Author Description

A great deal of the satisfaction of studying philosophy lies in exploring its landmark arguments. Working from this premise, Great Philosophical Arguments: An Introduction to Philosophy focuses on the debates that define and drive the field. Editor Lewis Vaughn presents seventy-eight readings-both classic selections and contemporary works-that are topically organized into six chapters: the existence of God, knowledge and skepticism, mind and body, free will and determinism, ethics, and contemporary ethical debates. The readings are grouped by argument into pro/con dialogues within each chapter. Each of the thirty-four arguments is introduced with a brief outline, which is followed by two to four essays presenting the classic statement of the argument, critiques and defenses of it, and discussions of related debates. Features: * A substantial introductory chapter and extensive chapter introductions* Essay questions at the end of each argument section and chapter* Pedagogical features including boldfaced key terms, biographical text boxes, suggestions for further reading, and a glossary* An appendix on how to read and write argumentative essays* An Instructor's Manual and Test Bank on C.D. featuring chapter summaries, reading summaries, PowerPoint-based lecture outlines, and test questions* A Companion Website at www.oup.com/us/vaughn containing study questions, interactive quizzes, flashcards, and helpful links