Philosophy,
13th Edition

1. THE NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY.
What Is Philosophy? The Traditional Divisions of Philosophy. A Philosopher in Action: Socrates. The Value of Philosophy. Chapter Summary. Reading: Voltaire, "Story of a Good Brahman" Historical Showcase: The First Philosophers.
2. HUMAN NATURE.
Why Does Your View of Human Nature Matter? What Is Human Nature? The Mind-Body Problem: How Do Mind and Body Relate? Is There an Enduring Self? Are We Independent and Self-Sufficient Individuals? Chapter Summary. Readings: Kate Chopin, "The Story of an Hour," Janice M. Steil, "Contemporary Marriage: Still an Unequal partnership," Jean Grimshaw, "Identity in Feminist Thinking." Historical Showcase: Plato, Aristotle, and Confucius.
3. REALITY AND BEING.
What Is Real? Reality: Material or Nonmaterial? Reality in Pragmatism. Reality and Logical Postivism. Antirealism: The Heir of Pragmatism and Idealism. Is Freedom Real? Is Time Real? Chapter Summary. Readings: Sophocles, "Oedipus the King" Robert Solomon, "Fate." Historical Showcase: Hobbes and Berkeley.
4. PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION, AND GOD.
The Significance of Religion. Defining Religion. Does God Exist? Atheism, Agnosticism, and the Problem of Evil. Traditional Religious Belief and Experience. Nontraditional Religious Experience. Chapter Summary. Readings: Fyodor Dostoevsky, excerpt from The Brothers Karamazov, William P. Alston, "The Inductive Argument from Evil and the Human Cognitive Condition." Historical Showcase: Aquinas, Descartes, and Conway.
5. THE SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE.
Why Is Knowledge a Problem? Is Reason the Source of Our Knowledge? Can the Senses Account for All Our Knowledge? Kant: Does the Knowing Mind Shape the World? Does Science Give Us Knowledge? Chapter Summary. Readings: Bierce, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," Unger, "A Defense of Skepticism," Nagel, "How Do We Know Anything?" Historical Showcase: Hume.
6. TRUTH.
Knowledge and Truth. What Is Truth? Does Science Give Us Truth? Can Interpretations Be True? Chapter Summary. Readings: Akutagawa, "In a Grove," Tomlinson, "After Truth: Post-Modernism and the Rhetoric of Science," Searle, "Reality and Truth." Historical Showcase: Kant.
7. ETHICS.
What Is Ethics? Is Ethics Relative? Do Consequences Make an Action Right? Do Rules Define Morality? Is Ethics Based on Character? Can Ethics Resolve Moral Quandaries? Chapter Summary. Readings: Fyodor Dostoyevsky, "The Heavenly Christmas Tree," Peter Singer, "Famine, Affluence, and Morality." Historical Showcase: Nietzsche and Wollstonecraft.
8. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY.
What Is Social and Political Philosophy? What Justifies the State? What Is Justice? Limits on the State. Chapter Summary. Readings: Remarque, from All Quiet on the Western Front, Bertrand Russell, "The Ethics of War." Historical Showcase: Marx and Rawls.
9. POSTSCRIPT: THE MEANING OF LIFE.
Does Life Have Meaning? The Theistic Response to Meaning. Meaning and Human Progress. The Nihilist Rejection of Meaning. Meaning as a Self-Chosen Commitment. Chapter Summary.
Glossary.
Suggestions for Further Reading.
Index.

• Manuel Velasquez

  Having received his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, Manuel Velasquez now serves as the Charles Dirksen Professor of Business Ethics at Santa Clara University. He teaches courses in the Leavey School of Business in the Legal, Political, and Social Environment of the Firm, in Business Strategy, and in Business Ethics. Professor Velasquez's research interests lie in the field of business ethics, and he has published numerous articles in journals such as the ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT REVIEW, THE BUSINESS ETHICS QUARTERLY, SOCIAL JUSTICE RESEARCH, and THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS JOURNAL.

• The author has reviewed the text sentence by sentence and simplified the more complex syntax and sentence construction. The resulting text is more readable and accessible than ever before while maintaining rigor and depth of coverage.

• New "Analyzing the Reading" boxes appear alongside each primary source excerpt and contain questions designed to help students understand the source text and the arguments it advances.

• New "Thinking Like a Philosopher" boxes are also associated with each primary source excerpt and contain questions that apply the reading to the student’s personal life.

• An aesthetics section entitled "What Is Art?" is now available in MindTap.

• Many substantive content changes have been made to specific chapters, including expanding several of the primary source excerpts; new readings on female identity; expanded coverage in the Philosophy and Religion chapter; and a number of changes to the coverage of existentialism, including more readings by Kierkegaard and different selections from Sartre.

• New "Analyzing the Reading" boxes appear alongside each primary source excerpt and contain questions designed to help you understand the source text and the arguments it advances.

• New "Thinking like a Philosopher" boxes are also associated with each excerpt and contain questions that apply the concepts in the excerpts to your life.

• The "Philosophy and the Movies" sections have been updated to include the most recent and relevant films.

• Available for this edition is MindTap® Philosophy a fully online, personalized learning experience that combines ebook, learning tools, including readings, videos, and activities supporting critical thinking, into a singular Learning Path that helps you move easily through the course.

• Selected original texts by important philosophers provide students with an authentic "philosophy experience" without requiring the instructor to take time to design a reader.

• Coverage includes science, Eastern philosophy, social/political philosophy, and women philosophers. In addition, Velasquez includes comprehensive discussion of how Eastern philosophies address many of Western philosophers' perennial questions.

• A complete package of teaching and learning resources helps busy instructors easily create a complete course while requiring only one text. The supplements are also helpful for graduate teaching assistants and others who may be teaching the course for the first time.

• The "Historical Showcase" features provide summaries of the lives and thoughts of major philosophers, along with large selections from their works, while presenting an overview of the history of philosophy. Through these features, the development of philosophical ideas is placed in context so students can see the dialogue that has taken place between philosophers throughout history and modern times.

• Intriguing and relevant "Philosophy and Life" boxes relate philosophy to current issues such as medical dilemmas, sociobiology, psychology, and science. Found throughout the text, each box ends with a set of questions designed to spark further thought on the subject.

• The text's modular format enables teaching flexibility and allows you to assign self-contained chapters or sections according to your specific course needs.

• Selected original texts by important philosophers provide students with the experience of reading original works within a context that makes them more approachable.

• The "Historical Showcase" features provide summaries of the lives and thoughts of major philosophers, along with large selections from their works, while presenting an overview of the history of philosophy. Through these features, the development of philosophical ideas is placed in context so students can see the dialogue that has taken place between philosophers throughout history and modern times.

• Intriguing and relevant "Philosophy and Life" boxes relate philosophy to current issues such as medical dilemmas, sociobiology, psychology, and science. Found throughout the text, each box ends with a set of questions designed to spark further thought on the subject.

• Coverage includes science, Eastern philosophy, social/political philosophy, and women philosophers.

Cengage provides a range of supplements that are updated in coordination with the main title selection. For more information about these supplements, contact your Learning Consultant.

Cengage Testing, powered by Cognero® for Velasquez’s Philosophy: A Text with Readings, Instant Access
9781305661325

Cengage Testing, powered by Cognero® for Velasquez's Philosophy: A Text with Readings
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VitalSource eBook: Philosophy 12 Months
9788000008653

MindTap: Philosophy 12 Months
9781337017275