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Summary: Training Your Brain
Review: You're interested in philosophy and want to learn something about the subject. Now, you could jump right into Immanuel Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason" but we'd probably never hear from you again. Instead, I recommend "Philosophy for Dummies". Tom Morris poses the big questions, offers some possible big answers, then leaves it to you to decide what you think. It's all done in a light but thorough way -- the philosophical facts are there, minus the jargon that can be off-putting for the non-professional philosopher (besides, you can pick up the lingo later if you do more reading in the field). Morris' central concern is philosophy's relevance to life, which makes this book particularly useful for the general reader (and for us specialists who need to have "the principle of sufficient reason" laid out on one page). The book makes you want to read MORE philosophy -- thus the Socratic dialogue continues. Its information on the non-Western traditions is particularly welcome.
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Summary: There are better ones
Review: If you are interesting in the kind of thoughtful, critical philosophical inquiry that is practiced in philosophy departments, where the focus is on giving reasons for one view or another, not on woolly rhetoric, the two best introductions are: Nigel Warburton, Philosophy: the Basics, and Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy. Don't bother with this one.
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Summary: Tom Morris is no dummy and I'm no philospher..........
Review: ....But this book certainly has opened up a new world of wisdom for me. Mr. Morris certainly has a way of pulling you in to discovering the wonderful world of wisdom thru his anecdotes, humor and his WISDOM! I'm so glad I have this book.. It will be a source of reference for LIFE! My notes and highlites in the margins make it a book of reference for me... Finally Philosphy makes sense.. I would LOVE to attend one of his classes or seminars!
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Summary: The Best Intro. To Philosophy on the Market
Review: As a philosophy professor, I have seen and used many introductory philosophy texts. "Philosophy for Dummies" is the best text that I have ever seen. It is clearly written. It is extremely accessible to anyone with an interest in the issues. It values critical thinking skills, such as argumentation and analysis. It is sympathetic to many commonsensical views. It is funny (a rarity among philosophy texts). It is entertaining: there are cartoons, quotations, and anecdotes, all of which facilitate the understanding and appreciation of very deep and important issues in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics. Throughout the book, Morris defends and shows the interconnectedness of many Judeo-Christian positions (e.g. God's existence, the existence of souls, there is a meaning to life -- Morris even tells you what the meaning of life is). I particularly enjoyed one of the last chapters in which there is compelling defense of "Pascal's Wager" -- that is, an argument for why it is rational to be a theist. Before reading the book, I considered myself to be an atheist, and after reading it, I no longer know what I am. "Philosophy for Dummies" will certainly help you understand why doing philosphy is essential to how you live your life. Morris discusses and agrees with Socrates famous dictum that "An unexamined life is not worth living." After you read his book, you will feel the same way.
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Summary: You're never too old to play with Plato.
Review: Who said philosophy had to be boring? Tom Morris has written a very entertaining book, covering all of the major questions mankind has faced, with an easy to understand (and frequently very funny) style.As with all books in the 'Dummies' series, the presentation is just as much fun to read as the material, and the mind-numbing concepts of Kant, Aquinas, Decartes, et all are reduced to language that anyone could understand. This book is the diving board, from which you can hurl yourself into the brain-twisting pool of logical thought. It's worth the price just for the many famous quotes alone, and is required reading for any with the slightest bit of interest in the eternal question: "Why?"Trust me. In a time when the latest Stephen King book is $29.99 (and you only read it once), it's worth it to have a book that will actually become dog-eared from use.
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Summary: Not Your Traditional Overview of Philosophy Book
Review: When I began Philosophy for Dummies a couple of months ago, I was not sure what I expected. I need not have worried. After a few pages, I realized that this was going to be an intellectual and spiritual adventure in vintage Tom Morris style. I finished with a vision of a college bookstore and a beginning philosophy student catching sight of a stack of Philosophy for Dummies. She picks one up thinking she is going to get some generic overview of the various teachings of different philosophers, something that might help her in the course she is worried about. What a surprise she is in for! Sure, what she reads there will give her an edge on her course work. But, more importantly, she will find herself challenged to come to grips with the most basic and important issues which she faces as a living, thinking, questioning inhabitant of this incredible universe. Theories, speculation, philosophical argumentation will take their proper place in relation to those ultimate concerns that will push her to make choices on the worldview she will commit to and live by. If you want just an overview of the history of philosophy, there are numerous books you can find. But if you want to be engaged at the deepest level of your being, if you want to face life's most compelling questions and find a road map to guide you in seeking the most convincing answers to those questions, then get a copy of Philosophy for Dummies. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!
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Summary: Making Philosophy Approachable...
Review: I just finished Philosophy for Dummies - I had recently read a book "Get a Grip on Philosophy" by Neil Turnbull which I enjoyed - then Philosophy for Dummies caught my eye - So as you see I am a philosophy novice! However, I found Philosophy for Dummies to be well written, positive,inspirational and thought provoking! Philosophy in a gripping, easy to read and even amusing book! Thank you! One thing that both books in fact did for me, was to bring philosophy down to earth and to give it an approachable and practical sense. I had previously imagined the subject to be the domaine of intellectual big wigs... in fact some intellectual snobbery does seem to perpetuate this notion. Personally - I found Philosophy for Dummies rather interesting since these issues I had often considered and some of my previous thoughts and beliefs are consistent with those expressed in the book. To the criticism that there are omissions in the book; when reading, one should take what one finds to be useful and leave what one does not, accepting what a book does give us and resolving to continue to 'fill in personally perceived gaps' with further research. In this case, Philosophy for Dummies is an excellent introduction to the subject, inspiring further research, reading and reflection. As for 'history'. In my opinion, this book does not pretend to be a complete history of philosphy, but rather an over view of, and introduction to the subject, in a way that makes it relevant to people's lives today. Anyway - I would wish Tom Morris all the best in his continuing efforts to make philosophy more practical and accessible... Any encouragement for people to reflect upon their beliefs and consequent actions is a good thing in my opinion!
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Summary: A grave disservice to thinking dummies
Review: Oh, thank goodness I just read a library copy. Hume? Quoted once or twice. Wittgenstein? Quoted once. Spinoza? Not in the index. Rather than a survey of philosophy, a history of philosophy, or a distillation of philosophy, Morris provides us with a series of anecdotes, a few feeble ripostes to positions he disagrees with, and a lot of flabby writing. Basic objections to his material are ignored: Why, in questions of a god's existence or non-existence, is the Christian god the default position? Why are poorly documented anecdotes considered evidence for anything? Has Morris no understanding of basic statistics probability theory? Morris spends the book in a mawkish effort to a) justify his faith in God, and b) impress us with his broad-mindedness. Ugh. Anyone interested in a well-presented, basic history of philosophy that's entertaining is encouraged to buy Sophie's World instead. If this is philosophy, Chicken Soup for the Soul is literature.
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Summary: Slanted toward western beliefs.
Review: It provides a very conservative view of what faiths offer happiness and kind ethics. Significant weight is put upon debates that provide limited options. While praising the many benefits of following a god, the book fails to cover the countless negative attributes that allow individuals to justify witch hunts, mass suicides, genocide, bigotry, child neglect, etc. God whorshiping is not the only "package" that offers "life after death", "free will", "love toward all people" and peace on earth.
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Summary: One-sided view of the world!
Review: This book ignores philosophies like Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucius, which over 40% of the planet have followed. It's true that the book pretends that no such eastern philosophies exist. The common dictionary offers better coverage. A book I recently finished, Understanding Einstein, goes into greater detail covering the many philosophies the world has to offer. Readers need to go to books like The Art of Happiness to find what this book clearly overlooked. Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary also offers great insights into the every-changing views of philosophy.
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