Exploring Philosophy: The Philosophical Quest (Introducing Philosophy) Book

In this new, revised and expanded edition of her classic introduction, The Philosophical Quest, Brenda Almond takes the reader on a progressive exploration through the main areas of contemporary philosophy. Starting with the examples of Socrates and Descartes, Almond looks at the kind of questions philosophers ask of themselves -- What do I know? What ought I to do? -- and the questions they ask about the external world. Throughout she draws on, develops, and assesses the key ideas of major thinkers such as Plato, Berkeley, Kant, Spinoza, Mill, Russell, Wittgenstein, as well as the most significant voices of today, including Quine, Rorty, and Putnam. Topics covered include ethics, politics, logic, philosophy of science, language and meaning, philosophy of mind and the self, metaphysics, reality, and truth. However, the emphasis is distinctively `applied' and topics such as abortion, toleration, and environment are among those covered. The result is an ideal introduction to all the central topics in philosophy, complete with full explanatory Notes and a separate reading list for each chapter.Read More