Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings (Paperback)

by John Perry (Editor), Michael Bratman (Editor) "HAVING NOW COME TO THE END of our brief and very incomplete review of the problems of philosophy, it will be well to consider, in..." (more)
Key Phrases: preinstitutional conception, preinstitutional desert, basic structure objection, New York, Oxford University Press, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Excellent on current issues of concern; e.g., man vs. machine. Zeno section is terrific!"--J. Anderson, Orange Coast College, CA

"Excellent selections and organization."--Gerald N. Callahan, Colorado State University

"An excellent, comprehensive, well-balanced collection."--David Detmer, Purdue University-Calumet

"This book is a distillation of much of the best I was required to read and master as an undergradaute at UCLA in the mid-1980s. I would unhesitatingly adopt it."--Lawrence Fike, California State University-Fullerton

"I've used the second edition for three semesters....[T]he readings are representative of some of the best philosophy has to offer."--Mary F.L. Stevenson, University of Colorado at Denver

Praise for the previous edition: "The best anthology of philosophical works for a general introduction to philosophy. It combines a perfect mix of classic and contemporary sources, and the major areas of philosophy are represented. It is great to finally have one book that does it all."--James M. Hughes, University of South Carolina

Product Description
This is the third edition of Perry and Bratman's highly successful anthology intended for the introduction to philosophy course. It is the most comprehensive topically organized anthology of classical and contemporary philosophy available. The collection is perceived as one of the more serious and challenging introductions available. It includes sections on the meaning of life, God and evil, epistemology, philosohy of science, the mind/body problem, freedom of will, consciousness, ethics, and philosophical puzzles.

The third edition includes the following new selections: Plato, Apology, Nelson, Pike, Hume on Evil; J.L. Mackie, Evil and Omnipotence; Elizabeth Anderson, Knowledge, Human Interests, and Objectivity in Feminist Epistemology; David Lewis, Mad Pan and Martian Pain; Hilary Putnam, Turning Machines; Frank Jackson, What Mary Didn't Know; David Lewis, Knowing What It's Like; John Perry, Dialogue Concerning Personal Identiy and Immortality; Peter Strawson, Freedom and Resentment; Rosalind Hursthouse, Virtue Theory and Abortion; G.A. Cohen, Where the Action Is: On the Site of Distributive Justice; Samuel Scheffler, Responsibility, Reactive Attitudes and Liberalism; Debra Satz, Markets in Women's Reproductive Labor; Kwame Anthony Appiah, Racisms; Kavka's Toxin Puzzle; Quinn's Puzzle of the Self-Torturer.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 848 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 3 edition (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195112040
• ISBN-13: 978-0195112047
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #378,957 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Useful Anthology, December 6, 2003

By	Marion R. Kee (Redmond, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have taught introductory philosophy using both the first and the second editions of this book. It is a fine anthology. However, the book is clearly designed to be used in the context of an introductory college course. For that reason, a person who is approaching the book outside of a classroom context might benefit from using it in combination with a reference guide such as the _Oxford Companion to Philosophy_. The book was shortened in its second and third editions, because of feedback the authors received from instructors using it for introductory courses. The first edition included more readings and was not as influenced by the pressures of the college-text marketplace; it is my favorite. The third edition paperback is much easier to carry around, and in fact this remedies a marked failing in the previous editions. It also corrects some typographic errors (previously a minor annoyance.)

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a comprehensive and thorough overview, August 13, 2001

By A Customer

I used this book in an intro philosophy course in college and have been looking for it ever since. It presents original texts, plus thoughtful commentary and overviews that did not condense or simplify difficult topics. It is also incredibly thorough - if a work is part of the philosophical canon, it is in here, no matter how obscure. Now that I've found it again, its definitely going into my library as a standard reference text.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Introduction to Philosophy Classical and Contemporary Readings, June 1, 2008

By	Sven M. Johnson "thesvenster" (Talkeetna, Alaska USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This collection of excerpts gives the reader a good overview of western philosophy on several broad topics, suchas the Nature of God and The Problem of Good and Evil. Some of the readings are rather long, particlarly the political philosophy sections. Although a student of philosophy should supplement a thourghly conducted overiew with additional literature, Introduction to Philosphy is a great place to start.