Introduction to Philosophy: Home

This book is the only British Christian introduction to philosophy, a book that will be used as a course textbook and by church study groups and individual readers alike. It covers subjects of central importance to the Christian worldview, discussing the broadest range of topics covered by any Christian introduction to philosophy, and will be prized by many.

Volume one in a two volume series cover the history of philosophy with a particular focus on how the history of ideas affects theology and apologetics.

Volume two in a two part series on the history of philosophy. This volume traces the modern movement of philosophy with focus on how changing ideas in metaphysics and epistemology affects theological thought.

Believing Philosophy introduces Christians to philosophy and the tools it offers believers, helping them understand, articulate, and defend their faith in an age of unbelief.

This is an excellent one volume survey of the history of philosophy covering the ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary eras.

This unique approach to the history of Western thought uses the case study method to clarify ways of understanding reality and defining philosophy. Specific cases introduce students to Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Kant, and others.

"This book introduces readers to Thomistic philosophy through selected topics such as being, God, teleology, truth, persons and knowledge, ethics, and universals. John Peterson discusses metaphysics and the essence-existence distinction and presents what he believes is Aquinas' strongest theistic proof. He offers a new defense Aquinas' idea of natural ends based on the distinction between immanent and transient change. Unveiling the complexity of Aquinas' account of truth, Peterson shows the hierarchical levels of truth in the thought of St. Thomas. The book explains why Aquinas would reject Cartesian dualism as well as both materialism and epiphenomenalism on the body-mind issue. Defending the basis of Aquinas' natural-law ethics, Introduction to Thomistic Philosophy reveals the role of universalizability and the relation of right and good in his ethics"

Life's Ultimate Questions is unique among introductory philosophy textbooks. By synthesizing three distinct approaches- topical, historical, and worldview/conceptual systems- it affords students a breadth and depth of perspective previously unavailable in standard introductory texts.

Two experienced educators offer an up-to-date introduction to philosophy from a Christian perspective that covers the four major areas of philosophical thought: epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and ethics. Written from an analytic perspective, the book introduces key concepts and issues within the main areas of philosophical inquiry in a comprehensive yet accessible way, inviting readers on a quest for goodness, truth, and beauty that ultimately points to Jesus as the source of all.

This revised and updated edition of a standard work provides a clear and authoritative survey of the Western tradition in metaphysics and epistemology from the Presocratics to the present day. Aimed at the beginning student, it presents the ideas of the major philosophers and their schools of thought in a readable and engaging way, highlighting the central points in each contributor's doctrines and offering a lucid discussion of the next-level details that both fills out the general themes and encourages the reader to pursue the arguments still further through a detailed guide to further reading.

Too often skeptics charge Christians with having a blind faith. Unfortunately, believers have added fuel to the charges of skeptics by speaking of their faith illogically. But the Christian faith is not a blind faith. In fact, biblical faith is never a blind, irrational faith. Christianity rests firmly on the stone that was rejected by the builders, which has become the cornerstone--Jesus Christ (Acts 4:11). Living biblically requires thinking biblically, just as ""to think biblically entails to live biblically, "" as Winfried Corduan notes in the Foreword. As followers of Christ, believers can.

This volume provides a contemporary account of classical theism. It features 17 original essays from leading scholars that advance the discussion of classical theism in new and interesting directions. It's safe to say that classical theism--the view that God is simple, omniscient, and the greatest possible being--is no longer the assumed view in analytic philosophy of religion. It is often dismissed as being rooted in outdated metaphysical systems of the sort advanced by ancient and medieval philosophers. The main purpose of this volume is twofold: to provide a contemporary account of what classical theism is and to advance the scholarly discussion about classical theism. In Section I, the contributors offer a clear and cutting-edge account of the nature and existence of the God and the historical and theological foundations of classical theism. Section II contains chapters on a variety of topics, such as whether classical theism's doctrine of simplicity needs revision, whether simplicity is compatible with the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation, and whether the hypothesis of a multiplicity of divine ideas is consistent with divine simplicity, among others. Classical Theism will appeal to scholars and advanced students in the philosophy of religion who are interested in the nature of God.

Accepting the traditional definition of metaphysics as the study of ultimate reality, Peter van Inwagen builds this strikingly original textbook around three crucial questions: What are the most general features of the world? Why does the world exist? And what is the nature and place of rational beings in the world?In the informal but precise style for which he is known, van Inwagen surveys the classical answers to these questions while teaching his readers through example how to think about them more clearly and deeply on their own. By the end of the book, he has introduced most of the perennial topics of metaphysics, including appearance and reality, identity and individuation, objectivity, necessary existence, mind and body, teleology, and freedom of the will. Engaging and provocative, but always fair and reasonable, Metaphysics provides both a lucid guide to the study of First Questions and a paradigm of philosophical exposition. It will immediately take its place at the forefront of leading contemporary texts on metaphysics.

A concise introduction to the topic and concepts within the study of Metaphysics. Preface -- The need for metaphysics -- Persons and bodies -- Interactionism -- The mind as a function of the body -- Freedom and determinism -- Fate -- Space and time -- The relativity of time and space -- Temporal passage -- Causation -- God -- Polarity -- Metaphysics and meaning -- For further reading -- Index.

With nearly 300 entries on key concepts, review essays on central issues, and self-profiles by leading scholars, this companion is the most comprehensive and up-to-date single volume reference guide to epistemology. Epistemology from A-Z is comprised of 296 articles on important epistemological concepts that have been extensively revised to bring the volume up-to-date, with many new and re-written entries reflecting developments in the field. Includes 20 new self-profiles by leading epistemologists. Contains 10 new review essays on central issues of epistemology.

The Christian Scriptures could be theologically described as beginning and ending with an epistemological outlook. The first episode of humanity's activity centers on the knowledge of good and evil. The final stage of humanity is pictured by Jeremiah as a universally prophetic and knowing society: ''And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ''Know the Lord'', for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord'' (Jer 31:34). What happens to knowledge in between? In this work, Dru Johnson reconsiders epistemology with the too.

Exploring what great philosophers have written about the nature of knowledge and about how we know what we know, this is a concise and accessible introduction to the field of epistemology. Epistemology: The Key Thinkers tells the story of how epistemological thinking has developed over the centuries, through the work of the finest thinkers on the topic. Chapters by leading contemporary scholars guide readers through the ideas of key philosophers, beginning with Plato and Aristotle, through Descartes and the British empiricists, to such twentieth-century thinkers such as Wittgenstein, Quine, Goldman, and beyond.

If epistemology is roughly the study of knowledge, justification, warrant, and rationality, then religious epistemology is the study of how these epistemic concepts relate to religious belief and practice. This Element, while surveying various religious epistemologies, argues specifically for Plantingian religious epistemology. It makes the case for proper functionalism and Plantinga's AC models, while it also responds to debunking arguments informed by cognitive science of religion. It serves as a bridge between religious epistemology and natural theology.

"Epistemology, the philosophy of knowledge, is at the core of many of the central debates and issues in philosophy, interrogating the notions of truth, objectivity, trust, belief and perception. The Routledge Companion to Epistemology provides a comprehensive and the up-to-date survey of epistemology, charting its history, providing a thorough account of its key thinkers and movements, and addressing enduring questions and contemporary research in the field. Organized thematically, the Companion is divided into nine sections: Foundational Issues, The Analysis of Knowledge, The Structure of Knowledge, Kinds of Knowledge, Skepticism, Responses to Skepticism, Knowledge and Knowledge Attributions, Formal Epistemology, The History of Epistemology, and Metaepistemological Issues. Seventy-eight chapters, each between 5000 and 7000 words and written by the world's leading epistemologists, provide students with an outstanding and accessible guide to the field. Designed to fit the most comprehensive syllabus in the discipline, this text will be an indispensable resource for anyone interested in this central area of philosophy"

Why should we seek and tell the truth? Does anyone know what truth is? Many are skeptical about the relevance of truth. Truth Matters endeavours to show why truth is important in a world where the very idea of truth is contested. Putting philosophers in conversation with educators, literary scholars, physicists, political theorists, and theologians, Truth Matters ranges across both analytic and continental philosophy and draws on the ideas of thinkers such as Aquinas, Balthasar, Brandom, Davidson, Dooyeweerd, Gadamer, Habermas, Kierkegaard, Plantinga, Ricoeur, and Wolterstorff. Some essays attempt to provide a systematic account of truth, while others wrestle with the question of how truth is told and what it means to live truthfully. Contributors address debates between realists and anti-realists, explore issues surrounding relativism and constructivism in education and the social sciences, examine the politics of truth telling and the ethics of authenticity, and consider various religious perspectives on truth. Most scholars agree that truth is propositional, being expressed in statements that are subject to proof or disproof. This book goes a step farther: yes, propositional truth is important, but truth is more than propositional. To recognize how it is more than propositional is crucial for understanding why truth truly matters. Contributors include Doug Blomberg (ICS), Allyson Carr (ICS), Jeffrey Dudiak (King's University College), Olaf Ellefson (York University), Gerrit Glas (VU University Amsterdam), Gill K. Goulding (Regis College), Jay Gupta (Mills College), Clarence Joldersma (Calvin College), Matthew J. Klaassen (ICS), John Jung Park (Duke University), Pamela J. Reeve (St. Augustine's Seminary), Amy Richards (World Affairs Council of Western Michigan), Calvin Seerveld (ICS), Ronnie Shuker (ICS), Adam Smith (Brandeis University), John Van Rys (Redeemer University College), Darren Walhof (Grand Valley State University), Matthew Walhout (Calvin College), and Lambert Zuidervaart (ICS).

An overview of the issues and perspectives in the field of epistemology.

Applied Christian Ethics addresses selected themes in Christian social ethics. The book is divided in three parts. In the first section, "Foundation," several contributors reveal their Christian realist roots and discuss the prophetic origins and multifarious agenda of social ethics. Thus, the names of Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Tillich come up frequently. In the second section, "Economics and Justice," the focus turns to the different levels at which economics has significance for social justice. These chapters discuss fair housing at the local level, the dialogue between Christians and Native Americans over property rights at the regional and national levels, and trade and international organization. In the third and final section, "Politics, War, and Peacemaking," the content ranges from the existential experience of a soldier to that of a veteran of civil rights activism, from theorizing about peacemaking to commenting on the use of drones.

An intelligent discussion of the foundations and methods in ethics and ways to apply a Christian worldview to our secular culture.

A survey of ethical issues from a Christian perspective.

This text also attempts to explain the traditional Christian attitudes towards certain particular matters of conduct; for example, marriage and divorce, gambling, and the rights and duties of private property.A discussion of the general presuppositions and ideas which underlie the Christian ethical teaching, treating of such subjects as conscience, the concepts of sin and virtue, and the relation between morality and religion. The book also attempts to explain the traditional Christian attitudes towards certain particular matters of conduct; for example, marriage and divorce, gambling, and the rights and duties of private property.

A brief introductory text written primarily for lay people and beginning students.

Christian Ethics for a Digital Society examines how we live in an increasingly digital world. From sexting to hashtag activism like the #metoo movement, technology has entered both our private and public lives in a deep way. Christian Ethics for a Digital Society offers pragmatic wisdom on how to live thoughtfully today.

"Pastoring is packed with unexpected challenges-both good and bad. Improvising in the face of the unforeseen is often the norm. But like talented athletes and great jazz musicians, improvisation for pastors only comes by first knowing and practicing the basics. Ethics in Christian Ministry is about preparing for the highs and lows of ministry by internalizing and rehearsing the ethical essentials of Christ-centered pastoring. Here is a resource designed to equip pastors with the tools needed to make healthy and theologically sound ethical decisions in the areas of communication, relationships, preaching, counseling, and finances. With such preparation in hand, responding to the unexpected becomes about well-grounded decision-making that leads to the best in pastoral practices."

The fourth edition of this venerable text adds new topics relevant to the 21st century.

"The Routledge Companion to Christian Ethics brings together two different but related disciplines; the first is contemplative or theoretical, asking what are the beliefs or doctrines that characterize Christianity, whilst the second is practical, asking what are the ethical practices that attend its teachings. The movement between the theoretical and practical aspects is not, however, one way, as doctrine and life are mutually informing. In this comprehensive volume, leading scholars address key topics, problems and debates in this hotly debated topic within a truly global context. Comprising over thirty-five chapters by a team of international contributors, the Handbook is divided into three parts based on the three persons of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Within these sections, cutting-edge issues are examined, including: God and genetics; War, peace and violence; White supremacy; Creation and sexuality; Digital ethics; Transgender studies; Climate change; Immigration and refugees. Adopting a practical approach that must consider new concerns that have arisen with recent social, political, and cultural shifts, The Routledge Companion to Christian Ethics is essential reading for students and researchers in Christian ethics, religious ethics and Christianity Studies. The Handbook will also be very useful for those in related fields, such as ethics and philosophy"

This dictionary introduces undergraduate and post-graduate students in philosophy, mathematics, and computer science to the main problems and positions in philosophical logic. Coverage includes not only key figures, positions, terminology, and debates within philosophical logic itself, but issues in related, overlapping disciplines such as set theory and the philosophy of mathematics as well. Entries are extensively cross-referenced, so that each entry can be easily located within the context of wider debates, thereby providing a valuable reference both for tracking the connections between concepts within logic and for examining the manner in which these concepts are applied in other philosophical disciplines.

Avicenna is the most influential figure in the intellectual history of the Islamic world. This book is the first comprehensive study of his theory of science, which profoundly shaped his philosophical method and indirectly influenced philosophers and theologians not only in the Islamic world but also throughout Christian Europe and the medieval Jewish tradition. A sophisticated interpreter of Aristotle's Posterior Analytics, Avicenna took on the ambitious task of reorganizing Aristotelian philosophy of science into an applicable model of scientific reasoning.

An introduction to logic and critical thinking with a focus on Christian/Biblical scenarios.

1. Introductory. 2. Judgment and Terms. 3. Categorical Propositions and Their Implications. 4. Immediate Inference -- Opposition. 5. Immediate Inference -- Eductions. 6. Immediate Inference -- Derivative Eductions. 7. Other Immediate Inferences. 8. Mediate Inference from Particulars. 9. Mediate Inference with a General Premise. 10. Deduction and Syllogism. 11. Abridged Syllogisms and Chains of Syllogsms. 12. Hypothetical Propositions and Inferences. 13. Alternative (or Disjunctive) Propositions and Inferences. 14. Dilemmas. 15. Inductive and Circumstantial Inference. 16. Some General Problems of Inference.

"Logic instruction typically takes two forms. The first has the aim of teaching students to solve a certain sort of problem as efficiently as possible. This is the approach adopted by most logic textbooks and truth trees, the most popular method, gives students an algorithm for solving logic problems. The second has as its aim teaching students a certain style of thinking and, thus, concerns itself with how students solve problems. In How Logic Works, Hans Halvorson introduces students to the methods of natural deduction, a method which not only helps them solve problems, but helps them to understand the principles of valid reasoning for themselves. Halvorson uses formal logic to train students in the task of constructing paths between premises and conclusions. The student, then, will become an expert traveller in logical space, quickly recognizing the difference between a safe path (where truth is guaranteed to be preserved) and a hazardous path (where truth might be lost). This approach is premised on the fact that if a student learns natural deduction, she learns a skill that transfers to any domain where valid deductive reasoning is useful"

Bringing elementary logic out of the academic darkness into the light of day, Paul Tomassi makes logic fully accessible for anyone attempting to come to grips with the complexities of this challenging subject. Including student-friendly exercises, illustrations, summaries and a glossary of terms, Logic introduces and explains:* The Theory of Validity* The Language of Propositional Logic* Proof-Theory for Propositional Logic* Formal Semantics for Propositional Logic including the Truth-Tree Method* The Language of Quantificational Logic.