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The Basics of Western Philosophy is an introductory work for students and the general reader. The book is divided into two parts. Part I examines the process of philosophical discourse, including discussions of some of its greatest practitioners, elementary techniques of logical analysis, and a sketch of the history of philosophy from its earliest beginnings among the ancient Greeks to the current day. Part II considers the major problems of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, social philosophy, philosophy of religion, and philosophical anthropology.
Each chapter focuses on a set of philosophical concepts that are central to a specific idea in philosophy, while offering insights into philosophical questions relevant to the central problem. The ideas of the great philosophers regarding that problem are presented in detail and subjected to analysis and criticism. Frequent sidebars contain background information or capsule biographies of the philosophers. Included are an extensive bibliography, an index, illustrations, and a timeline that marks the dates of philosophers and schools of philosophy in each era.
List of contents
Preface
The Activity of PhilosophyThe Nature of Philosophy
Logic and Language
A Sketch of the History of Philosophy
The Problems of PhilosophyMetaphysics
Epistemology
Ethics
Social and Political Philosophy
Philosophy of Religion
Science and Human Nature
About the author
EUGENE KELLY is Professor of Philosophy, New York Institute of Technology. He is the former chairman of the Long Island Philosphical Society and a co-editor of the American Philosophical Association's Newsletter, Teacing Philosophy. He is the author of Structure and Diversity (1997).
