Philosophy - realfuture.org - Page 4

Ethics since 1900

Mary Warnock (1977)

Mary sequentially covers (1) G.E. Moore’s anti-naturalism; (2) Prichard & Ross’ ‘Intuitionism’; (3) Ayer’s logical positivist approach (‘Emotivism’); and (4) later development by Stevenson and Nowell-Smith, including the latter’s Janus Principle; (5) moral psychology in general; and finishes with (6) a wonderful overview of Sartre’s Existentialism.Â An unmissable overview to Ethics before its entanglement with Political Philosophy.Â Newcomers will want to familiarize themselves with Utilitarianism first.

Cosmopolitanism

Kwame Anthony Appiah

Appiah’s rather simplistic case is economically naÃ¯ve, and shallow in places. Still, I think it largely succeeds in attaining what it sets out to do, and is worth reading – although the lack of depth will be frustrating to some.

A Survey of Metaphysics

E.J. Lowe

A cute and simple overview of the landscape.

The Passion of the Western Mind

Richard Tarnas

Smoothly written history of Western philosophy, with Jungian overtones.

The Abolition of Man

C.S. Lewis

Lewis’ case for his ‘Tao’. Unclear, incomplete. Worthwhile if you wish to learn about Lewis, I suppose.

Philosophical Essays

A.J. Ayer

Individuals and Properties. Indicators and Predicates. Situations and Occasions. Indicators individuate bundles of predicates?

A System of Logic

John Stuart Mill

Wonderful, wonderful! Mill writes clearly.

Color for Philosophers

C.L. Hardin (1988)

The ultimate book on colour!

On Certainty

Ludwig Wittgenstein

“Why, would it be unthinkable that I should stay in the saddle however much the facts bucked?” Brother L.W. speaks my language.

The Many Faces of Realism

Hilary Putnam

Constrained conceptual relativism. I like it.