{"product_id":"thinking-philosophically-isbn-9781119067078","title":"Thinking Philosophically","description":"\u003ci\u003eThinking Philosophically: An Introduction to the Great Debates\u003c\/i\u003e presents a highly accessible introduction to five of the most fundamental debates in world philosophy.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eIntroduces five fundamental philosophical debates in a highly engaging and accessible manner that invites readers to enter the discussion themselves \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eFeatures chapters that each consider a central philosophical question dialectically by exploring the conflicting approaches of different philosophers \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eArgues that the work of philosophers like Plato and Rousseau is just as relevant today as it was in their own time \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eProvides a structure that encourages readers to apply philosophical principles to their everyday lives \u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e Prologue xii \u003cp\u003e1 An Introduction to Philosophy 1\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 Alone or With Others? 27\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 What Should We Do? 65\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 Whom Should We Emulate? (1) 98\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 Whom Should We Emulate? (2) 127\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 What Do You Know? 145\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 Being in Time 175\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEpilogue 206\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWorks Cited 209\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 214\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003eDavid Roochnik\u003c\/b\u003e is the Maria Stata Professor of Classical Greek Studies at Boston University, and is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence in teaching. His books include \u003ci\u003eRetrieving Aristotle in an Age of Crisis\u003c\/i\u003e (2013), \u003ci\u003eRetrieving the Ancients: An Introduction to Greek Philosophy\u003c\/i\u003e (Blackwell, 2004), \u003ci\u003eBeautiful City: The Dialectical Character of Plato's Republic \u003c\/i\u003e(2003), \u003ci\u003eArt and Wisdom: Plato’s Understanding of Techne\u003c\/i\u003e (1996) and \u003ci\u003eThe Tragedy of Reason: Toward a Platonic Conception of Logos\u003c\/i\u003e (1991). \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThinking Philosophically: An Introduction to the Great Debates\u003c\/i\u003e presents a highly accessible introduction to five cornerstone debates in world philosophy. Each chapter takes a fundamental philosophical question as its subject, and then outlines the core arguments of the resulting debate.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst explored is whether we are by nature social-political beings (Aristotle’s position), or solitary ones, as Rousseau maintains. The second question considers whether an action’s morality is determined by its consequences (argued by John Stuart Mill), or Kant’s viewpoint— that some actions are obligatory, regardless of their consequences. The third, addressing the question of human excellence, then brings key thinkers such as Aristotle, Confucius, and Lao-Tzu into the conversation. Further chapters address the origins of knowledge—does it originate in sense perception, as the empiricist Hume believes, or can thinking on its own lead to knowledge, as the rationalist Descartes maintains?— and the passage of time,  weighing whether one should (as Saint Augustine insists) seek what is permanent in response to the human experience of transience, or join Nietzsche, who affirms time’s relentless flow. Each question is presented with an eye toward thorough and objective coverage, with the strengths and shortcomings of each position seriously discussed.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile introducing readers to some of the greatest work in the history of philosophy, \u003ci\u003eThinking Philosophically\u003c\/i\u003e reveals how arguments with roots stretching back millennia have surprising relevance for our 21st-century world, and invites its readers to join the debate.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley-Blackwell","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47990386720997,"sku":"NP9781119067078","price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781119067078.jpg?v=1761787619","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/thinking-philosophically-isbn-9781119067078","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}