Tom Morris - Philosophy For Dummies

Philosophy For Dummies® 2nd Edition

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022933657

ISBN 978-1-119-87567-3 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-87568-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-87569-7 (ebk)

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here

5 Part 1: What Is Philosophy, Anyway? Chapter 1: Great Thinkers, Deep Thoughts Listening to the critics Consulting Socrates on What Counts Asking The Deeper Questions Chapter 2: Philosophy as an Activity Adventuring for the Mind Mapping Our Way Forward Understanding the Power of Belief Chapter 3: The Love of Wisdom Identifying Some Skills of Philosophy Seeing How Wisdom Rules Embarking on the Socratic Quest for Wisdom

6 Part 2: How Do We Know Anything? Chapter 4: Belief, Truth, and Knowledge Understanding Belief The Importance of Belief The Ideal of Knowledge Chapter 5: The Challenge of Skepticism Introducing the Ancient Art of Doubt Asking Questions We Can’t Answer Chapter 6: The Amazing Reality of Basic Beliefs The Foundations of Knowledge William James on Precursive Faith Leaps of Faith

7 Part 3: What Is the Good? Chapter 7: What’s Good? Looking at Ethics and Morality Defining the Good Evaluating Three Views on Evaluation Taking Teleological Target Practice Chapter 8: Happiness, Excellence, and the Good Life Memo to the Modern World Exploring The Idea of Good Four Dimensions of Human Experience Chapter 9: Ethical Rules and Moral Character Weighing Rules and Virtues Teaching the Path of Goodness

8 Part 4: Are We Ever Really Free? Chapter 10: Fate, Destiny, and You Appreciating Free Will Revealing the Theological Challenge Considering the Logical Challenge Determining the Scientific Challenge Chapter 11: Standard Views of Freedom Pondering God, Logic, and Free Will Taking on The Scientific Challenge Chapter 12: Doing: Human Agency in the World Gaining Wisdom on Freedom Being an Agent and Getting Your Due

9 Part 5: The Incredible, Invisible You Chapter 13: What Is a Person? Learning about Guitars and Ghosts Glimpses of the Mind Views of the Person The Contenders Narrowing the Options Chapter 14: The Case for Materialism Analyzing The Positive Arguments Considering The Negative Arguments Arriving at a Verdict on the Materialist Case Chapter 15: The Case for Dualism Examining Dualism Being a Soul, Man Needing More Evidence

10 Part 6: What’s the Deal with Death? Chapter 16: From Dust to Dust: Fear and the Void Exiting Life and the Four Fears Chapter 17: Philosophical Consolations on Death Calming Us, Philosophically Considering Materialist Consolations Chapter 18: Is There Life after Death? Considering Doubts and Denials Identifying Arguments for Survival Seeing Light at the End of the Tunnel

11 Part 7: Is There a God? Chapter 19: Two Worldviews Finding a Lost Beach Ball The Great Divide The Great Debate Chapter 20: Theistic Visions Reasoning to God’s Existence Living in a Designer Universe Having Experience Beyond Argument Chapter 21: The Problem of Evil Expecting Things of a God Understanding the Problem Considering The Great Theodicies Exploring the Element of Mystery

12 Part 8: The Meaning of Life Chapter 22: What Is the Meaning of Life? Asking Critical Questions Pondering Meaning and This World Pairing Meaning and God Chapter 23: Pascal’s Wager: Betting Your Life Introducing Pascal: Philosopher-Genius Wagering like Pascal Criticizing the Wager Choosing a Worldview Right for You Chapter 24: Success and Happiness in Life Finding Enough in The Race for More Aiming for True Success Mastering the Conditions of Success Concluding with a Note on Happiness

13 Part 9: The Part of Tens Chapter 25: Ten Great Philosophers Socrates Plato Aristotle Saint Thomas Aquinas William of Ockham René Descartes Immanuel Kant G.W.F. Hegel Soren Kierkegaard Bertrand Russell Chapter 26: Ten Great Questions Is Philosophy Practical? Can We Ever Really Know Anything? Is There Ultimately an Objectivity to Ethics? Who Am I? Is Happiness Really Possible in Our World? Is There, After All, a God? What Is the Good Life? Why Is So Much Suffering in the World? Does a Tree Falling Solo Make a Sound? What’s Stronger: Reason or its Opposite?