Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #64620 in Books
• Published on: 2003-12-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

From Publishers Weekly
British philosopher and editor Law explores 25 of life's Big Questions in a sprightly volume designed to be a "course in thinking philosophically." Categorizing each philosophical "adventure" as Warm-up, Moderate or More Challenging, he addresses queries both grand and eternal ("Does God Exist?" and "Where Did the Universe Come From?" are two of his chapters) and controversial and contemporary ("What's Wrong with Gay Sex?" and "But is it Art?"). Lay readers looking for a comprehensible introduction to critical thinking will benefit from Law's straightforward exposition of each topic; opposing arguments are clearly organized in a tennis match of sorts: Law has two diners, for example, spar over whether eating meat can be morally justified. (Animals eat other animals, one says. But they don't know right from wrong, his companion says. Eating animals comes naturally to us, says the first. But so does violence, says the second. Etc.) In the chapter on morality's supposed dependence on religion, a section titled "An Argument for the Existence of God" is followed by the impressively accessible "Plato's Refutation of the Popular Argument," which is then countered with the "'But God is Good' Reply," and so on. The writing is lively and accessible, thanks to Law's passion for his subject and his creative use of zany conversations between future scientists about the possibility of time travel, for example, and his whimsical examples of strange objects called "fubbyloofers" to demonstrate the difficulty of determining what is art. The best of these essays end inconclusively, encouraging readers to consult the additional resources Law recommends. When Law unabashedly declares his final opinion-"In short, what creationists practice isn't good science-it's bunk"-it has the potential to offend. It detracts, too, from the book's admirable aim to "provide the skills needed to think independently" and "help fortify your courage in making a moral stand."
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Review
"A vivid, enlightening introduction to clear thinking." -- Review

Review
"A vivid, enlightening introduction to clear thinking." --Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials trilogy

"A vivid, enlightening introduction to clear thinking." (Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials trilogy )

Customer Reviews

I'm not a philosphopher...
and I don't play one on TV, either. But I've always had a strong interest in philosophy. I find myself thinking of philosophical issues often, yet I knew very little about it. This book was the perfect introduction!
Often, introdcutions to complex subjects are either dry or too technical to hold the interest of the uninitiated. This book was neither. While introducing a number of key viewpoints, it does it in a way that would hold the interest and educate those with even a passing interest in the subject. It also clearly points the way for future study. I've already purchased a number of the books the author suggests.
From "Does God Exist?" to "The Rational Dentist", author Stephen Law tackles the big philosophical questions asked today. He gives some history on each question, introduces the reader to a few of the philosophers who've written on the subject and then enters into a hypothetical dialog where he explains both sides of the argument. Excellent method, in my humble opinion.
Do I agree with all of his examples? No. Do I agree with all of his conclusions? No! I did read into the book some of what others have said about a bias regarding religion, but it never detracted from the subject. I'm guessing that other reviewers don't like points of view other than their own. When it comes to philosophy (and indeed, as the book points out, any knowledge!), nothing is 'for sure'. Differing points of view are going to be not only the norm, but expected.
I gave the book to my son (who is 23) and he's loving it as well. Couldn't recommend it highly enough. Even if it's your only foray into the subject of philosophy, it's a good pick.

Good light read
This is a good book to read before sleeping. If you are like me (a person who thinks about the day and the events in it right before I doze off) then this kind of book will be a great addition to your collection.

This book talks about everything that is important to human beings from a philosophical point of view. I dont think at any time during the book does the author try to impose his thoughts on you ... he is always comparing arguments for and against and that leads to some intelligent writing.

Should be read !

Good, but flawed
This book has very strong merits, but other reviewers have mentioned them so I'm going to concentrate on flaws the flaws (as I see them).

One problem is the occasional factual errors. This makes many sections harder to read because you are constantly having to ignore the author's errors. I'll just give one example: "As I do know that Pluto is a giant gas ball, I know your first hypothesis must be false." (p. 30) This is just sad, where was the editor/fact-checker? I knocked off one star for this.

The other is that some of the arguments have a bit of a straw man feel for the side that the author doesn't favor. I realize this is terribly hard to avoid (and perhaps my perception in this matter is more than a bit subjective), but it left me feeling that the book is not as good as it first appeared (when I bought it on a whim). For this, I knocked off another star.

Again, a book that has many good sections. It just needed a bit more polishing to be a classic.