Product Description
Pierre Hadot is arguably one of the most influential and wide-ranging historians of ancient philosophy writing today.As well as having an important influence on the work of Michel Foucault, Hadot's work has been pivotal in the development of contemporary French philosophy.His work is currently concerned with a redefinition of modern philosophy through a study of ancient life and ancient philosophical texts. This book presents a history of spiritual exercises from Socrates to early Christianity, an account of their decline in modern philosophy, and a discussion of the different conceptions of philosophy that have accompanied the trajectory and fate of the theory and practice of spiritual exercises.Hadot's book demonstrates the extent to which philosophy has been, and still is, above all else a way of seeing and of being in the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Philosophy as a way of life
Noted intellectual Pierre Hadot offers many thought provoking dialogues in this book. His reference for example on holiness was and is perfect. This book required some thought so for me it took a while to complete as each dialogue requires thought and quiet reflection. A book which is a joy to read and have and adds persective to my study in non dual philosophy.

Chasing after that flirt, Wisdom.
I am not sure this is the best introduction to Hadot's approach to philosophy. "What is Ancient Philosophy?" is more of one piece. Which makes sense because what we have in this book is a collection of articles, addresses and an interview that have been loosely woven together.
But this volume has some particular strengths. Arnold Davidson's introduction is brilliant. He manages to introduces the main themes of investigation throughout Hadot's life (Hadot passed away just a few months ago). Davidson also makes it clear that Hadot's insights into ancient philosophy are based on his work as a translator of works from that period.
Another strength is that many of the articles collected here show off the extraordinary cultural learning of Hadot. I remarked in my review of "What is Ancient Philosophy?" that reading Hadot is to be introduced to the work of generations of French and German scholars of whom most Americans know nothing (would someone please translate Groethuyson's "Anthropologie philosophique" for me? Please?)
But in this book, Hadot also demonstrates his remarkable grasp of such diverse thinkers as Nietzsche, Montaigne, Goethe, Wittgenstein, Merleau-Ponty and Foucault. I always walk away from reading Hadot feeling as if I am both the Nitwit of Western Culture and exhilarated by some of the connections that he has made.

Hadot is particularly famous in France for his work as a translator/commentator of Plotinus and Marcus Aurelius. Early textual work on those two and other philosophers led Hadot to the realization that many of the works of the Hellenistic period were being misunderstood because today's interpreters were not seeing these works for what they were. Today's philosophers, for the most part, write dissertations that try to lay out exactly what the author wants to say. The work is usually directed toward a professional audience or, at least, toward expert amateurs. The intent is to inform and convince.
Hadot's central insight into Hellenistic philosophy is that, for most of the writings that we have
extant, the intent is to (re)form, not to inform. In other words, this is philosophy that is meant to change the way we live. More deeply, it is meant to change the way we see the world, the way we feel about our lives and the way we treat each other.
As such, the types of writings that we have from this period have to be understood for the literary types that they are; exhortations to oneself to remember the main dicta that one has learned or rhetorical works designed to convince the uninitiated to follow the path of a particular philosophical school, etc. What is so immediately convincing about this point is that it makes sense of all the repetitions, contradictions and eclecticism which is so evident in the writings of some of the ancients. The first article in this collection explores how the failure of recent interpreters to understand this aspect of ancient philosophical literature has led to many misinterpretations (although Hadot is careful to point out that some of the misreadings have been very fruitful).
The Second Part of this book may be the best. This contains Hadot's classic article on "Spiritual Exercises".In this article, Hadot first outlined his realization that many of the writings of the Hellenistic philosophers were really meant to be read as exercises that would help instill in the philosopher the teachings of that particular school. I have become convinced from my own readings that he is absolutely right about the necessity of this approach. If you want to understand your reading of Seneca, of Marcus Aurelius, of Cicero, Epictetus and even of the earlier Greeks (like, you know- that Plato guy), you simply have to read this article.

Hadot discusses one other idea in these articles that must be mentioned and that is his idea of the topos or topics of Western culture/philosophy. These are "formulae, images, and metaphors"(p.66) that have, over time, proved indispensable to many thinkers within a tradition or our culture. Hadot spent the last part of his life tracing the cultural history of some of these topics. His last book, "The Veil of Isis", is one such investigation. Several of the later articles in this collection are others. "The View from Above"is one of them and briefly traces some of the history of the exercise of learning to look down at humanity from a cosmic viewpoint.
I would also like to recommend the short article "The Sage and the World" wherein Hadot defends the relevance of the lessons he has learned from ancient philosophy to our own lived-in world.

It's funny. There are many similarities (as well as enormous differences) between Hadot and Leo Strauss.I think they would have found much to talk about with each other. One of the things they both emphasized was the idea of the difference between the sage and the philosopher. The sage was seen in Hellenistic times as the fully realized wise man. Let us just say there are few of those. The philosopher, on the other hand, was she who chased after wisdom as something loved. I like this idea. Among other things, it brings out the theme of the erotic which is so present in ancient philosophy. Well, my friends, Pierre Hadot was a philosopher. In his books, he not only chases after wisdom, he entices us to do so as well. In doing so, he makes this reader, at least, examine my own way of being in the world. For me, reading Hadot had been to hold up a mirror to my own life and to realize the need for a spiritual exercise program. I gots some work to do.

Interesting, different, and worthwhile
This is a very interesting and good book.Because his work has generally not been translated, we do not know Hadot.His knowledge of the philosophy of anitquity is much deeper and more probing than most.Very much worth reading.

Thought Provoking, Well Researched
This is one of the best books that I have read in quite some time.Focused mostly on the Hellenistic era but also going as far back as Socrates and as far forward as Nietzsche and Foucault.

The book seeks to elucidate philo-sophy (love of wisdom) not as a rarefied field of study but as a way of life consistent with making us one with the universe.

The book, originally in French, is not a light-weight self help book as its title may imply.But is instead a deep study of the origins of "spiritual exercises" from Socrates to the Hellenists (Stoicism, Epicureanism, and neo-Platonism) and onward to the early Christians.

Hadot's main thesis is that philosophy has been gutted in the modern era to focus on rarefied discourse and study at the expense of it serving as an aid in helping us to lead better lives.Using abundant examples from the likes of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, Hadot makes a significant and resounding case for a re-emergence of philosophy from the walls of academia, where it has been penned and chained for the last 1500 years.While knowledge of ancient philosophy is not strictly required for reading this book, those with this knowledge will get the most from it.

I have studied the Stoics and Epicureans about as much as is possible for a layman, and I found this book indispensable in making clear the teachings of Epicurus and Zeno, as well as the early Christian scholars.Hadot shows clearly that the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius are grounded in philosophy going back at least as far as Socrates.

I recommend this book in the most high fashion to anyone who seeks wisdom and loves a good mental workout.

A wonderful, thought provoking book
It is very rare that a scholar of classical philosophy writes a book that is so accessible to non-philosophers. This book (as I understood it) stresses the fact that early western philosophy was all about teaching people 'how to live'. I often leaf through this book to read passages that I have underlined during previous 'reads'. A great book. (Would have given the book 4 1/2 stars if I had the option.) ... Read more

Product Description
Conceived originally as a serious presentation of  the development of philosophy for Catholic  seminary students, Frederick Copleston's nine-volume  A History Of Philosophy has  journeyed far beyond the modest purpose of its author to  universal acclaim as the best history of  philosophy in English.

Copleston, an Oxford Jesuit  of immense erudition who once tangled with A. J.  Ayer in a fabled debate about the existence of God  and the possibility of metaphysics, knew that  seminary students were fed a woefully inadequate diet  of theses and proofs, and that their familiarity  with most of history's great thinkers was reduced  to simplistic caricatures. Copleston set out to  redress the wrong by writing a complete history of  Western philosophy, one crackling with incident and  intellectual excitement -- and one that gives full  place to each thinker, presenting his thought in a  beautifully rounded manner and showing his links  to those who went before and to those who came  after him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Detailed and Informative
The basic structure of the book is as follows: Frederick Copleston first gives us background by describing the intellectual life of the philosopher in question before proceeding to systematically analyze the various aspects of his thought, often referring, of course, to their major works. For example, the section on Plato is divided into ten parts: "The Life of Plato," "Plato's Works," "Theory of Knowledge," "The Doctrine of Forms," "The Psychology of Plato," "Moral Theory," "The State," "Physics of Plato," "Art," and "The Old Academy." As expected, most of the focus is on Plato and Aristotle, the sections devoted to them accounting for nearly 50% of this 506-page book. Copleston writes in clear and concise prose, occasionally using diagrams for further clarification.

It should be noted that the late Copleston was a Jesuit priest. In this and the other volumes he often juxtaposes his Roman Catholic Thomist view with the philosophies he examines. However, he treats all of them with fairness, sympathy, respect, and sometimes something approaching reverence, especially in the cases of the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle.

As Copleston had Catholic seminary students in mind when he wrote these histories, they assume a working knowledge of Latin and Greek, which are sprinkled throughout the text, mostly untranslated. However, even without any knowledge of these languages, one can still learn quite a bit from this detailed and informative presentation, though it would undoubtedly help to have a philosophical dictionary on hand while reading.

Simple like this
Copleston's History of Philosophy is a masterpiece. It is complete and simple, made for scholars and lay people. Usually it is very difficult to achieve such deep and academic investigation with no room for intricate and technical language. Sometimes the text turns on more complex, because the subject is complex as well. But this did not keep the fresh air of new and understandable knowledge that exists throughout the work.

An Engaging Introduction to Philosophy
Frederick Copleston wrote his A History of Philosophy with the original intent of instructing Catholic seminarians on the progress of philosophy through the ages.The nine volume work has gone onto wide acclaim and is heralded as one of the best on the topic of philosophical history.

This book is the first of the nine volume work and covers Western philosophy from its early beginnings on the Greek islands and onto the rest of the Mediterranean world, expanding into Egypt, Israel, and the Roman Empire.

Copleston divides the book into five sections: The Pre-Socratics, The Socratic Period, Plato, Aristotle, and the Post-Aristotelians.The vast majority of the book revolves around the three great classical philosophers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.The author excels at noting that none of these philosophers was greater than the other, nor did they effectively cancel out each other, but rather built upon existing philosophy.Aristotle, while different in his philosophy, was both an admirer and critic of Plato.Copleston also succeeds in clarifying the philosophies of the Pre-Socratics, whose past can easily be overlooked by the magnitude of Socrates.In A History of Philosophy, the Pre-Socratics are equally as important as the next, each bearing importance to subsequent philosophy.The book is tied together by the referencing of philosophers back and forth throughout.

Some minor criticisms are in relation to the author's intent.Obviously, he would have changed the approach had he known the work would go onto greater things.The most obvious downfall of the book is that large sections of text are written in Greek and Latin.For the average Catholic seminarian, this would be no problem.For the layman, it is a challenge.The footnotes are in relation to sources and none of them offer translations.What is especially aggravating is that Copleston identifies specific terms that are key to understanding a philosophy, many written in Greek and never translated.Many of Aristotle's points were lost on me, since they were written in Greek.This could easily be fixed by a revised edition, providing footnotes and chapter references at the back of the book.One other criticism is the fact that Copleston inserts his own opinions of modern philosophers within the text.This detracts from the non-biased approach that philosophical history should be approached with.He succeeds in noting the successes and failures in philosophy of Plato and Aristotle, yet criticizes Nietsche and other modernists at the same time.Perhaps the smugness that accompanies his criticisms is due to the fact that many modernists were atheists, and he was writing for a non-atheist audience.

Overall, this book is a great introduction to philosophy and is a good springboard for further investigating the philosophers you find interesting.

The BEST History of Philosophy
I would like to say that Mr.Copleston did a great job writing his masterpiece. I am wondering how many years did it take him to read all the original works and write this set? I would like to emphasize that this history of philosophy does not have any undertone of any bias, and all accusations of the lack of impartiality do not have any basis. Frederick Copleston explicitly states that he is the Jesuit priest and the third volume of the set is his favorite. So what? Other volumes are not affected by this circumstance. Coplestone accurately describes the lives and theories of major philosophers. It should be noted that this set is a rather dry reading and beginners should find some other history of philosophy (like Russel's History of Western Philosophy, but be aware Russel's version is "slightly" biased). Back to Copleston's History: the book examines the history of philosophy from pre-Socratics to Aristotle(with concentrating on Socrates-Plato-Aristotle) to "footnotes":)
I recommend this book and the whole set to serious students of philosophy and other lesser mortals who want to understand the development and evolution of the Western philosophical thinking.

The academic standard, and undefeated champion
I originally picked up this book with the best of intentions: to read all nine (or eleven) volumes, in belated "revenge" for not having majored in philosophy.Those intentions are now being stretched over a longer period of time.

I have no doubt that this is the "academic standard" in the history of philosophy.You can tell, because Father Copleston makes a habit of citing foreign languages without translation.This used to be (and still may be) the distinguishing mark of an academic: just put it down in French, German, Latin, or Greek, and if the unwashed masses don't get it, tough.In particular, I would highly recommend that you learn the Greek alphabet before embarking on this adventure.Not the Greek language, mind you, but just enough of the alphabet to spell out all the Greek words which Copleston throws at you.

The book is a major accomplishment; the fruit of a titanic intellectual effort.Still, there is competition in this rather small niche, most obviously Bertrand Russell's "History of Western Philosophy" (in one volume!) and Anthony Gottlieb's "The Dream of Reason."Quite frankly, for readers who are not professional philosophers (or students of philosophy) I might recommend one of those two books.Bertrand Russell's book gives you a bonus, in including huge swathes of real history to put his philosophical history in context, while Gottlieb is smart, diverting, and original.

Father Copleston (a Jesuit) is smart as a tack, but had no intention of being diverting or original.It is really an advantage that Copleston's bias is openly declared: he is a Catholic who holds that the true philosophy is the Scholastic philosophy of the Middle Ages --- properly modernized, of course.So you won't expect him to dwell on people like Pseudo-Dionysius.And his essay on Plato's "Doctrine of the Forms" is, indeed, a major intellectual undertaking.It is so good that the acute reader can spot Plato's errors all over the place, such as Plato's assumption that the only real knowledge was of things that are eternally true and unchanging.That, if you stop to think about it, is a whale of an assumption. To take a trivial example, we all generalize from the frogs we have seen to an "Ideal Frog" --- it's part of recognizing reality.But it really plays havoc when we try to understand evolution, and must realize that there is no "Ideal Frog," or recognize that the "Ideal Frog" is constantly changing, over a period of time which we may not be able to comprehend.So Plato made it hard for humankind to understand evolution.

And then, later on, in the chapter on "The State," you understand it when Copleston enthusiastically joins Plato's demands for censorship of the arts, and the rule of the Philosopher-King.After all, I am not the first person to have seen the Catholic Index of Prohibited Books --- and the Papacy --- as attempts to bring Plato's ideas about the state to fruition.

I guess, in the end, I would like to describe a choice for the reader who is interested in the history of philosophy.

Choice A would be Lord Bertie, who squeezes it all into one magisterial volume: A History of Western Philosophy.

Choice B would be Anthony Gottlieb:The Dream of Reason: A History of Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance.The drawback here is that Gottlieb is only half-done.

Choice C would be to go whole hog and get the entire set by Copleston.You are not required to read every word, but the whole vast and detailed panorama is at your fingertips.If you're on a budget, you could always buy one volume a month, or something like that.:-)

Good luck, and happy reading! ... Read more

Product Description
Harry Potter has put a spell on millions of readers, and they all want to find out more about the deeper meaning of his adventures. In Harry Potter and Philosophy, 17 experts in the field of philosophy unlock some of Hogwarts' secret panels, uncovering surprising insights that are enlightening both for wizards and for the most discerning muggles. Individual chapters look at such topics as life revealed in the Mirror of Erised; the ethics of magic; Moaning Myrtle, Nearly Headless Nick, and the relation of the mind to the brain; and the character of Hermione as a case of "sublimated feminism." Also examined in this witty collection are how Aristotle would have run a school for wizards; whether the Potter stories undermine religion and morality; how to tell good people from evil ones through the characters in these novels; and what dementors and boggarts can teach readers about happiness, fear, and the soul. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Used book just like new.
This book came to me promply.Since it is used I expected wear and tear, but the book is like new.Thank You

Accessible deep reading
This read can be a gentle yet captivating intro to philosophy or a vibrant deepening of the subject within an upbeat and modern setting. Either way, excellently written, clearly presented and pertinent analysis awaits the reader.

aristotle and hogwarts
unfortunately i havent begun to read it read, because my spouse is VERY ill, and my mother is, as well i feel that when i read this book, i'll have to 'think', and i cant read philosophy w/out thinkingSO, i've not read it yet, look forwrd to doing so, but i had absolutely NO problems w/the vendor from whom i would happily purchase books againc bickett

Timbus Violett speaks for Albus
This book actually adds to Joannes already superbly developed characters. The authors of each essay included in this book have taken time to avoid making wrong character judgements. The editors have placed the essay in an order making it easier to understand the characters in the context of all the other characters. Snape is extremely complex and well defined here.

Timbus Violett
Professor Emeritus The University of The Grind

Amazing read!!
For a Harry Potter and a Philosophy fan, I was pleased and excited to find this book.It took me less than a day to read and I was fully amazed.This is a set of essays that are wrote so well.

Some of the things I agreed with and had thought of, others others i never thought of, but now puzzle me.I still get into conversations about Harry Potter based on that book, and it's amazing.

This book has truly been the light shining over Harry Potter. ... Read more

Product Description
A unique anthology of essays exploring the philosophical wisdom runners contemplate when out for a run. It features writings from some of America’s leading philosophers, including Martha Nussbaum, Charles Taliaferro, and J.P. Moreland.

• A first-of-its-kind collection of essays exploring those gems of philosophical wisdom runners contemplate when out for a run
• Topics considered include running and the philosophy of friendship; the freedom of the long distance runner; running as aesthetic experience, and “Could a Zombie Run a Marathon?”
• Contributing essayists include philosophers with athletic experience at the collegiate level, philosophers whose pasttime is running, and one philosopher who began running to test the ideas in his essay

Customer Reviews (5)

Great book
Very inspiring and thought provoking. Not only gets your foot out the door but your mind is no longer lazy either! Must read for all thinker/runners.

Two different activities that complement each other greatly!
Though I have read very few pop culture & philosophy books all the way through, this is one of the best ones I have read. Not only do many of the essays connect to well known philosophers and ideas, but many other essays seem very original in their thesis and their conclusions. The best part about this book, though, is that nearly all of essays are easily relatable as anyone who has ever done even a short mile or 5K race can instantly understand what the author is talking about when they mention something about running. It doesn't hurt that many of the best authors seem to be runners themselves and imbue their essays with their own personal experiences. However, at times the book suffers from what many pop culture & philosophy books suffer from: essays and ideas that are not explained very well and go way over the heads of the readers. One essay in particular started talking about "zombies" without explaining what he was talking about. It took me half of the essay to figure out what he meant. Overall, while this book won't make you a better runner or be as necessary as a good pair of running shoes, but the topics discussed will keep you thinking on those long runs.

Food for thought
Philosophy is the key word in the title. I'm not a philosophic guy generally speaking. The book is made up of many different philosophical view points and then they are equated to running. I think it would be an outstanding resource if I find myself taking Philosophy 101 and have to show how philosophy can effect my daily life.
That being said, I did find many of the essays thought provoking, and I was able to really think about them on my runs. Some of the subject matter and tag lines even became part of my blog posts about running.
It you are looking for something deeper to think about while you are running, or need something to help your motivation, it is an excellent choice.

Thought provoking, time well spent
I picked up this book at the perfect time and that is why I am giving it 5 stars.I originally got into running like a lot of people in high school as part of the cross country team.I only ran cross country as a way to get in shape for basketball season.After high school I stopped running and did not pick up the sport again until after my Step-father was diagnosed with cancer.He was a big time runner and had a 10 year streak of competing in a local 13.1 mile race.So I stepped in to run in his place to keep the streak alive.After his passing, I ran my first marathon in his memory and in the process found out a lot about myself.I have been running ever since, taking on 5K, 5 milers, halfs and marathons, all the while becoming more engrossed in the sport of running as well as the psychology behind it.As a child running is as natural as breathing, then at some point it became a chore and now it gives me the time and space I need to think in our modern world.This book simply shares the thoughts of others who have found similar insights from running.Happy trails.

Fun, Challenging, Motivating
This is one of the best books in the whole philosophy and pop culture genre.

For philosophers, the essays feel like they come very naturally out of the topic. They are wide-ranging but all grounded in running--no stretches to get the philosophy in. It's as effortless as a comfortable pace can be.

For runners, there is an informative development of ideas that you've probably started to have in your own running, but haven't seen through this far.

Fun, challenging, motivating. ... Read more

Product Description
A new edition of the bestselling introduction to tourism textbook

From the local to the global level, the forces that shape today's economic and social conditions also affect the tourism industry. Anyone involved in the work or study of today's tourism industry must consider all these factors together and their effect on it.

This updated and revised Eleventh Edition of Tourism presents a comprehensive introduction to travel and tourism, while continuing the tested approach of successful previous editions. New and revised coverage, integrating the latest developments in the tourism industry, includes:

• Profiles of such industry leaders as J. W. Marriott, Jr, of Marriott International, Inc., James Rasulo of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization
• Lively and fun "Global Insights" look at emerging areas of importance in tourism
• Demographic trends, such as how the many new travelers from BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) recreate and seek culture
• New information on transportation options, including high-speed rail and river cruises
• New consideration of the use of the Internet, particularly Web 2.0 (podcasting, social networks, and blogs), in tourism research, marketing, and promotion
• Updates on passport, visa, and governmental policies
• Expanded treatment of crisis management

Customer Reviews (6)

great seller
i had such a great experience with this seller. The textbook arrived so quick and it was in perfect condition just how it was described. The price was great and it was just so pleasurable doing business with this seller that I had to take my time out and leave a comment so other buyers will know how great this seller is. I will definitely do business with them again in the future.

It was better that descibed!!
When I got this book it was in better shape than book I have gotten from other people

Wrong book
I purchased the product from a different merchant instead of directly through amazon and received the wrong addition. It may have been my fault since I did not re-click on the link provided in my cart to verify the item.

I really like this book!!
This book is very insightful on both, aspects of tourism and travel, as well as the financial affects that tourism can play on a country's economy.The authors seem to know what they're talking about and they're very good at relaying their knowledge to their readers in a concise way.

A great introduction to tourism
This text provides a great overview of the tourism industry, from what tourism is to its organization to the theories that help fomulate such a diverse industry. This book should be studied by every student studying tourism. ... Read more

Product Description
A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1 is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Surendranath Dasgupta is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Surendranath Dasgupta then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
What does Anthony Grayling think about atheism? Adrian Moore about infinity? For the last three years, some of the world's leading philosophers have held forth on their favorite topics on the immensely popular website philosophybites.com. The site now features more than one hundred short conversations, has had some 7 million downloads to date, and is listened to all over the globe.

Philosophy Bites brings together the twenty-five best interviews from this hugely successful website. Leading philosophers--including Simon Blackburn, Alain de Botton, Will Kymlicka, Alexander Nehamas, and more than twenty others--discuss a wide range of philosophical issues in a surprisingly lively, informal, and personal way. For instance, Peter Singer, arguably the world's leading animal rights philosopher, states that for people living in the western world, vegetarianism is the only moral choice, but he allows that this would not be the case for an Inuit who lives by killing fish--causing an animal to suffer must be balanced against the necessity to survive. Julian Savulescu talks about the "yuk factor"--the natural revulsion that keeps us from practicing incest or cannibalism--attacking its use as an argument against gay rights and abortion. Anthony Appiah discusses cosmopolitanism, the idea that emphasizes that people around the world have much in common, and that we have to be able to live with people despite our differences. And Stephen Law shows why it is unreasonable to believe in an all-powerful, all-good deity.

Time, infinity, evil, friendship, animals, wine, sport, tragedy--all of human life is here. And as these bite-sized interviews reveal, often the most brilliant philosophers are eager and able to convey their thoughts, simply and clearly, on the great ideas of philosophy. ... Read more

Product Description
This New York Times bestseller is the hilarious philosophy course everyone wishes they’d had in school

Outrageously funny, Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . . has been a breakout bestseller ever since authors—and born vaudevillians—Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein did their schtick on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Lively, original, and powerfully informative, Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar . . . is a not-so-reverent crash course through the great philosophical thinkers and traditions, from Existentialism (What do Hegel and Bette Midler have in common?) to Logic (Sherlock Holmes never deduced anything). Philosophy 101 for those who like to take the heavy stuff lightly, this is a joy to read—and finally, it all makes sense! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (177)

Fun and educational - the best of both worlds.
As someone who has only recently decided to dip a toe into the waters of philosophy, this book was an excellent starting point.Certainly not the same as snuggling up with a copy of Plato's Republic, but educational nonetheless.And there's the added bonus of significant entertainment value - something that's lacking in some of the deeper philosophical texts.Regardless, even if you get nothing else out of it, you'll come away with a new joke or two to tell at your next wine tasting or staff meeting.I would highly recommend this book!

philosophy for fun
I liked this book more for the humor than the philosophy.It does a fair job of tying the two together but is not great at either one.It would be good for somone casually interested in philosophy who wants to be entertained along the way.I liked "The Story of Philosophy"by Bryan Magee much better for an easy to follow and well illustrated overview of philosophy.

It beats sitting through a philosophy class.
This small volume purports to explain concepts of philosophy by way of jokes. I would say, rather, that it explains concepts of philosophy and THEN tells the reader jokes that relate to those concepts in order to give a clearer understanding of them. In that regard it largely succeeds, at least for as long as the book is open. Cathcart and Klein do a good job of both explaining philosophy and making their readers laugh at it. My only real complaint is that many of the jokes in the book are rather old and seem to be copied verbatim from other sources. Granted that there are only so many jokes, but they could have at least tried to be a bit more original. Also, while I bought the book cheap after it had been remaindered, the cover price of $18.95 is quite steep for a 200-page book of limited re-readability.

Open Minded
This book was a joy to read because of the philosophical understanding to the humorous jokes. I would strongly recommend this book to any reader who is prepared to understand their world and who has an open mind. If you would like to understand more than your everyday routine and same chores and take a step out of your comfort zone then you should read this. This book is a guide to better understand how and why and where are we as people. The thing I enjoyed the most was the jokes that closely correspond with the philosophical meaning.

Jokes are philosophical
This small book is like C4 plastic explosive.It packs a wallop.It should be required reading for all university undergrads. ... Read more

Product Description
Two leading thinkers offer a blueprint for a newphilosophy.

"Their ambition is massive, their argument important.…Theauthors engage in a sort of metaphorical genome project, attempting todelineate the genetic code of human thought."-The New York TimesBook Review

"This book will be an instant academic best-seller."-Mark Turner,University of Maryland

This is philosophy as it has never been seen before. Lakoff andJohnson show that a philosophy responsible to the science of the mindoffers a radically new and detailed understandings of what a personis. After first describing the philosophical stance that must followfrom taking cognitive science seriously, they re-examine the basicconcepts of the mind, time, causation, morality, and the self; thenthey rethink a host of philosophical traditions, from the classicalGreeks through Kantian morality through modern analytical philosophy.Amazon.com Review
George Lakoff and Mark Johnson take on the daunting task ofrebuilding Western philosophy in alignment with three fundamentallessons from cognitive science: The mind is inherently embodied,thought is mostly unconscious, and abstract concepts are largelymetaphorical. Why so daunting? "Cognitive science--the empirical studyof the mind--calls upon us to create a new, empirically responsiblephilosophy, a philosophy consistent with empirical discoveries aboutthe nature of mind," they write. "A serious appreciation of cognitivescience requires us to rethink philosophy from the beginning, in a waythat would put it more in touch with the reality of how we think." Inother words, no Platonic forms, no Cartesian mind-body duality, noKantian pure logic. Even Noam Chomsky's generative linguistics isrevealed under scrutiny to have substantial problems.

Parts of Philosophy in the Flesh retrace the ground covered inthe authors' earlier Metaphors We LiveBy, which revealed how we deal with abstract concepts throughmetaphor. (The previous sentence, for example, relies on the metaphors"Knowledge is a place" and "Knowing is seeing" to make its point.)Here they reveal the metaphorical underpinnings of basic philosophicalconcepts like time, causality--even morality--demonstrating how thesemetaphors are rooted in our embodied experiences. They reproposephilosophy as an attempt to perfect such conceptual metaphors so thatwe can understand how our thought processes shape our experience; theyeven make a tentative effort toward rescuing spirituality from theheavy blows dealt by the disproving of the disembodied mind or "soul"by reimagining "transcendence" as "imaginative empathetic projection."Their source list is helpfully arranged by subject matter, making iteasier to follow up on their citations. If you enjoyed the mentalworkout from Steven Pinker's How the MindWorks, Lakoff and Johnson will, to pursue the "Learning isexercise" metaphor, take you to the next level of training. --RonHogan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

I think this book is a frustrated persons egotistical assumption that they have it all figured out
This writer isn't explaining anything new. I feel like he takes other philosophers ideas for being as dry as his are. Its like this guy at my work who feels important by obsessing over meaningless tasks that no one cares about and making them his whole world. Hope people aren't this hard on my book! Seriously i think what i've been writing is going to rock this world, but I'm doing it by proving all the greats before me right, not by saying that they were missing something. Who is this guy to make such dry assumptions about kant.. I'm 20 years old and havent been doing this philosophy thing for too long, but i'm pretty sure that I'm right in my judgment of this book. The most illogical part about this book is its stress on the influence of the unconcsious when the whole book is written from a mathematical linguistic standpoint that through the writers own logic could never come close to the true complexity of our unconcious conceptions. We need society, we need ordinary language, we need love, and we need the ego to be able to truly communicate our conceptions. Because those things use the unconcious, and therefore much, much, much more of our mental capacity. The logic of the book is so contradictory. Honestly I hope I'm wrong about all this, I hope that the current world of philosophy is not as dull as i feel it is. I hope I'm a naive kid.

we can't escape the cave
This book presents an in-depth analysis of philosophy based on modern findings in cognitive science. Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, and others are put under the microscope, dissected, and ultimately refuted. Which isn't terribly surprising, given the fact that Western philosophy consists largely of a priori reasoning, rather than actual observation and experimentation. The major axioms of Western philosophy are dealt with in depth. They include: humans see the world as it is, objectively, without mental bias; reason is an objective feature of the universe that inherently organizes and structures things, independent of our minds; human reason is essentially different than the rest of the human body, and is functionally separate from it; conscious thought constitutes the entire mind, and as such knows all that is happening in the mind. These are not just major aspects of philosophy but deep assumptions held by most people. Lakoff and Johnson make a very compelling case that these assumptions are scientifically false. Therefore "philosophy will never be the same."

Philosophy in the flesh--that is, philosophy guided by science--leads to the philosophically important conclusion that humans can't escape the cave. That is to say, we can't transcend our physical embodiment (as Plato wished for so deeply, and as religious people all over the world believe happens after death). For cognitive science has discovered that our mental abilities are actually the products of our physical brains. So, sadly, when our brains die, we also die, because we are our brains. The most striking evidence that supports this view consists of the many cognitive pathologies that have been studied and documented throughout the years. This book, however, doesn't really discuss such evidence. Instead, it presents Lakoff's signature theory that reason itself is limited just like our bodies--that, in fact, it is based on our embodied experience and can only understand the world in specific embodied ways. The essence of his argument is that abstract thought is fundamentally metaphoric, and that the metaphors we use are based on our bodies and our experience as humans living in the world. This is dramatically different than Plato's divine, transcendent Reason spelled with a capital R. To illustrate, take Plato's cave: notice that Plato's entire description of the non-physical realm of truth is based on concrete, body-based metaphors. Realizing transcendent truth is akin to *seeing* the *sun*, and the process of coming to realize the truth is akin to *walking* out of a *cave*. The metaphors here are: understanding is seeing, the truth is the sun, the process of realization is walking upwards, ignorance of reality is being in a dark place. You can see here that reasoning about transcendent things is only possible by using knowledge of physical, perceptible, thoroughly non-transcendent things.

The idea that humans cannot attain transcendent knowledge, and that abstract thought is based on metaphor, leads to interesting types of debate. The authors, who are vocally liberal (too liberal in my opinion, hence only 4 stars), take many opportunities to criticize the metaphors employed by more conservative thought. For example, they argue that game theory is based on faulty metaphors and consequently does not provide a legitimate view of human behavior. They contend that even mathematics is constrained by metaphor and fails to give humans an objective view of the world. I thought they went a bit far when they argued that the theory of relativity only works because certain metaphors "allow" it to. I am inclined to believe that mathematics is a tool that allows humans to figure out objective things about reality.

Excellent alternate viewpoint on various philosophy, religion issues
It's a long book but kept me interested through the whole read.The authors break down various language, philsophy and religious approaches into the component metaphors. The authors definitely have their own preferred metaphors to promote (the nurturing parent metaphor for society, the embodied spiritualism or immanent god metaphor for spiritualism) but this doesn't detract much from the book overall and in some sense it's good to know their preferences.

A revolution
This is a refreshing view of the mind. The thesis in this book makes so much sense and the implications are such that reading it is a true thrilling experince.

Linguistic and Philosophy together.
This is a scholarly work with all the bases covered.What Western Philosophy is from Descartes to Kant to modern philosophy and how this changes things.


The linguistics and philosophy are both presented in very accessible language so that no background in either is a prerequisite.It is a very readable work for the non-scholar.


Good read.

... Read more

Product Description
The perfect companion to Lewis Carroll's classic book and director Tim Burton's March 2010 remake of Alice in Wonderland

Alice?s Adventures in Wonderland has fascinated children and adults alike for generations. Why does Lewis Carroll introduce us to such oddities as blue caterpillars who smoke hookahs, cats whose grins remain after their heads have faded away, and a White Queen who lives backwards and remembers forwards? Is it all just nonsense? Was Carroll under the influence? This book probes the deeper underlying meaning in the Alice books, and reveals a world rich with philosophical life lessons. Tapping into some of the greatest philosophical minds that ever lived?Aristotle, Hume, Hobbes, and Nietzsche?Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy explores life?s ultimate questions through the eyes of perhaps the most endearing heroine in all of literature.

• Looks at compelling issues such as perception and reality as well as how logic fares in a world of lunacy, the Mad Hatter, clocks, and temporal passage
• Offers new insights into favorite Alice in Wonderland characters and scenes, including the Mad Hatter and his tea party, the violent Queen of Hearts, and the grinning Cheshire Cat

Accessible and entertaining, Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy will enrich your experience of Alice's timeless adventures with new meaning and fun. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Alice In Wonderland and Philosophy
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy is a book comprised of short essays by various authors. Each essay contains how Alice in Wonderland relates to philosophy in some way. The authors of the essays are all in the academic field and the essays read as such. The book was something I would not normally read for pleasure. In just taking an English Lit Criticism class, it reminded me of the selections I had to read for class. This is a great book for those doing academic research in the fields of English and/or Philosophy but I don't think that the average reader will find this as their typical read.

Twas brillig, as I dreamt that they had done a better job on this book...
John V. Karavitis I enjoy reading books from this series.You get re-exposed to a large number of different philosophers and philosophical topics, and the fact that the essays are tied to a pop culture TV series or movie makes the reading that much more enjoyable.I knew about Alice In Wonderland (who hasn't heard of it), and was looking forward to reading this book.All in all it's a decent entry in the series, but a number of the essays were weak, in fact, a couple of them were downright silly/incomprehensible, and a couple more meandered on their discussion.In my humble opinion, at the very least you can can skip the very two first essays and not miss a beat.The one that I enjoyed best was Brendan Shea's "Three Ways of Getting It Wrong:Induction in Wonderland", where we go from Hume (induction as the way we learn about the world) to Quine (the theory of underdetermination as a limitation to theories about how the world works) as we re-visit epistomology.Regardless of how good or bad these entries in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series are, you will always find an essay or two that are real gems.Recommended, but watch out for that first step into the rabbit hole, it's a long way down.John V. Karavitis

Review from The Neverending Shelf
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy gives readers an in-depth and academic look into the world of Alice in Wonderland. Journey deep into the rabbit hole to discover the lasting effects that Alice in Wonderland has had on our society and its pop culture.

Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy is broken down into four sections, which are then broken down further into essays. Each essay is written by various authors and professors who discuss topics from feminism to philosophy to even drug usage. You may be thinking, what does this have to do with Alice in Wonderland the novel? The truth is a lot. On the surface, Lewis Carroll's classic seems to be just about a young girl who travels down the rabbit hole to discover a new world and a great adventure. But the truth is, as with many novels, the novel is filled with many diverse layers. And it is those layers that Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy discusses.

If you are a die-hard Alice in Wonderland fan, then this is definitely going to be a must read for you. However, those who are looking for an enlightening look at the world of Alice in Wonderland, should definitely give this novel a try. You will not be disappointed.

Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy is very well-written in an academic and intellectual way, but it is never dry. The authors infuse humor and pop culture references through out to keep readers entertained as well as relevant. I had a blast reading this novel, and discovered a new outlook on one of my most beloved tales. Fantastic read!

This is a trip worth taking!
This book is imaginative and very fascinating.Alice in Wonderland has always helda magical place in my reading experience and this title compliments the story wonderfully. This is my first experience with such an astute group of writers willing to tackle the very ephemeral Alice. It was a treat to read,and I highly recommend it if you like expanding your mind. Because you will.

Some info about the book:

The perfect companion to Lewis Carroll's classic book and director Tim Burton's March 2010 remake of Alice in Wonderland.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has fascinated children and adults alike for generations. Why does Lewis Carroll introduce us to such oddities as blue caterpillars who smoke hookahs, cats whose grins remain after their heads have faded away, and a White Queen who lives backwards and remembers forwards? Is it all just nonsense? Was Carroll under the influence? This book probes the deeper underlying meaning in the Alice books, and reveals a world rich with philosophical life lessons. Tapping into some of the greatest philosophical minds that ever livedAristotle, Hume, Hobbes, and NietzscheAlice in Wonderland and Philosophy explores lifes ultimate questions through the eyes of perhaps the most endearing heroine in all of literature.

Looks at compelling issues such as perception and reality as well as how logic fares in a world of lunacy, the Mad Hatter, clocks, and temporal passage

Offers new insights into favorite Alice in Wonderland characters and scenes, including the Mad Hatter and his tea party, the violent Queen of Hearts, and the grinning Cheshire Cat.
Accessible and entertaining, Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy will enrich your experience of Alice's timeless adventures with new meaning and fun.

About the Editors

RICHARD BRIAN DAVIS is an associate professor of philosophy at Tyndale University College and the coeditor of 24 and Philosophy.

WILLIAM IRWIN is a professor of philosophy at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as coeditor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen recent titles, including Batman and Philosophy, House and Philosophy, and Watchmen and Philosophy.

curiouser and curiouser...
Certainly, Alice in Wonderland is a timeless, children's classic, right..or is it? Yes, I think it is, without question, a timeless classic but the question is whether is really is just a children's book. Personally, I always thought it was a bit too bizarre for many kids and is really one of those books perhaps best revisited as an adult. To quote the book's cover, in Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

"...introduces us to such oddities as a blue caterpillar who smoke a hookah, a cat whose grin remains after its head has faded away, and a White Queen who lives backward and remembers forward."

I know after reading this book of essays about the many questions of a philosophical nature that can be explored as they relate to Alice, I need to take another look at the original.

For example, have you ever though of little Alice as a feminist icon? Well if not, perhaps you should, as one of the 14 essays in the book, this one by Megan Lloyd, suggests.

"By rejecting daisy chains and following white rabbits, assertive Alice already sees the possibility in the real world she occupies. Alice offers another world for young women, one that need not be dull. Hers is a reality where women author their own tales, work out their own problems, expect the extraordinary, and speak their minds. Faced with continuing mistreatment and stereotypical expectations, today's young woman do well to ask themselves, what would Alice do?"

You can take a deeper look at Alice and her adventures, while at the same time learning a bit about some of the Big Questions. A number of your big name thinkers make an appearance, from Plato and Socrates to Kant and Nietzsche, but don't be too concerned if you eyes glaze over a bit when you hear those names. A number of big philosophical topics from logic, inductive reasoning and the meaning of language are explored as they relate to Wonderland, but again, fear not. Most of these essays are written in a clear, easily accessible way and you can ignore the endnotes if you wish. I admit, I wished. Also, a number of the essays are quite funny, my personal favorite being Mark White's "Jam Yesterday, Jam Tomorrow, But Never Jam Today: On Procrastination, Hiking, and...The Spiceabout philosophy Girls?" As an admitted procrastinator, I think this one in particular spoke to me.

This book is part of the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series, a series of more than 20 books that has taken on subjects such as Battlestar Galactica, South Park, 24 and one I really need to check out, Mad Men, as they relate to a variety of philosophical issues. As they say on their site at [...] , maybe a little sugar of the popular subjects make the medicine of a little deeper thinking go down easier...."the unexamined life is not worth living and the unexamined sitcom is not worth watching."

In large part, an entertaining book, part of an intriguing series and certainly a must read for any serious fans of Alice in Wonderland. ... Read more

Product Description
Called by many France's foremost philosopher, Gilles Deleuze is one of the leading thinkers in the Western World. His acclaimed works and celebrated collaborations with Félix Guattari have established him as a seminal figure in the fields of literary criticism and philosophy. The long-awaited publication ofin English marks the culmination of Deleuze's career.Deleuze and Guattari differentiate between philosophy, science, and the arts, seeing as means of confronting chaos, and challenge the common view that philosophy is an extension of logic. The authors also discuss the similarities and distinctions between creative and philosophical writing. Fresh anecdotes from the history of philosophy illuminate the book, along with engaging discussions of composers, painters, writers, and architects.A milestone in Deleuze's collaboration with Guattari,brings a new perspective to Deleuze's studies of cinema, painting, and music, while setting a brilliant capstone upon his work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Deleuze - Guattarion Philosophy, Excellent Read

Nicely reasoned work on the role of philosophy, science, and art in the human approach to organizing meaning in the material world. Deleuze is of course a key thinker in terms of understanding the current state of how we come to terms with origins and potentialities.It can be difficult at times because of translation and the unique terminology necessary to explore certain innovative concepts; but if you're not familiar with Deleuze, and want a fresh look at the subject, this is a good start.

Excellent Analysis
Of course Deleuze and Guattari's self-explication does not read like an introduction to philosophy, but this compact and rich text is a wonderful and provocative entry into their work. Deleuze has brilliantly reconceived philosophy as the production of concepts and has attempted to reintroduce metaphysics back into the project of creative thinking. If accepted, this is a radical and crucial turning point in the development of contemporary philosophy-Heidegger may not have the final word on metaphysics after all. This difficult text is composed of three essential parts, concepts, science, and art. There are mordantly brilliant critiques of logic and positivism here, as well as crucial articulations of Deleuze's commitment to artistic expression. In the final analysis, it is the `plane of immanence' that grips me most completely. The power and radicality of Deleuzian metaphysics will be felt for a long time.

Philosophy is Creation
Deleuze and Guattari's masterful reconception of thought, succinctly packaged and clearly articulated - although not the clear articulation you might expect. D&G define philosophy as "the art of forming, inventing, and fabricating concepts," as opposed to science's art of describing patterns that already exist, or art's creation of percepts and sensations. Part One explains the nature of the concept; the plane of immanence on which all philosophy depends; the philosopher's use of conceptual personae to explore their concepts (like Plato's Socrates or Nietzsche's Zarathustra); and tracing the movement of the concept through its formations and reformations (what D&G call territorialization and deterritorialization). Part Two then compares philosophy's role to science's and arts, reserving special criticism for logic's (misguided) assumption of philosophy's role. Finally, D&G creatively introduce the brain as the intersection of these three planes: philosophy, science, and art. A wonderful final masterpiece from two "conceptual personae" who really cause us to think in an original way, and will not settle for anything less.

If you liked Khalil Ghibran, you will swoon over this.
Here is the big picture:thought has "three great forms -- art, science, and philosophy...."(197) This three-part framework is not explicated, but these categories clearly refer to culture, leaving out distasteful areas of culture, such as technology, which are certainly merely "material."
To explain culture, the writers move back and forth between two varieties of positivism: intellectualistic positivism and anti-intellectual positivism.Intellectualistic positivism is the position associated with Hume, Hobbes, and Locke that reduces culture to ways of thinking, especially among intellectuals.Anti-intellectual positivism is the position associated with Malthus and Darwin, and that derives culture from some underlying biological forces.

The book is divided into two parts.

Part I says that "forms" of culture arise from composing one's feelings (art), referring to instants of experience by measuring motion (science), and forming concepts (philosophy)."Concept" is some entity of "thought.""Concept" is never defined but is catalogued by words like "fragmentary whole, plural," and "incorporeal."Concepts, references, and feelings make up "planes," also never defined, which are "immanent" for concepts, "referent" for science, and "monumental" for art.
The "plane of immanence" among the academic philosophers is the highest plane, of course:
"If the three ages of the concept are the encyclopedia, pedagogy, and personal commercial training, only the second can safeguard us from falling from the heights of the first into the disaster of the third -- an absolute disaster for thought, whatever its benefits might be, of course, from the viewpoint of universal capitalism." (12)

Philosophers communicate their concepts by "personae...leaping like Kierkegaard, dancing like Nietzsche, and diving like Melville." (71)Scientists communicate their references by "observers," like Maxwell's demon (129).Artists communicate their feelings by compositions.All these are variations on the theme of intellectualistic positivism, the center of which is the philosopher's acting like an atom, swirling about, intellecting concepts.

Part I closes with a digression on sociologistic positivism shading into radical anti-intellectualistic positivism.The digression is on "geophilosophy." The writers adopt a form of radical anti-intellectualistic positivism: animals form territories, abandon them, and recreate them. So "social fields are inextricable knots in which the three fields are mixed up so that in order to disentangle them, we have to diagnose real types or personae." (68) Geopolitics means that some concepts, observations, and compositions are good ones, because they are "territorialized" by relation to the values of a particular society, as among the ancient Greeks.They are "immanent."
But others are bad ones because they are "deterritorialized" by political domination.They are "transcendent."Transcendent geophilosophy is "imperial," and "paradigmatic, projective, hierarchical, referential" (89) like Chinese, Hindu, Jewish, Islamic "pre-philosophy." Immanent "geophilosophy" is "syntagmatic, connective, linking, and "consistent" (91).Because of transcendent geophilosophy, the "two great modern revolutions, American and Soviet, have turned out so badly." (100)We are in just a terrible state today, having damaged our environment with our transcendent concepts. "The Greeks lived and thought in Nature, but left Mind in the "mysteries," whereas we live, think, and feel in the Mind, in reflection, but leave Nature in a profound alchemical mystery that we constantly profane." (102)

Part II recovers from geopolitical environmentalism, and the writers return to science, portraying science as measurements or "functives...propositions in discursive systems" (117) in a "plane of reference" (127) among states, "enunciated" by..."partial observers." (129). While science has reference, philosophy has logic, which "wants to turn the concept into a function" (135), but is just the confrontation of opinions about "virtuals."Art has "composition," by which the artist memorializes his sensations, especially the unhappy depressed ones like Van Gogh, Woolf, Dickenson, and Klee.Here a variety of cultural idealism emerges, as the concepts and the compositions take over.We are treated throughout to many precious metaphors ("The philosopher is the friend of the concept") and obscure references ("Kant's hose suspenders") which show how piquant it is to be an intellect aware that "immanence is only immanent to itself." (48)
The last chapter, "From Chaos to the Brain," returns to the intellectual and anti-intellectual themes. Thought (intellectual) must be localized in the brain (organic, anti-intellectual), because opinions are an umbrella we put up to protect us from chaos."The brain is the "junction" of the three planes: immanence of philosophy, reference of science, composition of art...." (217)In sum, "Art struggles with chaos...to render it sensory...science is perhaps inspired by a sinuous reptilian movement. (205) Philosophy struggles in turn with the chaos as undifferentiated abyss or ocean of dissemblance." (207)
Their position that the object world is grounded in chaos is really an assumption that science is impossible, because "chaos" has no intrinsic order.The book has an extensively commented bibliography of mostly continental writers in the footnotes and an index that valiantly substitutes a heroic catalogue of page references for definitions, since, in the end, they say concepts cannot be defined.

Sssshhhhwweeeeeet!
Condition? Unbelievable! Delivery? It arrived so fast, time was suspended and then went backward for about half a second. Seriously. ... Read more

Product Description
The revised edition of this highly successful text provides a clear and accessible introduction to some of the most important questions of political philosophy. Organized around major issues, Wolff provides the structure that beginners need, while also introducing some distinctive ideas of his own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent Intro to a tough subject
This is an excellent introduction to a very tough subject.Jonathan Wolff takes the reader through the very beginnings of political thought and philosophies on what is the State, why do we need the State, and all the way through all of the different questions that have concerned political philosophers since Ancient Greece.The author does a very good job of keeping the material engaging and explaining the various theories and methods at arriving at said theories without ever specifically endorsing one single theory.

The perfect introduction
This is probably the best introduction available, being lucid and succinct, it also takes just the right approach to the subject for the beginner. Instead of a chapter by chapter guide to the main thinkers or theories, Wolff cleverly structures the book in such a way that the student is gently coaxed into exploring the fundamental questions of political philosophy for himself.

The author notes at the beginning that it is sometimes said that 'who gets what?' and 'who says so?' are the only two questions of importance in the subject. Whilst denying this to be entirely the case, Wolff puts these questions firmly into intial context by asking why we need the state at all and then proceeds to ask if we do need the state, who indeed should govern it? He then explores the issue of the distribution of goods before returning to the 'who says who gets what?' and by the end of the book the reader should be able to explore that question through the lenses of the competing theories of today, such as feminism or communitarianism.

I was lucky enough to have the author as one of my lecturers at university and, indeed, to take my tutorials in political philosophy in my final year. As a working class student with zero self-esteem and who was failing abjectly to mix within the rarefied air of an elite university, Mr Wolff (unlike certain snobs and marxist posers) admirably strived to boost my confidence and every student found his tutorials and lectures to be models of patience and clarity. This book is imbubed with those qualities throughout and thus can't be recommended highly enough. Whether you are a high school student or a 1st year undergraduate, this book will have you asking the right questions and should put you in the perfect position to look in closer detail at the major issues.

Do you need an Introduction????? This is it!!!
This is a very good introduction...I mean VERY good. I have not finished it yet but I can tell you that it is written in such a way that you really get all the substance without sweat...and also..you simply do not want to put the book down...really a page turner. They way Mr Wolff presents the differents views on each issue is excellent!!!
Interested in Political Philosophy??? This should be your book of choice.

Excellent Introduction
I found this to be a great introduction to political philosophy. In an unbiased manner, Jonathan Wolff reviews the central ideas that are fundamental to the field: the state of nature, how one justifies the formation of the state, how to pick rulers, liberty, distribution of property, individualism, justice, rights, democracy, utilitarianism, and social contracts. He also reviews ideas of the major thinkers -- Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, etc.The book is organized by TOPIC, not by thinker, which is a format that I find was best suited for learning & for tying different thinker's ideas together. The writing is clear, simple, and chatty; it seems to have been written for college freshman. The only minor fault is that the book does not cover some major figures in political theory that I would have included: Aristotle & Machiavelli were not mentioned, for example.However, overall, I'd recommend this book. I'm keeping it on my bookself for reference.

Excellent book!
This was required reading for my philosophy class.It is very thorough, but still understandable. This book is at the base of my entire understanding of political philosophy, and I still rely on it from time to time. For anyone in philosophy, Lincoln-Douglas debate, or just are interested, READ THIS! ... Read more

Product Description

A small marvel, A Beginner's Guide toPhilosophy provides an instructive anddelightful introduction to philosophy. Despiteits brevity, this beginner's guide covers avast range of authors and topics. The readerwill find discussions of ancient and modernphilosophy, beginning with the pre-Socraticthinkers, before moving on to Plato andAristotle. The narrative then proceeds to anelegant survey of modern philosophers:Descartes, Nietzsche, Kant, and Hegel. Dominique Janicaud finally comes to the problems that haveoccupied thinkers through the ages: theexistence of God, the meaning of life, humannature, and the question of freedom.

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Start
This introduction gave meinsights into my own philosophy of life which I
didn't know I had.

A superb primary text perfect for self-directed study
French philosopher Dominique Janicaud presents A Beginner's Guide to Philosophy, which introduces readers to the basics of Western philosophy. From the stylings of pre-Socratic thinkers to the work of Plato and Aristotle, to an overview of more modern philosophers such as Descartes, Nietzsche, Kant, and Hegel, A Beginner's Guide to Philosophy touches upon the quandaries that have hounded thinkers throughout history: the existence of God, the meaning of life, human nature, and the question of what true freedom is. "If not all acts are free in the same way, should freedom itself depend on the degree of enlightenment it brings? Or is every man essentially free in so far as he is a man? If this is the case, we must not simply identify the capacity for being free with the enactment of freedom. We still don't know how freedom can be made concrete in the world." Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, A Beginner's Guide to Philosophy is a superb primary text perfect for self-directed study.
... Read more

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Product Description
Thousands of years of wisdom, in one updated guide.

Socrates’s admonition that "the unexamined life is not worth living" still resonates with many people, and this guide is a great introduction to that mental exercise. The author skillfully covers the subject both historically and topically and brings the reader all the way up to the present, with insights into 21st-century philosophical thought.

• Essential philosophers and philosophies, from ancient times right up to today

• New information on such topics as Eastern philosophy, women philosophers, postmodernism, and critical theory

• The relevance of philosophy to a variety of other subjects and to today’s world ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Good book, but...
The book was great, but the shipping was an issue. It came two days late and I needed it as soon as possible, at least I had no issues stalling but that really killed points for the review. Sorry, but three stars. :[ Book had no problems though! :]

Helpful for beginners
I love Philosophy and can't get enough of learning about it.This book is good for newbies to the subject and will give you an overall idea about many of the ideas of philosophy.

Find something else
I did not like this book at all. I would not even say buy it used and throw it away. The explanations are not clear, I found I could not learn anything about philosophy with it at all - which was the reason why I bought it.

Kindle owners beware
Note that despite implications to the contrary, the Kindle version will not be the same as the paperback version sold through Amazon.The paper version is Third Ed, 2005.The Kindle version is Second Ed, 2002.

A funny introduction to philosophy
My wife is a philosophy teacher and she enjoys with the book because give a new point of view to introduce her Highschool students in these themes. maybe it's not a textbook, but it's more friendly and funny. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Just what I was looking for
Even if you already know the 50 ideas, this neat little book makes for a fun read. It's a great book to share with your less philosophical friends and family or at least challenge them with the ethical dilemmas within.

I bought two of the other books in the series (maths & physics)but they were too dumbed down to be interesting to someone who already knows the material. This one hit the spot exactly.

Thought provoking
I have always felt philosophy to be extremely practical and important.My biggest criticisms are that philosopher's tend to make it hard to digest, and that it is taught historically rather than by ideas (except for the entertaining novel "Sophie's World," Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy (FSG Classics)which brings the history of philosophy to life.)
Now along comes this delightful volume: clear, well-written, and entertaining.I could not think of a better selection of the most important ideas, or imagine a better treatment.If there were a weekly discussion group around this book, I would go to every meeting!
Bravo!

How can we be sure of the reality of the external world?
If this question has never crossed your mind, then perhaps you need read no further.On the other hand, if you are intrigued about how people can debate the reality of existence (and why) then this may be just the book to introduce you to some fascinating philosophical ideas.

This book is not an exhaustive exploration of philosophy, nor does it attempt a detailed explanation of the ideas introduced.What it does do, and does very well, is introduce fifty separate ideas under nine different headings providing good coverage of some of the most influential thinking documented.

The headings are:
Problems of Knowledge (including the veil of perception and cogito ergo sum)
Mind Matters (including the mind-body problem and the Turing test)
Ethics (including Hume's guillotine and the golden rule)
Animal Rights (do animals feel pain? and do animals have rights?)
Logic and Meaning (including forms of argument and the barber's paradox)
Science (including paradigm shifts and Occam's razor)
Aesthetics (including what is art?)
Religion (including the argument from design and the freewill defence)
Politics, Justice and Society (including positive and negative freedom and the difference principle)

My sentimental favourites are cogito ergo sum, and Occam's razor.But there is much within this book to appeal - including a timeline for the ideas discussed.Mr Dupre's essays are well-written, easy to follow and invite the reader to think and to question.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

50 ideas are introduced in an entertaining manner
This is not a book of in-depth philosophy.50 ideas are introduced, but only briefly, with four pages allotted to each idea.These four pages are enough to introduce each idea and get the reader to thinking about them.The 50 ideas are grouped into several sections, namely:
· Problems of knowledge
· Mind matters
· Ethics
· Logic and reasoning
· Science
· Aesthetics
· Religion
· Politics, Justice and Society

Some of the ideas covered in these sections are:
· The Ship of Theseus (When all of the pieces of the ship are replaced is what is now present the same ship?)
· The Turning Test for artificial intelligence.
· Do animals have rights?
· The ontological argument.
· Hobbes' Leviathan.
· The prisoners dilemma (game theory)
· Various logical paradoxes

I found the writing clear and the book highly readable and entertaining. In addition to text, each idea is supplemented with boxes containing some extended discussion of a particular point and some quotations concerning the idea.While someone better versed in philosophy than I may find this book overly superficial. I found that it introduced each idea with a minimum of the mind numbing jargon associated with philosophy. Many of the sections got me to think about things in a new light and made me want to learn more about the ideas that were introduced. I thus recommend this book to those who just want an introduction to 50 philosophy ideas, but are not yet willing to tackle philosophy head-on and in-depth.(Be warned, however, that the section on religion takes on a decidedly anti-theist tone, which may be troublesome reading for some readers.On the other hand, others may find this section quite illuminating.)
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Product Description
This volume provides an unequaled introduction to the thought of chief contributors to the Western tradition of political philosophy from classical Greek antiquity to the twentieth century.Written by specialists on the various philosophers, this third edition has been expanded significantly to include both new and revised essays. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Great Survey on Political Philosophy
Most of the political philosophy surveys I've found tend to revolve around around subject matters and will tell you how all the major players thought about that particular issue. This book feels more old school in the sense that the editors chose to show the major players' most influential ideas in political philosophy (to show all their ideas would produce a book at least ten times as big), in chronological order. You will not learn everything there is to know about political philosophy from this book, but I believe that it will give you the most bang for you're buck if you only plan on reading one or two books on the subject, or if you are looking for an amazing introduction to get you started. Biggest problem with it that anyone can see off the bat is that there are a few people in the book that could have been taken out and replaced by some more notable and influential players, at least Rawls and Nozick should have made it.

History of Political Philosophy
This book illustrates so well how historical thinkers wrestled with key issues including political, philosophical, religious and cultural aspects. It's these intersections and inflection points that enable us to better understand how interrelated these areas are today. These editors have added of wealth of substantive insights that are not easily found in one book. I highly recommend reading this; I've spent years reading it and still learning....Then go read Ken Wilbur - Marriage of Sense and Soul and you will be amazed. R. Sanford

Still working
This is a great book, it is a wealth of the history of Western Culture. I have marked it up and still working through this beefy book. In my political Science classes we will read a text and I will go home and read their section in this book; it has been a great place to get the feel of a thinker before reading the source material.

This book is great but only if...
This book is great but only if you have a knowledge of the books and thoughts of philosophers inside well beforehand. That is because the book examines the thoughts -say- hermeneutically. Every now and then you will see references to philosophers' books and most of the time -if it is someone whom you just want to have a general information- it makes you get angry.

As a result, do not buy this book just to treat it like a dictionary. It has more than that and all in all it is an academic book. Great source for university studies and essays but surely not for dummies.

The best philosophy overview
This is the best philosophy (not just political) overview I have found.The essays for each philosopher are several pages long and cover all aspects of the philosopher's thought.I have owned this book for years, and I still find myself going back to it over any other philosophy book. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
This book is a translation of a classic work of modern social and political thought.Elements of the Philosophy of Right, Hegel's last major published work, is an attempt to systematize ethical theory, natural right, the philosophy of law, political theory, and the sociology of the modern state into the framework of Hegel's philosophy of history. Hegel's work has been interpreted in radically different ways, influencing many political movements from far right to far left, and is widely perceived as central to the communitarian tradition in modern ethical, social, and political thought.This edition includes extensive editorial material informing the reader of the historical background of Hegel's text, and explaining his allusions to Roman law and other sources, making use of lecture materials which have only recently become available.The new translation is literal, readable, and consistent, and will be informative and scholarly enough to serve the needs of students and specialists alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

consider an alterative
This edition is an enormous improvement over the Knox version published by Oxford, but I have done a third version that I hope you'll consider.Three of its advantages:(1) unlike Wood, I don't proceed on the assumption that Hegel's dialectical logic is nonsensical, so I attempt to clarify it, both in the translation and in notes; (2) additional materials from student transcriptions of Hegel's lectures are included with the sections they relate to, not in endnotes; (3) my edition has no endnotes, only footnotes, so readers don't have to waste time flipping to the end of the book to find what is often irrelevant and distracting information.For more on my edition (titled HEGEL'S PHILOSOPHY OF RIGHT), see the review by Peter Kalkavage on its Amazon page.
Again, I much admire this edition, and if it had been available when I started mine, I wouldn't have started at all.That said, I do think that mine offers significant advantages, including those listed above.

nice edition of an important book
Well first off a bit about Hegel:It was, until recently, quite fashionable in English speaking coutries to dismiss Hegel as a charlatan, an apologist for totalitarianism, and an embarassment to the title of philosopher.That's changing, and I tend to think it's for the good.There's a good bit of nonsense in Hegel, but there's also some very important philosophy.
The problem with not dismissing Hegel is that he's one of the most difficult philosophers to make sense of; there are passages, and perhaps entire books, of Hegel's that no one honestly understands.Luckily, the "Elements Philosophy of Right" is not only one of the easier of Hegel's books to read (easy being a relative term), but also the most relevant for the general reader.Since Hegel is speaking of concrete institutions he's much easier to follow here than in most other works.Also, I tend to agree with Wood that Hegel's main contribution to philosophy is in the field of ethics and political philosophy, and this book is the best summation of Hegel's ethical theory.
Okay enough about Hegel, onto this edition of the POR.This edition is great, and anyone who's had the misfortune of readng its predecessors will appreciate just how great.For one thing, the translation is good.Yes Hegel is tough to read, but not as hard to read as many English speaking people think; the English translations are generally terrible.This edition also has Hegel's notes on the work on the same page with what he initially published, unlike other editions, which generally put them at the end.In the earlier editions one had to either turn back and forth constantly, or skip the notes, and one shouldn't skip them because rather than being mere footnotes these notes tend to explain or expand upon the point Hegel is making in rather crucial ways.Probably the best thing about this edition is Allen Wood's excellent introduction, which does an admirable job of clearly summarizing the main theses of this difficult work, while putting Hegel into historical perspective and explaining the continuing relevance of his ethical theory.

A Serious Book for Serious People
As a mystery novelist with my first novel in its initial release, I have found that reading a variety of works helps me in my writing.I first came in contact with the works of Hegel as an undergraduate at Claremont McKenna College.Hegel's thoughts have provided foundations for political movements ranging from the far right to the far left, and this work, an excellent translation, provides insight into this thinker's thoughts.Excellent work.A classic in every sense of the word. ... Read more

Product Description
The seventh edition of Steven Cahn's "Classics of Western Philosophy" features several major additions, including selections from Plotinus' "Enneads", Schopenhauer's "The World as Will and Representation", Husserl's "Paris Lectures", Wittgenstein's "Philosophical Investigations", and a new selection from Hegel's "Phenomenology of Spirit". Selections from Aristotle's "Metaphysics" and "On the Soul" have been expanded, while Aristotle's "Physics and Nicomachean Ethics", Hume's "Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding", Mill's "On Liberty", and Russell's "The Problem of Philosophy" have been further abridged. In all, the new edition presents complete texts or substantial selections from fifty-six philosophical masterpieces, in pre-eminent and thoughtfully annotated translations and editions, with introductions by a team of distinguished scholars including Sara Ahbel-Rappe, Richard Bett, Steven Cahn, Charles Guignon, Kathleen Higgins, Patricia Kitcher, Philip W. Kitcher, William Mann, Derek Pereboom, Ruth Anna Putnam, Israel Scheffler, David Shatz, George Sher, David Sherman, Jonathan Vogel, Meredith Williams, and Michael Williams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

DONT USE THEM!
THe book was in horriable condition with highlighter markers and and stains and writing all over! I am so dissappointed I am in college and there is no way I can sell this book back? I sent them an e-mail and they were very rude about it! DON'T DO IT!!!!

Philosophy class savior
Bought the Classics of Western Philosophy book as a replacement for a stolen book. Quick shipping made the transition from without to with a book seamless.

Text book
Fast Delivery, not the correct book, I needed the seventh edition but my fault. Talked to my instructor and he said I could still use it, the content is the same but the numbering of the pages is differant. So as long as I know what the content is to read I can find it. Turned out ok.

Intro To Philosophy
I'm a college student and was required to buy this book (among several) for my Intro to Philosophy class.As soon as the semester was over I did what I always do: sell the text books back to the campus book store.As I went on to other classes I began to regret selling back this book.I'm a few weeks into "Humanities in Western Tradition I, and I'm currently reading just fragments of what can be found in this book.After I get done with an assignment, I want to read further and if I had kept this book I could do that.So I'm buying it again...for the last time.

simply the best
This anthology is by far the best anthology of its kind. If you love ancient and medieval philosophy the way I do, it is possible to teach an entire semester "intro. tophil." course out of Plato, Aristotle, Sextus, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Maimon, Ockham, Gerson, and the Stoa.
This book could also support a whole early moderns course, as it features full texts of MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY, ETHICS, MONADOLOGY, AN ENQUIRY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING, and DIALOGUES CONCERNING NATURAL RELIGION. This great text also contains a well-selected excerpt from Kant's KrV.
If you are a philosophy instructor who loves great texts, and if you teach an historical approach to intro., this text is your choice. This servicable anthology is priced reasonably enough that it can also serve as a primary-source reference for thematic courses. Thanks to Hackett for this gem. This text is also ideal as the core text for a one-trimester course. I have even used this book once for a one-semester ethics course! ... Read more