Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy

by G. Lee Bowie, Robert C. Solomon, Meredith W. Michaels

Bringing philosophy into conversation with other intellectual traditions and activities, Twenty Questions introduces beginning philosophy students to classic philosophical texts both old and new. The essays chosen in the fourth edition reflect a full range of human perspectives and voices so that students may benefit from philosophical reflections of thinkers outside the discipline.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, School, Textbooks

960 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[uosɯɐS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice survey of the field. Enjoyable introduction. Maybe even a good reference book.

-----
3/22/2021

I never took a philosophy class in college, but I knew two philosophy majors who impressed me, and at some point decided I needed to teach myself some philosophy, so I got this textbook from eBay (I chose it for the title!) and went through it "homeschooler style."

Perhaps one of the most memorable parts of the book was something in the chapter about language, I think. There was a piece by Nietzsche, talking about how language was invented by the masters in order to tell the slaves what to do. I happened to be taking a community college night class in C# while I was reading this book, and one day in class the teacher was covering the modulus operator and a girl in class was getting very frustrated and asked why the computer couldn't just figure this out for her? I remember thinking that, if you are going to be a programmer, then you have to be able to express what you want clearly. And then I thought of this part of the philosophy book and a quote from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass: "Who is to be master? That is all."

-----
3/9/2022

I also vaguely remember, I think it was in the chapter on feminism, and interesting discussion if definitions of "play." Especially non-competitive, imaginative play.

[Ericka Wicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some heavy-hitting philosophers in this book, so it's not an easy read, but a very enjoyable one. A great intro to common philosophical topics including thoughts and arguments from philosophers from different eras. I'm writing this review in 2020 and the section "How Is My Mind Connected to My Body?" still sticks with me.

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book enough when we read it in college that it now holds a permanent place on my bookshelf. Great writings by big names in philosophy. I probably need to re-read some of it again one of these days.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philosophy 101 textbook from university. What can I say? A book which helps you to think. I have dipped into the original texts many times since graduating 20 years ago. Excellent for anybody who is interested in starting to explore philosophy and the history of ideas.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the textbook for my 'Intro to Philosophy' class in undergrad - and one of the few textbooks that I kept. I find myself reading, and rereading it often, as it is one of the only non-preachy Philosophy books I've ever read.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good start to the big questions with excerpts of writings from the big names in philosophy.

[Karen Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very liberal in readings but it was a requirement for my class so I had no choice