Knowledge and Reality: Classic and Contemporary Readings - Softcover

Cahn, Steven M.; Eckert, Maureen; Buckley Ph.D., Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0130424013 ISBN 13: 9780130424013

Publisher: Pearson, 2003

Synopsis

A handy collection of readings regarding the philosophical areas of Epistemology and Metaphysics that includes both historical and contemporary works, this book gives the reader a sense of how philosophical issues have evolved over time. Forty-eight selections from over 30 philosophers past and present deal with topics such as a priori knowledge, skepticism, foundationalism versus coherentism, universals, identity and change, causation, and the relationship between perception and the external world. An accessibly slim volume of some the most interesting works from philosophers past and present, this book should appeal to readers who are interested in the philosophical areas of metaphysics and epistemology.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Knowledge and Reality Classic and Contemporary Readings is a handy collection of readings in epistemology and metaphysics that is unique in showcasing both historical and contemporary debates. Issues that receive in-depth treatment include the problem of a priori knowledge, skepticism, foundationalism versus coherentism, universals, identity and change, causation, and the relationship between perception and the external world. Covering both historical classics and cutting-edge works, this reader allows students to see how problems have evolved over time and groups some of the most fascinating writings in epistemology and metaphysics.

Special Features of Knowledge and Reality:

• Metaphysics and epistemology in one volume—Two interrelated subject areas usually treated separately by most texts.
• Historical classics and cutting-edge works—selections from over 30 philosophers, past and present.
• In-depth study of issues—A priori knowledge, skepticism, foundationalism versus coherentism, universals, identity and change, causation, and the relationship between perception and the external world.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

This volume includes forty-seven selections from over thirty philosophers past and present. Philosophical questions have a perennial appeal and we have chosen selections that represent the most important, interesting, and instructive examples of inquiries into the central questions of epistemology and metaphysics. Issues that receive in-depth treatment include the problem of a priori knowledge, skepticism, foundationalism versus coherentism, the problems of universals, identity and change, causation, and the relationship between perception and the external world. We have made a concerted effort to represent less frequently covered topics such as reliabilism, virtue epistemology, and trope theory, thereby showcasing to readers both time honored positions on the enduring questions of epistemology and metaphysics as well as burgeoning philosophical trends.

Our book is both distinctive and unusual in its range and flexibility. Historical figures such as Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, and Heraclitus appear alongside contemporary thinkers like W. V. O. Quine, Nelson Goodman, Ernest Sosa, Donald Davidson, David Lewis, and others. The reader can thus see how significant problems concerning knowledge and reality were given early expression and how they have evolved over time.

The editors of Knowledge and Reality: Classic and Contemporary Readings are pleased to present this collection of some of the most fascinating works in epistemology and metaphysics.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pearson
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0130424013
• ISBN 13: 9780130424013
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 464