The Entertaining Philosopher PDF Download

Author: William Mullinger Higgins
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electricity
Languages : en
Pages : 536

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Author: Andrew Shaffer
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062036610
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
Few people have failed at love as spectacularly as the great philosophers. Although we admire their wisdom, history is littered with the romantic failures of the most sensible men and women of every age, including: Friedrich Nietzsche: "Ah, women. They make the highs higher and the lows more frequent." (Rejected by everyone he proposed to, even when he kept asking and asking.) Jean-Paul Sartre: "There are of course ugly women, but I prefer those who are pretty." (Adopted his mistress as his daughter.) Louis Althusser: "The trouble is there are bodies and, worse still, sexual organs." (Accidentally strangled his wife to death.) And dozens of other great thinkers whose words we revere—but whose romantic decisions we should avoid at all costs. Includes an excerpt from Andrew Shaffer's new book Literary Rogues.

Author: Peter Unger
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019069601X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
During the middle of the twentieth century, philosophers generally agreed that, by contrast with science, philosophy should offer no substantial thoughts about the general nature of concrete reality. Instead, philosophers offered conceptual truths. It is widely assumed that, since 1970, things have changed greatly. This book argues that's an illusion that prevails because of the failure to differentiate between "concretely substantial" and "concretely empty" ideas.

Author: Steve Martin
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1847395848
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 198

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Book Description
Steve Martin has been an international star for over thirty years. Here, for the first time, he looks back to the beginning of his career and charmingly evokes the young man he once was. Born in Texas but raised in California, Steve was seduced early by the comedy shows that played on the radio when the family travelled back and forth to visit relatives. When Disneyland opened just a couple of miles away from home, an enchanted Steve was given his first chance to learn magic and entertain an audience. He describes how he noted the reaction to each joke in a ledger - 'big laugh' or 'quiet' - and assiduously studied the acts of colleagues, stealing jokes when needed. With superb detail, Steve recreates the world of small, dark clubs and the fear and exhilaration of standing in the spotlight. While a philosophy student at UCLA, he worked hard at local clubs honing his comedy and slowly attracting a following until he was picked up to write for TV. From here on, Steve Martin became an acclaimed comedian, packing out venues nationwide. One night, however, he noticed empty seats and realised he had 'reached the top of the rollercoaster'. BORN STANDING UP is a funny and riveting chronicle of how Steve Martin became the comedy genius we now know and is also a fascinating portrait of an era.

Author: Gary Hayden
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1851688706
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 223

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Book Description
Drawing on the writings of the great philosophers, You Kant Make it Up sends the reader on thrilling, non-stop tour of their most outrageous and counter-intuitive conclusions. Harry Potter is real. Matter doesn't exist. Dan Brown is better than Shakespeare. All these statements stem from philosophy's greatest minds, from Plato to Nietzsche. What were they thinking? Overflowing with compelling arguments for the downright strange - many of which are hugely influential today - popular philosopher Gary Hayden shows that just because something is odd, doesn't mean that someone hasn't argued for it. Spanning ethics, logic, politics, sex and religion, this unconventional introduction to philosophy will challenge your assumptions, expand your horizons, infuriate, entertain and amuse you.

Author: Andrew Pessin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442216093
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 235

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Book Description
In eighteen lively chapters, Andrew Pessin examines the most unusual ideas from the ancient Greeks and contemporary thinkers, how they have influenced the course of Western thought, and why, despite being so odd, they just might be correct. -Time is an illusion. -Your thoughts do not exist inside your head. -There is no physical world -And more!

Author: Stephen Law
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780312314521
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
Unique and accessible explanations to some of life's biggest questions, obtained through a series of irresistable mental challenges

Author: Anthony Gottlieb
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393354229
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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"His book...supplant[s] all others, even the immensely successful History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell."—A. C. Grayling Already a classic, this landmark study of early Western thought now appears in a new edition with expanded coverage of the Middle Ages. This landmark study of Western thought takes a fresh look at the writings of the great thinkers of classic philosophy and questions many pieces of conventional wisdom. The book invites comparison with Bertrand Russell's monumental History of Western Philosophy, "but Gottlieb's book is less idiosyncratic and based on more recent scholarship" (Colin McGinn, Los Angeles Times). A New York Times Notable Book, a Los Angeles Times Best Book, and a Times Literary Supplement Best Book of 2001.

Author: Lukas N. P. Egger
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781717825827
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Book Description
All the wisdom, none of the work... Ridiculously entertaining, outrageously funny, and powerfully informative, Fast Philosophy is like speed-dating humanity's smartest people. Its 100 hilarious, short mental workouts take the greatest ideas of the past and apply them to the biggest challenges of today. Using simple language, humour, and more than fifty beautiful illustrations, it will make you think, laugh, and question everything. A comprehensive and irreverent introduction to a fascinating subject, Fast Philosophy offers original answers to the biggest questions of existence: Why are we here? (and why isn't there more cake?) What does it mean to be good? (and how can we get away with not being it?) What is beauty? (and how can I convince it to take its clothes off?). You'll learn whether Socrates would have been a good agony aunt, why Heidegger said we should spend more time in cemeteries, how a stoic would pick up someone at a party, whether Facebook friends are real friends, and what Marvel superhero Nietzsche would have been. Let philosopher Lukas N.P. Egger and three-time Spiegel best-selling author Adam Fletcher teach you everything you ever wanted to know about the good life. Who knew enlightenment could be this entertaining? Absolutely genuine, advanced praise for Fast Philosophy: "Unquestionably brilliant!" - Socrates "If you want to think, therefore, you should buy this book." - R. Descartes "It's strange how simple things become, once you see them clearly read Fast Philosophy." - Ayn Randy. "Not bad, I guess, if you like that kind of thing." - Woman Eating a Wasabi Nut for the First Time.

Author: David A. White
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000495175
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
Inspire animated discussions of questions that concern kids—and all of us—with this innovative, interactive book. Open your students' minds to the wonders of philosophy. Allow them to grapple with the questions philosophers have discussed since the ancient Greeks. Questions include: “Who are your friends?,” “Can computers think?,” “Can something logical not make sense?,” and “Can you think about nothing?” Young minds will find these questions to be both entertaining and informative. If you have ever wondered about questions like these, you are well on your way to becoming a philosopher! Philosophy for Kids offers young people the opportunity to become acquainted with the wonders of philosophy. Packed with exciting activities arranged around the topics of values, knowledge, reality, and critical thinking, this book can be used individually or by the whole class. Each activity allows kids to increase their understanding of philosophical concepts and issues and enjoy themselves at the same time. In addition to learning about a challenging subject, students philosophizing in a classroom setting, as well as the casual reader of Philosophy for Kids, will sharpen their ability to think critically about these and similar questions. Experiencing the enjoyment of philosophical thought enhances a young person's appreciation for the importance of reasoning throughout the traditional curriculum of subjects. The book includes activities, teaching tips, a glossary of terms, and suggestions for further reading. Grades 4-12