Basic Problems of Philosophy

A brisk, problem-focused guide to the major issues of Western philosophy, offering engaging examples and selective discussions of key historical and contemporary thinkers.

Basic Problems of Philosophy is a brisk, accessible introduction to academic philosophy focused on many of the central problems animating the field. Chapters cover a broad range of topics: reasoning, free will, God, knowledge, ethics, politics, and art. Each chapter begins with an engaging vignette highlighting the complexity and significance of the philosophical themes at issue. The ideas of historical and contemporary thinkers from Plato to Leo Tolstoy to Christine Korsgaard are examined, always with an eye toward the problems at stake and the potential solutions offered by these writers. The opening chapter examines the many branches and competing definitions of philosophy, while a concluding chapter reflects on the intellectual and practical benefits of philosophical thinking.