"A wonderful introduction to the subject for both the general reader and the beginning student, and will be read with profit and pleasure by those more seasoned in the discipline." <i>Time Higher Education Supplement</i> (of the first edition) <p><br /> "This book is witty, wide-ranging, punchy, and engrossing. It could not fail to ignite the thoughts of those with even the faintest philosophical spark in them." <i>Journal of Applied Philosophy</i> (of the first edition)</p>
1. Wonder, Paradox and Vision.
2. Reasoning. Proof. Evidence. Scientific Method.
3. The Cave.
4. Ants, Spiders and Bees.
5. The Web of Belief.
6. The Elusive "I".
7. The Ring of Gyges.
8. The Common Good.
9. Robots, Apes and Angels.
Further Reading.
Index.
Using theories and examples ranging from Plato, Descartes, Hume and Kant to T. S. Eliot and Sherlock Holmes, the author paints a delightfully vivid picture of the discipline that is a perfect start for students beginning courses in philosophy or for anyone meeting the subject for the first time.