Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking and Argument, with Readings - Softcover

Barnet, Sylvan; Bedau, Hugo

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312459866 ISBN 13: 9780312459864

Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007

Synopsis

The unique collaborative effort of a distinguished interdisciplinary team -- a professor of English and a professor of philosophy -- Current Issues and Enduring Questions is a balanced and flexible book that provides the benefit of the authors' dual expertise in effective persuasive writing and rigorous critical thinking. Its comprehensive coverage of classic and contemporary approaches to argument includes Aristotle, Toulmin, and a range of alternative views, making it an extraordinarily versatile text. Readings on contemporary controversies (including the purpose of a college education, immigration, a peacetime draft, and obesity) and classic philosophical questions (such as, "How free is the will of the individual?") are sure to spark student interest and lively discussion and writing. Refined through seven widely adopted previous editions, it has been revised to address current student interests and trends in argument, research, and writing, and has been updated with compelling new topics and readings and more on analyzing visuals and presenting oral arguments. No other text and reader offers such an extensive resource for teaching argument.

About this title

About the Author

Sylvan Barnet, professor of English and former director of writing at Tufts University, is the most prolific and consistently successful college English textbook author of the past 30 years. His several texts on writing and his numerous anthologies for introductory composition and literature courses have remained leaders in their field through many editions.

Hugo Bedau, professor of philosophy at Tufts University, has served as chair of the philosophy department and chair of the university's committee on College Writing. An internationally respected expert on the death penalty, and on moral, legal, and political philosophy, he has written or edited a number of books on these topics. He is the author of Thinking and Writing about Philosophy, Second Edition (Bedford/St. Martin's).

Review

"Everyone who uses Current Issues is impressed with the breadth and topicality of the readings as well as the excellent selection of the more philosophical and literary works."
-- Diane S. Thompson, Harrisburg Area Community College

"Barnet and Bedau's anthology contributes consciously and intelligently to the understanding of public discourse as an ongoing, serious, productive conversation, to be conducted vigorously but without rancor - a rare kind of discourse in 21st century America."
-- James Cornette, Christopher Newport University

"Current Issues and Enduring Questions offers an array of genres for students to examine as ways in which to present arguments. From poetry to narrative essays, its options are fantastic." -- Sandra Valerio, Del Mar College

Edition details

• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0312459866
• ISBN 13: 9780312459864
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 992