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Cover of Introduction to Philosophy 2e

Introduction to Philosophy 2e

by Nathan Smith

Published by OpenStax

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Designed to meet the scope and sequence of your course, Introduction to Philosophy surveys logic, metaphysics, epistemology, theories of value, and history of philosophy thematically. To provide a strong foundation in global philosophical discourse, diverse primary sources and examples are central to the design, and the text emphasizes engaged reading, critical thinking, research, and analytical skill-building through guided activities.

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Attribution

Adapted from Introduction to Philosophy 2e by Nathan Smith, published by OpenStax (Rice University) under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). Access the original for free at https://github.com/openstax/osbooks-introduction-philosophy. Changes: converted to CuraCourse lessons, with interactive practice added.

Table of contents

78 pages in 13 modules. Sign up to read and adopt them.

  1. Preface1 page
    1. Preface
  2. 1Introduction to Philosophy6 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 1.1What Is Philosophy?
    3. 1.2How Do Philosophers Arrive at Truth?
    4. 1.3Socrates as a Paradigmatic Historical Philosopher
    5. 1.4An Overview of Contemporary Philosophy
    6. Practice
  3. 2Critical Thinking, Research, Reading, and Writing8 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 2.1The Brain Is an Inference Machine
    3. 2.2Overcoming Cognitive Biases and Engaging in Critical Reflection
    4. 2.3Developing Good Habits of Mind
    5. 2.4Gathering Information, Evaluating Sources, and Understanding Evidence
    6. 2.5Reading Philosophy
    7. 2.6Writing Philosophy Papers
    8. Practice
  4. 3The Early History of Philosophy around the World5 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 3.1Indigenous Philosophy
    3. 3.2Classical Indian Philosophy
    4. 3.3Classical Chinese Philosophy
    5. Practice
  5. 4The Emergence of Classical Philosophy5 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 4.1Historiography and the History of Philosophy
    3. 4.2Classical Philosophy
    4. 4.3Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Philosophy
    5. Practice
  6. 5Logic and Reasoning7 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 5.1Philosophical Methods for Discovering Truth
    3. 5.2Logical Statements
    4. 5.3Arguments
    5. 5.4Types of Inferences
    6. 5.5Informal Fallacies
    7. Practice
  7. 6Metaphysics6 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 6.1Substance
    3. 6.2Self and Identity
    4. 6.3Cosmology and the Existence of God
    5. 6.4Free Will
    6. Practice
  8. 7Epistemology7 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 7.1What Epistemology Studies
    3. 7.2Knowledge
    4. 7.3Justification
    5. 7.4Skepticism
    6. 7.5Applied Epistemology
    7. Practice
  9. 8Value Theory7 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 8.1The Fact-Value Distinction
    3. 8.2Basic Questions about Values
    4. 8.3Metaethics
    5. 8.4Well-Being
    6. 8.5Aesthetics
    7. Practice
  10. 9Normative Moral Theory8 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 9.1Requirements of a Normative Moral Theory
    3. 9.2Consequentialism
    4. 9.3Deontology
    5. 9.4Virtue Ethics
    6. 9.5Daoism
    7. 9.6Feminist Theories of Ethics
    8. Practice
  11. 10Applied Ethics5 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 10.1The Challenge of Bioethics
    3. 10.2Environmental Ethics
    4. 10.3Business Ethics and Emerging Technology
    5. Practice
  12. 11Political Philosophy6 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 11.1Historical Perspectives on Government
    3. 11.2Forms of Government
    4. 11.3Political Legitimacy and Duty
    5. 11.4Political Ideologies
    6. Practice
  13. 12Contemporary Philosophies and Social Theories7 pages
    1. Introduction
    2. 12.1Enlightenment Social Theory
    3. 12.2The Marxist Solution
    4. 12.3Continental Philosophy’s Challenge to Enlightenment Theories
    5. 12.4The Frankfurt School
    6. 12.5Postmodernism
    7. Practice