Philosophy A Text with Readings (Casebound with CD-ROM and InfoTrac)

Preface. Part I: INTRODUCTION. 1. The Nature of Philosophy. Introduction: What is Philosophy? The Traditional Divisions of Philosophy. An Example of Philosophy: Socrates. The Value of Philosophy. Chapter Summary and Conclusions. Historical Showcase: The First Philosophers. Readings. Appendix: A Look at Logic. Suggestions for Further Reading. 2. Human Nature. Introduction: Why Study Human Nature? What is Human Nature? How Do Mind and Body Relate? Is There an Enduring Self? Are We Independent and Self-Sufficient Individuals? Chapter Summary and Conclusions. Historical Showcase: Plato, Aristotle and Confucius. Readings. Suggestions for Further Reading. Part II: METAPHYSICS. 3. Reality and Being. Introduction: What is Real? Reality: Material or Nonmaterial? Reality in Pragmatism. Reality and Logical Positivism. Antirealism: The New Idealists. Encountering Reality: Phenomenology and Existentialism. Is Freedom Real? Is Time Real? Chapter Summary and Conclusions. Historical Showcase: Hobbes and Berkeley. Readings. Suggestions for Further Reading. 4. Philosophy and God. Introduction: What is Religion? Does God Exist? Atheism, Agnosticism, and the Problem of Evil. Traditional Religious Belief and Experience. Nontraditional Religious Experience. Chapter Summary and Conclusions. Historical Showcase: Aquinas, Descartes, and Conway. Readings. Suggestions for Further Reading. Part III: EPISTEMOLOGY. 5. The Sources of Knowledge. Introduction: Why is Knowledge a Problem? Is Reason the Source of Our Knowledge? Can the Senses Account for all Our Knowledge? Kant: Does the Knowing Mind Shape the World? Does Science Give Us Knowledge? Chapter Summary and Conclusions. Historical Showcase: Hume. Readings. Suggestions for Further Reading. 6. Truth. Introduction: Belief, Knowledge and Truth. What is Truth? Does Science Give Us Truth? Can Interpretations Be True? Chapter Summary and Conclusions. Historical Showcase: Kant. Readings. Suggestions for Further Reading. Part IV: VALUES. 7. Ethics. Introduction: What is Ethics? Is Ethics Relative? Do Consequences Make an Action Right? Do Rules Define Morality? Is Ethics Based on Character? Can Ethics Resolve Moral Quandaries? Ethics and Moral Responsibility. Chapter Summary and Conclusions. Historical Showcase: Nietzsche and Wollstonecraft. Readings. Suggestions for Further Reading. 8. Social Philosophy. Introduction: What is Social Philosophy? What Justifies the State? What is Justice? Law and Civil Disobedience. Chapter Summary and Conclusions. Historical Showcase: Marx and Rawls. Readings. Suggestions for Further Reading. 9. Postscript: Art and Meaning. Introduction. What is Art? Does Life Have Meaning? Chapter Summary and Conclusions. Suggestions for Further Reading. Art Acknowledgments. Glossary. Appendix.