Great Philosophical Arguments is based on the fact that much of the
power, drama, and pleasure of philosophy comes from
argument-specifically from the many touchstone arguments that
generated much of the philosophical canon. Like other topically
organized introductory philosophy readers, this book is organized
around the main areas of philosophy: the existence of God,
knowledge and skepticism, mind and body, free will and determinism,
ethics, and contemporary ethical debates, including abortion,
euthanasia, and global hunger and poverty. But what is unique is
the systematic focus on argument. The reading selections are
organized by argument. Each argument is introduced by a briefing
that (1) sketches the argument, (2) provides conceptual background
for it, and (3) reviews some of the main philosophical responses to
it. After the briefing come two to four selections presenting the
classic statement of the argument, critiques and defenses of it,
and discussions of related debates. At the end of each agrument are
useful essay questions for further analysis. Vaughn's approach
focuses students' attention on argumentation, where much of the
philosophical work gets done; it gives them clear points of
reference for navigating material in which they often get lost; and
it helps them understand and appreciate the philosophical
dialectic-the interplay of argument and counterargument among
articles and authors. An introductory Chapter One explains the
concerns and methods of philosophy, explains its practical and
theoretical benefits, and provides a short lesson in identifying,
constructing, and assessing arguments. Each chapter has an
extensive introduction to the issue and arguments, and essay
questions at chapter endings urge reflection on the chapter as a
whole. Other pedagogical features include biographical text boxes,
bold key terms lists at the ends of chapters and collected in an
end-of-book glossary, suggestions for further readings, and an
appendix on How to Write an Argumentative Essay. An Instructor's
Manual and Testbank on CD features chapter summaries, reading
summaries, lecture outlines in PowerPoint format, and objective
test questions for use in exams or midterms. A Companion Website
for both students and instructors at www.oup.com/us/vaughn includes
all the material from the Instructor's Manual and Testbank, and
such resources for students as study questions, interactive
quizzes, flashcards with key words, and helpful web links. Message:
The only introduction to philosophy textbook that teaches students
to think critically about philosophical arguments-that shows
students how to identify, understand, and critique philosophical
arguments.
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