Philosophy

A Very Short Introduction

De: Edward Craig

Narrado por: Maurice West

This lively and engaging audiobook is the ideal introduction for anyone who has ever been puzzled by what philosophy is or what it is for. Edward Craig argues that philosophy is not an activity born from another planet; learning about it is just a matter of broadening and deepening what most of us do already. He shows that philosophy is no mere intellectual pastime: Thinkers such as Plato, Buddhist writers, Descartes, Hobbes, Hume, Hegel, Mill, and de Beauvoir were responding to real needs and events, much of their work shapes our lives today and many of their concerns are still ours.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2005 Naxos Audiobooks Ltd. (P)2005 Naxos Audiobooks Ltd.

Straight Forward & Unbiased

Author Craig offers a very basic, yet quite comprehensive, review of philosophical positions through the ages. He cautions the reader to concentrate on the classic philosophical beliefs rather than the current trend toward 'pop' (my word) philosophical writings. Quite enjoyable.

A lucid, motivating and informative guide

This book is motivating (i.e. it’s a guide for further study) and it helps to clear away some misconceptions (e.g. the “unimportance” of philosophy).

Here, Edward Craig discusses some philosophical questions using selections of classical texts. The way he approaches the texts (questioning, thinking, doubting etc.) is truly philosophical. He writes in clear friendly style, always encouraging us to continue our journey.

Worth noticing: Maurice West has done an extremely competent reading. Naxos has provided us an excellent audio book.

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CRAIG, E.: PHILOSOPHY - A Very Short Introduction (Abridged)
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Contents

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 / A personal selection
8. What’s in it for Whom?
Where to go next?

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To read the section “Where to go next?”,
click in “About this Recording” in
NA334412 - CRAIG, E.: PHILOSOPHY - A Very Short Introduction (Abridged)
at www dot naxos dot com
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Nice overview of philosophic thought

Would you try another book from Edward Craig and/or Maurice West?

Yes, this is a good listen and it makes a difficult subject clear to the layman.

Would you recommend Philosophy to your friends? Why or why not?

I do not know anyone else who is interested in philosophy, but if I did I would recommend this as a primer.

What three words best describe Maurice West’s performance?

Clear, understandable, nicely paced.

Could you see Philosophy being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

no

Any additional comments?

Audible has an entire series on the key philosophers, which i recommend, but listen to this book first. I also bought a text book on the discussion of the great philosophers. People do not want to understand the development of philosophical thought, but these people develop for the rest of us how we think about the world around us.

Philosophy for Newbies

The book offers an overview of Philosophy. Some importants subjects are exposed (How do we know? What is philosophy?). Some philosophers receive special atention (e.g., Descartes). The vocabulary of philosophy is explained and importants concepts are examined. The text is well written, but lacks a more systematic approach. The performance is clear and in British pronunciation.

good intro

This was an enjoyable introduction to Philosophy. In fact I listened to it twice and will probably listen to it again.

I didn't know too much about philosophy when beginning the book, although I had listened to several of the books in the 90-minute series (Aristotle in 90 Minutes, etc.) over the past few months. I think this contributed to my enjoyment of the book and helped me to get more out of it. For me, this book tied some loose ends together. It talked about the questions that philosophers seek to answer and explained the different approaches (empiricism and rationalism; idealism and materialism, etc.) of a few significant philosophers.

It wasn't comprehensive but it covered a good deal and so I think it was worth it.