In the entertaining, erudite Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy, the game Heraclitus travels down the winding river of philosophical thought to lead us through a pocket history of examined living . . . Michael Patton and Kevin Cannon's guide to philosophical thought is a creative addition to the cartoon academy, offering readers well-written, engaging mini-portraits of influential thinkers.” —Dan Kois, Slate
“The Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy is as good a philosophy book as it is a comicbook. Indeed, the force of the arguments, the give-and-take between the opposing voices, and the clear presentation of what is important in each of these classic debates makes this book a better introduction to philosophy than many . . . It helps to raise some interesting questions about the visual nature of philosophy itself and it reminds us of the power of comicbooks to tell our stories, express our ideas, and help us think.” —Gregory L. Reece, PopMatters
“A fun, clear and clever introduction to the rich history of philosophy in the Western world.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Like many nonfiction graphic novels written by non-comic writers, philosophy professor Patton's wordy text drives the narrative. But Cannon's art transcends what could have been a second-place relationship to keep this textbook-like explanation of the key thinkers of history visually entertaining . . . The concept-based structure, which incorporates ideas from across eras, is welcoming and understandable to the casual reader” —Publishers Weekly
“Michael Patton's clever dialogue turns even the most difficult topics into lively discussions and Kevin Cannon's noodly illustrations create appealing characters who fascinate with every jaunty step. Together, Patton and Cannon have created a captivating book that proves that graphic narratives can teach just as well, or better, than traditional textbooks. This book is an excellent resource for both students and non-students alike.” —Lindsay Hodgens, Alabama Writers' Forum
“Michael Patton and Kevin Cannon have pulled off something remarkable; they've produced a rigorous introduction to philosophy in the form of a comic book. In these times of assaults on education from ideological, economic, and political dimensions, it is essential to ignite a love of learning and inquiry in folks—both young and old. With consistent wit, marvelous pacing, and brilliant illustrations, Patton and Cannon take the reader through simple but accurate explanations of the basic ideas of many of the canonical figures from the history of philosophy, linking these ideas to other disciplines and at all points drawing the reader into the great dialogues of the Western intellectual tradition.” —Mark Lance, professor of philosophy and professor of justice and peace, Georgetown University
“The Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy is smart, funny, and up-to-date. Entertaining without oversimplifying, Patton and Cannon bring the world of philosophy to life. For those who have not yet been exposed to the pleasures of philosophy, The Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy is a great place to start.” —Todd May, Class of 1941 Memorial Professor of the Humanities, Clemson University
“If this isn't the Platonic ideal of a graphic novel about philosophy, I don't know what is. Michael F. Patton and Kevin Cannon's The Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy is terrific, and that's probably the only thing you could get all the philosophers featured in their book to agree on.” —Jim Ottaviani, author of The Imitation Game, Feynman, and Primates.
2014-12-14
An obscure, pre-Socratic Greek philosopher takes readers down the long river of philosophy, explaining movements, theories, breakthroughs and ethics with the help of a few special guest stars.Oh, what cartoonist and mathematician Larry Gonick started when he launched his cartoon histories of history and the universe. Now, Hill and Wang follows up its cartoon histories about economics with this clever and high-spirited history of philosophy by Patton (Philosophy/Univ. of Montevallo) and illustrator Cannon (Crater XV, 2013, etc.) Our narrator is Heraclitus, who literally paddles readers down the river of philosophy represented in his teachings, stopping along the way to pick up passengers like a foulmouthed Friedrich Nietzsche. "Twenty-five centuries ago, when I said that ‘It is not possible to step twice into the same river'…I was remarking on the fact that everything around us is in flux, and change is the only constant," Heraclitus explains. "This also applies to the field of philosophy, which, perhaps more than any other, is constantly changing due to its own progress and self-criticism. No two rides down this river will be the same." The themes are broken up nicely so that in the chapter on logic, we might meet Aristotle but also John Stuart Mill; in "Minds," we reconnect with Nietzsche but also run into the British mathematician Alan Turing and his famous "Turing Test" or even the contemporary Australian philosopher David John Chalmers. In the chapter on God, we meet classical thinkers in Thomas Aquinas and Immanuel Kant but also debate Charles Darwin over whether evolution and natural selection are possible without a guiding hand from a creator. Patton and Cannon also offer a nice visual portrait of each philosopher as well as a concise summary of each person's work and ideas, not to mention a helpful glossary covering the spectrum from "Absolutism" to "Validity." A fun, clear and clever introduction to the rich history of philosophy in the Western world.
