The One-Minute Philosopher - Softcover

Montague Brown

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1928832555 ISBN 13: 9781928832553

Publisher: Sophia Institute Press, 2001

Synopsis

To get a hearing for Catholic truth and values today, we have to speak in sound bites: simply, clearly, and quickly . . . or people just walk away. The One-Minute Philosopher solves that problem. With plain-spoken wisdom, it explains over 175 fundamental concepts that form the basis of any decent human life.

Plus, since The One-Minute Philosopher is a basic primer that relies on common sense rather than on theology, its quick arguments are accessible to all thinking persons: you don t have to be Catholic in order to understand the explanations in this book. That makes it a terrific tool for helping people make the distinctions that will ultimately lead them to God s truth.

The One-Minute Philosopher is perfect for parents, teachers, and everyone who wants to restore sanity and clear thinking to our fractious society!

About this title

About the Author:

Montague Brown began a lifelong love affair with philosophy by reading the Dialogues of Plato. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from Boston College and is now a professor of philosophy at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. The author of The Romance of Reason, he is also an amiable raconteur and an accomplished bassist.

From Publishers Weekly:

Do you wonder whether you are being frank or rude when dealing with others? Are you pondering the differences between chastity and prudery or fidelity and idolatry? Confused about whether your humility is really self-contempt? Unclear if your new relationship is love or lust? Philosopher Brown (of St. Anselm College) offers an abecedary of short meditations (from "Admiration" to "Wonder") that provide the answers to these and other questions. Each reflection pairs with a particular virtue, quality or concept with which it is often confused. For example, "Hope," which Brown defines as "the will that what is good might be," appears with "Wish," which is called "the desire that what one wants might be." He goes on to summarize the differences and similarities between each, and then offers a one-sentence summary of the meanings of the two concepts. Each meditation includes a quotation from a famous thinker and a concluding "Ask Yourself" section that contains several questions to help readers interpret their own motives and actions. The book includes recommended books so readers can pursue some of these ideas further. It is misleading to contend, though, that anyone can think philosophically about important matters like love and justice for just one minute. Moreover, these reflections are reductive and simplistic, and they do not encourage deep thinking about any of the concepts about which Brown writes. Finally, this is more self-help manual than philosophy, and the book would be more appropriately titled The One-Minute Psychotherapist.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1928832555
• ISBN 13: 9781928832553
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 207