Classic Philosophical Questions

by Gould, James A.; Mulvaney, Robert J.

• ISBN13: 9780131949614
• ISBN10: 0131949616
• Edition: 12th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

A proven classic, this anthology stimulates readers' interest in philosophy through an innovative "sides of the argument" presentation, representing positions on each of the fundamental philosophical principles. Each reading contains a biographical sketch of the author, with a group of further readings for those wishing to pursue issues in further depth. Using debate and argument as a vehicle, the eleventh edition of Classic Philosophical Questions simultaneously gives readers the fundamentals of philosophy while demonstrating that philosophy is a discourse that has spanned centuries. Topics covered include knowledge, metaphysics, religion, ethics, social and political philosophy, aesthetics, and the meaning of life. This anthology offers both classic and contemporary selections that challenge readers with the basic inquiries that philosophers have discussed throughout the ages.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
PART 1 PLATO AND THE TRIAL OF SOCRATES
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
1. Euthyphro: Defining Philosophical Terms	1	(10)
2. The Apology, Phaedo, and Crito: The Trial, Immortality, and Death of Socrates	11	(24)
PART 2 THE VALUE AND METHODS OF PHILOSOPHY
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF PHILOSOPHY?
3. Russell: The Valle of Philosophy	35	(7)
WHAT Is THE BEST APPROACH TO PHILOSOPHY?
4. Peirce: Four Approaches to Philosophy	42	(11)
5. Feigl: The Scientific Approach	53	(12)
PART 3 PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
CAN WE PROVE THAT GOD EXISTS?
6. St. Anselm: The Ontological Argument	65	(6)
7. St. Thomas Aquinas: The Cosmological Argument	71	(7)
8. Paley: The Teleological Argument	78	(6)
9. Pascal: It Is Better to Believe in God's Existence Than to Deny It	84	(6)
10. Kierkegaard: Faith, Not Logic, Is the Basis of Belief	90	(6)
DOES THE IDEA OF A GOOD GOD EXCLUDE EVIL?
11. Hume: A Good God Would Exclude Evil	96	(8)
12. Hick: God Can Allow Some Evil	104	(9)
PART 4 ETHICS
ARE HUMANS FREE?
13. Holbach: Humans Are Determined	113	(10)
14. James: Humans Are Free	123	(10)
ARE ETHICS RELATIVE?
15. Benedict: Ethics Are Relative	133	(8)
16. Stace: Ethics Are Not Relative	141	(12)
ARE HUMANS ALWAYS SELFISH?
17. Humans Are Always Selfish: Glaueon's Challenge to Socrates	153	(4)
18. Rackets: Humans Are Not Always Selfish	157	(11)
WHICH IS BASIC IN ETHICS: HAPPINESS OR OBLIGATION?
19. Aristotle: Happiness Is Living Virtuously	168	(10)
20. Bentham: Happiness Is Seeking the Greatest Pleasure for the Greatest Number of People	178	(10)
21. Kant: Duty Is Prior to Happiness	188	(14)
22. Nietzsche: Power Is the Highest Value	202	(8)
23. Sartre: Existentialist Ethics	210	(10)
24. Held: Feminist Ethics Are Different	220	(17)
PART 5 KNOWLEDGE
WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE?
25. Plato: Knowledge Is "Warranted, True Belief"	237	(9)
HOW DO WE ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE?
26. Descartes: Knowledge Is Not Ultimately Sense Knowledge	246	(13)
27. Locke: Knowledge Is Ultimately Sensed	259	(13)
28. Kant: Knowledge Is Both Rational and Empirical	272	(10)
HOW IS TRUTH ESTABLISHED?
29. Russell: Truth Is Established by Correspondence	282	(7)
30. Bradley: Truth Is Established by Coherence	289	(7)
31. James: Truth Is Established on Pragmatic Grounds	296	(8)
CAN WE KNOW THE NATURE OF CAUSAL RELATIONS?
32. Hume: Cause Means Regular Association	304	(7)
33. Hume: There Are No Possible Grounds for Induction	311	(12)
PART 6 METAPHYSICS
WHY ISTHERE SOMETHING RATHER THAN NOTHING?
34. Parmenides: Being Is Uncaused	323	(6)
35. Lao-Tzu: Non-Being Is the Source of Being	329	(6)
IS REALITY GENERAL OR PARTICULAR?
36. Plato: Universals Are Red	335	(10)
37. Hume: Particulars Are Real	345	(6)
OF WHAT DOES REALITY CONSIST?
38. Descartes: Reality Consists of Mind and Matter	351	(7)
39. Taylor: Reality Consists of Matter	358	(14)
40. Berkeley: Reality Consists of Ideas	372	(13)
41. Dewey: Reality Consists of Mental and Physical Qualities	385	(8)
DO HUMANS HAVE AN IDENTICAL SELF?
42. Locke: Human Beings Have an Identical Self	393	(10)
43. Hume: Human Beings Have No Identical Self	403	(8)
PART 7 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
WHAT IS FREEDOM?
44. Dostoevski: Freedom and Authority	411	(12)
45. Mill: Freedom Is Independence from the Majority's Tyranny	423	(12)
46. King: Freedom and Racial Prejudice	435	(11)
47. Tong: Feminism in the New Millennium	446	(15)
WHICH GOVERNMENT IS BEST?
48. Hobbes: Monarchy Is Best	461	(8)
49. Locke: Democracy Is Best	469	(7)
50. Marx: Communism and Nonalienated Labor Is Best	476	(16)
51. Tocqueviffe: Democracy Can Have Serious Problems	492	(8)
52. Popper: Utopias Lead to Violence	500	(11)
PART 8 APPLIED SOCIAL AND ETHICAL PROBLEMS
THE ABORTION ISSUE
53. English: Are Most Abortions Moral?	511	(11)
THE PORNOGRAPHY ISSUE
54. Ward Should Pornography Be Censored?	522	(10)
THE HOMOSEXUALITY ISSUE
55. Gould: Is Homosexuality Unnatural or Immoral?	532	(7)
THE ANIMAL RIGHTS ISSUE
56. Singer: Do Animals Have Rights?	539	(14)
PART 9 AESTHETICS
ARE ARTISTIC JUDGMENTS SUBJECTIVE?
57. Ducasse: Tastes Cannot Be Disputed	553	(11)
58. Beardsley: Tastes Can Be Disputed	564	(8)
WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF ART?
59. Aristotle: Art Purges the Emotions	572	(8)
60. Collingwood: Magic or Amusement?	580	(12)
PART 10 THE MEANING OF LIFE
WHAT GIVES LIFE MEANING?
61. Tolstoy: Faith Provides Life's Meaning	592	(12)
62. Camas: Each Person Determines His or Her Life's Meaning	604	(11)
Glossary	615