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Martin Gardner

The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener Paperback – August 21, 1999

by Martin Gardner (Author)

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The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener showcases Martin Gardner as the consummate philosopher, thinker, and great mathematician that he is. Exploring issues that range from faith to prayer to evil to immortality, and far beyond, Garnder challenges the discerning reader with fundamental questions of classical philosophy and life's greater meanings.
Recalling such philosophers was Wittgenstein and Arendt, The Whys of Philosophical Scrivener embodies Martin Garner's unceasing interest and joy in the impenetrable mysteries of life.

Print length

496 pages
Language

English
Publication date

August 21, 1999
Dimensions

6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0312206828
ISBN-13

978-0312206826
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Gardner [is]...at the glorious zenith of his diversified powers.” ―The Boston Globe

“Martin Gardner is one of the greatest intellects produced in this country in this century.” ―Douglas Hofstadter

“For more than half a century, Martin Gardner has been the single brightestbeacone defending rationality and good science...He is also one of the most brilliant men and gracious writers that I have known.” ―Stephen Jay Gould

“Martin Gardner is that rarest of all contemporary species: a scholar in nobody's pocket; a sparkling, pellucid science and mathematics writer who can discuss Sigmund Freud, Sherlock Holmes, and proofs of God with equal fluency.” ―Stefan Kanfer, former book editor of Time Magazine

“Martin Gardner's contribution to contemporary culture is unique.” ―Noam Chomsky

From the Publisher

"Martin Gardner is one of the great intellects produced in this country in this century." - Douglas Hofstadter

"For more than half a century, Martin Gardner has been the single brightest beacon defending rationality and good science.... He is also one of the most brilliant men and gracious writers that I have known." - Stephen Jay Gould

"Martin Gardner's contribution to contemporary culture is unique." - Noam Chomsky

"Martin Gardner is that rarest of all contemporary species: a scholar in nobody's pocket; a sparkling, pellucid science and mathematics writer who can discuss Sigmund Freud, Sherlock Holmes, and proofs of God with equal fluency." - Stefan Kanfer, former book editor of Time magazine

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin; 2nd edition (August 21, 1999)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312206828
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312206826
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,117,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,935 in Philosophy History & Survey
- #2,552 in Modern Philosophy (Books)

Customer Reviews:
46 ratings

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3 star		7%
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Dale E Alleshouse

Excellent Example of Critical Thought

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2020

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Martin Gardner's The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener is a worthwhile read for anyone grappling with life's big questions. The most redeeming quality is the insight it provides into the author's complex reasoning processes. Mr. Gardner tackles most of the major topics in philosophy and describes exactly how he formed his personal belief system. While I don't agree with all of his conclusions, particularly concerning theism, the depth of thought is refreshing. The world would be a better place if this level of introspection were to become commonplace.

Another redeeming quality is that the book is, for the most part, polemic free. Mr. Gardner doesn't attempt to persuade readers with rhetoric. As he states on page 352, "I find no urgency in persuading anyone of anything". Because of this, it's a great resource for those with nascent opinions.

In spite of the redeeming qualities above, I could only give the book a 4-star rating. It is a laborious read that could be 30% shorter without losing any meaning. At times, the many source quotes feel more than a collection of facts than a narrative. This is not a source for the time-constrained reader.

One person found this helpful

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D. Krajnovich

A rare blend of skepticism and humility

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2014

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I have known about Martin Gardner since the 1970's when I was in High School. Until recently, I had only read one of his books - "Relativity Simply Explained" - which did not impress me. So I didn't read any more of his books. It's as though I went into a good restaurant, ordered the only mediocre dish on my first visit, and never returned.

That is, until I stumbled on "The Whys of a Philosophical Scrivener." In interviews, Gardner said "Whys" was his favorite of the many books he wrote. If you like to ponder the "eternal questions" (or need to be reminded that there ARE eternal questions that Siri cannot answer), I warmly recommend this book to you. It is provocative and refreshing, even in places where you may disagree. [Chapter 20, entitled "Surprise," is my favorite chapter.]

After finishing "Whys," I went on a Gardner binge, ordering and rapidly ingesting 7 more of his books. "Whys" stayed in first place. My first and second runners up are:

"The Night is Large"
A collection of essays written by Gardner himself. Includes five chapters from "Whys," including Chapter 20.

"Great Essays in Science"
An eclectic anthology assembled by Gardner from the writings of others, from Darwin to Einstein. Originally published in 1957, re-issued in 1984 with one article dropped and four new ones added. Different from any other science anthology I have read. Strong emphasis on philosophical questions and societal implications. Very much in the spirit of "Whys."
_______________________________________________________________

Gardner was best known for his Mathematical Games columns in Scientific American. Over the years, these columns were re-issued in 15 separate books. If you are interested in the math books but don't know where to start, I have two suggestions:

1. The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) sells a CD with pdf files for all 15 books of Gardner's Mathematical Games columns, including the complete Dr. Matrix volume:
"Martin Gardner's Mathematical Games: The Entire Collection of His Scientific American Columns on one CD"
I bought this CD on the MAA website for $49.95. A good deal if you don't mind reading books on a screen. This CD includes a lengthy biographical interview.

2. If you prefer your books in paper and ink, a compromise is "The Colossal Book of Mathematics," published in 2001. "Colossal" includes the original text of Gardner's Top 50 Mathematical Games columns with updates and bibliographies added to each. Note, however, that "Colossal" does *not* include any of the Dr. Matrix columns.

Enjoy!

5 people found this helpful

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James A. Magner

Thoroughly engaging

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2014

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This was a very readable and wonderful book. I had known that the late-and-great Martin Gardner was a mathematician who wrote an entertaining column for Scientific American for many years, but I had not known that he was so knowledgeable about the thinking over centuries about the "big questions" in life (Does God exist? Is there life after death? Does free will exist? Etc.). His extensive grasp of philosophy and literature, as well as science, made for entertaining and informative reading. The brief humorous remarks sprinkled in here and there were also much enjoyed.

The title of the book is derived from the way he has set up the 21 chapters. Each chapter is focused on a major issue and the title of each chapter includes a framing question, "Why I am not..." This is a particularly useful construction for the discussion for scientific readers, since in science one can fundamentally find negative evidence for why a hypothesis is not true, but rarely can one prove the truth of a complex statement. For example, chapter six is entitled, "Free Will: Why I am Not a Determinist or Haphazardist."

These thoughtfully-written chapters are 362 pages long, followed by a 32 page postscipt in which Gardner provides updates on each chapter in view of the new edition (1999) of the original book (1983). Then follows 80 pages of detailed and often amusing notes on each chapter, and finally a well-constructed index. It was a lot of work for Gardner to put all this together, and one can see that it was a labor of love.

I can strongly recommend this book to a thoughtful and mature reader. I have already mentioned it to my physician and scientist colleagues.

8 people found this helpful

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Kate Jones

Martin Gardner reveals his soul

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2013

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His career of writing on mathematical games, magic, puzzles, and philosophy spanned 70 years. (Confession: I knew him personally.) Gardner passed away in 2010 at the age of 95 and produced dozens of books and hundreds of columns that ran in Scientific American for 25 years. Many people know him for his math writings; what they may not know is that his Ph.D. was actually in philosophy. In this special volume, he tells why he does not partake of most political and philosophical schools of thought... and what he does believe. One of Gardner's great passions had been debunking superstitions and fads and fallacies in science. Here he finally lays out the straight scoop. It is surprising to learn that, although a man of science, evidence, and logic, Martin chose to believe in a god; he called himself a fideist. This volume is a wonderful summary of just about every -ism our culture has produced, written in Gardner's clear, friendly, kindly and highly understandable style, a distillation of his years of study. Better than Cliff's Notes on this subject!

6 people found this helpful

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