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Questions That Matter: An Invitation to Philosophy
This popular choice for introductory philosophy courses offers primary source readings woven into a text that is organized by key questions in philosophy. The discussion of each question is presented in a logical and historical light, showing connections, roots, and influences. The clarity of the presentation and the successful student pedagogical aids provide an accessible, guided introduction to philosophy for college students.
616 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 24, 2016
Since this is an introductory level textbook, going in I wasn't expecting flowery prose and anecdotal material to buoy the narrative along. What I did expect - as one does when reading a textbook - was clarity of thought. This book more than delivered on that front. Despite it being a textbook, I personally found it a lot more engaging and immersive than books like Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy and A Brief History of Thought: A Philosophical Guide to Living that were written for a popular audience.
The book is divided into five broad sections that each focus on some of the main branches of the philosophical enterprise:
Metaphysics (the question of reality)
epistemology (the question of knowledge)
philosophy of religion (the question of God)
ethics (the question of morality)
political philosophy (the question of society)
Other than a brief mention in the introduction, aesthetics (which I suppose might have been titled the question of beauty) is completely ignored. Personally I didn't mind. As an art major, I have no problem saying that 'I don't know art but I know what I like.'
This was a very good introduction to the field. Subjects were treated in their historical order so you can see how each generation of thinkers took the ball provided by the people who came before them and ran with it - or lobbed it off in a completely different direction. The relevant source material is quoted throughout and the pros and cons of each argument are considered. Since it is a textbook, each chapter ends with a number of questions for reflection and some recommended further reading (just because my 'to read' list is not already far too long!) There was also a short chapter on logic included. I'm tempted to give this book five stars but it does get a tiny bit dry in places - it is a text book after all. I would recommend it for anyone who has ever asked themself the following question in a quiet moment:
"What's it all about?"
The book is divided into five broad sections that each focus on some of the main branches of the philosophical enterprise:
Metaphysics (the question of reality)
epistemology (the question of knowledge)
philosophy of religion (the question of God)
ethics (the question of morality)
political philosophy (the question of society)
Other than a brief mention in the introduction, aesthetics (which I suppose might have been titled the question of beauty) is completely ignored. Personally I didn't mind. As an art major, I have no problem saying that 'I don't know art but I know what I like.'
This was a very good introduction to the field. Subjects were treated in their historical order so you can see how each generation of thinkers took the ball provided by the people who came before them and ran with it - or lobbed it off in a completely different direction. The relevant source material is quoted throughout and the pros and cons of each argument are considered. Since it is a textbook, each chapter ends with a number of questions for reflection and some recommended further reading (just because my 'to read' list is not already far too long!) There was also a short chapter on logic included. I'm tempted to give this book five stars but it does get a tiny bit dry in places - it is a text book after all. I would recommend it for anyone who has ever asked themself the following question in a quiet moment:
"What's it all about?"
March 17, 2022
This is an excellent book to understand the basic concepts of philosophy.
The first chapter will give you an overview of the subject and will introduce all the major branches of philosophy as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, logic, etc.
Further, the book is divided into four parts: 1. Metaphysics 2. Epistemology 3. God 4. Morality 5. Society. Every part has 3 to 5 chapters.
Every chapter begins with a short introduction and will clearly explain "what are we looking for?" so you can understand what information you should focus on.
Every chapter contains definitions of major philosophical terms, life and works of major philosophers, simple explanations of basic ideas, excerpts from source books, and includes charts and pictures also.
At the end of every chapter, a summary of the chapter, a list of basic ideas, important questions and reference books are provided, which is very helpful.
In the end, a short dictionary of philosophy is also given where you can find and read the meaning of essential philosophical terms.
The author's approach to the subject is unbiased.
The first chapter will give you an overview of the subject and will introduce all the major branches of philosophy as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, logic, etc.
Further, the book is divided into four parts: 1. Metaphysics 2. Epistemology 3. God 4. Morality 5. Society. Every part has 3 to 5 chapters.
Every chapter begins with a short introduction and will clearly explain "what are we looking for?" so you can understand what information you should focus on.
Every chapter contains definitions of major philosophical terms, life and works of major philosophers, simple explanations of basic ideas, excerpts from source books, and includes charts and pictures also.
At the end of every chapter, a summary of the chapter, a list of basic ideas, important questions and reference books are provided, which is very helpful.
In the end, a short dictionary of philosophy is also given where you can find and read the meaning of essential philosophical terms.
The author's approach to the subject is unbiased.
November 18, 2022
This book is great for beginners in philosophy. It highlights the main arguments from both sides of a debate on the biggest philosophical arguments. In my opinion, it is mostly unbiased and gives a fair amount of attention to both for and opposing sides of an argument. I recommend this book to anyone who is seeking a better understanding of philosophy.
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August 26, 2015lib 5th ed 2004, not 6th
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews