Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction / Audio CD + PDF Book

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From AudioFile
Professor Craig, who teaches philosophy at Cambridge, gives the listener a lively and personal introduction to philosophy. Using an informal style, the author presents philosophy as a means of understanding ourselves, our world and how it works, and how we should interact with it. Using examples from numerous philosophers and other intellectuals, he shows us how each of them addresses these concerns in different ways. Maurice West does well in performing this work. He has a somewhat staccato delivery that is quite lively for such an academic subject. He reads as one who enjoys the discussion and the discovery of the concepts presented. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Description
How ought we to live? What really exists? How do we know? This book introduces important themes in ethics, knowledge, and the self, via readings from Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hegel, Darwin, and Buddhist writers. It emphasizes throughout the point of studying philosophy, explains how
different areas of philosophy are related, and explores the contexts in which philosophy was and is studied. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Product Details

* Audio CD
* Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks; Abridged edition (November 5, 2005)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 9626343443
* ISBN-13: 978-9626343449

THE BOOK:

Introductory philosophical texts tend to adopt one of two possible approaches: Either they give a chronological account of famous thinkers and schools, or they examine a set of topics - ethics, free will, nature of mind, etc. Craig opts for something different and rather interesting. The first three chapters are intended to be read in tandem with the works they summarize, namely Plato's "Crito", Hume's "On Miracles" and the Buddhist "King Milanda's Chariot". How many readers will actually do that is doubtful but it is an interesting idea that introduces the reader to three very different areas of philosophy.

We then, somewhat more traditionally, have summary introductions to some philosophical themes and 'isms'. Next, Craig presents reviews of a very personal selection of philosophical classics. 'Idiosyncratic' may be a better word than 'personal' as it includes Darwin's "The Origin of Species" which would not normally feature in such a list.

Finally, we have a description of philosophy as a discipline, asking what purposes and interests it serves.

There's a lot of good things to say about this little book. It is a well-written, lively and authoritative introduction. Craig references the Hindu tradition as well as the Western and gives plenty of encouragement and advice for further study.
Product Details

* Paperback: 144 pages
* Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; New edition (January 18, 2001)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0192893203
* ISBN-13: 978-0192893208

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