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A review by deadly_nightshade_
The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained by D.K. Publishing
5.0
Wow, this is the best semi-comprehensive philosophy book I've ever read. It includes all the prerequisites you need to know and nothing more. The explanations are so amazingly cogent, I could cry. I would buy this for every 13 year old and force them to read it A Clockwork Orange style.
The downside is that it's not as detailed as I would like (not in the sense that the author leaves things out as he explains certain concepts, he just doesn't touch on every work of all of the philosophers, he usually explains the philosophers' most famous works) and it does leave out a couple of philosophers (Frege-there's only about 1/8 of a page about him). I thought there was no good counterargument to "I think, therefore I am", but Kant's got a pretty great one. Every time I read a section of this book, I feel like a new room is created in my brain...it's just such a great feeling. I really recommend this book.
I disagree with people who say philosophy is useless. Philosophy is supposed to help you determine how you want to live your life. Philosophy can literally alter the lens through which you view the world, and it has the potential to have a greater impact on your life than any other subject. And God forbid people gain some logic and learn to argue with the goal of finding truth, not with the goal of proving that they are right at all costs.
The downside is that it's not as detailed as I would like (not in the sense that the author leaves things out as he explains certain concepts, he just doesn't touch on every work of all of the philosophers, he usually explains the philosophers' most famous works) and it does leave out a couple of philosophers (Frege-there's only about 1/8 of a page about him). I thought there was no good counterargument to "I think, therefore I am", but Kant's got a pretty great one. Every time I read a section of this book, I feel like a new room is created in my brain...it's just such a great feeling. I really recommend this book.
I disagree with people who say philosophy is useless. Philosophy is supposed to help you determine how you want to live your life. Philosophy can literally alter the lens through which you view the world, and it has the potential to have a greater impact on your life than any other subject. And God forbid people gain some logic and learn to argue with the goal of finding truth, not with the goal of proving that they are right at all costs.