Philosophy:Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy

Short description: 1999 book by Simon Blackburn

Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy

Cover of the first edition
Author	Simon Blackburn
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Subject	Philosophy
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Publication date	1999
Media type	Print (hardcover and paperback)
Pages	320
ISBN	ISBN:0-19-285425-9
OCLC	45338378

Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy is a 1999 book by the philosopher Simon Blackburn. It is intended to serve as an introduction to philosophy.

Summary

Blackburn covers subjects such as epistemology, philosophy of the mind, free will, and philosophy of religion, discussing them on an introductory level. He also defends the value and importance of philosophy.

Publication history

Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy was first published by Oxford University Press in 1999. The book was published as an Oxford University Press Paperback in 2001.

Reception

Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy received a positive review from the philosopher Mark Sainsbury in Mind. Sainsbury described the book as well-written, but criticized Blackburn's discussion of knowledge. The writer Peter Edidin wrote in The New York Times that the book "found a sizable audience", noting that more than 30,000 hardcover copies had been sold and that "Oxford has asked Mr. Blackburn to follow up with Being Good, a guide to the philosophy of ethics". The philosopher Anthony Quinton wrote in 2005 that very short books such as Think form part of a recent new development "in the field of popularization by professionals." Harness your natural curiosity to develop the ability to think more broadly and deeply.

References

Bibliography

Books

• Leslie, Ian (2015). Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends On It. Basic Books.  256 pages.
• Blackburn, Simon (2001). Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-285425-4. 
• Quinton, Anthony (2005). "Popular philosophy". The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, Second Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-926479-1. 

Journals

• Sainsbury, Mark (2001). "Reviewed work: Think. A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy, Simon Blackburn". Mind 110 (438). 

Online articles

• Edidin, Peter (January 28, 2001). "Ideas & Trends: Philosophy in Hiding; I Have Tenure, Therefore I Am". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/28/weekinreview/ideas-trends-philosophy-in-hiding-i-have-tenure-therefore-i-am.html.