Overview

Featuring a remarkably clear writing style, Philosophy: Asking Questions--Seeking Answers is a brief and accessible guide designed for students with no prior knowledge of the subject. Written by renowned scholars Stephen Stich and Tom Donaldson, it focuses on the key issues in Western philosophy, presenting balanced coverage of each issue and challenging students to make up their own minds. Each chapter incorporates discussion questions, key terms, a glossary, and suggestions for further readings to help make the material more understandable to novices. While comprehensive enough to be used on its own, Philosophy can also be used as a supplement to any introductory anthology.

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9780197768013

Table of Contents

Reviews

"This is a superb book - far and away the best general introduction to analytic philosophy on the market today. The selection of topics is perfect for a first course in philosophy, the depth of coverage is just right, and the writing is lively and crystal clear. Stich and Donaldson have really hit it out of the park."" - Philip Robbins, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Missouri Stich and Donaldson's Philosophy is an excellent book; it is the best introduction to philosophy I know of, as clear as Nagel's What Does it All Mean? and Blackburn's Think while also offering more coverage and depth. Among its many strengths are its perspicuous reconstructions of famous philosophical arguments, sensitivity to how arguments have changed over time in response to philosophical criticism, and its supplementary resources, including detailed PowerPoints, excellent discussion/reading comprehension questions, and end-of-chapter glossaries."" - David Svolba, Associate Professor, Fitchburg State University I love this book: it is extremely clear, full of examples from philosophical papers as well as from everyday life, so that the students can easier connect with difficult and abstract material. The topics are not watered down and oversimplified, so they are accessible to both the beginner and the advanced student."" - Valia Allori, Associate Professor, Philosophy Northern Illinois University The overall quality of this book is excellent. I think a particular strength is the logic/arguments chapter. It is vital for undergraduate students to have exposure to logic and basic argument reconstruction and evaluation skills...Problems and answers for practice are helpful to students- the ancillary resources are very much appreciated by both students and professors."" Strengths: 1. Very clear, easy to read and understand prose. This is important for all students, but especially for students new to philosophy. 2. Discussion questions. Some are very good. 3. Clear glossary at the end of each chapter. 4. Good coverage. Instructors can be confident for a ""problems of philosophy class"" that everything is covered. 5. Flexible structure. Instructors can selectively choose what material to cover. 6. Degree of difficulty. The text does not overdo the philosophy, which would make it hard for many students to read. This leaves room for the instructor to add more difficult material, arguments, concepts, etc."" -Peter Graham, Professor of Philosophy, University of California Riverside and Yonsei University The book is very high quality, in my view. The tone and level of content hits the right note for undergraduates, and it is very clear. Its strengths lie in the fact that the authors have managed to provide reasonably in-depth guidance on philosophical topics, but keeping each section fairly short and manageable. The book is nice and short, and is the right price for my students. It focuses on the core philosophical topics, leaving it free for the instructor to develop further issues, and to choose primary texts."" - Sally Parker-Ryan, Adjunct Professor, Southern Methodist University It's very good. Accessible to my students and their abilities, and very similar to how I teach an introduction to philosophy class. The chapters on epistemology (5 to 8) are by far the best: clear, careful, and methodical. The chapters on the philosophy of religion (3-4) seemed very good as well, though I did not use them this time (I cover this material less and less, nothing to do with the book). I quite liked the reading/writing tips at the end. And appendix B is a very good idea * my department has a brochure I use in class covering similar material. Some weaknesses include: the chapter on logic (2) is a bit thin: no explanation of logical connectives (truth-tables), no discussion of the most basic forms of inference. Perhaps a more advanced chapter could be added."" - Philippe Chuard, Associate Professor, Southern Methodist University * The quality of the book is uneven. Some chapters are excellent, some could be updated, and some are poorly informed in diverse philosophical approaches. Overall, the book is not broadly ""Philosophy"" but focused on issues and approaches in modern philosophy from an analytic philosophy perspective...The quality of their presentation of material is excellent and appropriate for a topic-based approach. The clear, nicely conversational approach to debates and prompting of students to decide for themselves are likely extremely effective for helping students build critical thinking skills as well as engaging their interest."" -Patricia Glazebrook, Professor, Washington State University I would rate the readability of the book as very high. Unfortunately, I think the book tries too hard to engage the reader at the expense of content. I think the book is often (over) simplified and takes matters too lightly when it should take them more seriously (e.g. the existence of God) and too seriously when more levity is needed (e.g. sections on Descartes' ""thought experiments""). There are times when the text could better place ideas in context to show that philosophical ideas do not exist in a vacuum, but are a result of historical and cultural influences."" - Adam D Pave, San Bernardino Valley College"

This is a superb book - far and away the best general introduction to analytic philosophy on the market today. The selection of topics is perfect for a first course in philosophy, the depth of coverage is just right, and the writing is lively and crystal clear. Stich and Donaldson have really hit it out of the park."" - Philip Robbins, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Missouri Stich and Donaldson's Philosophy is an excellent book; it is the best introduction to philosophy I know of, as clear as Nagel's What Does it All Mean? and Blackburn's Think while also offering more coverage and depth. Among its many strengths are its perspicuous reconstructions of famous philosophical arguments, sensitivity to how arguments have changed over time in response to philosophical criticism, and its supplementary resources, including detailed PowerPoints, excellent discussion/reading comprehension questions, and end-of-chapter glossaries."" - David Svolba, Associate Professor, Fitchburg State University I love this book: it is extremely clear, full of examples from philosophical papers as well as from everyday life, so that the students can easier connect with difficult and abstract material. The topics are not watered down and oversimplified, so they are accessible to both the beginner and the advanced student."" - Valia Allori, Associate Professor, Philosophy Northern Illinois University The overall quality of this book is excellent. I think a particular strength is the logic/arguments chapter. It is vital for undergraduate students to have exposure to logic and basic argument reconstruction and evaluation skills...Problems and answers for practice are helpful to students- the ancillary resources are very much appreciated by both students and professors."" Strengths: 1. Very clear, easy to read and understand prose. This is important for all students, but especially for students new to philosophy. 2. Discussion questions. Some are very good. 3. Clear glossary at the end of each chapter. 4. Good coverage. Instructors can be confident for a ""problems of philosophy class"" that everything is covered. 5. Flexible structure. Instructors can selectively choose what material to cover. 6. Degree of difficulty. The text does not overdo the philosophy, which would make it hard for many students to read. This leaves room for the instructor to add more difficult material, arguments, concepts, etc."" -Peter Graham, Professor of Philosophy, University of California Riverside and Yonsei University The book is very high quality, in my view. The tone and level of content hits the right note for undergraduates, and it is very clear. Its strengths lie in the fact that the authors have managed to provide reasonably in-depth guidance on philosophical topics, but keeping each section fairly short and manageable. The book is nice and short, and is the right price for my students. It focuses on the core philosophical topics, leaving it free for the instructor to develop further issues, and to choose primary texts."" - Sally Parker-Ryan, Adjunct Professor, Southern Methodist University It's very good. Accessible to my students and their abilities, and very similar to how I teach an introduction to philosophy class. The chapters on epistemology (5 to 8) are by far the best: clear, careful, and methodical. The chapters on the philosophy of religion (3-4) seemed very good as well, though I did not use them this time (I cover this material less and less, nothing to do with the book). I quite liked the reading/writing tips at the end. And appendix B is a very good idea * my department has a brochure I use in class covering similar material. Some weaknesses include: the chapter on logic (2) is a bit thin: no explanation of logical connectives (truth-tables), no discussion of the most basic forms of inference. Perhaps a more advanced chapter could be added."" - Philippe Chuard, Associate Professor, Southern Methodist University * The quality of the book is uneven. Some chapters are excellent, some could be updated, and some are poorly informed in diverse philosophical approaches. Overall, the book is not broadly ""Philosophy"" but focused on issues and approaches in modern philosophy from an analytic philosophy perspective...The quality of their presentation of material is excellent and appropriate for a topic-based approach. The clear, nicely conversational approach to debates and prompting of students to decide for themselves are likely extremely effective for helping students build critical thinking skills as well as engaging their interest."" -Patricia Glazebrook, Professor, Washington State University I would rate the readability of the book as very high. Unfortunately, I think the book tries too hard to engage the reader at the expense of content. I think the book is often (over) simplified and takes matters too lightly when it should take them more seriously (e.g. the existence of God) and too seriously when more levity is needed (e.g. sections on Descartes' ""thought experiments""). There are times when the text could better place ideas in context to show that philosophical ideas do not exist in a vacuum, but are a result of historical and cultural influences."" - Adam D Pave, San Bernardino Valley College

Author Information

Stephen Stich is Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University and an Honorary Professor at the University of Sheffield. He is known for his contributions to philosophy of mind. He is the author of Mindreading (OUP, 2003), Deconstructing the Mind (OUP, 1996), The Fragmentation of Reason (MIT Press, 1990), From Folk Psychology to Cognitive Science (MIT Press, 1983), and many others. Thomas Donaldson is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Simon Fraser University. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from Rutgers University and wrote his dissertation on American Pragmatism. While receiving his MMathPhil (1st class) in Mathematics and Philosophy at Oxford University, he was awarded the Henry Wilde Prize, Elizabeth Anscombe Prize, and the Gibbs Prize. His areas of expertise are Philosophy of Logic and Language, Metaphysics, and American Pragmatism.

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