Consider Philosophy

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.

ISBN 0205644228   Pages 504 ISBN13 9780205644223 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Pearson Education (US)   Weight (grammes) 816 Imprint Pearson   Published in Upper Saddle River Format Hardback   Height (mm) 254 Publication date 01 Oct 2010   Width (mm) 203 DEWEY 100   Spine width (mm) 20 DEWEY edition DC22   Academic level Undergraduate

		Preface
Chapter One		Thinking Critically and Cordially About Philosophy		1
		What Is Philosophy?		1
		Thinking Critically and Playing Fair		3
		Deductive and Inductive Arguments		3
		Thinking Critically and Cooperatively		4
		Irrelevant Reason Fallacy		5
		Ad Hominem Arguments		8
		Strawman Fallacy		11
		Appeal to Authority		13
		Readings		14
		Apology by Plato		14
		"The Value of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell		16
		Exercises		18
		Additional Reading		23
Chapter Two		Philosophical Questions About Religion		24
		Conceptions of God		24
		Arguments for the Existence of God		27
		The Cosmological Argument		28
		The Ontological Argument		28
		The Argument from Design		29
		The Intuitive Argument		30
		Pascal's Wager		32
		The Problem of Evil		33
		Ockham's Razor		37
		Do Science and Religion Occupy Different Spheres?		39
		Readings		41
		Genesis, Exodus		43
		A Theologico-Political Treatise by Benedict Spinoza		43
		Metaphysics by Aristotle		45
		More...

It is not overloaded and excessive, nor is it superficial and "dumbed down." It contains important primary readings, helpful "questions for thought," and a useful glossary at the end of each chapter. --Professor Robert Gall, WestLiberty StateCollege Wide-ranging, engaging, clear, comprehensible, geared toward students learning how to think philosophically rather than just understand or recite philosophical arguments. --Professor Julinna Oxley, Coastal Carolina University Its got broad topical and historical coverage and it's organized well for semester teaching. --Professor Sean Stidd, WayneState University "The strength of the book is its straightforward writing style that doesn't complicate things too much for intro students, and the questions for reflection that are at the end of the chapters. These are the kinds of questions my students could write an essay on instead of writing a paper." -- Julinna Oxley, Coastal Carolina University "The text seems to strike the right balance in terms of the amount of material covered. It is not overloaded and excessive, nor is it superficial and "dumbed down." It contains important primary readings, helpful "questions for thought," and a useful glossary at the end of each chapter." -- Robert Gall, West Liberty State College "The questions at the end of each chapter are great. They are not just questions of what was stated in the chapter, but are straightforward, compelling questions or thought experiments that students at any level could understand and attempt to answer. I also like the quotes in the boxes, which were from a wide variety of sources, including history and culture. These are useful and interesting without distracting from the main line of argument or questions being raised. The writing is also clear and straightforward, without too much complexity." -- Julinna Oxley, Coastal Carolina University "The writing style is very clear and straightforward. This is great. The level is appropriate for students and is not so long-winded. (I think they would not complain about Waller's writing.) Also, the examples used to introduce the topics at the beginning of each chapter are great. He also guides the reader through how to think of the issues, and doesn't just try to explain things. Focus on determinism. Now that helps the student focus on the topic at hand which may be hard for them to do." -- Julinna Oxley, Coastal Carolina University "I very much like the author's writing style and his introduction to key issues in philosophy. He makes complicated issues interesting and accessible and he locates them within a broader social perspective that includes historical facts, religious pressures, and political conditions. This would be a very welcome addition to my teaching introduction to philosophy." -- Jennifer Lackey, Northwestern University

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