An introduction to the basic ideas of philosophy with an applied, interdisciplinary and multicultural approach.This text covers the traditional areas of philosophy such as the nature of knowledge, ethics, free will, the existence of God, the mind/body relation, the nature of science and political theory. Each chapter includes a summary, review questions, and a section called "Dilemmas" which describes brief scenarios which pose challenging conflicts for discussion and debate in class. Each chapter also includes a section entitled "Philosophy in Life" which helps students apply philosophical...

This is an introduction to the philosophy of existentialism. Existentialism is a philosophical perspective which explores the question of the individual's search for meaning and the meaning and limits of human freedom. Questions addressed include: Who am I? What is my true self? Why am I here? How should I live? What does free will mean and do we have free choice? Why is there something rather than nothing? What is the meaning of life? Answers to these and other questions by philosophers, writers and directors such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Sartre, Heidegger, Camus, Frankl,...

This is an introduction to the philosophy of religion. It covers the nature of philosophical reasoning, arguments for and against the existence of God, arguments for and against life after death, the relationship of religion to ethics and free will, multidisciplinary theories about the nature of religion (Comte, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Freud, etc.) and a discussion of the basic beliefs of the main world religions.