Requesting philosophy advice

[Seismosaurus]

To say I'm not an expert on philosophy is an understatement. In fact I know very little about the subject. So I'd like some advice please...

What I want is a good book which introduces the main philosophical viewpoints, explains what they are, how accepted they are, and describes their basic implications. I'd prefer something reasonably recent.

It needs to be very much an introductory level book; not exactly Janet-and-John, but easily accessible to somebody with no prior knowledge.

Any suggestions?

 

[neutrino_cannon]

To say I'm not an expert on philosophy is an understatement. In fact I know very little about the subject. So I'd like some advice please...

What I want is a good book which introduces the main philosophical viewpoints, explains what they are, how accepted they are, and describes their basic implications. I'd prefer something reasonably recent.

It needs to be very much an introductory level book; not exactly Janet-and-John, but easily accessible to somebody with no prior knowledge.

Any suggestions?

I would recomend starting with some sort of ethics book, since so much of philosophy is based around human interaction, and ethics is a thorough vivisection of human interaction.

 

[cbish]

I don't know about a book, but what about a webpage?
http://www.scc.losrios.cc.ca.us/~carrolb/

or this one.

http://plato.stanford.edu/

This will get you started!

Enjoy!

 

[whitefork]

Bertrand Russell's Problems of Philosophy is a good read. Hardly the last word on any of the issues discussed, but a useful introduction. History of Western Philosophy is good as well.

For the more adventurous reader, Henri Bergson's Time and Free Will. For some reason, the French writers have a knack for clarity and wit. Sartre, even. Heck, anyone that ugly who could get Simone de Beauvoir had to have something going for him.

The Elephant recommended a novel, Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder, a while back, and I apologize for putting it down at the time. I was feeling especially splenetic that day, but that's no excuse.

The point, in my view, is not to read philosophy to get final answers (though many do), but to figure out how to ask the questions and do analysis.

 

[Guest]

To say I'm not an expert on philosophy is an understatement. In fact I know very little about the subject. So I'd like some advice please...

What I want is a good book which introduces the main philosophical viewpoints, explains what they are, how accepted they are, and describes their basic implications. I'd prefer something reasonably recent.

It needs to be very much an introductory level book; not exactly Janet-and-John, but easily accessible to somebody with no prior knowledge.

Any suggestions?

Read 'Sophies World' by Jostein Gaarder. Read it today. This is the book you are looking for.

 

[whitefork]

See? That's Fate for you. Or is it Determinism? Mwahahaha!

 

[Interesting Ian]

To say I'm not an expert on philosophy is an understatement. In fact I know very little about the subject. So I'd like some advice please...

What I want is a good book which introduces the main philosophical viewpoints, explains what they are, how accepted they are, and describes their basic implications. I'd prefer something reasonably recent.

It needs to be very much an introductory level book; not exactly Janet-and-John, but easily accessible to somebody with no prior knowledge.

Any suggestions?

The Bluffers guide to philosophy is a good one. More seriously though, give "The problems of philosophy" by Bertrand Russell a spin. When I first read it a few years ago, I systematically disagreed with everything he said. So you might like it! Here ya go
http://www.popular-science.net/books/russell/chapter0.html

Alternatively I agree with Geoff (UCE) that Sophie's World is excellent.

 

[Brown]

The "Bruces Song" by Monty Python.

 

[Dragonrock]

The "Bruces Song" by Monty Python.

Ahh, yes, "I drink therefore I am!!"

 

[Seismosaurus]

Thanks for the suggestions.

To Amazon I go...

 

[Kiri]

Thanks for the suggestions.

To Amazon I go...

While you're there, pick up the revised edition of "The Tao of Physics", by Fritjof Capra. It's a stunning comparison of quantum physics and Oriental philosophy. Bends minds better than acid.

 

[c4ts]

A good place to start is Coppleston's History of Philosophy series. It's very in-deph and covers just about everything from the pre-Socratics to existentialism.