Does the Center Hold?: An Introduction to Western Philosophy

by Palmer, Donald

• ISBN13: 9780073535753
• ISBN10: 0073535753
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-27
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages

Summary

Does the Center Hold?is an entertaining, topically-organized introductory text with more than 500 original illustrations. The ideas and issues typically covered in introductory courses are presented here in a remarkably accessible and enjoyable manner. The author demonstrates that serious philosophical inquiry may be perplexing but is ultimately enlightening and liberating.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

What Are We Doing in This Class?

Is Philosophy Possible?

The Origins of Philosophy

Contemporary Branches of Philosophy

The Philosophy of Socrates

Conclusion

Truth Is Beauty, Beauty Is Truth

Rationalist Epistemology

The Philosophy of Plato

Rene Descartes' Rationalism

What You See Is What You Get

Empiricist Epistemology

The Empiricism of John Locke

Hume's Radicalization of Berkeley's Empiricism

Logical Positivism: The Further Radicalization

of Empiricism

Kant's Compromise

Conclusion: Getting Up-to-Date

Who's on First, What's on Second?

Ontology

Dualism

Materialistic Monism

Pluralism

Conclusion

Mount Olympus, Mount Moriah, and Other Godly Places

Philosophy of Religion

Theism

Atheism

Volitional Justifications of Religious Belief

Religious Mysticism

Religious Existentialism

Conclusion

The Largest Airline in the Free World

Philosophy of Freedom

Determinism: Ancient Greek and Enlightenment Views

Hard Determinism: Modern Views

The Attack on Free Will

Soft Determinism (a.k.a. Compatibilism)

Indeterminism

Conclusion

Thou Shalt Become Perfected

Ethics

Ancient Greek Moral Philosophers

Egoism

Kantianism Today?

Conclusion

Different Strokes for Different Folks

Critiques of Traditional Ethical Theories

Existentialism

Hume and the Naturalistic Fallacy

Logical Positivism

Cultural Relativism

Ethics and Feminism

Ethics and Deep Ecology

Conclusion

Let Them Eat Cake

Political and Social Philosophy

Political Philosophy

Social Philosophy

Conclusion

But Is It Art?

Philosophy of Art

Analytic Philosophy of Art

Wittgenstein

Plato, Freud, and Art

Aristotle and Art

Marx and Art

Existentialism and Art

Conclusion

Notes

Glossary

Credits

Index

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