Reason and Responsibility: Readings in Some Basic Problems of Philosophy

I had to buy this book for a general education requirement this year. However, the class turned out to be my favorite (the teacher certainly helped) and I'm keeping the book after the semester is over. Reason and Responsibility contains essays from the greatest philosophers (and some not so great) in order to give the beginner a comprehensive overview of philosophy. At times, the essays were edited so that parts of the original selection were omitted. I had difficulty writing papers which criticized certain arguments become some claims can only be made from the entire text. However, if you are just reading this for fun as an introduction to philosophy, I highly recommend it.

I have never taken a course in philosophy. But, I think this is not just a text book for Philosophy 101. It is a great collection of essays, on a variety of topics, written by some of the greatet thinkers the world has produced. The editorial introduction for each topic beautifully lays down the ground work. This is followed by writings from eminent scholars representing various positions that have been taken on the issue. It is hard to find so much material in one volume. A must-have book for anyone with even a precursory interest in some of the most fundamental questions posed by life.

I highly recommend Feinberg's 'Reason and Responsibility' to beginning philosophers. Feinberg presents various philosophical topics in an organized manner and selects text that is easy to understand for readers new to philosophy. Readers are weaned into the language of philosophy by first being presented with the jargon in the beginning of each section. It's a great book that covers a variety of topics, from arguments about God's existence to ethics to abortion.

It is unclear whether my previous attempt to write a review of this book went through or not. If not, here goes again:A disclaimer: I have absolutely no connection with the authors or publishers and stand to benefit in no way from the sale of this book.My background: MA in philosophy and have taught as a teaching assistant on a number of philosophy courses at university level. Review:This is the best anthology of philosophical writing that I am aware of. It's strength lies in the range of readings it includes. The editors have, it seems, stayed very involved with their book and update the readings every few years. As a result this anthology includes some very recent material in addition to the classics. so, the reader has available to him/her a collection of writings that span nearly 2,500 years of Western philosophy. Note: it is an anthology of philosophy in the western tradition. A second notable strength of Reason and Responsibility is the introductory essays that appear at the start of each section. These are clear and especially helpful to those new to philosophy.It is also noteworthy that the editors have attempted to compile readings that give the reader a sense of the two sides to any given debate. This is not always the case with anthologies.One word of warning for those new to philosophy: much of the reading in this anthology (as in any such anthology) is not, in my view, suitable for a newcomer to the subject. The material was not intended for those without any philosophical background and would be very heavy going for a beginner in this field. So, to avoid being disheartened and turned off philosophy it might be a good idea to buy a general introduction to the subject as well as this anthology. I'd recommend: An Introduction to Philosophical Analysis, by John HospersorPhilosophy: the basics, by Nigel WarburtonorPhilosophy: a beginner's guide, by Jenny Teichmann and Katherine Evans (I am not certain that I have the second author's name right)

great anthology. constantly updated with great spread of readings covering almost 2,500 years of philosophy. great introductory essays to sections. and a nice range of topics covered. the editors do a good job of selecting readings to give a sense of both sides of the debate.