Overview

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 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.

Full Product Details

Author:   James Rachels (University of Alabama, USA) ,  Stuart Rachels (University of Alabama, USA)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint:   Rowman & Littlefield
Edition:   4th edition
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 1.10cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.281kg
ISBN:  

9781538149584

ISBN 10:   1538149583
Pages:   208
Publication Date:   18 June 2021
Recommended Age:   From 18 to 22 years
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

PrefaceAbout the Third Edition1. THE LEGACY OF SOCRATES1.1 Why Was Socrates Condemned?1.2 Why Did Socrates Believe He Had to Die?2. GOD AND THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE2.1 Is It Reasonable to Believe in God?2.2 The Argument from Design2.3 Evolution and Intelligent Design2.4 The First Cause Argument2.5 The Idea That God Is a Necessary Being3. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL3.1 Why Do Good People Suffer?3.2 God and Evil3.3 Free Will and Moral Character4. DO WE SURVIVE DEATH?4.1 The Idea of an Immortal Soul4.2 Is There Any Credible Evidence of an Afterlife?4.3 Hume’s Argument against Miracles5. THE PROBLEM OF PERSONAL IDENTITY5.1 The Problem5.2 Personhood at a Time5.3 Personhood over Time5.4 Bodily Continuity5.5 Memory6. BODY AND MIND6.1 Descartes and Elizabeth6.2 Materialist Theories of the Mind6.3 Doubts about Materialist Theories7. COULD A MACHINE THINK?7.1 Brains and Computers7.2 An Argument That Machines Could Think7.3 The Turing Test7.4 Why the Turing Test Fails8. THE CASE AGAINST FREE WILL8.1 Are People Responsible for What They Do?8.2 Determinism8.3 Psychology8.4 Genes and Behavior9. THE DEBATE OVER FREE WILL9.1 The Determinist Argument9.2 The Libertarian Response9.3 The Compatibilist Response9.4 Ethics and Free Will10. OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD AROUND US10.1 Vats and Demons10.2 Idealism10.3 What Evidence for These Views Might Be Like10.4 Descartes’ Theological Response10.5 Direct vs. Indirect Realism10.6 Vision and the Brain10.7 Conclusion11. ETHICS AND OBJECTIVITY11.1 Thrasymachus’s Challenge11.2 Is Ethics Just a Matter of Social Conventions?11.3 Ethics and Science11.4 The Importance of Human Interests12. WHY SHOULD WE BE MORAL?12.1 The Ring of Gyges12.2 Ethics and Religion12.3 The Social Contract12.4 Morality and Benevolence13. THE MEANING OF LIFE13.1 The Problem of the Point of View13.2 Happiness13.3 Death13.4 Religion and the Indifferent Universe13.5 The Meaning of Particular Lives Appendix: How to Evaluate Arguments Notes on Sources Index

Reviews

James and Stuart Rachels' text has long been perfect for introduction to philosophy courses. As strong as ever with great updates and an improved chapter on Free Will, I highly and enthusiastically recommend this new edition of Problems from Philosophy!--Matthew Wion, University of San Diego

James and Stuart Rachels' text has long been perfect for introduction to philosophy courses. As strong as ever with great updates and an improved chapter on Free Will, I highly and enthusiastically recommend this new edition of Problems from Philosophy!

Author Information

James Rachels (1941–2003) wrote The End of Life: Euthanasia and Morality, Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism, Can Ethics Provide Answers? And Other Essays in Moral Philosophy, Problems from Philosophy, and The Legacy of Socrates: Essays in Moral Philosophy. His website is www.jamesrachels.org. Stuart Rachels is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama. He has revised several of James Rachels’ books, including The Right Thing to Do; The Elements of Moral Philosophy ; and Problems from Philosophy. He won the United States Chess Championship in 1989, at the age of 20, and is a Bronze Life Master at bridge.

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