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Metaphysics: A Guide and Anthology
A complete and self-contained introduction to metaphysics, this anthology provides an extensive and varied collection of fifty-four of the best classical and contemporary readings on the subject. The readings are organized into ten God, idealism and realism, being, universals and particulars, necessity and contingency, causation, space and time, identity, mind and body, and freewill and determinism. It features a substantial general introduction and detailed section introductions that set the selections in context and guide readers through them. Discussion questions and detailed guides to further reading are also included.
792 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2004
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About the author
Tim Crane
37 books33 followersTim Crane is a professor of philosophy at the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest and Vienna.
He works in the philosophy of mind, and attempts to address questions about the most general nature, or essence, of the human mind, and about the place of the mind in the rest of nature.
He works in the philosophy of mind, and attempts to address questions about the most general nature, or essence, of the human mind, and about the place of the mind in the rest of nature.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 31, 2013
This was the required reading for the course Reality, Being and Existence: an Introduction to Metaphysics that I took online through Oxford University's continuing education department. I didn't read the whole thing, but I read more than what was required for a couple of reasons.
This book is well formatted and laid out to make it as easy as possible to read, physically speaking. The fonts are clear and well distinguished from each other. There's lots of white space, which aids reading. It's well organized. And although it's hefty, it stays open without a lot of forceful folding back of the book to make it lay flat...for the most part.
The introductions are also well written, so much so that unlike with Philosophy of Mind's required textbook last year, I actually read these ones. And I read more of them than required, and I reread a couple too. Although I didn't like the sans serif font for reading several pages of philosophy, the font did help one visually tell apart the intros from the essays while riffling through the book. The introductions also nicely summarize and add to the essays contained in the sections they're introducing. And because they appeared at the start of each section instead of all being bundled together in the first pages of the book, it was easy to go back and forth from an essay to the intro that discussed it.
The essays themselves vary with the authors. Some are written in a style that conveys complex ideas simply; others are so verbose or thick, one struggles to understand the simplest concept. I liked that the chosen authors cover the gamut of time and we can not only see the progression of ideas but also learn from the greats like Plato, whose ideas still resonate today. A better-than-average textbook.
This book is well formatted and laid out to make it as easy as possible to read, physically speaking. The fonts are clear and well distinguished from each other. There's lots of white space, which aids reading. It's well organized. And although it's hefty, it stays open without a lot of forceful folding back of the book to make it lay flat...for the most part.
The introductions are also well written, so much so that unlike with Philosophy of Mind's required textbook last year, I actually read these ones. And I read more of them than required, and I reread a couple too. Although I didn't like the sans serif font for reading several pages of philosophy, the font did help one visually tell apart the intros from the essays while riffling through the book. The introductions also nicely summarize and add to the essays contained in the sections they're introducing. And because they appeared at the start of each section instead of all being bundled together in the first pages of the book, it was easy to go back and forth from an essay to the intro that discussed it.
The essays themselves vary with the authors. Some are written in a style that conveys complex ideas simply; others are so verbose or thick, one struggles to understand the simplest concept. I liked that the chosen authors cover the gamut of time and we can not only see the progression of ideas but also learn from the greats like Plato, whose ideas still resonate today. A better-than-average textbook.
April 23, 2013
A very approachable guide to a topic that can easily be made to be appear more complex than it is. (I am not saying it is an easy topic, just that some of the simpler aspects can appear more complex than they are if they are not well described or approached).
It has a good choice of papers, well written and informative introductions, Useful and enjoyable to read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic, or facing an undergraduate level module in it.
It has a good choice of papers, well written and informative introductions, Useful and enjoyable to read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic, or facing an undergraduate level module in it.
December 2, 2021
Are you interested in the state of reality - if yes, then this book is for you.
This is marathon read, so I suggest reading in bundles around specific subjects list in the contents. If one wants to get into metaphysics this book is the place to start. Largely, you need a mind that can grip the metaphysical to appreciate and understand the subject matter.
This is marathon read, so I suggest reading in bundles around specific subjects list in the contents. If one wants to get into metaphysics this book is the place to start. Largely, you need a mind that can grip the metaphysical to appreciate and understand the subject matter.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews