About the Book
Find everything you need for a solid introduction to philosophy with this brief, powerful text. One of the most concise introductory philosophy anthologies available, KNOWLEDGE, NATURE, AND NORMS: AN INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY features classical philosophy readings, short fiction, and literature from popular writers, as well as a wealth of effective learning tools. Concise, well-edited selections are designed to give first-time philosophy students what you need to succeed--a well-crafted focus on the essential elements of philosophical debate. Integrated learning tools, such as a comprehensive introductory essay at the beginning of the text, provides an overview of how to approach philosophy. Engaging Chapter Introductions highlight key arguments, while Reading Comprehension and Review Questions draw your attention to key ideas. A robust companion website further enhances learning with self-assessment exercises, study guides, and links to philosophical and other helpful resources. With this anthology, you'll find a complete range of philosophical topics, including key issues in epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics.
This thorough introduction is all within a book that's one-third the length of a typical anthology for cost savings and unmatched clarity.
Table of Contents:
Part I: INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY. Part II: PERSONAL IDENTITY AND IMMORTALITY. Introduction. 1. F. Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth, "The Meeting." 2. Plato, "Phaedo." 3. Clarence Darrow, "The Myth of the Soul." 4. John Locke, "The Prince and the Cobbler." 5. John Perry, "Personal Identity and Immortality." 6. Derek Parfit, "The Unimportance of Identity." Part III: THE MIND-BODY PROBLEM. Introduction. 1. Terry Bisson, "They're Made out of Meat." 2. Curt Ducasse, "In Defense of Dualism." 3. Paul M. Churchland, "Dualism: For and Against." 4. Jerry A. Fodor, "The Mind-Body Problem." 5. John Searle, "Minds, Brains, and Machines." 6. David J. Chalmers, "The Problem of Conscious Experience." Part IV: FREE WILL, DETERMINISM, AND RESPONSIBILITY. Introduction. 1. Clarence Darrow, "Leopold and Loeb." 2. Baron d'Holbach, "The Illusion of Free Will." 3. C. A. Campbell, "Has the Self 'Free Will'?" 4. Walter T. Stace, "The Problem of Free Will." 5. Galen Strawson, "The Impossibility of Moral Responsibility." 6. P. F. Strawson, "Freedom and Resentment." Part V:THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. Introduction. 1. Fyodor Dostoevsky, "Rebellion." 2. Anselm, "The Ontological Argument"; Gaunilo, "The Lost Island Objection." 3. Thomas Aquinas, "The Cosmological Argument." 4. William Paley, "The Teleological Argument." 5. William Lane Craig and Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, "The Evidence of Miracles: an Exchange Between a Christian and an Atheist." 6. Blaise Pascal, "The Wager." 7. Simon Blackburn, "God." 8. David Hume, "The Problem of Evil." 9. Eleonore Stump, "The Mirror of Evil." Part VI: KNOWLEDGE, SKEPTICISM, AND BELIEF. Introduction. 1. John L. Pollock, "A Brain in a Vat." 2. Rene Descartes, "The Sphere of the Doubtful." 3. G.E. Moore, "Certainty." 4. Peter Unger, "A Defense of Skepticism." 5. William K. Clifford, "The Ethics of Belief." 6. Peter van Inwagen, "Is it Wrong, Everywhere, Always, and for Anyone to Believe Anything upon Insufficient Evidence?" Part VII: ETHICS. Introduction. 1. Plato, "The Myth of Gyges." 2. Ruth Benedict, "Ethical Relativism: A Defense." 3. Thomas Nagel, "Right and Wrong." 4. J. S. Mill, "Utilitarianism." 5. Immanuel Kant, "The Moral Law and Autonomy of the Will." 6. Nel Noddings, "An Ethic of Care." 7. Aristotle, "Virtue and the Good Life."
