Constructing a Life Philosophy: Opposing Viewpoints

Essays discuss various religious, philosophical, and moral beliefs about life.

Grade 9 Up-This title does a fine job of providing students with a wide range of views. Each of the five chapters (all but the first containing between five to seven articles) examines a different aspect of the topic: "The Importance of Choosing a Life Philosophy," "What Gives Life Ultimate Meaning?," "How Do Religions Give Life Meaning?," "How Should We Make Moral Decisions?," and "What Should We Strive Toward?" All of the articles are excerpts from longer works, but they are self-contained and introduced with brief notes about the author and helpful questions for consideration. Some of the authors will be familiar to readers: Plato, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Niccolo Machiavelli, even C. S. Lewis, while others, such as Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and Nancy Wilson Ross, may not. The chapter on religions offers discussions of Judaism, Christianity (liberal and conservative), Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism as well as an excerpt on Humanism. The only illustrations are line drawings for Plato's allegory of the cave and a Hagar the Horrible cartoon. This volume will probably be most useful in schools with religion and/or philosophy courses, but should also appeal to general readers.
Herman Sutter, Saint Agnes Academy, Houston, TX
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