Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (Hardcover)

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• This item: Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy by Simon Blackburn

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• Philosophy: The Basics (Basics (Routledge Paperback)) by Nigel Warburton

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Philosophy: The Basics (Basics (Routledge Paperback)) by Nigel Warburton 4.8 out of 5 stars (12)  £10.79

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Review
"Think is by far the best introduction to philosophy that I know. Compact but hugely readable, this delightful book would be an excellent basis for an introductory course, as a text or as preliminary reading. You could also give it to family and friends, and all those annoying people who ask you what philosophers do. If Think doesn't explain it to them, nothing will!"--Huw Price, author of Time's Arrow and Archimedes Point, Professor of Natural Metaphysics at the University of Sydney
"Written with exemplary concision and with conviction that philosophy needn't be an ethereal subject, alienated from practical concerns."--Booklist
"This is a wonderfully stimulating, incisive, and--the word is not too strong--thrilling introduction to the pleasures and problems of philosophy"--The Irish Times
"Elegant...beautifully clear.... A valuable little book."--Descartes's Demon
"Blackburn has produced the one book every smart person should read to understand, and even enjoy, the key questions of philosophy, ranging from those about free will and morality to what we can really know about the world around us."--Time Magazine
"To read the book is to sit down with an engaging, highly learned conversationalist; readers new to the subject could very well be captivated. Highly recommended for academic and public library collections."--Library Journal
"Blackburn does a fine job of rendering the big thinkers and their thoughts accessible, while picking his way through Western philosophy's murky territory. His writing is simple and clear, and the liberal use of example and analogy makes Think a most readable work."--Allison McCulloch, Denver Post


Product Description
What am I? What is consciousness? What is the difference between past and future? Does the world presuppose a creator? Do we always act out of self-interest? This is a book about the big questions in life: knowledge, consciousness, fate, God, truth, goodness, justice. It is for anyone who believes there are big questions out there, but does not know how to approach them. Written by the author of the bestselling Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Think sets out to explain what they are and why they are important. Simon Blackburn begins by putting forward a convincing case for the study of philosophy and goes on to give the reader a sense of how the great historical figures such as Plato, Hume, Kant, and Descartes have approached its central themes. Each chapter explains a major issue, and gives the reader a self-contained guide through the problems that philosophers have studied. The large range of topics covered range from scepticism, the self, mind and body, and freedom to ethics and the arguments surrounding the existence of God. Written in a lively and approachable manner, this book is ideal for all those who want to learn how the basic techniques of thinking shape our existence.

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First Sentence
PERHAPS THE MOST unsettling thought many of us have, often quite early on in childhood, is that the whole world might be a dream; that the ordinary scenes and objects of everyday life might be fantasies. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover

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11 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (8) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.1 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   45 of 46 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile introduction, 30 Jun 2004 By  GentlemenPreferHats - See all my reviews    This review is from: Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (Paperback) I picked up this book as i wanted a basic introduction to philosophy and the major ideas: I wasnt disappointed. The book is ordered by theme (knowledge, mind, free will, the self, god, ...etc) and goes through a readable account of the development of ideas in each, with long quotations from major philosophers. Within each section, approaches to addressing the theme are explained and dissected plainly. The style is easy to follow and avoids the twisty wordgames of much philosophical writing. Nevertheless the book demands and rewards attention and should be engaging enough for anyone with a modicum of literacy and interest. Downsides: lack of a further reading list is irritating. Blackburn also ignores pretty much everything thats happened since 1900 (except Wittgenstein and Russell) and avoids much continental philosophy since Kant. The quotes and works of Hume are given a disproportionate regard, given his influence. This may be seen as conservatism from Blackburn, but it does allow him to give the book a brevity which is excellent. However it should be pointed out that Blackburn is intellectually conservative and this sometimes come through in the writing. This is best read as an introduction to philosophical thinking (as opposed to the history of philosophy) and at the very least, the reader should be able to ask the right question if not come up with the answer. Please can we have something similar about modern philosophy? Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   20 of 20 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction, 11 Dec 2001 By  agnlord@hotmail.com - See all my reviews This review is from: Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (Paperback) This is a good accessible introduction. I would recommend it to anyone approaching the subject for the first time. Unfortunately I was looking for a bit more depth but this is not the fault of the book. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   14 of 15 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Hmm, 9 Aug 2000 By A Customer 'Think' makes for an enlightening read. However, I couldn't help wondering whether the newcomer to philosophy would not be better served by reading the actual texts (or at least excerpts of them) of the philosophers mentioned throughout, and making up their own mind. While Simon Blackburn infuses his enthusiastic 'introduction' with much humor and some laudable attempts at making the mazy, stifling world of philosophy clear and alluring (and succeeds in the main), the fact that his personal opinions and conclusions are so often introduced in a book intended for 'beginners' is not helpful. And the section on logic gave me a pain behind my eyes. But that's just me... Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 11 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars A really good start to some key topics If you read all the reviews here I think you get a really good sense of who this book is most useful for. Read more Published 4 months ago by Peter Jackson 4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling? Not really... I read Think a year or two after completing a degree in philosophy at Durham, and, sadly, I did not find it compelling. Read more Published 16 months ago by Charles Gidley Wheeler 4.0 out of 5 stars Lives up to it's title - certainly makes you think. The book is great in that yes, it certainly does make you think long and hard about the subjects at hand. Read more Published on 2 Jan 2002 4.0 out of 5 stars Good Introduction This book is well written, and covers most of the important themes in an interesting way. I'd reccomed that you read it in conjuction with another introduction to the subject, in... Read more Published on 26 Sep 2001 4.0 out of 5 stars a much needed introductory text.... The last few years have seen an increase in these introductory publications, but few as gripping and lucid as Blackburn's. It is a welcome addition to the subject Published on 6 Mar 2001 4.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to mainstream philosophical thinking "Think" introduces mainstream, modern, western philosophical thinking on some key issues in a simple but not simplistic way. Read more Published on 5 Mar 2001 4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction I found this book a great introduction to philosophy even though it wasn't easy to read in places. On the whole the author managed to maintain my interest using plenty of... Read more Published on 7 Dec 2000 by alexhitchmough@yahoo.com 5.0 out of 5 stars Very readable A well written book for the non-expert. I found the first half of the book particularly clear. The last three chapters were less incisive but that would be expected in a book on... Read more Published on 4 Mar 2000 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 11 customer reviews...

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