Problems from Philosophy: An Introductory Text

(Hardback, 5th edition)

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Problems from Philosophy is an introductory philosophy text organized around the great philosophical problemsthe existence of God, the nature of the mind, human freedom, the limits of knowledge, and the truth about ethics. The book begins by reflecting on the life of the first great philosopher, Socrates. Then it takes up the fundamental question of whether God exists. Next comes a discussion of death and the soul, which leads to a chapter about persons. The later chapters consider whether objective knowledge is possible in science and ethics.


Problems from Philosophy represents the final work of philosopher James Rachels. In it, he brings the same liveliness and clarity to the introduction of philosophy present in his many other best-selling texts. Problems from Philosophy has been revised by James Rachels son Stuart, who has carefully refined his fathers work to further strengthen its clarity and accessibility. The fourth edition features revisions on discussions of free will, artificial intelligence, idealism, and Kantian ethics. The fifth edition features a new chapter on political philosophy and new content on AI and large language models in the chapter "Can a Machine Think"

Reviews

James and Stuart Rachels' text has long been perfect for introduction to philosophy courses. As strong as ever with great updates and an improved chapter on Free Will, I highly and enthusiastically recommend this new edition of Problems from Philosophy! -- Matthew Wion, University of San Diego

Author Bio

James Rachels (19412003) wrote The End of Life: Euthanasia and Morality (1986), Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism (1990), Can Ethics Provide Answers And Other Essays in Moral Philosophy (1997), and The Legacy of Socrates: Essays in Moral Philosophy (2007).

Stuart Rachels (1969) retired from his job as a philosophy professor in order to play more games. He has revised several of James Rachels books, including The Elements of Moral Philosophy (tenth edition, 2023) and The Right Thing to Do (ninth edition, 2026). He also wrote The Best I Saw in Chess: Games, Stories and Instruction from an Alabama Prodigy Who Became U.S. Champion (2020). Stuart won the U.S. Chess Championship in 1989, at the age of twenty, and in 2025 he won a gold medal in the World Senior Team Chess Championship as a member of the American team. He is also a Silver Life Master at bridge.