Beginner's Guide to Philosophy

by Dominique Janicaud

Book Overview

The ideal introduction history of western philosophy: An illuminating discourse on the major thinkers, from Plato to Descartes to Nietzsche.

A small marvel, A Beginner's Guide to Philosophy provides an instructive and delightful introduction to philosophy. Despite its brevity, this beginner's guide covers a vast range of authors and topics. The reader will find discussions of ancient and modern philosophy, beginning with the pre-Socratic thinkers, before moving on to Plato and Aristotle. The narrative then proceeds to an elegant survey of modern philosophers: Descartes, Nietzche, Kant, and Hegel.

At the end of this poignant yet practical intellectual journey, Dominique Janicaud at last addresses the problems that have occupied thinkers through the ages: the existence of God, the meaning of life, human nature, and the question of freedom.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1605980781
• ISBN13: 9781605980782
• Release Date: February 2010
• Publisher: Pegasus Books
• Length: 130 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Great Start

This introduction gave me insights into my own philosophy of life which I didn't know I had.

A superb primary text perfect for self-directed study

French philosopher Dominique Janicaud presents A Beginner's Guide to Philosophy, which introduces readers to the basics of Western philosophy. From the stylings of pre-Socratic thinkers to the work of Plato and Aristotle, to an overview of more modern philosophers such as Descartes, Nietzsche, Kant, and Hegel, A Beginner's Guide to Philosophy touches upon the quandaries that have hounded thinkers throughout history: the existence of God, the meaning of life, human nature, and the question of what true freedom is. "If not all acts are free in the same way, should freedom itself depend on the degree of enlightenment it brings? Or is every man essentially free in so far as he is a man? If this is the case, we must not simply identify the capacity for being free with the enactment of freedom. We still don't know how freedom can be made concrete in the world." Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, A Beginner's Guide to Philosophy is a superb primary text perfect for self-directed study.