How to Think Like a Philosopher

How to Think Like a Philosopher PDF Author: Daniel Smith
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
ISBN: 1789292824
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 171

Get Book

Book Description
From Socrates to Sartre, Avicenna to Angela Davis, this accessible guide will get you up to speed on the world's greatest minds and help you to think like them. You've heard of Plato, but do you understand his Theory of Forms? What does René Descartes' maxim 'I think, therefore I am' actually mean? And how is philosophy relevant to modern life? Drawing on the thoughts and words of iconic philosophers from the ancient world right through to the present day, each chapter deals with a specific philosophical theory. Explore the conflict between free will and determinism, the political concept of Machiavellianism, the difference between metaphysics and epistemology, and what dialectics actually is in this accessibly-written guide to the smartest minds in history.

How to Think Like a Philosopher

How to Think Like a Philosopher PDF Author: Daniel Smith
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
ISBN: 1789292824
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 171

Get Book

Book Description
From Socrates to Sartre, Avicenna to Angela Davis, this accessible guide will get you up to speed on the world's greatest minds and help you to think like them. You've heard of Plato, but do you understand his Theory of Forms? What does René Descartes' maxim 'I think, therefore I am' actually mean? And how is philosophy relevant to modern life? Drawing on the thoughts and words of iconic philosophers from the ancient world right through to the present day, each chapter deals with a specific philosophical theory. Explore the conflict between free will and determinism, the political concept of Machiavellianism, the difference between metaphysics and epistemology, and what dialectics actually is in this accessibly-written guide to the smartest minds in history.

Zeno and the Tortoise

Zeno and the Tortoise PDF Author: Nicholas Fearn
Publisher: Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
ISBN: 0802199089
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 229

Get Book

Book Description
From the author of The Latest Answers to the Oldest Questions, a philosophical guide that’s “great for sounding cleverer than you really are” (Men’s Health). For those who don’t know the difference between Lucretius’s spear and Hume’s fork, Zeno and the Tortoise explains not just who each philosopher was and what he thought, but exactly how he came to think in the way he did. In a witty and engaging style that incorporates everything from Sting to cell phones to Bill Gates, Fearn demystifies the ways of thought that have shaped and inspired humanity—among many others, the Socratic method, Descartes’s use of doubt, Bentham’s theory of utilitarianism, Rousseau’s social contract, and, of course, the concept of common sense. Along the way, there are fascinating biographical snippets about the philosophers themselves: the story of Thales falling down a well while studying the stars, and of Socrates being told by a face-reader that his was the face of a monster who was capable of any crime. Written in twenty-five short chapters, each readable during the journey to work, Zeno and the Tortoise is the ideal course in intellectual self-defense. Acute, often irreverent, but always authoritative, this is a unique introduction to the ideas that have shaped us all. “A large, crafty bag of brilliant tools . . . an academic arsenal of philosophical weapons that are keen for slicing and stabbing through the slippery profoundities of day-to-day decision-making and right into the middle of dinner-party conversations of which you would have otherwise been left out.” —Philosophy Now

How to Think Like a Philosopher

How to Think Like a Philosopher PDF Author: Julian Baggini
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226826643
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 318

Get Book

Book Description
An invitation to the habits of good thinking from philosopher Julian Baggini. By now, it should be clear: in the face of disinformation and disaster, we cannot hot take, life hack, or meme our way to a better future. But how should we respond instead? In How to Think like a Philosopher, Julian Baggini turns to the study of reason itself for practical solutions to this question, inspired by our most eminent philosophers, past and present. Baggini offers twelve key principles for a more humane, balanced, and rational approach to thinking: pay attention; question everything (including your questions); watch your steps; follow the facts; watch your language; be eclectic; be a psychologist; know what matters; lose your ego; think for yourself, not by yourself; only connect; and don’t give up. Each chapter is chockful of real-world examples showing these principles at work—from the discovery of penicillin to the fight for trans rights—and how they lead to more thoughtful conclusions. More than a book of tips and tricks (or ways to be insufferably clever at parties), How to Think like a Philosopher is an invitation to develop the habits of good reasoning that our world desperately needs.

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor PDF Author: Donald J. Robertson
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 1250196639
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Get Book

Book Description
"This book is a wonderful introduction to one of history's greatest figures: Marcus Aurelius. His life and this book are a clear guide for those facing adversity, seeking tranquility and pursuing excellence." —Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and The Daily Stoic The life-changing principles of Stoicism taught through the story of its most famous proponent. Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was the last famous Stoic philosopher of the ancient world. The Meditations, his personal journal, survives to this day as one of the most loved self-help and spiritual classics of all time. In How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, cognitive psychotherapist Donald Robertson weaves the life and philosophy of Marcus Aurelius together seamlessly to provide a compelling modern-day guide to the Stoic wisdom followed by countless individuals throughout the centuries as a path to achieving greater fulfillment and emotional resilience. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor takes readers on a transformative journey along with Marcus, following his progress from a young noble at the court of Hadrian—taken under the wing of some of the finest philosophers of his day—through to his reign as emperor of Rome at the height of its power. Robertson shows how Marcus used philosophical doctrines and therapeutic practices to build emotional resilience and endure tremendous adversity, and guides readers through applying the same methods to their own lives. Combining remarkable stories from Marcus’s life with insights from modern psychology and the enduring wisdom of his philosophy, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor puts a human face on Stoicism and offers a timeless and essential guide to handling the ethical and psychological challenges we face today.

Feline Philosophy

Feline Philosophy PDF Author: John Gray
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374718792
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 99

Get Book

Book Description
The author of Straw Dogs, famous for his provocative critiques of scientific hubris and the delusions of progress and humanism, turns his attention to cats—and what they reveal about humans' torturous relationship to the world and to themselves. The history of philosophy has been a predictably tragic or comical succession of palliatives for human disquiet. Thinkers from Spinoza to Berdyaev have pursued the perennial questions of how to be happy, how to be good, how to be loved, and how to live in a world of change and loss. But perhaps we can learn more from cats--the animal that has most captured our imagination--than from the great thinkers of the world. In Feline Philosophy, the philosopher John Gray discovers in cats a way of living that is unburdened by anxiety and self-consciousness, showing how they embody answers to the big questions of love and attachment, mortality, morality, and the Self: Montaigne's house cat, whose un-examined life may have been the one worth living; Meo, the Vietnam War survivor with an unshakable capacity for "fearless joy"; and Colette's Saha, the feline heroine of her subversive short story "The Cat", a parable about the pitfalls of human jealousy. Exploring the nature of cats, and what we can learn from it, Gray offers a profound, thought-provoking meditation on the follies of human exceptionalism and our fundamentally vulnerable and lonely condition. He charts a path toward a life without illusions and delusions, revealing how we can endure both crisis and transformation, and adapt to a changed scene, as cats have always done.

Philosophy and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Philosophy and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy PDF Author: N. Joll
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230392652
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Get Book

Book Description
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy provides an excellent way of looking at some intriguing issues in philosophy, from vegetarianism and Artificial Intelligence to God, space and time. This is an entertaining yet thought provoking volume for students, philosophers and fans of The Hitchhiker's series.

The Philosopher's Book of Questions & Answers

The Philosopher's Book of Questions & Answers PDF Author: D.E. Wittkower
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1440558876
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Get Book

Book Description
Your life through the lens of the world's greatest thinkers! Do you ever wonder how important money really is in life or what you need to do to achieve happiness? With The Philosopher's Book of Questions and Answers, you will be one step closer to solving these uncertainties. Inside, you'll find the basics of philosophy, written in plain English, and thoughts for applying these important theories to your own life. You'll also be encouraged to dig deep into the philosophical reasoning behind your everyday actions with a series of fascinating prompts, such as: If you had ten times your wealth and ten times your income, what would you do then that you can't do now? What's a version of that activity that you could do right now? Is it ten times less meaningful, important, or enjoyable than the activity you would do with more money? From Socrates and Epicurean to Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, The Philosopher's Book of Questions and Answers will not only help you grasp history's greatest thoughts, but will also unveil the world in a whole new light.

Think Like a Philosopher

Think Like a Philosopher PDF Author: Anne Rooney
Publisher: 'The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc'
ISBN: 1499470975
Category : Young Adult Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 162

Get Book

Book Description
Philosophy seeks to discover the nature of truth and knowledge. Philosophical reasoning helps us make sense of the world around us and work out what we think and why. Sometimes, it can enable us to become the people we believe we should be. This book is a thought-provoking, yet fun, introduction to the subject of philosophy. It shows curious readers how it has a clear practical purpose that is vital to our daily lives and thought processes.

A Philosophy of Walking

A Philosophy of Walking PDF Author: Frédéric Gros
Publisher: Verso Books
ISBN: 1804290440
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 273

Get Book

Book Description
This “passionate affirmation of the simple life” explores how walking has influenced history’s greatest thinkers—from Henry David Thoreau and John Muir to Gandhi and Nietzsche (Observer) “It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.” —Nietzsche In this French bestseller, leading thinker and philosopher Frédéric Gros charts the many different ways we get from A to B—the pilgrimage, the promenade, the protest march, the nature ramble—and reveals what they say about us. Gros draws attention to other thinkers who also saw walking as something central to their practice. On his travels he ponders Thoreau’s eager seclusion in Walden Woods; the reason Rimbaud walked in a fury, while Nerval rambled to cure his melancholy. He shows us how Rousseau walked in order to think, while Nietzsche wandered the mountainside to write. In contrast, Kant marched through his hometown every day, exactly at the same hour, to escape the compulsion of thought. Brilliant and erudite, A Philosophy of Walking is an entertaining and insightful manifesto for putting one foot in front of the other.

Food and Philosophy

Food and Philosophy PDF Author: Fritz Allhoff
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470765763
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Get Book

Book Description
Food & Philosophy offers a collection of essays which explore a range of philosophical topics related to food; it joins Wine & Philosophy and Beer & Philosophy in in the "Epicurean Trilogy." Essays are organized thematically and written by philosophers, food writers, and professional chefs. Provides a critical reflection on what and how we eat can contribute to a robust enjoyment of gastronomic pleasures A thoughtful, yet playful collection which emphasizes the importance of food as a proper object of philosophical reflection in its own right