Riddles of Existence: A Guided Tour of Metaphysics

"Riddles of Existence" covers central problems in general metaphysics and in special metaphysics. These include the nature of personal identity, free will, fatalism, the existence of God, material constitution, universals and modality. The problems and their proposed solutions are explained clearly and carefully, and the style is friendly and engaging. Conee and Feldman defend their own positions, and I often disagree with them, but I do not think that they are didactic; they usually treat alternative positions sympathetically and recommend further reading for each chapter. The book is supposed to be accessible to those without any previous exposure to metaphysics or to philosophy more generally, and I think that it is the most accessible introduction available. To be sure, beginners may find some of the discussion, for example, of the ontological argument and of universals, quite difficult and demanding. There is also what to my mind is an original formulation and treatment of the ontological argument, and the book may be of interest to more advanced readers. It also includes a chapter on the problem of why there exists anything at all, why there is something rather than nothing, which is typically neglected in introductions. I think that this book is a fascinating and entertaining introduction for the general interested readers, and that it should also prove quite helpful to undergraduate philosophy students.

From personal identity to time to "why not nothing?", Conee and Sider have cooked up an introduction to metaphysical questions that are a lot of fun. The chapters can be read (and re-read) in any order and thought about for a lifetime. The book is designed for a general audience - at least a general audience that likes to think philosophically. At the end of each chapter you will a helpful list of suggestions for further reading (mostly by contemporary philosophers). Don't be fooled by other reviews! The book is neither difficult nor hard to follow. The prose is clear, engaging, and any steps in its arguments are logical, sensible, and clearly labelled (labels aren't always used and aren't rocket science, but help with recall; if you have trouble figuring out that "P2" can stand for "phase 2" then you might end up a little befuddled here and there). This book is suitable for any in high school or above, though it might be found attractive by a precocious middle-schooler. But while accessible to a wide audience, it isn't a "dumbed-down" approach to philosophy.