Philosophical Dilemmas: A Pro and Con Introduction to the Major Questions

by Phil Washburn

Philosophical A Pro and Con Introduction to the Major Questions, 2/e , is a lucidly written and comprehensive introduction to philosophy featuring sixty brief essays arranged in pairs. Each pair answers one of the standard philosophical questions, such as "Does God exist?" or "Is
morality relative?," with affirmative and negative responses. Each essay takes a definite stand and promotes it vigorously, creating a sharp contrast between the two positions and giving each abstract theory a more personal and believable "voice." While the essays often employ traditional arguments
of great philosophers, they present the ideas in contemporary language with vivid examples. The accessible style and conflicting answers encourage students to examine the different positions and to think carefully about which essay makes the stronger case. While other textbooks present a series of
excerpts and theories without attempting to coordinate them into a larger picture, Philosophical Dilemmas teaches students about the process of thinking philosophically and encourages them to construct their own coherent worldviews. This second edition features new sections on race, gender,
euthanasia, and Buddhist philosophy, showing students how philosophy applies to issues that they may encounter in their own lives.
The text incorporates numerous pedagogical features including a list of historical parallels, key terms, chapter summaries, a glossary, an introduction to each issue, and critical questions following each essay. Brief sections throughout the book describe numerous critical thinking techniques
demonstrated by the essays. An annotated bibliography of historical examples for each issue and useful lists of contemporary sources further enhance the text's utility. An Instructor's Manual, including chapter summaries, writing assignments, and test questions, is available.

Genres: Philosophy

464 pages, Paperback

First published December 11, 2000

Reviews

[Ian Madewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am no stranger to complex philosophical questions, but I felt as if I had weak structure in my own arguments and difficulty understanding the opposing view of the question. This book was easy to read, like a classic textbook at points. However, the organization of the book allowed for a "self questioning session" due to the related questions presented at the end of each philosophical dilemma. After both reading this book and going through self-interrogation and debate, I feel as if my philosophical,moral, and otherwise intellectual stances have been greatly empowered. I feel that more dilemmas could have been discussed, such as the theoretical drives and conclusions of the universe, such as "Shrodinger's Cat", quantum physics, and other sciences/theories. In conclusion,this is a must read for any person (who should be all) who wishes to expand their perceptions and question the "realities" of both society and the universe.

[Anthropomne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is recommendable as introductory reading (8th-10th grade) into some of the well-known debates in philosophy and is also instructive for one seeking to understand the nature and source of disagreements.

In the Introduction, Washburn identifies the various impressions of 'philosophy' among non-specialists and notes the "grain of truth" in them, as is the case with fields of natural science. The chapters that follow lay out the dialectic imminent in disputes that have lasted many thousands of years.

The writing seems to be neither very clear nor short enough. Although he uses simple English and remains relatively context-free (i.e. does not cite texts or locate authors historically), reading by analysing the structure and flow of the book will make the book be of much greater help.