Core Questions in Philosophy

by Elliott Sober, Joel Velasco

In this 9th edition of Core Questions in Philosophy, Elliott Sober and Joel Velasco use an engaging lecture-style format to show students how philosophy is best used to evaluate many different kinds of arguments and to construct sound theories. Well-known historical texts are discussed, not as a means to honor the dead or merely to describe what various philosophers have thought but to engage with, criticize, and even improve ideas from the past. In addition—because philosophy cannot function apart from its engagement with the wider society—traditional and contemporary philosophical problems are brought into dialogue with the physical, biological, and social sciences. Text boxes highlight key concepts, review questions, discussion questions, and a glossary of terms are also included.

Core Questions in Philosophy has served as a premier introductory textbook for three decades, with updates to each new edition.

Key updates to this 9th edition

A new concluding chapter on the meaning of life. The integration of non-western thinkers throughout the book. Expanded discussions on Utilitarianism, virtue ethics, free will and epistemology. Updated material from philosophy and empirical research, throughout. Revisions to the online list of recommended resources

Additional recommendations of supplementary readings, with updated source links to all reading material. New recommended videos and podcasts, all organized by their relevance to each chapter in the book.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication December 9, 2025

Reviews

[Miklos Kovacs · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's written in first-person. This student has never read a textbook, or any book other than fiction or biography, written in first-person. There are a few obvious grammatical mistakes, and in at least one case Sober entirely confused Descartes with Hume (stating that Hume believed that God exists and is no deceiver, instead of Descartes; Hume was arguably agnostic at best). Most of what is written is conjecture and opinion. A few common theories (such as "justified true belief" [J.T.B.], usually attributed to Plato) Sober almost seems to claim as his own [Core p.121]. Barely any of the famous works referenced contain any quotes from the original authors, and this student learned more searching the internet for the original works than from reading Sober's opinions regarding them. This student is stating in no uncertain terms that reading Descartes' and Aquinas' original words would be easier to understand and absorb than Sober's carefree renditions of such works.

tl;dr If you are enrolled in a class that requires this textbook, find a different class.