Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy
Product ID: 8853873
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Here at last is a coherent, unintimidating introduction to the challenging and fascinating landscape of Western philosophy. Written expressly for "anyone who believes there are big questions out there, but does not know how to approach them," Think provides a sound framework for exploring the most basic themes of philosophy, and for understanding how major philosophers have tackled the questions that have pressed themselves most forcefully on human consciousness. Simon Blackburn, author of the best-selling Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy , begins by making a convincing case for the relevance of philosophy and goes on to give the reader a sense of how the great historical figures such as Plato, Hume, Kant, Descartes, and others have approached its central themes. In a lively and accessible style, Blackburn approaches the nature of human reflection and how we think, or can think, about knowledge, fate, ethics, identity, God, reason, and truth. Each chapter explains a major issue, and gives the reader a self-contained guide through the problems that the philosophers have studied. Because the text approaches these issues from the gound up, the untrained reader will emerge from its pages able to explore other philosophies with greater pleasure and understanding and be able to think--philosophically--for him or herself. Philosophy is often dismissed as a purely academic discipline with no relation to the "real" world non-philosophers are compelled to inhabit. Think dispels this myth and offers a springboard for all those who want to learn how the basic techniques of thinking shape our virtually every aspect of our existence. Review: Great read but the binding makes it difficult - I actually enjoy reading this book. It is so enlightening. However, the binding makes it so hard to read. I almost want to put it down. This is the second time I purchased the book because the first time the book was ruined (thanks to my dog Rocky 🐩). I really wanted to read this book, but the binding is making it an awful experience. I will keep reading because I like this author and I am benefiting from the knowledge. I appreciate the way he breaks down philosophy for the beginner. I’ll probably look for a hardcopy if there is one. Review: Time well spent - When trying to understand more about ourselves and the world, the study of philosophy presents itself as a reasonable approach. This can be tackled in a couple of ways. The great works of philosophical inquiry can be digested chronologically, like an ongoing discussion of ideas progressing through the ages, or one can look at specific topics such as free will, the problem of how we really know anything, or what is ultimately real in the world, and see what other thinkers have to say about them. Standout examples of the later approach include the short books Think, and Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction by Edward Craig, a volume in the excellent Oxford Press series of Very Short Introductions. Longer, more comprehensive books taking this approach include An Introduction to Philosophical Analysis by Edward Hospers and Modern Philosophy by Roger Scruton. Aside from just sitting down and chronologically plowing through the canonical works of philosophy one by one, several chronological surveys of philosophy (mostly western philosophy) exist, including History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell, The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant, the multi-volume series History of Philosophy by Frederick Copleston, and the more populist The Dream of Reason by Anthony Gottlieb. As someone who has been devoting a good amount of time over the past ten years to the bullheaded, brute force approach and progressing with a glacial pace from the pre-Socratic thinkers in ancient Greece to now the early nineteenth century, I can comment on the refreshing clarity with which Simon Blackburn fences with some of the larger problems of human thought. Whether you have dipped into philosophy previously or not, the problem based approach has much to recommend it. The approach serves as an excellent introduction and guide to possible further topics and thinkers to investigate. For those with more extensive background, books such as this can provide an opportunity to draw back, examine a specific question using the resources of thousands of years of thinkers. The opportunity to compare, contrast, and hopefully integrate thoughts from a wide array of thinkers is a highlight of such an approach. The short format of this book requires a sharp focus on the essential elements, which lends a degree of lucidity to the arguments. The book is divided into discussions of eight philosophic problems: 1. Knowledge: Given the problem of scepticism, the problem that our sensory input might be faulty, how can we establish a basis for gaining true knowledge about the world and our self? 2. Mind: Is there a part of the brain which integrates sensory information and does the thinking, creates volitional acts, is the source of our volition? Is there a soul? Does my mind work the same as the way as the minds of others? Is my perception of reality the same as other people's? 3. Free Will: Is our sense of freedom of thought and action illusory, or is it just a complex but ultimately predictable result of cause and effect? 4. The Self: To what extent do we possess continuity as a constant self over time? 5. God: Is there one? 6. Reasoning: A relatively painless introduction to logic and rules of rational thought. 7. The World: What is the nature of reality? Does a material world really exist outside of our own mind? 8. What To Do: An investigation into the nature of human motivations and actions. How should we act? Limitations include a somewhat obscure section on "the mind" and an idiosyncratic section on ethics which seems to bring less of the resources of the philosophic canon to bear on the problem than other sections of the book. Overall, however, I recommend this as a good introduction or an opportunity to synthesize the thoughts of thinkers throughout the western tradition.
| Best Sellers Rank | #21,484 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #4 in History of Philosophy #11 in Modern Western Philosophy #50 in Philosophy of Ethics & Morality |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,307 Reviews |
A**E
Great read but the binding makes it difficult
I actually enjoy reading this book. It is so enlightening. However, the binding makes it so hard to read. I almost want to put it down. This is the second time I purchased the book because the first time the book was ruined (thanks to my dog Rocky 🐩). I really wanted to read this book, but the binding is making it an awful experience. I will keep reading because I like this author and I am benefiting from the knowledge. I appreciate the way he breaks down philosophy for the beginner. I’ll probably look for a hardcopy if there is one.
S**S
Time well spent
When trying to understand more about ourselves and the world, the study of philosophy presents itself as a reasonable approach. This can be tackled in a couple of ways. The great works of philosophical inquiry can be digested chronologically, like an ongoing discussion of ideas progressing through the ages, or one can look at specific topics such as free will, the problem of how we really know anything, or what is ultimately real in the world, and see what other thinkers have to say about them. Standout examples of the later approach include the short books Think, and Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction by Edward Craig, a volume in the excellent Oxford Press series of Very Short Introductions. Longer, more comprehensive books taking this approach include An Introduction to Philosophical Analysis by Edward Hospers and Modern Philosophy by Roger Scruton. Aside from just sitting down and chronologically plowing through the canonical works of philosophy one by one, several chronological surveys of philosophy (mostly western philosophy) exist, including History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell, The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant, the multi-volume series History of Philosophy by Frederick Copleston, and the more populist The Dream of Reason by Anthony Gottlieb. As someone who has been devoting a good amount of time over the past ten years to the bullheaded, brute force approach and progressing with a glacial pace from the pre-Socratic thinkers in ancient Greece to now the early nineteenth century, I can comment on the refreshing clarity with which Simon Blackburn fences with some of the larger problems of human thought. Whether you have dipped into philosophy previously or not, the problem based approach has much to recommend it. The approach serves as an excellent introduction and guide to possible further topics and thinkers to investigate. For those with more extensive background, books such as this can provide an opportunity to draw back, examine a specific question using the resources of thousands of years of thinkers. The opportunity to compare, contrast, and hopefully integrate thoughts from a wide array of thinkers is a highlight of such an approach. The short format of this book requires a sharp focus on the essential elements, which lends a degree of lucidity to the arguments. The book is divided into discussions of eight philosophic problems: 1. Knowledge: Given the problem of scepticism, the problem that our sensory input might be faulty, how can we establish a basis for gaining true knowledge about the world and our self? 2. Mind: Is there a part of the brain which integrates sensory information and does the thinking, creates volitional acts, is the source of our volition? Is there a soul? Does my mind work the same as the way as the minds of others? Is my perception of reality the same as other people's? 3. Free Will: Is our sense of freedom of thought and action illusory, or is it just a complex but ultimately predictable result of cause and effect? 4. The Self: To what extent do we possess continuity as a constant self over time? 5. God: Is there one? 6. Reasoning: A relatively painless introduction to logic and rules of rational thought. 7. The World: What is the nature of reality? Does a material world really exist outside of our own mind? 8. What To Do: An investigation into the nature of human motivations and actions. How should we act? Limitations include a somewhat obscure section on "the mind" and an idiosyncratic section on ethics which seems to bring less of the resources of the philosophic canon to bear on the problem than other sections of the book. Overall, however, I recommend this as a good introduction or an opportunity to synthesize the thoughts of thinkers throughout the western tradition.
W**S
Should Be Read By All
The whole world would benefit from taking a day off from 24 hour news stations, celebrity worship, obsessions with sports, & all the other fruitless endeavors we embark on to read a book like this. This is one of the best introductions out there, Blackburn's writing style is engaging & interesting. Even after having read several of the most popular introductions to philosophy, I still came away from this book with a much better understanding of the issues, he presents the arguments in a very clear & concise manner & despite what some reviewers claim, is very fair in presenting both sides of a debate on any issue. While he may, after evaluating an issue, suggest that one side may have the advantage over the other, by no means does he ever say that an issue is settled & there is nothing left to say on the subject. I find it funny that those complaining about the objectivity of his chapters on philosophy of religion are the same people that will suggest an adamantly 'pro-christian' introduction to philosophy of religion. How can you complain about bias & then suggest something that explicitly states that it is biased? I have read Craig & Moreland's "Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview", in no way is it an objective introduction to both sides of the philosophy of religion debate. Complaints about other reviewers aside, this book is great for anyone who wants to start delving into philosophy, & will definitely prime you to enter the contemporary debate on just about any major issue. One could nitpick here or there that a certain 'philosophy of x' is not well represented, but this is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of every single subject in philosophy. As he stated in the first chaper on knowledge, it's 'just the highlights', if you want the whole story, you have to watch the whole game.
K**I
comprehensive but confusing
Covers a lot of ground in logical sequence of topics and shows how the philosophy for each topic evolves systematically. Fairly abstract with no visual elements (eg diagrams). Chapter summaries and a glossary would really help too. Some arguments seem presupposed.
K**N
An Excellent Philosophy Starter
"Think" helps you retrain your brain. It's a robust but accessible foray into the world of philosophy that is well-suited for everyone above a 9th grade reading level. The book helps to see life, death, myself, and other people in a completely new light. This is philosophy that is conversational and engaging, and a quick read to boot. Sure, there are some slow parts, but they are outweighed by the countless parts that leave you wondering "what if?" It gives you a roadmap to the rabbit hole of religion, meaning in life, knowledge, and the self. In my mind, everyone should read this book. For the uninitiated, it's powerfully mind-expanding. For the veterans, it's a refreshing take.
C**N
The title says all
This is indeed a very compelling introduction to philosophy. It begins with the question of Cartesian doubt and from that it goes on and on debating the most of main branches of philosophy: epistemology, philosophy of mind, ethics, metaphysics, logic, etc.. in a way that really flows and links all the questions. The text mentions the main philosophers, but it is not a history of philosophy. On the contrary, it addresses the questions in a way that shows they are still relevant today, in our own time.
K**Y
Great book, bad design
The content of the book is outstanding for an introduction to philosophy, if you are looking for that, I recommend it highly. The main flaw is the horrible book design! Very small font and the book dimensions are smaller than 'normal' sized books. Overall, I am still satisfied with my purchase.
A**R
Easy to follow.
Loved this book. Was a required text for a college class for beginning philosophy. Easy reading when you are just getting started with philosophy.
M**B
Ok
Pour la fac..RAS. Reçu rapidement et sans embûches.
C**M
Think!
A good book to read as an intro to philosophy.
C**N
bien
bien
A**R
Amazing!
Very fast shipping and great price!
D**A
Introduction to western philosophy
An excellent book. Worth the investment.
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