Customer Reviews

Living Issues in Philosophy

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As a new student of philosophy, I must admit that I was assigned this title as a text in class. Though, as text books go, it is suprisingly thin (450 pages), it is packed with definitions, explanation, comparisons, and reflections. I found it easy to read, and most enjoyed the separate introductions (with quotes) of nearly all leading philosophers throughout history. Also very helpful, the suggested readings (at the end of every chapter) allow you to immediately find sources of greater substance on very specific subjects. The authors even included brief descriptions of each book, to further narrow your search. I would have to rate it as the best textbook yet, on a difficult subject to introduce in a cohesive manner! I will be reading other texts by these authors - without being assigned to them!

In a very real sense this book focused on applied philosophy. It is an answer to those who might feel that all of philosophy is so much academic banter and never filters its way into the actual issues of the day. This book introduces philosophy and shows how it relevant it is. The ideas reflect the time and the culture, and they help to shape its future development. The tools that the philosopher uses-language, logic, reason, intuition, etc.-also shape and are shaped by the culture.

The book is divided into five parts: Methods of Inquiry (dealing with sources, nature and validity of knowledge, commonly known as epistemology, along with science and its relationship to philosophy), Man and His Place in the World (classical questions about the nature of man and the mind, and what is the self, again in terms of the realities of scientific progress; this section also deals with freedom and determinism and shows how our lives and experiences contain elements of each), Types of Philosophy (Naturalism, Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism, Analytic Philosophy and Existentialism/Phenomenology, along with areas in which all of these types agree and disagree), the Realm of Values (questions of values, ethics, morality, aesthetics, and this is where oriental philosophies were introduced), and the Social Scene (civil liberties and the rule of law, individualism and governmental control, and the philosophies of history and education).

The topics brought up in the social scene are so crucial to today's world, where invective between liberals and conservatives is so often slung. There is such a gulf of misunderstanding between people and we are too muddle-minded to work our way through it. The questions of big government ("constitution doesn't call for welfare" versus the notions of "common good or social contract") versus individualism are critical in a society where democrats are considered synonymous with communists and republicans are considered de facto fascists. The philosophies of history cover Spengler, Toynbee, Sorokin and others-these are thinkers who truly influenced their time and the ensuing generations.

There is a lot of treatment at the beginning of the book to the epistemological questions; I'm not sure if I would have led with this. As Woody Allen said: "Is knowledge knowable; if not, how do we know this?" As this very ubiquitous textbook popularizes philosophy, it's worth taking note of the fact that these issues may turn off a lot of students. Tying philosophy too closely to science and giving too much credence to scientific methods of inquiry also has its risks. As Durant, Roszak, Mumford and others have pointed out, science and technology are often given too much power over the humanities, and they are better placed inside the fold of humanistic study (this is not necessarily an anti-progressivist view, and need not take away from the scientific method itself for the practice of science).

The section on Man and His Place in the World deals with the philosophical questions that adolescents love the most: who am I, what is the self, what is reality, what is the mind, what is freedom. This is all the fun stuff and the section that asks the big questions that draws in the curious young minds.

The "types of philosophy" leads back into dry definition of terms, but this is necessary. The progression from naturalism (only empirical things are real) to idealism (ideas are real), to realism (both the objects of our senses exist and the knowing of these objects also exist) and to pragmatism (which emphasizes both experience and experimentation, and allows us to look pragmatically at the consequences or ends to see what is real) is a telling one in the history of our own (for those of us who are Western) culture, and it invites the reader to test one's own beliefs against the schools put forth. Analytic philosophy and existentialism/phenomenology are the most constructs discussed; the former deals extensively with linguistic studies and the latter is associated with problems of existence and alienation in the modern world.

The section on values, ethics and morals raises a lot of questions that should concern any critical thinker; this section discusses what it means to live a moral life. This is also the section that veers into religion, and there is a very good exposition on the variations of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam that are prevalent in the world today. This is also the only section that deals with Eastern philosophy and religion such as Hinduism and Buddhism. In all, these issues are so vital in this age of "crusading" our value-perspectives in the post cold war world.

In all, the book is an excellent foundation for a beginning inquiry into philosophy. It is a highly readable textbook that will help you understand why you care about philosophy and give you the tools to pursue further study.

Description said some wear, there was writing and highlighting along with tears and a broken binding.