Yes, But How Do You Know?: Introducing Philosophy Through Sceptical Ideas

by Stephen Hetherington

Overview

Yes, But How Do You Know? is an invitation to think philosophically through the use of sceptical ideas. Hetherington challenges our complacency and asks us to reconsider what we think we know. How much can we discover about our surroundings? What sort of beings are we? Can we trust our own reasoning? Is science all it is cracked up to be? Can we acquire knowledge of God? Are even the contents of our own minds transparent? In inviting, lucid prose, Hetherington addresses these questions and more, using scepticism to illuminate many perennial philosophical puzzles.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781551119038
Publisher:	Broadview Press
Publication date:	09/01/2009
Series:	Broadview Guides to Philosophy
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Stephen Hetherington is Professor of Philosophy at the University of New South Wales. He is the author of many books on epistemology, including Self-Knowledge: Beginning Philosophy Right Here and Now (Broadview, 2007) and Knowledge Puzzles: An Introduction to Epistemology (Westview, 1996).

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Observing: Is Anything Out There? Chapter 2. Reasoning: How Far Can It Take You? Chapter 3. Reasoning Beyond Observing: Leaping Into The Dark? Chapter 4. Science: Can It Find All The Answers? Chapter 5. Common Sense: Like, Yeah? Chapter 6. Other Minds: Are You Mentally Alone In The Universe? Chapter 7. Your Own Mind: Is Anything Really Happening In There? Chapter 8. People's Natures: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Chapter 9. Moral Characteristics: Say What? Chapter 10. God: Beyond Comprehension?

Editorial Reviews

“I’ll let you in on a secret: Nobody has ever become a philosopher simply by reading about philosophy. You may not know how to think about what you have read. And if an ordinary teacher tells you what to think about the text, you may not know how to think about that! But, if you have Stephen Hetherington as your teacher, chances are you will become philosophical. His new book is not only a masterful introduction to the subject, technically correct, cleverly structured and a supremely enjoyable read. It’s the most impressive guide to becoming philosophical I’ve seen.” — Claudio de Almeida, Professor, Department of Philosophy and Human Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University at Porto Alegre, Brazil

“This is a lucid, entertaining, and engaging introduction to philosophy and philosophical thinking. It brings sceptical ideas to life and shows the importance of taking such ideas seriously. Highly recommended.” — Quassim Cassam, Professor of Philosophy, University of Warwick

From the Publisher

"This is a lucid, entertaining, and engaging introduction to philosophy and philosophical thinking. It brings sceptical ideas to life and shows the importance of taking such ideas seriously. Highly recommended."

Quassim Cassam University of Warwick

"I'll let you in on a secret: Nobody has ever become a philosopher simply by reading about philosophy. You may not know how to think about what you have read. And if an ordinary teacher tells you what to think about the text, you may not know how to think about that! But, if you have Stephen Hetherington as your teacher, chances are you will become philosophical. His new book is not only a masterful introduction to the subject, technically correct, cleverly structured and a supremely enjoyable read. It’s the most impressive guide to becoming philosophical I've seen."

Claudio de Almeida Pontifical Catholic University at Porto Alegre