Written for the Open University course, Philosophy and the Human Situation, these lively textbooks have been specially revised by the authors for non-OU students. Designed for newcomers to philosophy, each book introduces the reader step by step to the skills required for thinking clearly and independently about key philosophical topics.
By Stuart Brown
November 06, 2000
With the entry-level student in mind, Stuart Brown guides the reader through three main topics: whether or not there is life after death; whether or not there is a powerful, beneficent intelligence controlling the universe; and the nature and appropriate defence of religious belief or faith. Each ...
By John Benson
January 29, 2001
Presupposing no prior knowledge of philosophy, John Benson introduces the fundamentals of environmental ethics by asking whether a concern with human well-being is an adequate basis for environmental ethics. He encourages the reader to explore this question, considering techniques used to value the...
By Rosalind Hursthouse
November 07, 2000
This introductory textbook is ideally suited to newcomers to philosophy and ethical problems.Rosalind Hursthouse carefully introduces the three standard approaches in current ethical theory: utilitarianism, rights, and virtue ethics. She links each chapter to readings from key exponents such as ...
By Robert Wilkinson
November 06, 2000
Minds and Bodies is a clear introduction to the mind-body problem. It requires no prior philosophical knowledge and is ideally suited to newcomers to philosophy and philosophy of mind. Robert Wilkinson carefully introduces the fundamental components of the philosophy of mind: Descartes's dualist ...
By Richard H. Bell
April 03, 2002
Understanding African Philosophy serves as a critical guide to some of the most important issues in modern African philosophy. Richard Bell introduces readers to the complexity of Africa, the legacy of colonialism, the challenges of post independence Africa, and other recent developments in ...
By Nigel Warburton
October 19, 2000
This introduction to the arguments about individual freedom is ideal for newcomers to philosophy or political thought. Each chapter considers a fundamental argument about the scope of individual freedom, including the concepts of negative and positive freedom, freedom of belief, the Harm Principle,...