Philosophy: An Innovative Introduction: Fictive Narrative, Primary Texts, and Responsive Writing

by Michael Boylan, Charles Johnson

Overview

Philosophy: An Innovative Introduction features a unique, engaging approach to introduce students to philosophy. It combines traditional readings and exercises with fictive narratives starring central figures in the history of the field from Plato to Martin Luther King, Jr. The book makes innovative use of compelling short stories from two writers who have prominently combined philosophy and fiction in their work. These narratives illuminate pivotal aspects of the carefully selected classic readings that follow. This gives students two ways to understand the philosophical positions: through indirect argument in fiction and through direct, deductive presentations. Study questions and writing exercises accompany each set of readings and help students grasp the material and create their own arguments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367097233
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/13/2019
Pages:	370
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michael Boylan received a Masters in English and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and is professor of philosophy at Marymount University. He is the author of numerous articles and books on philosophy and literature, including The Extinction of Desire; The Good, the True, and the Beautiful; and Critical Inquiry (Westview Press).
Charles Johnson earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy and is the S. Wilson and Grace M. Pollock Professor of English at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is a 1998 MacArthur Fellow and the 2002 recipient of an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Literature. He received the 1990 National Book Award for his novel Middle Passage.

Table of Contents

CONTENTSPrefaceGlossary Part 1: Direct and Indirect Discourse in Philosophy * 1. Direct and Indirect Discourse in PhilosophyReading and Discussion Questions * 2. How Can I Respond to Claims Using Direct Logical Discourse? Reading and Discussion Questions * 3. How Can I Respond to Claims Using Indirect Fictive Narrative Discourse? Reading and Discussion Questions Part 2: Ancient and Medieval Philosophy * 4. PlatoShort Story: The Cynic, Charles JohnsonReading and Discussion QuestionsFictive-Narrative Philosophy FeedbackPrimary Text: Plato, The Myth of the Charioteer Reading and Discussion QuestionsClass ExercisesPrimary Text: Plato, CritoReading and Discussion QuestionsClass Exercises * 5. AristotleShort Story: Aristotle the Outsider, Michael BoylanReading and Discussion QuestionsFictive-Narrative Philosophy FeedbackPrimary Text: Aristotle, The Nature of Mind Reading and Discussion QuestionsClass Exercises * 6. BuddhaShort Story: Prince of the Ascetics, Charles JohnsonReading and Discussion QuestionsFictive-Narrative Philosophy FeedbackPrimary Text: From the Dhmmapada Reading and Discussion QuestionsClass Exercises * 7. AquinasShort Story: The Murder of Thomas Aquinas, Michael Boylan Reading and Discussion QuestionsFictive-Narrative Philosophy FeedbackPrimary Text: Thomas Aquinas, On the Natural Law Reading and Discussion QuestionsClass Exercises MIDTERM PROJECT Part 3: Modern and Contemporary Philosophy * 8. DescartesShort Story: The Queen and the Philosopher, Charles Johnson Reading and Discussion QuestionsFictive-Narrative Philosophy FeedbackPrimary Text: Ren Descartes, Finding a Foundation for Knowledge Reading and Discussion QuestionsClass Exercises * 9. Kant Short Story: Kant Awakened, Michael Boylan Reading and Discussion QuestionsFictive-Narrative Philosophy FeedbackPrimary Text: Gottfried Leibniz, On Geometrical Method and the Method of MetaphysicsReading and Discussion QuestionsClass ExercisesPrimary Text: Christian Wolff, Three Types of Human Knowledge Readin

Editorial Reviews

Boylan (philosophy, Marymount Univ.) and Johnson (English, Univ. of Washington in Seattle) have here indeed produced an innovative introduction to philosophy, having done so by designing and arranging a unique selection and presentation of the material. The book is divided into three parts. In the first, the student—or the reader, who may be so inclined—deals with writing direct and indirect responses to philosophical arguments. The second part pertains to key figures in ancient and medieval philosophy—Plato, Aristotle, Buddha, and Aquinas. In the final part—devoted to modern and contemporary philosophy—the thinking of Descartes, Kant, Marx, Heidegger, Hannah Arendt, Iris Murdoch, and Martin Luther King Jr. is considered. Throughout the book, the authors, primarily Boylan, include interesting and detailed fictive essays on each of the noted thinkers. This all reads like a collegiate study guide to philosophy, with "exercises," a "mid-term project," and a "final project," which encourages the student—and the reader—to think more deeply about and understand the material. VERDICT This is a thoroughly inventive and demanding study that any student or reader should find insightful and rewarding.—Leon H. Brody, Falls Church, VA

Library Journal

“In the acknowledgements Charles Johnson quotes Camus, ‘If you want to be a philosopher, write novels.’ While an extravagant claim, Boylan and Johnson have conceived and brought to life an ‘innovative’ new introductory philosophy text that richly demonstrates what Camus calls for. The text’s historical approach supplements the usual philosophers with multicultural, more inclusive works by Buddha, Arendt, Murdoch and M. L. King. It offers numerous helpful aids for the classroom, but most importantly it uniquely blends traditional philosophical argumentation with provocative fictive narratives (stories) that promise to engage students more fully, thus bringing philosophy alive in ways more traditional texts can only approximate.” —Richard E. Hart, Bloomfield College

“Boylan and Johnson return philosophy to its original home—the story. By blending narrative with other philosophical discourses, they create an approach that engages ambiguity in order to attain wisdom.” —Marc Conner, Washington and Lee University

“Philosophy: An Innovative Introduction is an exciting book that promises to invigorate courses in philosophy, ethics, and the humanities. Building on the categories of direct and indirect discourse, the authors offer a robust conception of ‘fictive narrative philosophy’—one that treats seriously the power of fiction in philosophical discourse. The authors’ innovative approach pairs the philosophies of major figures such as Plato, Kant, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with short stories that engage those figures in thought-provoking ways. The result is that the philosophical tradition is brought to life for students as abstract ideas become vivid and compelling.” —Linda Furgerson Selzer, Penn State University
 
“This unusual introduction to philosophy has broad appeal without sacrificing intellectual rigor.” —Felicia Nimue Ackerman, Brown University
 

From the Publisher