Orem Library

Leap into the fantastic world of philosophy and critical thinking with this friendly introduction. Find out why it is so important, who the great thinkers are, and how to become a philosopher! Get to know: Philosophy is filled with ideas and theories to get brains working. It explores big topics, such as the mind, politics, religion, and even the whole universe.

Volume I: Ancient Philosophers investigates the foundations of philosophy laid by the ancient sages, Greeks, and Romans and introduces the philosophers who asked the first great philosophical questions--about good and evil; truth and falsehood; wisdom, beauty, and love; and the self, the world, and God.

Volume III: Modern Philosophers explores a philosophical world caught up in the spirit of the Enlightenment--a time of both scientific discovery and social upheaval--and examines the philosophers who sought above all to answer the great questions of epistemology and politics: What is knowledge? How can we be certain? What is society? What is its greatest good?

Volume IV: Contemporary Philosophers surveys the great philosophers of the last two hundred years and observes the splintering of philosophy into a wide array of philosophical enterprises. Some, unhinged from the past, rebel against the very endeavor of philosophy, but others, seeking to revitalize ancient conversations, return to and renew the deepest questions of meaning, happiness, and the human person.

Offers an introduction to the important ideas of philosophy, relating the thinking of philosophers to the modern world and discussing the major problems addressed by this discipline.

Far from being a lifeless ornament in the sky, the Moon holds the answers to some of science's central questions. Silent, dry, and barren, Earth's 4.34-billion-year-old companion is essential to life on earth. Its gravity stabilized the Earth's orbit, and, as it once guided evolution, its tide stirring up nutrients that fostered complex life, it now influences everything from animal migrations and reproduction to the movements of plants' leaves. More...

Americans today seem to be more divided than at any time since the Civil War. Our differences are not just political and moral, but philosophical and even spiritual. Red and Blue America hardly seem to live in the same reality. Something has gone terribly wrong with the American political community. It has been a long time since the people of the United States fully exercised their sovereign authority to choose the officials in government whose primary...

Inside What Would Plato Do?, you'll find the basics of philosophy, written in an easy, digestible way we can all understand, along with questions to help you apply these important theories to your own life. So, after you've learned about a philosophical concept, you'll then be challenged to test yourself and see how the results can impact your daily life. For instance, after learning about Kant's theory of morality and the importance of intention...

Is good character something that can be taught? In 430 BCE, Socrates set out to teach the vain, power-seeking Athenian statesman Alcibiades how to be a good person—and failed spectacularly. Alcibiades went on to beguile his city into a hopeless war with Syracuse, and all of Athens paid the price. In The Quest for Character, philosophy professor Massimo Pigliucci tells this famous story and asks what we can learn from it. He blends ancient sources...

What does it take to become a philosopher? In this short book Dr. Hugh Hunter uses techniques from his teaching career to give an answer. Starting with simple and relatable examples from traditional Western philosophy, he explains what being a philosopher means, how to situate a problem in philosophy, and how to think, read, write and find community as a philosopher. The techniques in this book are easy to learn. Mastering them is the work of a lifetime....