Most of the classical thinkers are introduced; ranging from Hume to Kant, Nietzsche to Schopenhauer, Wittgenstein to St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas and Descartes, among many others, have their arguments (from what I can discern, at any rate) faithfully put forward and contrasted. As an intro to philosphy, pretty good. I saw him an honest man. This book was handed over by a friend, was highly recommended by him. If you can get past the difficult prose, it's a solid introductory text. Simon Blackburn. Almost nothing in the description of this book was true for me. A coherent, unintimidating introduction to Western philosophy, written by a leading philosopher I enjoyed reading it, but I was expecting more (because so many people recommended it to me). Here at last is a coherent, unintimidating introduction to the challenging and fascinating landscape of Western philosophy. Blackburn presupposes a understanding of several philosophical ideas while offering what is best described as a recap. What is the world? This book was a total slog and I learned very little. The word is quite strong, and Blackburn does not hold back as regards the depth and complexity of the subjects being dissected. A decent introduction to philosophy, outlines most of the key areas surrounding contemporary philosophy giving them a sufficient historical background. Refresh and try again. and main fields of philosophy such as ontology, epistemology, metaphysics etc. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. I wanted to refresh my knowledge of basic philosophic categories such an existence, essence etc. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy, Mariah Carey Is Telling Her Own Story (and Recommending Books). If you haven't heard of record-smashing singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, is there any hope for you? It’s a book to read a bit about a theme or question and then ponder what on it. [3] The writer Peter Edidin wrote in The New York Times that the book "found a sizable audience", noting that more than 30,000 hardcover copies had been sold and that "Oxford has asked Mr. Blackburn to follow up with Being Good, a guide to the philosophy of ethics". I quickly give up trying to understand the content even with the best of intentions in mind. (I am fairly curious about this stuff and I am very eager to learn, even if it isn't what's needed in my current major.) I’ve read this ages ago, but since I’ve recently decided to start reading all the philosophy books that I’ve been putting off for some time now, I thought this might be a great refresher. Illuminating. Would this book do me good? Does god exist? Think. I am only beginning my journey into this vibrant and uncertain world- the horizon is daunting, but Blackburn's preliminary guide has allowed me to set sail. Blackburn covers subjects such as epistemology, philosophy of the mind, free will, and philosophy of religion, discussing them on an introductory level. This reread (Oct 2017) convinced me that my daily status updates from my first read merely reveal my inabilities as a reader. If I'd read this without my background I'd have probably gave up. There are many others, but i like Simon Blackburn, especially his book 'Truth', which is a good attack on. The author analyses and evaluates the arguments as they arise while also being as objective as possible, which is especially important for newcomers to philosophy. A brilliant introduction to the major topics and problems of philosophy (the big questions),presenting some famous philosophers and their arguments, and counter arguments . This little book is more challenging than it appears. [4] The philosopher Anthony Quinton wrote in 2005 that very short books such as Think form part of a recent new development "in the field of popularization by professionals. This is neat. Okay one topic. What books would you recommend for a newbie in philosophy, like myself? A rather well structured introduction to philosophy, Simon Blackburn's book is a good read for anybody interested in an overview of the biggest issues that contemporary philosophers are working on. While it's readable, it's much more cerebral and academic than I expected. There are 8 chapters: Knowledge, Mind, Free Will, The Self, God, Reasoning, The World, and What to Do. The book covers the big questions in life over 8 chapters: knowledge, Mind, Free Will, The Self, God, Reasoning, The World ld and What to do. I was not stimulated by the narrative or compelled by Blackburn’s alleged clarity. Retail Price to Students: $27.95. and main fields of philosophy such as ontology, epistemology, metaphysics etc. As that doesn’t mean much of anything, it’s important to be clear about what this book actually, Simon Blackburn's handbook, first published in 1999, might appear as a relatively simple, cursory introduction to the vast and oft-overwhelming universe of philosophy, but this little things packs a greater intellectual punch than one may think. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION = Here at last is a coherent, unintimidating introduction to the challenging and fascinating landscape of Western philosophy. Description. The rest is pedestrian common sense discussions for people who do not know what philosophy is about. The word is quite strong, and Blackburn does not hold back as regards the depth and complexity of the subjects being dissected. Of course Russell's History of Western Philosophy is a potted overview, but it might be a good idea to do practical 'thinking about' rather than 'history of' . In particular the last chapter fails to be a decent introduction to ethics and feels like a great outlier in the book. However, Blackburn occasionally fails to provide the necessary detail for an argument while paradoxically dragging on about a topic. ISBN: 9780192100245. What's the point of a philosophy book presenting complicated subjects if the author can't even explain them well or in a simple way? This is the wrong book for that. I put it aside after 50%. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Simon Blackburn's handbook, first published in 1999, might appear as a relatively simple, cursory introduction to the vast and oft-overwhelming universe of philosophy, but this little things packs a greater intellectual punch than one may think. Who am I? A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy Simon Blackburn. NEAT! the chapter on Reasoning, which presents logic as mathematical formulae). I put it aside after 50%. 'Think' is a superb introductory philosophy book for everyone. Though slightly arrogant, the sub-title of the book is the best description of its contents: 'A compelling introduction to philosophy'. Topics covered include the ontological argument, the cosmological argument and the design argument. The book explores the relevant topics and questions with considerable nuance, delineating the various arguments- many of which only differ by slight degrees- with grace.