‘Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction’ by Edward Craig is a primer and introduction of philosophy. In this book, author introduces some questions, matters and isms of philosophy, doesn’t directly introduces basis, significance and purpose of philosophy.
Digests of each chapters are below.
Chapter 1 – Author thinks how science, thought and philosophy had caused. Once knowledge can be only practical, and improve your control over things. But the investigation of nature bring about belief in supernatural in human beings. The condition of human beings is supernatural and complex, today. Philosophy would be the key to recover from the crisis of complexity and divisions of science and its misapprehensions.
Chapter 2 – Ethical questions about justice and virtue (‘How should i live?’) by Socrates are called ‘Socratic question’. Socrates was excited, even he escape from the jail, to observe the wisdom and justice of him, the laws and the state or to protect his friends and pupils. The incident raise many ethical questions up to today.
Chapter 3 – Author introduces theory of David Hume’s ‘Of Miracles’. We know human testimony is sometimes to be treated with caution. But miracles must be extremely improbable. One the possible case violate the usual course of nature is an imaginary case.
Chapter 4 – Author introduces an argument on the self between King Milinda and Negasena. The self is not a charioteer controlling horses (reason and the appetites). Not only mind of self, whole of my existence in the world is a chariot all together.
Chapter 5 – Author introduces some philosophical themes looking back three chapters above. Such as ethical consequentialism, the virtue of integrity, political authority and the contrast theory, evidence and rationality, bundle theory of the mind, and problem of philosophy with historical contexts and cultural circumstances.
Chapter 6 – ‘Isms’ of philosophy are broad terms designating a certain general type of doctrine. Author comments some isms of philosophy and their relations such as idealism, dualism, materialism, empiricism, rationalism, scepticism and relativism. Author admits achievements of isms, but simultaneously he call our attention to thinkings and perceptions wouldn’t become simple, complex, dogmatic and vague by isms. Then author suggests that some isms are deliberated by relativism.
Chapter 7 – Author introduces some masterpieces in history of philosophy. ‘Descartes: Discourse on the Method’, ‘Hegel: Introduction to the Philosophy of History’, ‘Charles Darwin: The Origin of Species’ and ‘Nietzsche: The Genealogy of Morals’.
Chapter 8 – Author introduces philosophical perspectives of some constituencies. Epicurus thinks that the highest possible pleasure is freedom from physical pain and mental anxiety in individuals. Individual interests clash in the society, also restricting the individual damages everybody. Hobbes thought a way of supporting the individual was to hand over total sovereignty to the state. Marx said the working class people sell their labour to get a wage that is not much of a wage. And the work is external to the worker, it’s alienation. You should develop your potential of your personality and skills. The famous essay of John Stuart Mill ‘The Subjection of Women’ tells us women requires individual freedom, not just adult males. And Simone de Beauvoir asserts women make decision for each of us in our circumstances of inauthenticity. Also anyone promote the interests of non-human animals. And professional philosophers work in the system of philosophy, but can’t be careful of their own notions because they are just individuals. Also we make use of enormous merits they may have their faults, overconfidence and obscurity.
This book is a crooked unusual introduction to philosophy. Author doesn’t ‘introduce philosophy’. He leaves you a map or information about philosophical guide tours. Just he introduces some philosophical arguments and cases to attempt your philosophical thinkings about philosophical matters, instead of usual introductory comments on basis, significance, worth and purpose of philosophy. Also his writings are practical but some parts are much political.
Good point of this book is author test your philosophical sensation and thought. But author weights problems in front of philosophy. I have and apprehension about, contrary, readers would consider only philosophical method or rule like ‘what are the philosophical questions and objects’ rather than philosophy itself or actual problems of philosophy.
Philosophy (Very Short Introductions)
Edward Craig
Oxford University Press, Oxford, 21 Feb 2002
144 pages £6.99 $9.95
ISBN: 978-0192854216
Contents:
List of illustrations
1. Philosophy – A very short introduction
2. What Should I Do? – Plato’s Crito
3. How Do We Know? – Hume’s of Miracles
4. What Am I? – An Unknown Buddhist on the Self: King Milinda’s Chariot
5. Some Themes?
6. Of ‘isms’
7. Some More High Spots: Personal Selection
8. What’s in It for Whom?
Bibliography
Index
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