Beginner's Guide to Philosophy

by JANICAUD

The ideal introduction history of western An illuminating discourse on the major thinkers, from Plato to Descartes to Nietzsche. A small marvel, A Beginner’s Guide to Philosophy provides an instructive and delightful introduction to philosophy. Despite its brevity, this beginner’s guide covers a vast range of authors and topics. The reader will find discussions of ancient and modern philosophy, beginning with the pre-Socratic thinkers, before moving on to Plato and Aristotle. The narrative then proceeds to an elegant survey of modern Descartes, Nietzche, Kant, and Hegel.

At the end of this poignant yet practical intellectual journey, Dominique Janicaud at last addresses the problems that have occupied thinkers through the the existence of God, the meaning of life, human nature, and the question of freedom.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2007

Reviews

[Doofenshmirtz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is truly the beginner's guide to philosophy. I might have liked this book five years ago when I had absolutely no knowledge of philosophy, but as it is I didn't learn anything new. I thought I would like the book because the writing style seemed unpretentious. After a while, however, I found the tone a tad too patronizing at times.

[Thomas Alley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly as stated on the cover. It gives a brief but profound overview on the huge realm of philosophy. Many things to think about after reading this book

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this book as Janicaud, a widely published french philosopher, wrote it to explain the draw of philosophy to his daughter. In that sense, the book has a warm and conversational tone which aids the author in explaining the general concerns of philosophy in a way which more formal philosophy texts do not. The strength of this book is that it often states explicitly assumptions that are glossed over in how we think about life. For example, he writes "Couldn't we object [to art] by saying, 'What is art good for?' Certainly. We could call such an objection 'utilitarian'. It states that humanity could and should stick only to those things that are strictly useful. But where does the 'useful' begin and end? Isn't it also useful to be distracted, to play, to dream?' In such a manner, Janicaud address very primary concerns and states what should be obvious but which often needs explicit restatement.

A very brief and easy read which reinforces my view that philosophy is the primary art and science of man.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was quite a bit simpler than I expected. While a beginner's guide should be kept relatively uncomplicated and to the point, this book read more like a prologue to a beginner's guide to philosophy. The author touched briefly on the common topics of philosophy such as morality, happiness, art, the existence of god, beauty, etc., but could have offered just a bit more than he did. Likewise, he touches on some of the big names in ancient and modern philosophy, but doesn't go into much detail. There just doesn't seem to be enough here to warrant a book.

I would recommend this book to someone who literally has no idea what philosophy is. It will give them some names and books to check out, and it does present philosophy as an accessible field of study, as opposed to the aloof nature it is often presented as.

The book is well written, and thoughtful for as far as it goes. The problem is that it just doesn't go very far. There are much more comprehensive beginner's guides out there.

[John Reis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a poor primer. Janicaud has a noble goal, but his background and his beliefs interfere with that goal. He is a twentieth century continental philosopher focused on his concerns which are far removed from those of the rest of us and of life itself. His picture of philosophy is a modern and literary, postmodern and critical one. Philosophy is not the queen of science; he is just another voice. The thinkers he mentions most are Bergson, Kant and Nietzsche. Yet, he tells us so little that we know little of them at the end.

At the beginning of Chapter Three, he asks a question: “How can the advantages and disadvantages of a hypothesis or proposition be judged?” Unfortunately, he does not provide an answer or a method to pursue the answer. He introduces a subject, talks about his interest in them in an abstract way and then leaves them.

I cannot recommend this book to a novice.

[Breanna Kusnierczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable beginners book on philosophy. Simple and elegant in its presentation. Enjoyed immensely even having read more complex philosophical texts.

[Kanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple and nice guidance book on Philosophy. It points to the right direction in understanding Philosophy and taking forward the light of life...

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging but slight, less of a Philosphy 101 book than an introduction to the how's and why's of philosophy.

[Zhao Qifang · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a beginners' guide, it is really helpful. It has only about 100 pages, 30 chapters. It contains a brief history of western philosophy, and his opinion of the future of philosophy and human beings is embedded. The most important idea I got from this book: for common people like us, reading philosophy is to apply philosophy in your life, to philosophize your life, rather than uttering bizarre words when talk with friends.

To know how to philosophize your life, dean this book first, and then selectively read books he recommended.

[Joe Sabet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the last half of the book more than the first. Not sure why, maybe it was the topics. There are a lot of missing periods (about a dozen maybe), which kind of got annoying. The author knew what he was talking about but I don't think he did a great job explaining things, or at least in an interesting way. For instance, he quotes an author named Bergson by his last name several times in the book but only explains who he is on page 90. I really wanted to like this book but it was almost not worth reading

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lookng for a clear comparisson of the famous philosophers side-by-side. This is a great tool and a great conversation piece. :)

[Dana Arbelaez · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light read...the best thing I'm taking away is to habitually seek after wisdom, rather than assume I'm at a full tank in the knowledge department.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

not bad

[Gesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat disappointing. It's more of a pre cursor for college philosophy 101.

[Mohammed Aloufi]

good