First Philosophy: Fundamental Problems And Readings In Philosophy

First Philosophy: Fundamental Problems and Readings in Philosophy

This introductory anthology brings together forty-eight readings on eight topics central to philosophy. Mindful of the intrinsic difficulty of much of the material, the editor has provided comprehensive introductions both to the eight topics and to each individual selection. By providing a detailed discussion of the historical and intellectual background to each piece, he aims to enable readers to approach the material without unnecessary barriers to understanding. The topics-from "Does God exist?" to "Do we have free will?" and "What is justice?"-have been chosen with a view both to their philosophical importance and to their interest to the first-year student. In an introductory chapter, the editor provides a brief introduction to the nature of philosophical enquiry, to the nature of argument, and to the process of reading and writing within the academic discipline of philosophy.Review"I would recommend First Philosophy to anyone teaching an introductory philosophy course." (Paul Churchland)"First Philosophy has a good selection of articles for my purposes, and the accompanying introductory background material is absolutely brilliant." (Jillian Scott McIntosh)"This is an extremely well-done philosophy text. The readings are well chosen, and each is accompanied by an unusually thorough introductory discussion. These introductions do an excellent job of putting the readings themselves in context, and of helping students to see the philosophical importance of each selection. This text should become a standard in introductory philosophy classes." (Patricia Blanchette)"The main difference between other anthologies and First Philosophy is Bailey's supplementary material, which is excellent. The biographical materials are very interesting.... The explicative material is likewise excellent: clear, highly relevant, useful, easily understood.... The wonderful supplementary material makes this a very good text indeed, which should, I think, gain a large share of the market." (Jeff Foss)"The editor has selected challenging readings for first-year students that cover a broad range of topics.... The introductions are fabulous;...students find them very helpful.... Overall, First Philosophy is an excellent anthology for first-year students; the text has made my job significantly easier." (Jennifer M. Phillips)From the Back CoverThis introductory anthology brings together forty-eight readings on eight topics central to philosophy. Mindful of the intrinsic difficulty of much of the material, the editor has provided comprehensive introductions both to the eight topics and to each individual selection. By providing a detailed discussion of the historical and intellectual background to each piece, he aims to enable readers to approach the material without unnecessary barriers to understanding. The topics-from "Does God exist?" to "Do we have free will?" and "What is justice?"-have been chosen with a view both to their philosophical importance and to their interest to the first-year student. In an introductory chapter, the editor provides a brief introduction to the nature of philosophical enquiry, to the nature of argument, and to the process of reading and writing within the academic discipline of philosophy.About the AuthorAndrew Bailey, who obtained degrees from the University of Oxford and the University of Calgary, is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department at the University of Guelph.