Scan barcode
A review by _misanthropologist_
The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained by D.K. Publishing
3.0
The amount of information is rather scarce, but well packaged.
A few things I didn't understand:
1) Why not group the philosophers into schools/movements (more visibly)? It would make the information much easier to grasp, especially since this book is supposed to be an introduction to philosophy. 'Maps' with groups of opposing philosophies briefly explained for every time period would be great as quick summaries (eg stoicism/cynicism/epicureanism/skepticism or rationalism/empiricism). I feel like it makes more sense to understand a certain direction rather than an individual.
2) I completely fail to understand how you picked the content. How can you talk about Parmenides without explaining Zeno's paradoxes? Kant without his categorical imperatives? I know this book is supposed to be short and simple, but I think there are some crucial bits missing.
3) Similarly, I don't fully get your choice of philosophers. Especially when it comes to females. What about Hypatia of Alexandria, Ayn Rand or Mary Warnock (to mention just a few)?
I really wanted to like this book, but it just frustrated me.
A few things I didn't understand:
1) Why not group the philosophers into schools/movements (more visibly)? It would make the information much easier to grasp, especially since this book is supposed to be an introduction to philosophy. 'Maps' with groups of opposing philosophies briefly explained for every time period would be great as quick summaries (eg stoicism/cynicism/epicureanism/skepticism or rationalism/empiricism). I feel like it makes more sense to understand a certain direction rather than an individual.
2) I completely fail to understand how you picked the content. How can you talk about Parmenides without explaining Zeno's paradoxes? Kant without his categorical imperatives? I know this book is supposed to be short and simple, but I think there are some crucial bits missing.
3) Similarly, I don't fully get your choice of philosophers. Especially when it comes to females. What about Hypatia of Alexandria, Ayn Rand or Mary Warnock (to mention just a few)?
I really wanted to like this book, but it just frustrated me.