Gradian verkkokirjasto

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*035  $a(FI-MELINDA)006574973
*0410 $aeng
*1001 $aLaw, Stephen.
*24514$aThe philosophy gym :$b25 short adventures in thinking /$cStephen Law.
*260  $aLondon :$bHeadline Book Publishing.$ccop. 2004.
*300  $axii, 290 s. :$bkuvitettu
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*337  $akäytettävissä ilman laitetta$bn$2rdamedia
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*5050 $aHow to use this book -- 1. Where Did the Universe Come From? -- 2. What's Wrong with Gay Sex? -- 3. Brain-Snatched -- 4. Is Time Travel Possible? -- 5. Into the Lair of the Relativist -- 6. Could a Machine Think? -- 7. Does God Exist? -- 8. The Strange Case of the Rational Dentist -- 9. But Is It Art? -- 10. Can We Have Morality without God and Religion?
*520  $aBritish philosopher and editor Law explores 25 of life's Big Questions in a sprightly volume designed to be a "course in thinking philosophically." Categorizing each philosophical "adventure" as Warm-up, Moderate or More Challenging, he addresses queries both grand and eternal ("Does God Exist?" and "Where Did the Universe Come From?" are two of his chapters) and controversial and contemporary ("What's Wrong with Gay Sex?" and "But is it Art?"). Lay readers looking for a comprehensible introduction to critical thinking will benefit from Law's straightforward exposition of each topic; opposing arguments are clearly organized in a tennis match of sorts: Law has two diners, for example, spar over whether eating meat can be morally justified. (Animals eat other animals, one says. But they don't know right from wrong, his companion says. Eating animals comes naturally to us, says the first. But so does violence, says the second. Etc.) In the chapter on morality's supposed dependence on religion, a section titled "An Argument for the Existence of God" is followed by the impressively accessible "Plato's Refutation of the Popular Argument," which is then countered with the "'But God is Good' Reply," and so on. The writing is lively and accessible, thanks to Law's passion for his subject and his creative use of zany conversations between future scientists about the possibility of time travel, for example, and his whimsical examples of strange objects called "fubbyloofers" to demonstrate the difficulty of determining what is art. The best of these essays end inconclusively, encouraging readers to consult the additional resources Law recommends. When Law unabashedly declares his final opinion-"In short, what creationists practice isn't good science-it's bunk"-it has the potential to offend. It detracts, too, fro
*650 0$aPhilosophy$xMiscellanea.
*650 0$aImaginary conversations.
*650 0$aPhilosophy.
*650 7$afilosofia$2yso/fin$0http://www.yso.fi/onto/yso/p1056
*650 7$afilosofi$2yso/swe$0http://www.yso.fi/onto/yso/p1056
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Where did the universe come from? Is time travel possible? Are genetically designed babies morally acceptable? If you have ever asked yourself such questions, then you have already begun to think philosophically. This book is for those who want to take the next step. Stephen Law poses questions about some of the most important philosophical issues of today - and of yesterday. Light-hearted questions about whether a pickled sheep is really art rub shoulders with more profound and time-honoured fears about whether God exists. In this radically new way of looking at philosophy, Stephen Law illustrates the problem with a story then lets both sides of the argument battle it out in clear, easily digestible and intelligent prose. And, by separating each issue into a distinct section, it is possible to dip in and out of in any order and at any time you like!