Archetypes of Wisdom : An Introduction to Philosophy, Paperbound Edition (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac)

Rating:
Summary: Tears of Joy!! :D
Review: An EXCELLENT primer to philosophy, designed to be down-to-earth and easy to understand for everyday morons like myself. n_n

For starters, Soccio has included biographies of philosophers, countless numbers of quotes, illustrations (to further define the subjects), commentaries, summaries, internet resources, a collection of stories, cultural variety, and flexible structure.

The first chapter answers many critical questions hte beginner may have: Is objectivity possible? Does might make right? Is there one standard of right and wrong for everyone, or are moral standards relative? "Is it possible to justify the study of philosophy considering the urgent needs of such overwhelming contemporary problems such as world hunger?" The six branches are explained away in a nutshell in the behinning chapter, then elaborated throughout the rest of the book.

What I like best about Soccio's style of writing is his fair treatment of every single nook and cranny of the philosophical world. No bible-beating hellfire, or condescending arrogance! Yay!

Rating:
Summary: Great Philosophy Intro!
Review: As an introduction to philosophy, Soccio has done a great job. He does a great job of explaining a subject one of the most daunting subjects one could try to explain, and does it consistently. Highly recommended.

P.S. Soccio was my teacher at a community college a few years back--great guy, to boot.

Rating:
Summary: A excellent Intro to Philosophy
Review: I actually have the second edition to this textbook so I'm not sure how much it's changed--not much would be my guess since it's a truly wonderful book, one of the few textbooks that I've kept, and the only one that I periodically consult. Embarking on the study of philosophy with it's breadth and complexity can be daunting, and Archetypes of Wisdom provides an excellent introduction.