What Is Philosophy? A Guide to the World of Thought and Logic

by Gary Hayden

Overview

what is the meaning of life? The really big questions about what it means to exist, and how we interact with the world and fellow humans have taxed the minds of people for thousands of years. But what does philosophy mean to you? How do you rationalize slippery subjects such as truth, belief, logic, and ethics? What exactly is truth? Why do we believe? What is the nature of happiness? Western philosophers have reflected, pondered, and argued a great deal about the ideas and dilemmas that profoundly affect us all at different points in our lives. This book provides a reasoned and reassuring look at what lies at the heart of philosophical thought and identifies the greatest thinkers—from Plato to Karl Popper, René Descartes to David Hume. Each chapter takes a specific question and helps you find the answers, simply and logically. What is Philosophy? clears the confusion and shows you how to think, not what to think.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published June 4, 2016

About the author

If you look at the ratings I give, here on Goodreads, you might think that I'm very easy to please, since many of them are five-star. But that's because I tend mostly to rate books I love and admire, rather than just anything that comes my way.
I love classic literature, particularly classic British literature, especially Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope.
As a writer, I'm influenced to some degree by every good book I've ever read - and quite possibly many of the not-so-good books too. But my biggest (conscious) influences are the philosophers Bertrand Russell and David Hume.

Reviews

[Alfin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introductory into a few pertinent topics in Philosophy. Relatively easy to understand while also citing primary sources as well as including short excerpts from some of those sources. Mainly focuses on classical and early modern philosophers, with only a few mentions of philosophers from the 19th-21st century.

Regarding the format, there are page-length asides that often ruin the flow of the main text, and sometimes, they refer to a topic that is yet to appear. It makes the reading experience a little bit confusing.

I do appreciate, though, that it has a chapter on the philosophy of science and brings attention to the issues of scientism (which adds a whole star to my review). But outside of that, it lacks in the scope of the latter modern period and contemporaneous topics and philosophers.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, this was great. I impulse-bought this years ago but never opened it until last week. Gotta give it up to my past self cause this was such an insightful and entertaining read. It's structured as a textbook, but it breaks down the main ideas of philosophy in a concise and accessible way. I feel like a smarter man after reading this, and that's exactly what I was hoping for when I picked it up.

[Timothy Gretler · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Textbookish" overview on philosophy. The many views, the big name philosophers, their beliefs, etc. I enjoyed it even though a lot of the terms and philosophies went over my head. I think that's why I never took Philosophy 101 in college.