Julian Baggini - The Philosopher's Toolkit

Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data

Names: Fosl, Peter S., author. | Baggini, Julian, author.

Title: The philosopher’s toolkit : a compendium of philosophical concepts and methods / Peter S. Fosl and Julian Baggini.

Description: Third edition. | Hoboken : Wiley‐Blackwell, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019053537 (print) | LCCN 2019053538 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119103219 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119103226 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119103233 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Reasoning. | Methodology.

Classification: LCC BC177 .F675 2020 (print) | LCC BC177 (ebook) | DDC 101–dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019053537LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019053538

Cover Design: Wiley

Cover Images: WMM‐Retro coal © Alex_Po/Shutterstock, Supermoon

© tanoochai/Shutterstock, Dark grey black slate © aesah kongsue/Shutterstock, Nuts and bolts © Winston Link/Shutterstock, Iso Lock © tacojim/iStock.com, Engine Parts Machine © MR.TEERASAK KHEMNGERN/Shutterstock, Magnet and nails © revers/Shutterstock, A set of rulers © Sergio Stakhnyk/Shutterstock, Vice grips © Thomas Northcut/Getty Images, Steelyard with black © Dimedrol68/Shutterstock, Plumbing tools © ansonsaw/iStock.com

For Rick O’Neil, colleague and friend, in memoriam

We are indebted to Nicholas Fearn, who helped to conceive and plan this book, and whose fingerprints can still be found here and there. We are deeply grateful to Jeff Dean at Wiley‐Blackwell for nurturing the book from a good idea in theory to, we hope, a good book in practice. Thanks to Rick O’Neil, Jack Furlong, Ellen Cox, Mark Moorman, Randall Auxier, Bradley Monton, Avery Kolers, Tom Flynn, and Saul Kutnicki for their help with various entries as well as to the anonymous reviewers for their thorough scrutiny of the text. We are also thankful for the work of Peter’s secretary, Ann Cranfill, as well as of many of his colleagues for proofreading. Robert E. Rosenberg, Peter’s colleague in chemistry, exhibited extraordinary generosity in reviewing the scientific content of the text. We would also like to express our appreciation to Manish Luthra, Marissa Koors, Liz Wingett, Daniel Finch, Rachel Greenberg, Aneetta Antony, and Caroline McPherson at Wiley for their careful and supportive editorial work. Thanks also to Peter’s students for their feedback, as well as for corrections and suggestions for improvement sent to us from several readers. Our enduring gratitude goes to Peter’s spouse and children – Catherine Fosl, Isaac Fosl‐van Wyke, and Elijah Fosl – as well as to Julian’s partner, Antonia, for their patient support.