Philosophy book
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The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: 100 Experiments for the Armchair Philosopher
1312Need some help introducing my son to philosophy
Both entertaining and startling, The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten offers one hundred philosophical puzzles that stimulate thought on a host of moral, social, and personal dilemmas. Taking examples from sources as diverse as Plato and Steven Spielberg, author Julian Baggini presents abstract philosophical issues in concrete terms, suggesting possible solutions while encouraging readers to draw their own conclusions: Lively, clever, and thought-provoking, The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten is a porta… more about book… -
Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence
1112Is it immoral to have children in a world that is immoral? If the world we live in is mostly immoral, it would be immoral to subject someone to living in an immoral world
Most people believe that they were either benefited or at least not harmed by being brought into existence. Thus, if they ever do reflect on whether they should bring others into existence—rather than having children without even thinking about whether they should—they presume that they do them no harm. Better Never to Have Been challenges these assumptions. David Benatar argues that coming into existence is always a serious harm. Although the good things in one’s life make one’s life go … more about book… -
Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy
1108[Help] Getting into Philosophy
This is a book about the big questions in life: knowledge, consciousness, fate, God, truth, goodness, justice. It is for anyone who believes there are big questions out there, but does not know how to approach them. Think sets out to explain what they are and why they are important. Simon Blackburn begins by putting forward a convincing case for the study of philosophy and goes on to give the reader a sense of how the great historical figures such as Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein ha… more about book… -
A History of Western Philosophy
1056So…. where to start?
Hailed as “lucid and magisterial” by The Observer, this book is universally acclaimed as the outstanding one-volume work on the subject of Western philosophy.Considered to be one of the most important philosophical works of all time, the History of Western Philosophy is a dazzlingly unique exploration of the ideologies of significant philosophers throughout the ages—from Plato and Aristotle through to Spinoza, Kant and the twentieth century. Written by a man who changed the history of philoso… more about book… -
The Marx-Engels Reader (Second Edition)
1052List of must read Philosophy books?
This revised and enlarged edition of the leading anthology provides the essential writings of Marx and Engels–those works necessary for an introduction to Marxist thought and ideology. more about book… -
Thinking about Mathematics: The Philosophy of Mathematics
890Philosophy of Mathematics: does anyone here know anything about it?
This unique book by Stewart Shapiro looks at a range of philosophical issues and positions concerning mathematics in four comprehensive sections. Part I describes questions and issues about mathematics that have motivated philosophers since the beginning of intellectual history. Part II is an historical survey, discussing the role of mathematics in the thought of such philosophers as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. Part III covers the three major positions held throughout the twentieth cent… more about book… -
The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism Is Changing Ideas About Living Ethically
882Book recommendations for changing your outlook on life? (For a philosophy beginner)
From the ethicist the New Yorker calls “the most influential living philosopher,” a new way of thinking about living ethically Peter Singer’s books and ideas have been disturbing our complacency ever since the appearance of Animal Liberation. Now he directs our attention to a new movement in which his own ideas have played a crucial role: effective altruism. Effective altruism is built upon the simple but profound idea that living a fully ethical life involves doing the “most good you can do…. more about book… -
Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy (FSG Classics)
632I’m 17 and really need to read more into philosophy. Please recommend me books!
A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Sophie’s World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world, with more than twenty million copies in print.One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: “Who are you?” and “Where does the world come from?” From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyo… more about book… -
The Problem of Political Authority: An Examination of the Right to Coerce and the Duty to Obey
568Stanford Philosopher examines the legitimacy of political power
The state is often ascribed a special sort of authority, one that obliges citizens to obey its commands and entitles the state to enforce those commands through threats of violence. This book argues that this notion is a moral illusion: no one has ever possessed that sort of authority. more about book… -
Genesis and Structure of Hegel’s “Phenomenology of Spirit” (Studies in Phenomenology and Existent…
538The “Understanding Hegel” reading list?
Jean Hyppolite produced the first French translation of Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit. His major works–the translation, his commentary, and Logique et existence (1953)–coincided with an upsurge of interest in Hegel following World War II. Yet Hyppolite’s influence was as much due to his role as a teacher as it was to his translation or commentary: Foucault and Deleuze were introduced to Hegel in Hyppolite’s classes, and Derrida studied under him. More than fifty years after its original p… more about book… -
War is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America’s Most Decorated Soldier
500When Einstein Met Tagore: A Remarkable Meeting of Minds on the Edge of Science and Spirituality
General Smedley Butler’s frank book shows how American war efforts were animated by big-business interests. This extraordinary argument against war by an unexpected proponent is relevant now more than ever. more about book… -
Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (Science and Its Conceptual Foun…
485If you could pick 5 philosophy texts that should be read what are they and why?
How does science work? Does it tell us what the world is “really” like? What makes it different from other ways of understanding the universe? In Theory and Reality, Peter Godfrey-Smith addresses these questions by taking the reader on a grand tour of one hundred years of debate about science. The result is a completely accessible introduction to the main themes of the philosophy of science.Intended for undergraduates and general readers with no prior background in philosophy, Theory and Real… more about book… -
What Does It All Mean?: A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy
472Can anyone help me out with a philosophy “starter pack”?
In this cogent and accessible introduction to philosophy, the distinguished author of Mortal Questions and The View From Nowhere sets forth the central problems of philosophical inquiry for the beginning student. Arguing that the best way to learn about philosophy is to think about its questions directly, Thomas Nagel considers possible solutions to nine problems–knowledge of the world beyond our minds, knowledge of other minds, the mind-body problem, free will, the basis of morality, right… more about book… -
Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo (Hackett Classics)
456Where to start with Plato
The second edition of Five Dialogues presents G. M. A. Grube’s distinguished translations, as revised by John Cooper for Plato, Complete Works. A number of new or expanded footnotes are also included along with an updated bibliography. more about book… -
Animal Liberation: The Definitive Classic of the Animal Movement
428Could we ethically raise humans for human consumption?
Since its original publication in 1975, this groundbreaking work has awakened millions of people to the existence of “speciesism”—our systematic disregard of nonhuman animals—inspiring a worldwide movement to transform our attitudes to animals and eliminate the cruelty we inflict on them.In Animal Liberation, author Peter Singer exposes the chilling realities of today’s “factory farms” and product-testing procedures—destroying the spurious justifications behind them, and offering alternatives… more about book… -
First-Order Modal Logic (Synthese Library)
428What’s a good introduction to Modal Logic?
This is a thorough treatment of first-order modal logic. The book covers such issues as quantification, equality (including a treatment of Frege’s morning star/evening star puzzle), the notion of existence, non-rigid constants and function symbols, predicate abstraction, the distinction between nonexistence and nondesignation, and definite descriptions, borrowing from both Fregean and Russellian paradigms. more about book… -
Free Will
390What should my reason for doing things be when I believe in determinism?
What is free will? Why is it important? Can the same act be both free and determined? Is free will necessary for moral responsibility? Does anyone have free will, and if not, how is creativity possible and how can anyone be praised or blamed for anything?These are just some of the questions considered by Joseph Keim Campbell in this lively and accessible introduction to the concept of free will. Using a range of engaging examples the book introduces the problems, arguments, and theories surro… more about book… -
The Miracle of Theism: Arguments For and Against the Existence of God
382How viable is Christianity as a belief system?
A Miracle of Theism more about book… -
Warrant and Proper Function
366What do philosophers think of Alvin Plantinga’s reformed epistemology?
In this companion volume to Warrant: The Current Debate, Alvin Plantinga develops an original approach to the question of epistemic warrant; that is what turns true belief into knowledge. He argues that what is crucial to warrant is the proper functioning of one’s cognitive faculties in the right kind of cognitive environment. Although this book is in some sense a sequel to its companion volume, the arguments do not presuppose those of the first book and it stands alone as a stimulating cont… more about book… -
Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?
366Reading Suggestions for Ethics
“For Michael Sandel, justice is not a spectator sport,” The Nation’s reviewer of Justice remarked. In his acclaimed book―based on his legendary Harvard course―Sandel offers a rare education in thinking through the complicated issues and controversies we face in public life today. It has emerged as a most lucid and engaging guide for those who yearn for a more robust and thoughtful public discourse. “In terms we can all understand,” wrote Jonathan Rauch in The New York Times, Justice “confront… more about book…