Philosophy: A Beginner's Guide
By
Peter Cave
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
(
1 rating
)
Included in your subscription
About this ebook
Philosophy, the “love of wisdom”, is the product of our endless fascination and curiosity about the world – the child of wonder. Through it, we seek to answer the most fundamental of questions: How do we know what we know? Does God exist? What is beauty? How should we live our lives? What am I?
In this exhilarating tour, Peter Cave navigates all the main topics of philosophy with verve and clarity. Using witty and whimsical examples, including stoical sofas and Reg, the “regular” human, who just happens to carry his brain in a rucksack, Cave provides a welcome antidote to the dry textbook while covering everything from political philosophy to points of logic. Interspersed with helpful textboxes and underlining the enduring relevance of philosophy to us all, there is no better introduction for the aspiring sage.
Prologue: take your time
1 What is it to be human?
2 Are we responsible for what we do?
3 Surviving
4 What – morally – ought we to do?
5 Political philosophy: what justifies the state?
6 Mind, brain and body
7 What, then, is knowledge?
8 How sceptical should we be?
9 God: for and against
10 The arts: what is the point?
Epilogue: mortality, immortality and the meaning of life Notes and further reading
Acknowledgements Index
