Briefly: Mill's Utilitarianism is a summarized version of John Stuart Mill's original treatise, which is designed to assist university and sixth-form students in acquiring knowledge and understanding of this key text Based on, and page referenced to, George Sher's Hackett edition an important feature of the book is its close adherence to Mill's text, enabling the reader to follow each development in the argument as it occurs. It will be of particular value in helping students to revise for university examinations in Philosophy and Theology and for A-level examinations in Religious Studies. The introduction contains a brief biography of Mill, examines and assesses the importance of the main issues covered by his Utilitarianism, and indicates where they are to be found in the text. There is a comprehensive glossary of terms.

Some reviews of the SCM Briefly Series 'The painless way to become well read...Daniel shows himself to be a sure-footed guide, with an obvious gift for presenting complex ideas clearly and concisely.' Church Times 'This series provides a very useful and student-friendly stepping stone between secondary and primary texts...Apart from the obvious student market, many general readers will welcome such useful introductions to some of the great names of Christian history.' Journal of Education and Christian Belief 'The Briefly series aims to help students wrap their minds around original texts without sacrificing either the subtlety or completeness of the arguments therein.' Reviews in Religion and Theology Philosophy is for everyone Briefly: 25 Great Philosophers from Plato to Sartre outlines the lives of 25 of the Great Philosophers from the western tradition, including Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Mill, Russell and Sartre, and explores some of their key ideas - ideas which have had a major impact on the development of western thought and society. As well as highlighting contrasting approaches to philosophical questions, different treatments of particular issues, and areas where the thinking of one philosopher has influenced the ideas of others, this book reflects its authors' strongly-held belief that philosophy is for everyone, not only those who study it at university. Each chapter has a context section, which looks at those aspects of the philosopher's thinking that shed light on the key ideas; a short biography; discussion of the key ideas; an impact section summing up their influence; and suggestions for further reading, including internet resources. A glossary of philosophers and thinkers gives brief information about other philosophers and thinkers referred to in the book, while the glossary of terms briefly defines specialist philosophical and other terms. There is also an index. If you find this book's contents thought-provoking and horizon-expanding, do not stop here. Read some of these Great Philosophers' books. They wrote about the big issues of life. Exploring their ideas can help us to answer some of the questions we face today. At least, it can help us to understand the questions more clearly The authors The author of the Briefly series and SCM AS/A2 Ethics and Moral Philosophy, Dr David Mills Daniel, is an educational consultant and freelance lecturer, and a former head teacher and senior GCSE and A-level examiner. A graduate of the Universities of Cambridge and Yale, Dafydd E. Mills Daniel is a Marquand Scholar of Yale Divinity School, where he completed a Masters degree in philosophy of religion, and is currently researching for a DPhil at Oxford. A graduate and Scholar of Christ's College, Cambridge, Megan Daniel has degrees in theology and law and an MPhil in philosophy of religion from Cambridge University, and is a teacher of religious studies and law.

SCM Brieflys introduce texts commonly studied in undergraduate courses in Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies. A comprehensive introductory chapter sets the text and its author in their wider context. The texts are analysed and summarized in an accessible and yet thorough style that makes SCM Brieflys an essential study tool for all who want to engage in more depth with some of the key texts of philosophy, theology and related disciplines.

"SCM Brieflys" introduce texts commonly studied at A level and Level One undergraduate courses in Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies. A comprehensive introductory chapter sets the text and its author in their wider context. The texts are analyzed and summarized in an accessible and yet thorough style that makes "SCM Brieflys" an essential study tool for all who want to engage in more depth with some of the key texts of philosophy, theology and related disciplines. "Kant's Critique of Practical Reason" (1788) is one of his most important works and a key text to understanding Kant's philosophy and the impact it had on later developments of moral philosophy and ethics.

"SCM Brieflys" introduce texts commonly studied at A level and Level One undergraduate courses in Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies. A comprehensive introductory chapter sets the text and its author in their wider context. The texts are analyzed and summarized in an accessible and yet thorough style that makes "SCM Brieflys" an essential study tool for all who want to engage in more depth with some of the key texts of philosophy, theology and related disciplines. 'Situation ethics' basically states that sometimes other moral principles can be cast aside in certain situations if love is best served. It is one of the main ethical theories studied in all introductory courses on Christian ethics.

Each "Briefly" volume provides a very short chapter setting the scene by explaining who this writer is and why this book in particular was so important, or why it became so important to Western thought. This short contextualising chapter is then followed by an in-depth summary of the book in question. This includes line by line analysis and short quotes to give students a feel for the original text. Essentially a "Briefly" will allow students to become familiar with a key philosophical work in a very short time, but without missing out on the relevant parts of the original work. A glossary of terms follows the summary to help students with definitions of philosophical terms.

"The SCM Briefly" series is made up of short, accessible volumes which summarize books by philosophers and theologians, books that are commonly used on theology and philosophy A level (school leaving) and Level One undergraduate courses. Each "Briefly" volume includes line by line analysis and short quotes to give students a feel for the original text. In addition each book begins with a contextualizing introduction about the writer and his writings, and a glossary of terms follows the summary to help students with definitions of philosophical terms.

Each "Briefly" volume provides a very short chapter setting the scene by explaining who this writer is and why this book in particular was so important, or why it became so important to Western thought. This short contextualising chapter is then followed by an in-depth summary of the book in question. This includes line by line analysis and short quotes to give students a feel for the original text. Essentially a "Briefly" will allow students to become familiar with a key philosophical work in a very short time, but without missing out on the relevant parts of the original work. A glossary of terms follows the summary to help students with definitions of philosophical terms.

A short summary of Jean-Paul Sartre's Existentialism and Humanism which is designed to assist university and school-leaving students in acquiring knowledge and understanding of this key text in the philosophy of religion. The book closely adheres to Sartre's text, enabling the reader to follow each development in the argument as it occurs. Following the detailed summary, which page references the original and includes useful key quotes, is a shorter summary acting as an overview of Existentialism and Humanism, which is intended to aid memory. With a brief introduction to Sartre, and the period in which he wrote, and why Existentialism and Humanism is so significant, as well as suggestions for further reading and an extensive glossary of terms, this book is a perfect introduction to this important philosophical text by Jean-Paul Sartre.

St Anselm (1033-1109) was an Italian theologian and philosopher and the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093-1097. He is best known for his work, Proslogion, in which he defends the Church and sets out his philosophy and argument for the existence of God, now known as the Ontological Argument. OA is now a commonly studied subject at schools and universities, yet this critical, original treatise outlining the OA is often misunderstood by readers. Here in the Briefly text, the author guides the reader through Anselm's argument concerning existence and whether it is an attribute of God in the same way omnipotence, omniscience and benevolence are believed to be. As such the argument is an a priori argument. It does not rest on proving God's existence from the empirical realm but on showing that God must exist logically (or that God's non-existence is illogical).The main idea behind Anselm's argument is that epistemology (what we know) IS ontology (what there is); or, that if it is possible to conceive of X, then X must surely exist. For further information on the series and the opportunity to take part in an open forum with the author please go to our new brieflys website at "http://www.scmbrieflys.co.uk/">www.scmbrieflys.co.uk

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) wrote his most controversial work, On Liberty in 1859, the year in which Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species was also published. On Liberty contains a rational justification of the freedom of the individual in opposition to the claims of the state to impose unlimited control, and has become a classic of libertarian philosophy. Warning against the tyranny of the majority, this treatise argues that in the past the danger had been that monarchs held power at the expense of the common people and the struggle was one of gaining liberty by limiting such governmental power. But now that power has largely passed into the hands of the people at large through democratic forms of government, the danger is that the majority denies liberty to individuals, whether explicitly through laws ... or more subtly through morals and public opinion. For further information on the series and the opportunity to take part in an open forum with the author please go to our new brieflys website at "http://www.scmbrieflys.co.uk/"

Briefly: Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals is a summarized version of Immanual Kant's original treatsie, which is designed to assist university and sixth-form students in acquiring knowledge and understanding of this key text. Based on, and page referenced to, Mary Gregor's edition of the Groundwork, CUP an important feature of the book is its close adherence to Kant's text, enabling the reader to follow each development in the argument as it occurs. It will be of particular value in helping students to revise for university examinations in Philosophy and Theology and for A-level examinations in Religious Studies. The introduction contains a brief biography of Kant, examines and assesses the importance of the main issues covered by his Groundwork, and indicates where they are to be found in the text. There is a comprehensive glossary of terms.

The SCM Briefly series is made up of short, accessible volumes which summarize books by philosophers and theologians, books that are commonly used on theology and philosophy A level (school leaving) and Level One undergraduate courses. Each Briefly volum

Fear and Trembling is one of Kierkegaard's earliest works, which he wrote under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio. Kierkegaard had been a student of theology in Copenhagen, and had come to hate the Danish Church. He produced hundreds of leaflets against the Church during his lifetime. However his writing was largely ignored, and he was not a popular or well-regarded thinker in his own time. Hegel's writing largely dominated philosophical thought throughout Kierkegaard's life. Hegel believed that the highest goal for a person should be to loose oneself in the Universal. One should put aside his personal goals and ambitions and be motivated exclusively by the general interests of all. Kierkegaard regarded the individual above all else and so was repelled by Hegel's communitarian ethic. His Fear and Trembling is a sustained response to Hegel's ideas. It uses the story of Genesis 22, 1-18, where Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac without question, and only faith, to put across his own ideas and philosophy. Fear and Trembling is a required text on the UK A level syllabus.

Kant's Religion Within The Bounds of Mere Reason was written late in his life, following his most famous works including Critique of Pure Reason and Groundwork of Metaphysics of Morals. In it he considers the consequences of transcendental criticism for theology. Kant identifies a moral core to the Christian faith and asserts that because of that core and because the faith contains a principle for dispensing with the morally extraneous statutes and history associated with it, this faith can count as a moral, world religion. Seen by most philosophers and theologians as one of the most significant texts by this world famous philosopher, understanding is crucial for completion of any basic theology or philosophical qualification.

George Edward Moore's Principia Ethica was published by Cambridge University Press in 1903 and this was the birth of the science of ethics. So groundbreaking was this book at the time, that practically overnight, ethicists became meta-ethicists and the book ever since has been recognised as the definitive starting point for 20th century ethical theory. In it Moore is concerned with applying logic to ethics, and with demonstrating that logic can give ethics a better foundation. Moore defines ethics as an inquiry into what is good, including what is good in human conduct. Moore supposed that common sense beliefs about the world were correct as they were and shows how false premises about the way in which good is to be defined can lead to false conclusions about ethical conduct. Known to influence the thinking of Russell, Wittgenstein, Ryle and Keynes to mention but a few, understanding this key work in 20th C ethics is essential, and made achievable in this Briefly guide.

The first part of the Summa Theologica by Aquinas was dealt with in an SCM Briefly guide that published in May 06. The second part of the Summa Theologica is dealt with in this book. Aquinas' Summa Theologica is his most famous work. It was intended as a manual for beginners as a compilation of all of the main theological teachings of that time and consists of a summary of the reasonings for almost all points of the Catholic faith. It is the fullest presentation of his views and covers the widest range of subjects - reason, sin, just war to name but a few - in detailed philosophical language. He worked on it from 1265 until the end of his life in March 1274. When he died he had reached question ninety of Part III, on the subject of penance. Part I, dealing with questions of God, we have dealt with in a previously published Briefly, here we look in detail at Part II, which concerns man's striving for the highest end. It is structured as a series of questions and assertions and relies heavily upon key thinkers and writers at that time, including Aristotle, St Augustine, Dionysius and Rabbi Moses. All of this is dealt with succinctly, yet fully referenced to the original text, in this Briefly guide. For further information on the series and the opportunity to take part in an open forum with the author please go to our new brieflys website at http://www.scmbrieflys.co.uk/

The Republic is arguably Plato's most important work and was written in his middle period, around 370-5 BC. It is a philosophical masterpiece containing acute political theory as well as being great literature, and as such is not easily understood on first acquaintance. It has as its central problem the nature of justice. In a word, what is justice? The central character is said to be Socrates, Plato's own teacher as a young man, whom he had seen tried and executed for his politics and religion. The Republic is an examination of the figure of the philosopher, an examination of metaphysics, and epistemology and is confirmation of Plato's dedication to formulating a society based on eternal ideas of truth, goodness and justice.

The SCM Briefly series is a series of summarized texts that are commonly used on theology and philosophy A level and Level One undergraduate courses in the UK. As students are less likely today to come to these subjects with language experience, the Briefly series, summarising the meaning of the original texts, is a painless and quick way to get to grips with what the philosophers were writing about. The language throughout is modern and approachable, but the books manage to avoid dumbing down by including line by line analysis and short quotes to give students a feel for the original. In addition, each book begins with an introduction, providing a context for the writer and his writings, a short summary as well as the detailed summary and each book also contains a glossary of terms. Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy, published in 1641, was designed for the philosopher and for the theologian.

Aquinas' "Summa Theologica" is his most famous work. It was intended as a manual for beginners as a compilation of all of the main theological teachings of that time and consists of a summary of the reasonings for almost all points of the Catholic faith. It is the fullest presentation of his views and covers the widest range of subjects - reason, sin, just war to name but a few - in detailed philosophical language. He worked on it from 1265 until the end of his life in March 1274. When he died, he had reached Question ninety of Part III, on the subject of penance. The work is in three parts, dealing firstly with questions of God, then in part II with man's striving for the highest end, and in the third part with Christ and the union between human and divine. Each part is structured as a series of questions and assertions and relies heavily upon key thinkers and writers at that time, including Aristotle, St Augustine, Dionysius and Rabbi Moses.

The SCM Briefly series is a series of summarized texts that are commonly used on the philosophy and philosophy of religion A level syllabus and on level 1, philosophy of religion and philosophy university courses in UK institutions. The texts have been chosen because they appear on the syllabus at both levels, but also because they are generally found to be difficult for students to comprehend without guidance. Briefly: Hume's Dialogues is a summarized version of David Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, which is designed to assist university and sixth-form students in acquiring knowledge and understanding of this key text in the Philosophy of Religion. Based on, and page referenced to, Popkin's Hackett edition of the Dialogues, an important feature of the book is its close adherence to Hume's text, enabling the reader to follow each development in the argument as it occurs. It will be of particular value in helping students to revise for university examinations in Philosophy and Theology (the Dialogues is a popular set text in both subjects) and for A-level examinations in Religious Studies. The introduction contains a brief biography of Hume, examines and assesses the importance of the main issues covered by the Dialogues, and indicates where they are to be found in the text. There is a comprehensive glossary of terms.