Students Guide To Philosophy (Guides To Major Disciplines) [Paperback]

Ralph M. Mcinerny (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1882926390 | ISBN-13: 978-1882926398 | Publication Date: November 1, 1999

Ralph M. McInerny The ISI Guides to the Major Disciplines are reader-friendly introductions to the most important fields of knowledge in the liberal arts. Written by leading scholars for both students and the general public, they will be appreciated by anyone desiring a reliable and informative tour of important subject matter. Each title offers an historical overview of a particular discipline, explains the central ideas of each subject, and evaluates the works of thinkers whose ideas have shaped our world. They will aid students seeking to make better decisions about their course of study as well as general readers who wish to supplement their education. All who treasure the world of ideas and liberal learning will be motivated by these original and stimulating presentations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 75 pages
• Publisher: Intercollegiate Studies Institute (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882926390
• ISBN-13: 978-1882926398
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #650,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Ancient
  • #72 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > History & Surveys

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars philosophy belongs to everyone, January 10, 2002

By 

W. Mark Smillie (Helena, MT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Students Guide To Philosophy (Guides To Major Disciplines) (Paperback)

Rather than a give the story of philosophy in 50 pages, Dr. McInerny points students of philosophy in a direction such that their philosophical studies might actually benefit their lives. The book is thus a defense of perennial philosophy, and the classical view that philosophy is something humans are "naturally" drawn to do, because it completes our lives. Dr. McInerny engages the reader in argument, as he defends this view against modern views of philosophy, and discusses the nature of certainty, common sense, and the role of science. Its most important value is the great faith in human intellect and reason, implicit throughout the book. This book would make a good beginning for college philosophy classes. A concluding bibliographical appendix by Joshua Hochschild gives a brief overview of main philosophers throughout history, and some good suggestions for reading.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A traditional natural-law philosophy, February 26, 2006

By 

Thomas J. Hickey (River Forest, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Students Guide To Philosophy (Guides To Major Disciplines) (Paperback)

Since the trauma of World War I Western culture has become sympathetic to subjective relativism and unsympathetic to objective morals: In his Preface to Morals (1929) Walter Lippmann called belief in the objectivity of good and evil the "pathetic fallacy." In his The Modern Temper (1929), Joseph Wood Krutch described emerging moral relativism and uncertainty in the 1920's, which viewed traditional morals, religious beliefs and intellectual certainties as myths that have been unmasked by advances in modern science. And in his Only Yesterday (1931), Frederick Lewis Allen wrote that 1920's-era relativism was reinforced by Einstein and Heisenberg, who had brought relativism and uncertainty into physics.

Do you believe that the Nuremberg trials of the Nazis were just the victors imposing their peculiar cultural values on the vanquished? If your answer is "yes", then you maintain a relativist view of morality. Do you believe that if the Nazis had won World War II, then it would be true to say that Jews are not persons but are merely vermin to be exterminated? If so, then you maintain a relativist view of truth. And you may also be sympathetic to the "pro-choice" view of abortion, which is based in subjectivist relativism.

On the other hand if your answers to the above questions are "no", then you are not sympathetic to relativism. And you may be interested in this book, A Student's Guide to Philosophy, by Notre Dame philosopher Ralph McInerny. Its author views Western philosophy from the perspective of the philosophies of Aristotle and Aquinas.

Much of academic philosophy - including what I found while at Notre Dame University - is an irrelevant pedantic game. But this book is an authentic philosophy book by an author who believes in the philosophy he writes about. In my vividly recalled personal experience as a student in McInerny's classes I found him an authentic and ingenuous philosopher. I am not of Scholastic persuasion, but I rate this book at 5 stars.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Liberal Who Thinks This Is A Great Intro, October 1, 2009

By 

Dal Meshugga (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Students Guide To Philosophy (Guides To Major Disciplines) (Paperback)

I am an atheist and a liberal. I commend this introduction to philosophy. I find it insightful and interesting.

The reviews against it are themselves deeply biased and seem to stem from defensiveness (which is nice to see since whenever I've challenged the validity of academic philosophy, professors have not even found their careers worth defending).

McInerney is ahead of his time, but not by much. Just wait and see. Academic philosophy is, at present, an abysmal failure. Fortunately, it cannot persist in its foul state much longer. Departments are not tiny and they are not being threatened with closures because they are doing good work.

I'm nearly finished my PhD in academic philosophy and feel quite justified in saying that most of the stereotypes people hear about academic philosophy are true. There is wisdom in crowds. McInerney is on to it. The field needs to change if it is to survive, and the world needs excellent philosophy of the sort that McInerney commends: useful work aimed at real problems. It is a sad day when the Pope is cited as urging philosophers to do meaningful work, and philosophers are crying that they are insulted, that (despite the vast lack of proof) their work somehow is meaningful or that they do not need to do meaningful work, but please keep giving them their tax-paid salaries. Sometimes even the Pope is right. Do not write people off because they are Catholic. Seems these profs are not particularly wise.

I'm with Kahlil Gibran. To paraphrase him, Pity the nation whose philosophers are jugglers, whose sages grow dumb with age, whose wisest men and women are yet in the cradle.

If I sound bitter it is because I am one of a growing minority in academic philosophy who feels pushed out of it because it is so stale and ridiculous... such a shut-in and outdated field... because we actually want to do cutting edge work that makes a real difference to the world.

McInerney acknowledges that there is some excellent work being done in academic philosophy, but he accurately presents this work as an exception rather than the norm.

About the supreme judge quote and the previous reviewers insult of its usage: Huh? Can judges really appeal to relativism when making their judgments? Did you read it in context or did you just add up "mention of abortion" and "Catholic" and conclude that the claim being made does not need to be taken seriously? Anything goes? Relativism is tenable? What world do you want to live in!?! Do you have children!?!