Description
Book SynopsisAcademic philosophy can be puzzling to newcomers. The conventions, terms, and expectations entrenched among philosophers aren’t always clear from the outside. Why are philosophers so preoccupied with finding “the truth”—doesn’t everyone have their own philosophy? Is philosophy so deep and difficult that its literature has to be incomprehensible? What kinds of arguments can there be for a philosophical position? Where does the evidence come from? Why is there so much jargon—wouldn’t it be better to do away with it altogether? What exactly is a “thought experiment,” and how should one be conducted? Best-selling author and retired philosophy professor Robert Martin answers these questions and many more, offering a practical guide to arguing and writing philosophically. Anecdotes, jokes, asides, digressions, oddments, and entertainments are included throughout, providing for an informal and opinionated introduction that doesn’t shy away from the nuts and bolts of philosophical argument. A useful glossary of common philosophical terminology and a guide to Chicago Style citation are included.
Trade Review“A unique and wonderful book! Wise and witty in equal measure, it makes the process of thinking and arguing about the fundamental philosophical issues come alive in a way that I have never seen before. Written in a relaxed, informal style and peppered with references to contemporary culture, it will be enjoyed by anyone interested in developing their skills in thinking clearly about the perennial issues of the human condition.” — Paul Boghossian, New York University
“Displaying his characteristic informality, wit, charm, good humor, and irreverence, Martin offers insights and provocative suggestions that help improve philosophy students’ ability to think, write, and argue philosophically. They also remind us how to enjoy doing philosophy.” — Mason Cash, University of Central Florida
“A practical guide for producing philosophical truth: a how-to manual for clear and effective argumentation, with advice on how and why to avoid the dogma, obscurity, and pretension that often becloud the discipline. Informal, friendly, personal, opinionated, engaging, and funny, this book belongs on the shelf of every philosophy student.” — Sheldon Wein, Saint Mary’s University
Table of ContentsPart 0: Introduction
Part 1: Truth
- Why Truth?
- Bullshit
- Beliefs of No Consequence
- Okay But Remembers We’re Talking about Philosophy
- Consequences?
Part 2: The Right Way to Argue
- And the Wrong Way to Argue
- A Social Activity
- Respect and Open Questions
- What Not to Imitate
- Common(s) Ad Hominem Fallacies
Part 3: Writing Philosophy
Part 4: Good and Bad Writing
- Clarity
- The Disvalue of the Obscure
- Jargon
- Examples
- Greening
- Awful Language
- Do As I Say, Not As I Do
Part 5: How Arguments Work
- The Basic Structures
- Deduction
- Induction
Part 6: “That’s Like Arguing”
- Critiquing Other Kinds of Arguments
Part 7: Where You Get True Premises: The Obvious
- True/Justified Premises
- The Paradox of Justification
- Maybe Needs No Justification: The Self-Evident
- Maybe Needs No Justification: Common Sense
- Maybe Needs No Justification: Evidence of Your Senses
Part 8: Where You Get True Premises: Authorities
- Maybe Needs No Justification: What Authorities Say
- Authority and Truth
- Citing Philosophers
- Citing Other Works
Part 9: Where You Get True Premises: Analysis
- Justifying and Refuting Analyses
- A Priori
- Questions about Analysis
- The Practicality of Argumentation
Part 10: The Thought Experiment
- Imaginary Experiments
- Philosophical Thought Experiments
Part 11: Inference to the Best Explanation
- The Best Explanation
- Theory
- Other Criteria for a Good Explanation
- Philosophical Inferences to the Best Theoretical Explanation: Some Examples
Part 12: Afterword
Appendix 1: Some Very Brief Suggestions about Further Reading
Appendix 2: Forms for Footnotes and Bibliography
Appendix 3: Glossary
