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    An Introduction to Western Philosophy
    An Introduction to Western Philosophy
    An Introduction to Western Philosophy
    Ebook65 pages57 minutes

    An Introduction to Western Philosophy

    By Matt McGinniss

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    About this ebook

    For some people philosophy is everything. For others it’s nothing. It’s a subject that solves problems, causes arguments and even brings war. But what is philosophy, and who are the famous men and women who have changed our world with their ideas?

    In this eBook, you will find simple biographies and basic explanations of the ideas of twenty of the most important western philosophers. It can be read in chronological order, or as a quick reference for each major thinker.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMatt McGinniss
    Release dateMar 20, 2011
    ISBN9781465737625
    An Introduction to Western Philosophy
    Author

    Matt McGinniss

    Matt McGinniss is an author, educator and entrepreneur. He has traveled extensively throughout Asia, North American and Europe. He currently lives in Perth, Western Australia.

    Read more from Matt Mc Ginniss

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      Book preview

      An Introduction to Western Philosophy - Matt McGinniss

      An Introduction to Western Philosophy

      By Matthew McGinniss

      Published by Matthew McGinniss at Smashwords

      Copyright 2011 Matthew McGinniss

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      Thank you for downloading this free eBook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to Smashwords.com to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

      This book can also be found on the website of Edutec Training and Development:

      www.edutectraining.com

      * * * * *

      CONTENTS

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 - Socrates

      Chapter 2 - Plato

      Chapter 3 - Aristotle

      Chapter 4 - Epicurus

      Chapter 5 - Seneca

      Chapter 6 - Montaigne

      Chapter 7 - Descartes

      Chapter 8 - Spinoza

      Chapter 9 - Locke

      Chapter 10 - Hume

      Chapter 11 - Voltaire

      Chapter 12 - Kant

      Chapter 13 - Hegel

      Chapter 14 - Kierkegaard

      Chapter 15 - Nietzsche

      Chapter 16 - Freud

      Chapter 17 - Sartre

      Chapter 18 - De Beauvoir

      Chapter 19 - Foucault

      Chapter 20 - Derrida

      Connect with the Author

      ****

      INTRODUCTION

      Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. Voltaire

      For some people, philosophy is everything, while for others it is nothing. It is a subject that brings insight, arguments and even war. But what is philosophy, and who are the famous men and women who have changed our world with their ideas?

      In this collection, you will find simple overviews of the lives and ideas of twenty of the most important philosophers in the western philosophical tradition. Because it is impossible to summarise complex ideas in just a few words, readers should remember that each chapter just touches on a few of the central themes of each philosopher.

      This book can be read in chronological order, or as a quick reference for each major thinker.

      ****

      CHAPTER 1. SOCRATES

      The only thing I know is that I know nothing.

      Lived: 470 – 399 BC * From: Ancient Greece

      Key Ideas: How people should act * Finding truth through questioning

      Socrates is one of the most important philosophers in history because he helped change the direction of philosophy. Before Socrates, people discussed how they should fit into the natural world of plants, animals and the universe. After Socrates, people were interested in ethics, which involved the concept of fairness and the way people should behave. They also became interested in the search for truth, so that correct judgements could be made on important issues.

      Socrates was born in Athens, where he lived for most of his life. In Athens he spoke to people from all parts of society, including the rich and powerful, the workers and the poor. Socrates didn’t worry about worldly possessions and spent most of his time speaking with people in public meeting places. Over time he became well-known in Athens as an unconventional man of great wisdom and understanding.

      When Socrates spoke to people he started by asking questions and quietly listening to the answers. He would then follow up with more questions to discover the accuracy of the person’s belief. In this way, Socrates developed his own method for testing to see if a statement was true or not. His method of asking questions became known as ‘Socratic questioning’. It worked as follows:

      Step 1. Ask a simple question to find a statement that was described as common sense. eg. Poor people do not benefit society.

      Step 2. Find a situation where the statement is not correct. eg. Poor people may benefit society by helping other people.

      Step 3. If there is a possible exception to the statement, then the statement must be wrong, or not exactly correct. eg. Poor people can benefit

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