Metaphysics (4th Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Good Introduction to Philosophy
Review: "Metaphysics" has been in print and used in classrooms since the 1960s, and for good reason -- it is a clearly-written introduction to central metaphysical issues such as the mind/body problem, determinism and free will, and the existence of God. Here and there, author Taylor seems to get carried away with the "heaviness" of his subject, which leads him to immitate the tone of Ecclesiastes, or to succumb to faux-Spinoza-isms about how "untutored and vulgar" people lead impoversished lives as a consequence of their inability to understand metaphysics. But otherwise the book is excellent. If you wanted to introduce a smart teenager or college freshman to the subject of philosophy, you couldn't do better than "Metaphysics."

Rating:
Summary: Good Introduction to Philosophy
Review: "Metaphysics" has been used in classrooms since the 1960s, and for good reason -- it is a clearly-written introduction to central metaphysical issues such as the mind/body problem, determinism and free will, and the existence of God (the chapter on God has been reprinted in numerous anthologies). Here and there, author Taylor gets carried away with the "heaviness" of his subject, as when he writes like Ecclesiastes, or succumbs to faux-Spinoza-isms about how "untutored and vulgar" people lead impoversished lives because they can't understand metaphysics. But otherwise the book is excellent. If you wanted to introduce a smart teenager or college freshman to philosophy, you couldn't do better than "Metaphysics."

Rating:
Summary: Nice and lively
Review: First of all, let me emphasise that this review refers to the THIRD EDITION of this book. I don't know how extensively the third edition differs from the latest edition. So maybe this review is misleading and no longer relevant. Anyhow, I've already written it, and I want to post it here.
Richard Taylor's Metaphysics is a clear and interesting introduction to metaphysics. He is not so concerned with issues of what some call general metaphysics (for example, ontology and possible worlds) but with particular subjects in metaphysics, including personal identity, the mind body problem, freedom of will, fate, God, space and time and causation, among others.
Taylor does not write as a detached spectator. His discussion is lively, communicative and provocative. I think he has some unpopular and very controversial beliefs (especially regarding the issue of fatalism). In my opinion his chapters on the existence of God and on freedom and determinism are the best, though not unproblematic.
The (third) edition I read (I don't know whether the book has been improved) seems a little dated in some areas. He also has (had?) two chapters (on Polarity and Being and Nothing) which at points seem to go in a continental and even "eastern" direction, which is not usual in analytic philosophy. I got a bad impression at the start of these chapters, and perhaps I didn't read through them carefuly enough. Some people may find these chapters interesting. The book is also quite slim. But there is more to be had in it than at first meets the eye.
Taylor is often original and almost always colourful. This together with his strong opinions may not make the book an ideal general introduction to or overview of metaphysics. Also, he sometimes fails to provide anything resembling a comprehensive overview of all the issues involved in each section, if that is what you are looking for. For example, his section on God does not even touch on the problem of evil and some of the most important arguments for the existence of God. Nevertheless, I thought that what Taylor has to say is original.
So sometimes the book fails to offer a comprehensive overview within each particular subject. But its scope (in terms of the number of subjects it does discuss) is quite broad. Some may question whether Taylor's style (with his strong opinions) is appropriate for an introduction. But I liked this alot. I don't think that this book is essential reading, but I doubt that you'll be sorry to have read it. (Once again, this refers to the third edition of the book, and not the latest edition, which I suspect is better.)

Rating:
Summary: Good Introduction to Philosophy
Review: This book is excellent for getting a good grasp on some of the contemporary problems involved in metaphysics. He seems to take sides in the determinism section, but maintains the other side to a degree that keeps the problem (barely) alive. The text is straightforward and very readable.

Rating:
Summary: Good book, apart from two chapters
Review: This is a good book because it's very clearly written and concise. Just the way an introductory book should be. However, I have to say that the author is completely ignorant of the theory of evolution which he criticises in his chapter on God. His simple analogies work fairly well in the other chapters of the book (although there are perhaps too many of them even there), but in the chapter on God they do not relate in any way to the theory of evolution and are in my opinion just an embarrassment to the author. The last chapter on Metaphysics and Meaning also contains some pretty dubious opinions without any connection to metaphysics and should have been left out.