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The World of Philosophy

An Introductory Reader

Second Edition

Steven M. Cahn

Publication Date - June 2018

ISBN: 9780190691905

608 pages
Paperback
7-1/2 x 9-1/4 inches

In Stock

Introduces students to the world of philosophy by blending Western texts with a rich array of non-Western materials

Description
New to this Edition
Book Information ▼
Table of Contents

Description

Accessible, flexible, and affordable, The World of Philosophy: An Introductory Reader, Second Edition, presents philosophy in all its diverse array of thought and practice, offering a distinctive combination of standard analytical materials and Western historical texts alongside writings reflecting Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Arabic, African, South American, Chicano, and Native American sources. Approximately 25% of the contemporary readings are by women, including leading feminist theorists. Many articles have been edited to sharpen their focus and make them understandable to students with little or no background in philosophy. The readings are enhanced by introductions, study questions, and a glossary at the end of the book.

New to this Edition

Fifteen historical non-Western readings, including extensive selections from The Upanishads, The Dhammapada, The Bhagavad Gita, The Analects, the Tao Te Ching, the Qur'an, the Jain poem Mahapurana, and the work of the Buddhist philosopher Najarguna, all of which are accompanied by substantial supplementary materials that provide context
A total of thirty-six new readings, including selections from classic works by Leibniz and Kant as well as essays by W.K. Clifford, William James, Gustavo Gutierrez, Kwame Gyekye, Kitaro Nishida, James Rachels, Bonnie Steinbock, and Jorge M. Valadez
A new section on The Good Life, featuring Xunzi, Epicurus, The Book of Ecclesiastes (complete), The Gospel According to Matthew, Epictetus, Camus, Richard Taylor, Susan Wolf, Christine Vitrano, and Thich Nhat Hanh

Features
About the Author(s)
Reviews

Features

A diverse selection of readings places standard Western historical and analytic materials alongside writings from Chinese, Indian, Native American, African American, continental, and other sources
Sixteen articles authored by women, including work by recent feminist theorists, comprise approximately one-quarter of the contemporary selections in the text
Careful edits to each selection focus readers on the key arguments within, ensuring that topics are presented with maximum clarity and accessibility
Reading introductions and study questions following each selection reinforce material and encourage philosophical thinking
Key terms are defined in an end-of-text glossary
A free, open-access Companion Website contains a wealth of student resources including self-quizzes, essay questions, learning objectives, flashcards of key terms, and suggested web links
Instructor materials on the Ancillary Resource Center include a Computerized Test Bank and an Instructor's Manual with teaching resources and summaries of all readings in the text

About the Author(s)

Steven M. Cahn is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at The City University of New York Graduate Center. He is the author or editor of sixty books. Most recently, he wrote Teaching Philosophy: A Guide (2018) and Religion Within Reason (2017). Dr. Cahn is the editor of Exploring Philosophy, Sixth Edition (OUP, 2017), and Exploring Ethics, Fourth Edition (OUP, 2017).

Reviews

"The World of Philosophy is comprehensive in its breadth with the right dose of depth. It covers all the possible philosophical topics for introductory classes with unparalleled attention to diversity of voices in classic and contemporary philosophical literature."--Fidel Arnecillo, California State University, San Bernadino

"This textbook is easily the best, the most comprehensive, and the most affordable introduction to philosophy textbook on the market. It is an excellent mixture of classic, contemporary, and diverse sources. The teaching resources are invaluable."--Albert Spencer, Portland State University

"The book's greatest strengths are its choice of selections, the incorporation of Eastern philosophy, and its recognition of superb women philosophers who appear to get little notice in other texts."--Dominic Prianti III, Gannon University

"The quality of the book is excellent. It is admirably pluralistic in its inclusion of works of Asian philosophy." --Carol Gould, Florida Atlantic University

*=New to this Edition

Preface

I. THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

Monroe C. Beardsley and Elizabeth Lane Beardsley:

Bertrand Russell:

Plato:

II. REASONING

Steven M. Cahn, Patricia Kitcher, and George Sher:

Carl G. Hempel:

Gillian Barker and Philip Kitcher:

III. KNOWLEDGE

René Descartes:

John Locke:

Gottfried Leibniz:

George Berkeley:

David Hume:

Immanuel Kant:

A. J. Ayer:

Edmund L. Gettier

Uma Narayan:

Nagarjuna:

IV. REALITY

A. Mind and Body

René Descartes:

Gilbert Ryle:

Paul M. Churchland:

Thomas Nagel:

Frank Jackson:

Alan Turing:

John Searle:

Barbara Montero:

B. The Self

Joel Kupperman:

Thomas P. Kasulis:

David Hume:

C. Identity

Brian Smart:

John Perry:

John Locke:

Thomas Reid:

Terence Penelhum:

D. Free Will

Thomas Nagel:

W. T. Stace:

Steven M. Cahn:

Kitaro Nishida:

V. RELIGION

A. Religious Beliefs

Anselm and Gaunilo:

Thomas Aquinas:

William L. Rowe:

William Paley:

Ernest Nagel:

B. The Problem of Evil

Richard Swinburne:

Eleonore Stump:

Kwame Gyekye:

Raynor Johnson:

Whitley R. P. Kaufman:

C. Belief Without Proof

Blaise Pascal:

Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski:

W.K. Clifford:

William James:

D. Religious Diversity

Philip L. Quinn and Kevin Meeker:

Jeffery D. Long:

Ray Billington:

Ninian Smart:

Gustavo Gutierrez:

Vine Deloria, Jr.:

John H. Hick:

Dalai Lama:

VI. MORAL THEORY

Steven M. Cahn:

Mary Midgley:

James Rachels:

Immanuel Kant:

John Stuart Mill:

Aristotle:

Kwame Gyekye:

Virginia Held:

Friedrich Nietzsche:

Jean-Paul Sartre:

Christopher W. Gowans:

Henry Rosemont, Jr:

VII. MORAL PROBLEMS

A. Abortion

Judith Jarvis Thomson:

Mary Anne Warren:

Don Marquis:

* B. Euthanasia

James Rachels:

Bonnie Steinbock:

C. World Hunger

Peter Singer:

Travis Timmerman:

VIII. SOCIETY

Plato:

Thomas Hobbes:

Karl Marx:

John Stuart Mill:

John Dewey:

Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Jorge M. Valadez:

John Rawls:

Robert

Nozick:

Virginia Held:

Iris Marion Young:

Kwame Anthony Appiah:

* IX. THE GOOD LIFE

Xunzi:

Epicurus:

Epictetus:

Albert Camus:

Richard Taylor:

Susan Wolf:

Christine Vitrano:

Thich Nhat Hanh:

Glossary

Index

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