Problems From Philosophy: An Introductory Text

✍ Scribed by James Rachels, Stuart Rachels

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Year: 2021
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 205
• Edition: 4
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Problems from Philosophy is an introductory text organized around the great philosophical problems―the existence of God, the nature of the mind, human freedom, the limits of knowledge, and the truth about ethics. It begins by reflecting on the life of the first great philosopher, Socrates. Then it takes up the fundamental question of whether God exists. Next comes a discussion of death and the soul, which leads to a chapter about persons. The later chapters consider whether objective knowledge is possible in science and ethics. Problems from Philosophy represents the final work of philosopher James Rachels. In it, he brings the same liveliness and clarity to the introduction of philosophy present in his many other best-selling texts. Problems from Philosophy has been revised by James Rachels’ son Stuart, who has carefully refined his father’s work to further strengthen its clarity and accessibility. The fourth edition features revisions on discussions of free will, artificial intelligence, idealism, and Kantian ethics.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Title
Copyright
Contents
Preface
About the Fourth Edition
Chapter 1. The Legacy of Socrates
Chapter 2. God and the Origin of the Universe
Chapter 3. The Problem of Evil
Chapter 4. Do We Survive Death?
Chapter 5. The Problem of Personal Identity
Chapter 6. Body and Mind
Chapter 7. Could a Machine Think?
Chapter 8. The Case against Free Will
Chapter 9. The Debate over Free Will
Chapter 10. Our Knowledge of the World around Us
Chapter 11. Ethics and Objectivity
Chapter 12. Why Should We Be Moral?
Chapter 13. The Meaning of Life
Appendix. How to Evaluate Arguments
Notes on Sources
Index
About the Authors

✦ Subjects

Philosophy: History & Surveys: General; Philosophy: General; Philosophy: Reference