Philosophy: A Guide through the Subject

Book Overview

This comprehensive new collection is designed as a complete introduction to philosophy for students and general readers. Consisting of eleven extended essays, specially commissioned for this volume from leading philosophers, the book surveys all of the major areas of philosophy and offers an accessible but sophisticated guide to the main debates.

An extended introduction provides general context and explains how the different subjects are related. The first part of the book deals with the foundations of philosophical inquiry: epistemology, philosophical logic, methodology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of mind. The second part offers historical chapters, two on ancient philosophy and two on modern philosophy. Finally, two chapters deal with questions of value, ethics and aesthetics. Each chapter has a full bibliography. The contributors include Bernard Williams, Roger Scruton, Martin Davies, David Wiggins, Christopher Janaway, David Papineau, and Mark Sainsbury.

Designed to be as useful to the third-year student as to the beginner, this exciting new text will give each reader a unique sense of involvement in philosophy as it is practiced today.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0198751575
• ISBN13: 9780198751571
• Release Date: July 1995
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 686 Pages
• Weight: 2.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 1.6" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Balanced and stimulating

Grayling, the editor, appears to be the successor of Scruton at Birkbeck College. I find him supremely fitted to put together such a tour d'horizon of contemporary philosophizing, albeit happily restricted to the analytic tradition. The articles are largely bereft of Continental mambo-jumbo, and refreshingly competent across the board; therefore, the two volumes may serve as a major reference work on any shelf, as well as an apt introduction and stimulation for serious college students.

Good Introduction

"Philosophy 1" is a good introductory survey text. While it is somewhat more technical than what the casual reader may want, my goal was to learn something about "real philosophy, not simplified philosophy." The book hit the mark on this account.I was drawn to the text because of another (popular) book by A. C. Grayling. Each chapter of the text, however, is written by a different author. Consequently, the chapters vary in style and, to some extent, quality. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on methodology, the rationalists, the empiricists (by A. C. Grayling), and aesthetics.It took some effort for this casual reader to get through the text, but it was well worth it.

Grayling (ed) Philosophy: A Guide Through the Subject

This thorough introduction to the core areas of philosophy is written by some of the leading figures in their specialisms, and it is remarkable for its lucidity and comprehensiveness, and for the excellent bibliographies attached to each chapter. The volume, covering Epistemology, Metaphysics, Ethics, the Philosophy of Mind, History of Philosophy and other core subjects, is the first of two companion volumes: the second volume covers mopre advanced or specialised areas of philosophy, like Medieval Philosophy., Indian Philosophy, the Philosophy of Psychology, the Philosophy of the Social Sciences, Frege Russell and Wittgenstein, and much more. Both volumes are outstanding pedagogical collections, and their editor, AC Grayling of London University, has ensured that between them they provide what is perhaps the highest quality pacakge of introduction-to-philosophy literature available anywhere in the world today. I found it especially helpful, in my own studies and in guiding students, to have such full material on all the branches of philosophy available together in the two volumes, because it made for ease of cross-reference, and topics that were mentioned in certain of the chapters were fully explored in others. You could say that the two volumes together are a complete introduction to contemporary analytic philosophy, and there is nothing comparable to them for scope, depth, or clarity in the literature for students and teachers of philosophy now available. Dr Vere Ayer

An Introduction and Guide Through the Study of Philosophy

This book is a great guide and introduction through the study of philosophy. A.C. Grayling has edited the work and included the essential aspects of the study of philosophy. The book covers in great detail the philosophical studies of Epistemology, Logic, Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind, Ancient Greek Philosophy (Pre-Socratics to Aristotle), Modern Philosophy (Descartes to Kant and the empiricists), Ethics, and Aesthetics. The only downside to this work is the fact that Grayling does not cover the Medieval period (which all too common in these type of books). However, for what the book does cover, it is thorough, very helpful, and very detailed, which makes this book a great introductory book to the study of philosophy.

Excellent Introduction and Review

This is an excellent book for someone with a minimal background in philosophy. The essays are informative and thorough without falling into the usual trap of obfuscation. While the casual reader might find its contents slightly overwhelming, any philosophy major should have this in his or her reference library and anyone taking a philosophy course should not be afraid to consult this book. The detailed bibliographies following each section are indispensible. I highly recommend this text.