Philosophical Dilemmas: A Pro and Con Introduction to the Major Questions and Philosophers - Softcover

Washburn, Phil

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0199920400 ISBN 13: 9780199920402

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2013

Synopsis

Philosophical Dilemmas: A Pro and Con Introduction to the Major Questions and Philosophers, Fourth Edition, outlines the classic arguments made by philosophers through the ages. It features sixty-three brief topical essays by author Phil Washburn organized around thirty-one fundamental philosophical questions like "Does God exist?" "Is morality relative?" and "Are we free?" Each essay takes a definite stand and promotes it vigorously, creating a sharp contrast between the two positions and giving each abstract theory a more personal and believable "voice." The accessible writing style and conflicting answers encourage students to examine the different positions and to think carefully about which essay makes the stronger case.

This fourth edition, a major revision, now enriches the discussion of each philosophical question by adding fifty-four brief essays--two in each chapter--on great philosophers who held conflicting viewpoints on the issues covered. Additionally, the chapters have been rearranged so that these essays and the philosophers discussed appear in approximate chronological order, from Plato and Protagoras to Wittgenstein and Searle. The text is enhanced by numerous pedagogical features including an introduction to each issue, key terms, chapter summaries, study questions after each essay, chronologies, a glossary, and an appendix on how to write an essay.

A Companion Website at www.oup.com/us/washburn contains online sources and self-test questions for students and numerous instructor resources: introductions to the issues; summaries of the topical essays; summary points, PowerPoint-based slides, and test questions for the historical essays; answers to the critical questions that follow each essay; test questions on the topical essays; suggestions for class discussions; and a list of online resources.

About this title

About the Author:

Phil Washburn is Master Teacher in the Liberal Studies Program at New York University. He is the author of The Vocabulary of Critical Thinking (2009) and the editor of The Many Faces of Wisdom (2003).

Review:

"Washburn's style is clear, concise, engaging, and fair. He is able to defend both pro and con positions so well that you cannot judge a bias or personal preference. This is commendable, since both sides are argued passionately and accurately. I have found no comparable or superior text."--William Rodriguez, Bethune Cookman University

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0199920400
• ISBN 13: 9780199920402
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 496