The Enduring Questions: Traditional and Contemporary Voices

In 1956, Melvin M. Rader started a tradition of exploring life's "enduring questions" via classic and contemporary philosophical readings. Jerry Gill upholds this tradition in the sixth edition of this respected introductory text that addresses such fundamental concepts of philosophy as rationalism, idealism, and the social contract. Features: * Each chapter begins with an appropriate question, as well as a summary of the key issues and ideas involved, and concludes with a bibliogrphy for further reading.

PART I. THE WAYS OF UNDERSTANDING. 1. Rationalism. 2. Empiricism and Its Limit. 3. Common Sense. 4. Intuition and Acquaintance. 5. Pragmatism. 6. Existentialism. 7. Perspectivism. PART II. THE NATURE OF REALITY. 8. Theism. 9. Materialism. 10. Idealism. 11. Dualism. 12. Relationalism. 13. Interactionism. PART III. THE BASIS OF MORALITY. 14. The Way of Reason. 15. The Way of Acceptance. 16. The Way of Duty. 17. The Way of Utility. 18. The Way of Freedom. 19. The Way of Experiment. 20. The Way of Feminism. PART IV. SOCIAL IDEAS. 21. Aristocracy. 22. Peace and Security. 23. Social Contract. 24. Liberal Democracy. 25. Communism. 26. Colonialism and Nationalism.