Readings About the Ultimate Questions: Thinking About Philosophy

by Nils Ch. Rauhut, Renee J. Smith

Helps readers understand the issues and problems in philosophy by reading original materials that demonstrate that philosophy is not about remote questions, but rather issues that lie deep within ourselves. With a blend of classic and contemporary readings, this anthology covers the major topics in philosophy, includes readings by outstanding contemporary philosophers that are enjoyable to read, encourage philosophical thought, and show readers how contemporary philosophers approach philosophical problems, and presents historical readings that show the work of figures in the history of philosophy. For anyone interested in understanding philosophical issues and how they relate to our lives.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

656 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2004

Reviews

[Pishowi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this book serves as an excellent introduction to issues of current debate in philosophy and to some of the best modern philosophers actively engaged in these discussions as well as earlier philosophers (Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle, for example) who raised points that are still debated and discussed today. I particularly enjoyed the point/counter-point format that most of the book followed. This provided the reader with an opportunity to see the best answers and answers-to-answers on the important issues covered. Often, it seems as if we were witnessing a live debate between several great minds. Those parts of the book with which I was disappointed were those in which the editor chose not to follow this format. For example, no response essay was offered to Deborah Mathieu's entry on "Male-Chauvinist Religion." As badly written and poorly historically informed as that essay is, I don't think that it should have been included in this book at all, especially not without an essay written in response to it or at least from the opposite perspective on the same issue. Aside from those few drawbacks, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in diving head first into the greatest topics of discussion of today and of all time: the ultimate questions.

[David Withun · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Lee Stoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be extremely thought provoking.