The Philosophers Toolkit: A Compendium of Philosophical Concepts and Methods (CourseSmart) [Paperback]

Julian Baggini (Author), Peter S. Fosl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2003 | ISBN-10: 0631228748 | ISBN-13: 978-0631228745 | Edition: 1

The Philosophers' Toolkit provides all the intellectual equipment necessary to engage with and participate in philosophical argument, reading and reflection. Each of its 87 entries explains how to use an important concept or argumentative technique accurately and effectively.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Philosopher’s Toolkit is a very good book. It could be highly useful for both introductory courses in philosophy, or philosophical methodology, as well as independent study for anyone interested in the methods of argument, assessment and criticism used in contemporary analytic philosophy. It is unique in approach, and written in a pleasant and considerate tone. Its authors are both competent philosophers, and the book visibly reflects their deep sympathy to the discipline and their appreciation of its unique character. This book will help one to get going to do philosophy, but more advanced students might find this text helpful too. I wish I had had access to this book as an undergraduate." Teaching Philosophy

"...the average person who is interested in arguments and logic but who doesn't have much background in philosophy would certainly find this book useful, as would anyone teaching a course on arguments, logic, and reasoning. Even introductory courses on philosophy in general might benefit because the book lays out so many of the conceptual "tools" which will prove necessary over students' careers." About.com

"The Philosopher’s Toolkit provides a welcome and useful addition to the introductory philosophy books available. It takes the beginner through most of the core conceptual tools and distinctions used by philosophers, explaining them simply and with abundant examples. Newcomers to philosophy will find much in here that will help them to understand the subject."David S. Oderberg, University of Reading <!--end-->

"Its choice of tools for basic argument ... is sound, while further tools for argument ... move through topics and examples concisely and wittily... Sources are well chosen and indicated step by step. Sections are cross-referenced (making it better than the Teach Youself "100 philosophical concepts") and supported by a useful index." Reference Reviews

"This book is ... an encyclopedia of philosophy. It should be of great use as a quick and accurate reference guide to the skill of philosophy, especially for beginners, but also for instructors ... highly recommended." Choice

Review

"The Philosopher's Toolkit provides a welcome and useful addition to the introductory philosophy books available. It takes the beginner through most of the core conceptual tools and distinctions used by philosophers, explaining them simply and with abundant examples. Newcomers to philosophy will find much in here that will help them to understand the subject."
—David S. Oderberg, University of Reading

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631228748
• ISBN-13: 978-0631228745
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #796,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction to Logic and Philosophy, November 14, 2003

By 

Brian Larkin "brian61199" (Murfreesboro, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Philosophers Toolkit: A Compendium of Philosophical Concepts and Methods (CourseSmart) (Paperback)

REVIEW: This book, while sometimes reading like a condensed encyclopedia, is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Philosophical thought and Logic. It is an excellent introduction as well as a reference book. And while the title and binding may detract from it's apparent academic credibility, I assure you it is there.

The book covers several sections, beginning with basic argumentation (Fallacies, Premises, etc...) and expanding out into complex ideas such as Hume's Fork, Leibniz's Law of Identity, Ockham's Razor and similar concepts. It is also very well cross-referenced, providing an almost instantaneous ability to further investigate topics. Additionally, it has a section devoted to Philosophical Resources on the Internet. While this might not be of use in a few years, it definitely is of use now. Finally, the book also includes a small section of "Recommended Readings" at the end of every section that is very useful.

STRENGTHS: Excellent content and superb explanation of the content. The author does a wonderful job of explaining complex philosophical ideas in a clear and concise manner. It also very well thought out, cross-referencing and suggesting additional readings on every topic.

WEAKNESSES: The book is not exactly stimulating in any contemporary manner. It is written more like an encyclopedia rather than a novel and is therefore a bit dry. Also, it's appearance detracts from the seriousness of it's subject matter.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK: Those interested in understanding philosophical arguments and/or logic. This book is also helpful to Philosophy Majors/Minors as a refresher or a reference book.

FOR SIMILAR/RELATED TOPICS, CONSIDER: Informal Logic: A Handbook for Critical Argument by Douglas Walton and A Rulebook for Arguments by Anthony Weston

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Intro, June 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Philosophers Toolkit: A Compendium of Philosophical Concepts and Methods (CourseSmart) (Paperback)

This Toolkit is such a good, smart idea, I wonder why nobody wrote a book like this before. Consisting of a series of connected brief entries (many of them quite witty), it explains important philosophical concepts and shows how we can use them to help us makes sense of life's big questions. It makes an excellent dictionary of basic philosophical concepts, but, unlike a dictionary, it is also designed to be read straight through. And it practices what it preaches: The Principle of Charity, for instance, is consistently applied. The Toolkit, along with Simon Blackburn's delightful dictionary and Roger Scruton's lucid (if rather biased) Short History, got me through several tough college philosophy courses.

If you're new to modern philosophy and want to know what it's about, read Baggini & Fosl's "Philosopher's Toolkit" (along with Thomas Nagel's "What Does It All Mean?") and you'll have a very good idea of the basic questions & methods involved. (Be warned: philosophy is highly addictive stuff and you might find that it changes the way you see everything.)

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, January 8, 2003

By 

Bruce J. Paolozzi (So. Cal.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Philosophers Toolkit: A Compendium of Philosophical Concepts and Methods (CourseSmart) (Paperback)

This is an execellent introductory text for neophyte philosophers as well as a decent resource for those who have more experience in philosophy. It has a unique format among introductory books, one which is better suited to the material.

This book could be used as a reference guide, introductory text, or as a textbook for a philosophy class. Lets you know everything you need to get started with philosophy. This book starts with the simple concepts and moves on to continually more advanced ideas.