"Those who begin the study of philosophy may easily become discouraged. Many classic texts are daunting in their complexity, and much contemporary writing is intended primarily for a professional audience. A few prominent philosophers of our day write in a style understandable by all, but nonspecialists are often left unaware of this work. They may never realize that serious discussion of central problems of philosophy can proceed without arcane terminology, unexplained references, or convoluted arguments. The guiding principle of this book is that reading clear, concise essays by recent philosophers offers an inviting avenue to understanding philosophical inquiry. While some of the articles are reprinted in their entirety, many are shortened to sharpen their focus and enhance their accessibility. For readers who wish to understand the development of philosophy over the centuries, I have included a substantial number of historical sources, including without abridgement Plato's Defense of Socrates, Crito, and Meno, as well as substantial segments from his Republic, Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy, and Hume's An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding and Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Most of these are identified by the name of the work from which the selection is drawn, while with regard to some of the recent essays, I have taken the liberty of developing short, descriptive titles"--

Exploring the Philosophy of Religion, 7th Edition, combines the best features of a text and a reader by offering clear analysis coupled with important primary-source readings. Professor David Stewart called upon his 30-plus years of teaching experience to introduce students to the important study of philosophical issues raised by religion. Beginning students often find primary sources alone too difficult so this text offers primary source materials by a variety of significant philosophers?including a balanced blend of classical and contemporary authors?but the materials are supported by clearly written introductions, which better prepare students to understand the readings.

In this remarkably accessible, concise, and engaging introduction to the philosophy of religion, Steven M. Cahn brings together a rich and balanced collection of sixty-six classic and contemporary readings. This unique anthology features a clear, well-organized structure and careful editing of many articles in order to sharpen their focus and make them understandable to students with little or no background in philosophy. The book also reflects the importance of women's contributions to the field; 40% of the contemporary readings are by women. In addition, topics often minimized in other collections are covered in more depth here, including forgiveness and love; ritual, prayer, and worship; gender; speaking of God; and the afterlife.

'Exploring Philosophy' is an accessible and engaging introduction to philosophy. Steven M. Cahn brings together extraordinarily clear essays by noted philosophers and supplements them with influential historical sources.

Explores the metaphysical underpinnings of theories of human nature, personhood, and the self. This book moves from the Pre-Socratics to Postmodernism, assessing what transpired during the intervening 2500 year period, with a focus on the contributions of the Aristotelian/Thomistic tradition of inquiry.

The concept of difference occupies a central place in the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze. In this work, David Bright explores how Deleuze’s difference can be put to work in critical qualitative research. The book explores research and writing as a creative process of dynamically pursuing problems. Following Deleuze’s advice not to think of problems in terms of solutions, the book offers important methodological insights into the ways the subjects, objects, and processes of research might be conceived and represented in writing, exploring the problem of thinking and writing about difference in complex ways without reducing thought to static representations of identity. Bright uses the example of foreign teachers and international schooling in Vietnam to show us how Deleuze’s difference can be used in critical qualitative research, demonstrating the limits of traditional ways of thinking about difference in learning and teaching. Exploring Deleuze's Philosophy of Difference is a book that will interest all those with an interest in the application of Deleuze’s philosophy to critical qualitative research. Perfect for courses such as: Critical Qualitative Research | Qualitative Inquiry | Post-qualitative Inquiry | Deleuze | Difference | Identity | Ethnography | English Language Teaching | International Education | Writing as a Method of Inquiry

This title was first published in 28/11/2001: The broad label ’practical philosophy’ brings together such topics as ethics and metaethics as well as philosophy of law, society, art and religion. In practical philosophy, theory of value and action is basic, and woven into our understanding of all practical and ethical reasoning. New essays from leading international philosophers illustrate that substantial results in the subdisciplines of practical philosophy require insights into its core issues: the nature of actions, persons, values and reasons. This anthology is published in honour of Ingmar Persson on his fiftieth birthday.