Philosophy Bites Back

by David Edmonds, Nigel Warburton

Overview

Philosophy Bites Back is the second book to come out of the hugely successful podcast Philosophy Bites. It presents a selection of lively interviews with leading philosophers of our time, who discuss the ideas and works of some of the most important thinkers in history. From the ancient classics of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, to the groundbreaking modern thought of Wittgenstein, Rawls, and Derrida, this volume spans over two and a half millennia of western philosophy and illuminates its most fascinating ideas.

Philosophy Bites was set up in 2007 by David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton. It has had over 12 million downloads, and is listened to all over the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199693009
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/06/2013
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

David Edmonds is an award-winning documentary maker for the BBC World Service. He is the author or co-author (with John Eidinow) of several books, including Wittgenstein's Poker (short-listed for the Guardian First Book Award), Bobby Fischer Goes To War (long-listed for the Samuel Johnson prize), and Rousseau's Dog (about the relationship between Jean-Jacques Rousseau and David Hume). He is currently a Research Associate at the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford University and a Contributing Editor for Prospect Magazine.

Nigel Warburton is a freelance philosopher, podcaster, and writer. His books include A Little History of Philosophy, Philosophy: the Basics, Thinking from A to Z, Philosophy: the Classics, The Art Question, and Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Who is your favourite philosopher? xi

1 Mary Margaret McCabe on Socrates and the Socratic Method 1

2 Angie Hobbs on Plato on Erotic Love 10

3 Terence Irwin on Aristotle's Ethics 20

4 Anthony Kenny on Thomas Aquinas' Ethics 29

5 Quentin Skinner on Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince 37

6 Sarah Bakewell on Michel de Montaigne 51

7 A. C. Grayling on René Descartes' Cogito 61

8 Susan James on Baruch de Spinoza on the Passions 70

9 John Dunn on John Locke on Toleration 81

10 John Campbell on George Berkeley's Puzzle 89

11 Peter Millican on David Hume's Significance 97

12 Nick Phillipson on Adam Smith on What Human Beings Are Like 106

13 Melissa Lane on Jean-Jacques Rousseau on Modern Society 115

14 Richard Bourke on Edmund Burke on Politics 124

15 A.W. Moore on Immanuel Kant's Metaphysics 132

16 Robert Stern on G. W. F. Hegel on Dialectic 143

17 Richard Reeves on John Stuart Mill's On Liberty 156

18 Clare Carlisle on Søren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling 164

19 Aaron Ridley on Friedrich Nietzsche on Art and Truth 172

20 Peter Singer on Henry Sidgwick's Ethics 182

21 Robert B. Talisse on The Pragmatists and Truth 190

22 Barry C. Smith on Ludwig Wittgenstein 201

23 Hugh Mellor on Frank Ramsey on Truth 214

24 Mary Warnock on Jean-Paul Sartre's Existentialism 223

25 Chandran Kukathas on Friedrich Hayek and Liberalism 230

26 Jonathan Wolff on John Rawls on Justice 238

27 Robert Rowland Smith on Jacques Derrida on Forgiveness 250

Notes on Contributors 259

Further Reading 265

Winners of the Twitter Competition 273

Editorial Reviews

Philosophy attempts to make sense of the central quandaries of the human experience: how to define the good life, identify the ordering principles of the universe, determine to what extent our perceptions or observations may be trusted, and “understand what the basic structure of reality is like.” Edmonds and Warburton seek to democratize this intellectual tradition by producing short, easily digestible podcasts in which specialists outline aspects of their field. The improbably popular Philosophy Bites blog has already spawned one successful book, and the sequel employs a similar format in compiling 27 brief transcripts about the life and work of famous philosophers. These thought-provoking briefs have a somewhat guarded quality, as the participants are usually proponents but not entirely partisans of their subjects. All but one of the pieces focus on individuals rather than schools or ideas, and some choppiness is inevitable. While some explanations are gnomic, and complex thought processes are highly abbreviated, the synthesis is usually illuminating. John Campbell on George Berkeley’s “blobs of sensation” and Clare Carlisle on Søren Kierkegaard’s “paradoxical... morally abhorrent” faith are especially engaging. Those looking for a more universalist approach to the subject, or for a discussion of Eastern thought, should be warned that the philosophers highlighted all come from within the European canon and are disproportionately British. Agent: Veronique Baxter, David Higham, U.K. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Engaging and accessible... Readers can enjoy each chapter individually or read the entire book for an understanding of major figures of Western philosophy. As was the first, this book is highly recommended for all general readers with an interest in philosophy." --Library Journal

"Thought-provoking... Illuminating." --Publishers Weekly

"As a fan of the Philosophy Bites podcast, I'm very pleased to see this publication of conversations with leading scholars on major figures in the history of philosophy. The result is not only a good introduction to that history, but a rare chance to read top-level philosophers speaking extemporaneously about the subjects they know best. Even regular listeners to the podcast will be glad to have this written version of highlights from the series."--Peter Adamson, King's College London

From the Publisher

Edmonds (research assoc., Uehiro Ctr. for Practical Ethics, Univ. of Oxford) and Warburton (philosophy, Open Univ.) are back with a second volume of podcast interviews from their popular site philosophybites.com. Unlike the interviews in the first book, which focused on areas of philosophy, these 27 interviews with academic philosophers consider historical philosophers from ancient Greece through Jacques Derrida. The authors explain that the philosophers covered are not meant to make up an exhaustive list but instead represent a "tasting menu" to get readers started with Western philosophy. Each interview has a conversational tone and effectively provides a succinct overview of a specific area of the philosopher's thought. VERDICT With this second book, the authors have again succeeded in conveying the engaging and accessible format of their popular podcast. Readers can enjoy each chapter individually or read the entire book for an understanding of major figures of Western philosophy. As was the first, this book is highly recommended for all general readers with an interest in philosophy.—Scott Duimstra, Capital Area Dist. Lib., Lansing, MI

Library Journal