Thinking it through; an introduction to contemporary philosophy

by Kwame Anthony Appiah

Here is a thorough, vividly written introduction to contemporary philosophy and some of the most crucial questions of human the nature of mind and knowledge, the status of moral claims, the existence of God, the role of science, and the mysteries of language, among them.
In Thinking It Through , esteemed philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah shows us what it means to "do" philosophy in our time and why it should matter to anyone who wishes to live a more thoughtful life. Opposing the common misconceptions that being a philosopher means espousing a set of philosophical beliefs, or being a follower of a particular thinker, Appiah argues that "the result of philosophical exploration is not the end of inquiry in a settled opinion, but a mind resting more comfortably among many possibilities, or else the reframing of the question, and a new inquiry." Thinking It Through is organized around eight central topics--mind, knowledge, language, science, morality, politics, law, and metaphysics. It traces how philosophers in the past have considered each subject (how Hobbes, Wittgenstein, and Frege, for example, approached the problem of language) and then explores some of the major questions that still engage philosophers today. More important, Appiah shows us not only what philosophers have thought but how they think, giving us examples we might use in our own attempts to navigate the complex issues that confront any reflective person in the 21st century.
Filled with concrete examples of how philosophers work and written in the liveliest prose, Thinking It Through guides readers through the process of philosophical reflection and enlarges our understanding of the central questions of human life.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Kwame Anthony Appiah, the president of the PEN American Center, is the author of The Ethics of Identity, Thinking It Through: An Introduction to Contemporary Philosophy, The Honor Code and the prize-winning Cosmopolitanism. Raised in Ghana and educated in England, he has taught philosophy on three continents and is a former professor at Princeton University and currently has a position at NYU.

Series:
* Sir Patrick Scott Mystery (as Anthony Appiah)

Reviews

[Kamakana · Rating 3 out of 5]

120516: well. i decided to read this as it is introduction, is contemporary, is written by an African, an Africanamerican, is a different strain of philosophy- and though easy to read, it sums up all the reasons for me to not study analytic philosophy. just does not inspire me. on the other, this is a good intro. many philosophers i have read eg. Descartes, Kant, Hobbes, Bentham, Locke, many i have not read or know only a bit eg. Russell, Wittgenstein, Rawls, Nozick. chapters on major themes: Mind, Knowledge, Language, Science, Morality, Politics, Law, Metaphysics, Philosophy. some reference to what exactly is the (western) nature of philosophy and some (African) folk philosophy. lots of logic. importance of literacy. integration and complexity of philosophical thought. good intro...

[Minh Nhật · Rating 4 out of 5]

không biết phải được viết bởi 1 triết gia khá nổi tiếng không mà cuốn này đọc hay hơn hẳn những cuốn nhập môn triết học viết bởi những người nghiên cứu, giáo sư triết mà mình từng đọc.

[همان · Rating 3 out of 5]

اگر مثل من به هر کدام از شاخه‌های فلسفه اندکی سر زده‌اید ( شاید درباره بعضی از آن‌ها نخوانده‌ باشید و فقط سوالاتی از آن‌ها در ذهنتان باشد) این کتاب می‌تواند شما را بیشتر در مسیر قالب‌های رایج فکری موجود در فلسفه بیندازد.
هر فصل این کتاب درباره یکی از مباحث موجود در فلسفه معاصر غرب است.

[Stephen Cranney]

For being such a public intellectual I expected more I guess. Not very to-the-point, could have been more informative.

[فلاح رحيم · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instead of reading about philosophers and schools of philosophy, this book teaches you how to philosophize? You actually share in an adventure to look at the world philosophically.

[Hamed · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتاب نسبتا خوبی برای فهم فلسفه معاصر به صورت خلاصه و ابتدایی

چاپ اول کتاب سرشار از اشتباهات ویراستاری، املایی ست. ترجمه به خوبی صورت نگرفته و تاکیدهای نویسنده در آن گم شده اند.

بخشها به خوبی خواننده را با مساله مواجه می کنند اما در ادامه و در تبیین راه حلها، ارتباط پاسخ ها از دست می‌رود.
بافت تاریخی طرح مسائل ذکر نمی شوند و این در بخشهایی مثل سیاست و قانون، طرح مساله را بی وجه می کند.

گاهی نویسنده در ذکر مثالهایش غرق می شود، آنچنان به جزییات و ذکر پیاپی حالات مختلف مثال خود می پردازد که سررشته ی مساله گم می شود. به صورت مشخص در بخش فلسفه علم، این وضعیت پیش می آید.
در بخشهایی مثل متافیزیک، سردرگمی نویسنده آشکار است.

[Jenny Wu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a review, just keeping track of some thoughts and progress in life.

I can't really remember what my conception of philosophy was before reading this book and taking a Philosophy class but it has definitely changed. I no longer want to major in it but still find it valuable. I think reading this book has helped me ponder more about life's mysteries and gather others' interpretations. Maybe I've become more understanding. If you're reading this, please leave a recommendation for another book about philosophy. I'm particularly interested in the philosophy of morality but others are just as interesting too.

[Bruce Reiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book to introduce general philosophical concepts and questions to the novice. The author takes great effort to provide the reader with working definitions of words and then builds concepts from the vocabulary. What struck me is the importance of the meaning of words. I get lazy when I use language and allowing a loose definition or imprecise meaning leads to misinterpretation. It also gave me a better insight into the linguist/philosophers and another good reading list. I will purchase a copy of this book to use as a reference.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really excellent intro to philosophy of book. Each chapter is on a different topic (mind, knowledge, ethics, science, politics, language, etc...) and handled in a really accessible way. Appiah basically gives a brief overview of the debate in each field, enough to give people new to philosophy a respectable understanding of the material, without getting too bogged down in the nuances that would be lost on (or boring to) those not steeped in the literature.

[luciddreamer99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very exciting read, though it did take me a while to get through it. The book helps you think a little, as the title accurately suggests. A very approachable and sensible style makes for an interesting introduction to the subject. Also, this is a stepping stone book that may have you rushing to read other philosophy books mentioned or referred to within its pages.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kwame Anthony Appiah is one of our most articulate public intellectuals. This book came out a couple of years ago and it provides a clearly-written and jargon-free introduction to modern philosophy. Highly recommended!!!

[Mahmoud Seifi · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتابي که داوطلبان دکتري فلسفه تحليلي آي پي ام بايد بخونن

[Spawk Hw · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book. Still intro level, but talks about the philsoophy most intro books shy away from. Great.

[Ilya Gerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great intro to contemporary philosophy.

[Frank Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read, if you want to sample issues in Philosophy.

[Goetz Kluge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book by a "public intellectual" which is also is a good read for not so "intellectual" readers. That's just right.

[Dallin · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a good beginner to philosophy book

[Cainã Coutinho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das melhores introduções à filosofia contemporânea(analítica). Atual, abrangente, e escrito com clareza. Os capítulos sobre mente, conhecimento, moral e metafísica me foram de imensa ajuda.

[Landon W · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introductory text that surveys a wide range of topics in an accessible format and style. A little light on ethics, to my recollection, but otherwise very good.

[Naryeong (leanne)]

It gave me interesting perspectives to look at different types of contemporary philosophies in the world.

[John Moreau]

I own

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic intro to philosophy. Taught me so much.