Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy

by Douglas J. Soccio

Overview

Organized chronologically, this text successfully takes students from where they are in their own experience and draws them into the world of philosophy and in to their own search for wisdom. Praised by instructors and students for its truly captivating writing, topics and selected passages touch upon fundamental human issues that are of concern to today's diverse group of students. Now available in both paperback and hardcover.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781305662124
Publisher:	Cengage Learning
Publication date:	02/23/2015
Edition description:	9th ed.
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Douglas Soccio was a professor of philosophy at Shasta College for nearly 30 years. In addition to ARCHETYPES OF WISDOM: AN INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY, 9th EDITION, he is the author of the following Cengage publications: PHILOSOPHY IN CONTEXT; HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF PHILOSOPHY; and PRACTICAL LOGIC (with Vincent E. Barry). For three years he wrote a weekly philosophy column for the REDDING RECORD SEARCHLIGHT. Now devoted to writing on a full-time basis, he is presently developing a collection of philosophical stories that express what he describes as “philosophy with a heart,” a generous notion of philosophy that infuses all of his writing.

Table of Contents

1. Philosophy and the Search for Wisdom. Overview of Classical Themes. 2. The Asian Sage: Lao-tzu and the Buddha. 3. The Presocratic Sophos. 4. The Sophist: Protagoras. 5.The Wise Man: Socrates. 6. The Philosopher-King: Plato. 7. The Naturalist: Aristotle. 8. The Stoic: Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. 9. The Scholar: Thomas Aquinas. Overview of Modern Times. 10. The Rationalist: Rene Descartes. 11. The Skeptic: David Hume. 12. The Universalist: Immanuel Kant. 13. The Utilitarian: John Stuart Mill. 14. The Materialist: Karl Marx. Overview of Postmodern Themes. 15. The Existentialists: Soren Kierkegaard and Jean-Paul Sartre. 16. The Anti-Philosopher: Fredrich Nietzsche. 17. The Pragmatist: William James. 18. Philosophy As A Way of Life. Notes. Glossary. Bibliography of Interesting Sources. Credits. Index of Margin Quotes. Index.

Editorial Reviews

This textbook presents excerpts from the writings of philosophers, paired with commentary, biographical stories, and notes reflecting the connection between their ideas and the contemporary world. Chapters focus on specific thinkers representative of the various philosophical movements, arranged in roughly chronological order. Each argument, movement, and individual thinker is placed in its historic context, and treated as a part of a larger search for wisdom. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

[Soccio s text is] [e]asy to understand, applicable to twenty-first century, unbiased.

The greatest strength of Soccio is that it covers a great deal of material and includes most of the salient ideas. It also conveys the trajectory of the Western philosophical history and emphasizes how the philosophers were influenced by history and have influenced history. It s also accessible to students.

Soccio s pedagogy and methodology are masterful. I have used this text in several incarnations starting with the second edition. I keep coming back to it because it makes my job easier. He works hard to make things clear to beginners without obvious dumbing down. College students notice when they are being condescended to, and it destroys their motivation.

From the Publisher