Looking At Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter [Paperback]

Donald Palmer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 7, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0072828951 | ISBN-13: 978-0072828955 | Edition: 4

Distilled from Donald Palmer's more than 30 years of teaching experiences, this approachable text, historically organized text exemplifies Dr. Palmer's very successful light-hearted approach to teaching introduction to philosophy. Through the use of humor, drawings, charts, and diagrams, serious philosophical topics come alive for the readers--without compromising the seriousness of the subject matter. The text can be used as a core text or as a supplement to any reader.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born in San Jose, California, Donald Palmer spent most of his life in California, except for several years studying, traveling, and eventually, living abroad. Donald Palmer holds both B.A and M.A. in Philosophy from University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. He has published numerous articles and textbooks including: Why It's Hard to Be Good: Introduction to Ethical Theory; Does the Center Hold? An Introduction to Western Philosophy and Looking at Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 4 edition (June 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072828951
• ISBN-13: 978-0072828955
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #362,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars History of philosophy for nonmajors, October 31, 2001

By 

Pumpkin King - See all my reviews

This review is from: Looking At Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter (Paperback)

The history of philosophy is fascinating for the ideas alone, but it is also a continuing debate among various thinkers in many different fields of study (physics, psychology, economics, anthropology...). Donald Palmer tells the story of some major thinkers of the West in simple language and illustrations, and yet manages to avoid treating the reader as a child (though a child could read this book and learn much). He provides a quick overview of Western thought from the early Greeks to twentieth century Poststructuralists for readers who are interested in philosophy but have never encountered it. This is a better introduction than Palmer's "Does the Center Hold?" which is organized by topics of philosophy rather than chronologically. However, if you are seriously interested in philosophy, you will want to read more, and he provides a good bibliography with suggestions for primary and secondary sources at the end.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good primer, September 8, 2002

By 

Bob Swain "Seattle" (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Looking At Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter (Paperback)

I use this textbook as an introductory guide to Philosophy at a small state college. The students like it, and can actually get through it, and yet it is smart, and doesn't dumb down big ideas.

This book is just wonderful, and the author even has a sense of humor. From this, we go on to Seinfeld and Philosophy, and finally Cohen's book A Philosophical Approach to Jokes, if that's the right name. Of these, Palmer's book is far and away the most helpful.

I wish there was just a little bit more about the importance of these ideas as they are reflected in the polis. For instance, he goes through the ideas of Hobbes but doesn't talk about where they lead, or the social implications of his ideas.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful dead guys brought to life!, December 20, 2000

By 

Jim Allen "The Big Idea Coach" (Odenton, Md USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Looking at Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter (Paperback)

My personal interest in the history of Rome and Ancient Greece led to a desire to learn more about philosophy. I was looking for a good overview of the history and development of philosophy, something simple to understand, yet thoughtful, comprehensive, and engaging. Happily, I discovered Palmer's book and have studied Philosophy regularly ever since.

This book provides just the right mix of serious appreciation and humorous perspective on the study of Western philosophy. It examines the major schools and philosophers with enough depth to understand the development of the science, but not enough to overwhelm or, worse yet, bore. Palmer's approach is to make Philosophy not an unreachable, unfathomable science better left to the professional academic, but an engaging and challenging field of study.

If you have any interest in Philosophy, this is the book to start with.