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Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

An innovative, well structured series, the Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy are designed for students who already have completed an introductory-level course in philosophy. Each book introduces a core general subject in contemporary philosophy and offers students an accessible but substantial transition from introductory to higher-level college work in that subject. The series is accessible to non-specialists and each book clearly motivates and expounds the problems and positions introduced. An orientating chapter briefly introduces its topic and reminds readers of any crucial material they need to have retained from a typical introductory course. Considerable attention is given to explaining central philosophical problems of a subject and the main competing solutions and arguments for those solutions. The primary aim is to educate students in the main problems, positions and arguments of contemporary philosophy rather than to convince students of a single position.

New and Published Books

1-10 of 27 results in Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy
  1. Philosophy of Mind

    A Contemporary Introduction, 3rd Edition

    By John Heil

    Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

    When first published, John Heil's introduction quickly became a widely used guide for students with little or no background in philosophy to central issues of philosophy of mind. Heil provided an introduction free of formalisms, technical trappings, and specialized terminology. He offered clear...

    Published December 7th 2012 by Routledge

  2. Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction

    By John Heil

    Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

    This comprehensive textbook, written by a leading author in the field, provides a survey of mainstream conceptions of the nature of mind accessible to readers with little or no background in philosophy. Included are the dualist, behaviourist, and functionalist accounts of the nature of mind, along...

    Published November 11th 2012 by Routledge

  3. Philosophy of Language

    A Contemporary Introduction

    By William G. Lycan

    Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

    Philosophy of Language introduces the student to the main issues and theories in twentieth-century philosophy of language. Topics are structured in three parts in the book. Part I, Reference and Referring Expressions, includes topics such as Russell's Theory of Desciptions, Donnellan's distinction...

    Published August 20th 2012 by Routledge

  4. Ancient Philosophy

    A Contemporary Introduction

    By Christopher Shields

    Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

    In this re-titled and substantially revised update of his Classical Philosophy (2003), Christopher Shields expands his coverage to include the Hellenistic era, and now offers an introduction to more than 1,000 years of ancient philosophy. From Thales and other Pre-Socratics through Socrates,...

    Published November 22nd 2011 by Routledge

  5. Philosophy of Science

    A Contemporary Introduction, 3rd Edition

    By Alex Rosenberg

    Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

    Any serious student attempting to better understand the nature, methods and justification of science will value Alex Rosenberg’s updated and substantially revised Third Edition of Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction. Weaving together lucid explanations and clear analyses, the volume...

    Published July 11th 2011 by Routledge

  6. Ethics

    A Contemporary Introduction, 2nd Edition

    By Harry J. Gensler

    Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

    Harry Gensler’s Ethics introduces undergraduates to the main issues in contemporary moral philosophy. It also relates these issues to practical controversies, with special attention paid to racism, moral education, and abortion. It gives a practical method for thinking about moral issues, a method...

    Published January 9th 2011 by Routledge

  7. Epistemology

    A Contemporary Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge, 3rd Edition

    By Robert Audi

    Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

    Epistemology, or “the theory of knowledge,” is concerned with how we know what we know, what justifies us in believing what we believe, and what standards of evidence we should use in seeking truths about the world and human experience. This comprehensive introduction to the field of...

    Published August 22nd 2010 by Routledge

  8. Philosophy of Perception

    A Contemporary Introduction

    By William Fish

    Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

    The philosophy of perception investigates the nature of our sensory experiences and their relation to reality. Raising questions about the conscious character of perceptual experiences, how they enable us to acquire knowledge of the world in which we live, and what exactly it is we are aware of...

    Published March 16th 2010 by Routledge

  9. Philosophy of Language

    A Contemporary Introduction, 2nd Edition

    By William G. Lycan

    Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

    Philosophy of Language: A Contemporary Introduction introduces the student to the main issues and theories in twentieth century philosophy of language, focusing specifically on linguistic phenomena. Topics are structured in four parts in the book. Part I, Reference and Referring...

    Published April 7th 2008 by Routledge

  10. Philosophy of Mathematics

    A Contemporary Introduction to the World of Proofs and Pictures, 2nd Edition

    By James Robert Brown

    Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy

    In his long-awaited new edition of Philosophy of Mathematics, James Robert Brown tackles important new as well as enduring questions in the mathematical sciences. Can pictures go beyond being merely suggestive and actually prove anything? Are mathematical results certain? Are experiments of any...

    Published January 14th 2008 by Routledge

Forthcoming Books

  1. Philosophy of Economics: A Contemporary Introduction
    By Julian Reiss
    To Be Published April 3rd 2013
  2. Philosophy of Religion: A Contemporary Introduction, 2nd Edition
    By Keith E. Yandell
    To Be Published January 14th 2014

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