

Occasionalism

Idealism

Materialism

Dual-Aspect Theory

Functionalism

Epiphenomenalism

Consciousness

Readings

Descartes, Meditations, 6

Daniel Dennett, “Where Am I?”

Thomas Nagel, “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?”

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter Seven: Personal Identity

Practical Implications of Personal Identity

Physical Identity

Souls and Personal Identity

Memory and Identity

Science Fiction and Personal Identity Problems

Beyond Personal Identity

Strains on Our Ordinary Concept of Personal Identity

Identity and the One

The Narrative Account of Personal Identity

Narrative Truth

Our Modular Brain

Narrative Accountability

Readings

John Locke, from Essay Concerning Human Understanding

David Hume, from A Treatise of Human Nature

Derek Parfit, from Reasons and Persons

Alasdair MacIntyre, from After Virtue

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter Eight: Fatalism, Determinism, Free Will

Fatalism

Fatalism and Determinism

Determinism

Reactions to Determinism

Readings

Lorenzo de Valla, “Dialogue on Free Will

Martin Luther, from Bondage of the Will

David Hume, Enquiry Concerning the Human Understanding

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter 9: Is Free Will Compatible With Determinism?

Does Determinism Destroy Creativity?

Does Determinism Destroy Free Will?

Hard Determinism

Soft Determinism (Compatibilism)

Hume’s Compatibilism

Hierarchical Compatibilism

Challenges to Hierarchical Compatibilism

Rationalist Compatibilism

Readings

William James, from Pragmatism

Harry G. Frankfurt, “Freedom of Will and the Concept of a Person”

Susan Wolf, “Asymmetrical Freedom”

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter 10: Are We Morally Responsible?

Libertarian Free Will

What About Moral Responsibility?

Strong Feelings and Moral Responsibility

Readings

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, “Oration on the Dignity of Man”

C. A. Campbell, from On Selfhood and Godhood

Thomas Nagel, “Moral Luck”

Daniel Dennett, from Elbow Room

Bruce N. Waller, “Uneven Starts and Just Deserts”

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter 11: Ethics: Reason and Emotion

Kantian Rationalist Ethics

Utilitarian Ethics

Criticisms of Utilitarianism

Readings

David Hume, from A Treatise of Human Nature

Immanuel Kant, from Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals

Jonathan Bennett, “The Conscience of Huckleberry Finn”

John Stuart Mill, from Utilitarianism

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter 12: Ethical Theories

Divine Command Theory of Ethics

Relativism

Egoism

Social Contract Ethics

Care Ethics

Readings

James Rachels, “God and Human Attitudes”

George N. Schlesinger, from New Perspectives on Old-Time Religion

Elvin Hatch, “The Good Side of Relativism”

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

Jean Hampton,“Two Faces of Contractarian Thought”

Annette Baier,“What Do Women Want in a Moral Theory?”

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter 13: Are There Objective Ethical Truths?

Intuitionism

Virtue Ethics

Ethical Nonobjectivism

The Argument from Diversity

The Argument from Queerness

Contemporary Moral Realism

Readings

W. D. Ross, from The Right and the Good

Aristotle, from Nicomachean Ethics

J. L. Mackie, from Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong

Michael Smith, “Realism”

Richard Rorty, from Philosophy and Social Hope

Exercises

Additional Reading

Chapter 14: Political Philosophy

Justification of Government

The Social Contract

Obeying or Disobeying the Law

Liberal and Conservative

Positive and Negative Liberty

Readings

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, from “The Origin of Inequality”

Henry David Thoreau, from “Resistance to Civil Government”

John Stuart Mill, from On Liberty

Eric Mack, “Liberty and Justice”

Hugh LaFollette, “Why Libertarianism Is Mistaken”

Exercises

Additional Reading

Consider Philosophy is based on the belief that philosophy is filled with fascinating questions. It is designed to invite every student into deep, enjoyable, and accessible philosophical exploration. Featuring selections from the world’s most influential philosophers, this combination of primary texts and explanatory pedagogy presents philosophy in a clear, accessible way that does not sacrifice rigor.

 

Making connections among different philosophical theories throughout, Consider Philosophy  helps students to engage in subject matter and apply theories to important philosophical issues.  It offers a balance of theory and applications through a mix of text and readings, and begins each chapter covering philosophical theory, followed by related, classical readings. 

 

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