This is an introductory textbook in logic and critical thinking. The goal of the textbook is to provide the reader with a set of tools and skills that will enable them to identify and evaluate arguments. The book is intended for an introductory course that covers both formal and informal logic. As such, it is not a formal logic textbook, but is closer to what one would find marketed as a critical thinking textbook. Downloadable as a pdf file.

As an introduction to Media Literacy, this lesson covers topics ranging from rhetorical theory, philosophy, and history to illuminate the interconnected complications of media in the modern world. Supplemental resources are woven into the lesson in the form of hyperlink text, images, and embedded videos. The ultimate goal of this lesson resource is to inform grade-aged learners about the subject complexity of media literacy and equip them with the most basic tools to properly understand and engage with social media and media in general. Crash Course, a free supplemental learning company is a commonly referenced external tool within the lesson as their expanding topic verity offers well-researched additive content for digital learning environments.

As an introduction to Media Literacy, this lesson covers topics ranging from rhetorical theory, philosophy, and history to illuminate the interconnected complications of media in the modern world. Supplemental resources are woven into the lesson in the form of hyperlink text, images, and embedded videos. The ultimate goal of this lesson resource is to inform grade-aged learners about the subject complexity of media literacy and equip them with the most basic tools to properly understand and engage with social media and media in general. Crash Course, a free supplemental learning company is a commonly referenced external tool within the lesson as their expanding topic verity offers well-researched additive content for digital learning environments.

Understand the foundation and basics of Moral Philosophy, a subject of morality within philosophy, through this module. This introductory module focuses on the definition of moral philosophy, certain moral principles, argumentation, and begins to look into one ethical theory, utilitarianism. 

The goal of this text is to present philosophy to newcomers as a living discipline with historical roots. While a few early chapters are historically organized, the goal in the historical chapters is to trace a developmental progression of thought that introduces basic philosophical methods and frames issues that remain relevant today. Later chapters are topically organized. These include philosophy of science and philosophy of mind, areas where philosophy has shown dramatic recent progress. This text concludes with four chapters on ethics, broadly construed. Traditional theories of right action is covered in a third of these. Students are first invited first to think about what is good for themselves and their relationships in a chapter of love and happiness. Next a few meta-ethical issues are considered; namely, whether they are moral truths and if so what makes them so. The end of the ethics sequence addresses social justice, what it is for one's community to be good. Our sphere of concern expands progressively through these chapters. Our inquiry recapitulates the course of development into moral maturity. Over the course of the text, the author has tried to outline the continuity of thought that leads from the historical roots of philosophy to a few of the diverse areas of inquiry that continue to make significant contributions to our understanding of ourselves and the world we live in.

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.

Word Count: 314927

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Long Description:
This eText was converted from the original [PDF] file to Pressbooks at the University of Central Florida by James Paradiso and Kylee Woodland so that content consumers would have an easier / more flexible way to retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute according to the Creative Commons license (CC BY) assigned to this work. Cover design: Mireya Ramirez / CDL Graphics.

Word Count: 109651

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Philosophy is the best training for living. Your thoughts, your convictions, and your values all exist within a framework that has developed over time. In order to understand that framework and your place in it, we will engage in thinking about the subjects and issues presented in this class through reading, discussion, and reflection. How you live and how you prepare for death, your political views, and your religious views are all determined by your thoughts and words. Through the study of philosophy, if you take it seriously, you will come to a better understanding of yourself and this will allow you to live authentically. The subject matter of philosophy is sometimes difficult but you will find that engaging in these ways will encourage you to think more deeply and sincerely about the material. This text was remixed from a number of sources for Introduction to Philosophy with the intent to offer readers a more comprehensive and diverse selection of readings. The text is divided thematically using (mostly) the expected branches of philosophy including logic, metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology. Within each section, readings come from a broad range of writers with the intent to include thinkers not usually included in Introductory texts like women and BIPOC. 

The goal of this text is to present philosophy to newcomers as a living discipline with historical roots. While a few early chapters are historically organized, my goal in the historical chapters is to trace a developmental progression of thought that introduces basic philosophical methods and frames issues that remain relevant today. Later chapters are topically organized. These include philosophy of science and philosophy of mind, areas where philosophy has shown dramatic recent progress. This text concludes with four chapters on ethics, broadly construed. I cover traditional theories of right action in the third of these. Students are first invited first to think about what is good for themselves and their relationships in a chapter of love and happiness. Next a few meta-ethical issues are considered; namely, whether they are moral truths and if so what makes them so. The end of the ethics sequence addresses social justice, what it is for one’s community to be good. Our sphere of concern expands progressively through these chapters. Our inquiry recapitulates the course of development into moral maturity

Word Count: 56774

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Short Description:
Aesthetic Theory and Practice offers fresh perspectives on canonical and emerging topics in aesthetics, and also brings attention to a number of culturally sensitive topics that are customarily silenced in introductions to philosophical aesthetics. The papers are heterogeneous in terms of length and degrees of difficulty, inviting the reader into the study of contemporary aesthetics, which spans a lifetime. Cover art by Heather Salazar; cover design by Jonathan Lashley. Join the conversation about this and the other books in the Introduction to Philosophy textbook series.

Long Description:
Aesthetic Theory and Practice offers fresh perspectives on canonical and emerging topics in aesthetics, and also brings attention to a number of culturally sensitive topics that are customarily silenced in introductions to philosophical aesthetics. The papers are heterogeneous in terms of length and degrees of difficulty, inviting the reader into the study of contemporary aesthetics, which spans a lifetime.

This collection is co-created thanks to contributions from the Americas, Japan and China, Australia and Austria, England and France, Italy, Germany and Ethiopia. It is not surprising, therefore, that all eleven chapters adopt active critical and often multicultural perspectives, so as to evaluate aesthetics in relation to the tradition, its cultural potential, and the messy, geopolitical circumstances of the 21st century.

If you are adopting or adapting this book for a course, please let us know on our adoption form for the Introduction to Philosophy open textbook series.

Word Count: 88530

ISBN: 978-1-989014-29-5

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This is a narrated slideshow that quickly recaps the contents of Chapter 5 in the course Introduction to Philosophy 1000 from my own interpretation of the materials and information expressed through the textbook and hope it is able to help other understand what is being said in the textbook.

Short Description:
Introduction to Philosophy: Epistemology engages first-time philosophy readers on a guided tour through the core concepts, questions, methods, arguments, and theories of epistemology—the branch of philosophy devoted to the study of knowledge. The book progresses systematically while placing key ideas and thinkers in historical and contemporary context. Central topics include the analysis of knowledge, the nature of epistemic justification, rationalism vs. empiricism, skepticism, the value of knowledge, the ethics of belief, Bayesian epistemology, social epistemology, and feminist epistemologies. Cover art by Heather Salazar; cover design by Jonathan Lashley. Join the conversation about this and the other books in the Introduction to Philosophy textbook series.

Long Description:
Introduction to Philosophy: Epistemology engages first-time philosophy readers on a guided tour through the core concepts, questions, methods, arguments, and theories of epistemology—the branch of philosophy devoted to the study of knowledge. After a brief overview of the field, the book progresses systematically while placing central ideas and thinkers in historical and contemporary context.

The chapters cover the analysis of knowledge, the nature of epistemic justification, rationalism vs. empiricism, skepticism, the value of knowledge, the ethics of belief, Bayesian epistemology, social epistemology, and feminist epistemologies. Along the way, instructors and students will encounter a wealth of additional resources and tools: Chapter learning outcomes Key terms Images of philosophers and related art Useful diagrams and tables Boxes containing excerpts and other supplementary material Questions for reflection Suggestions for further reading A glossary

For an undergraduate survey epistemology course, Introduction to Philosophy: Epistemology is ideal when used as a main text paired with primary sources and scholarly articles. For an introductory philosophy course, select book chapters are best used in combination with chapters from other books in the Introduction to Philosophy series.

Word Count: 64081

ISBN: 978-1-989014-25-7

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Short Description:
We often make judgments about good and bad, right and wrong. Philosophical ethics is the critical examination of these and other concepts central to how we evaluate our own and each others' behavior and choices. This text examines some of the main threads of discussion on these topics that have developed over the last couple of millenia, mostly within the Western cultural tradition. Join the conversation about this and the other books in the Introduction to Philosophy textbook series. Cover art by Heather Salazar; cover design by Jonathan Lashley.

Long Description:
We often make judgments about good and bad, right and wrong. Philosophical ethics is the critical examination of these and other concepts central to how we evaluate our own and each others’ behavior and choices.

This text examines some of the main threads of discussion on these topics that have developed over the last couple of millenia, mostly within the Western cultural tradition. It considers basic questions about moral and ethical judgment: Is there such a thing as something that is really right or really wrong independent of time, place and perspective? What is the relationship between religion and ethics? How can we reconcile self-interest and ethics? Is it ever acceptable to harm one person in order to help others? What do recent discussions in evolutionary biology or have to say about human moral systems? What is the relation between gender and ethics? The authors invite you to participate in their exploration of these and many other questions in philosophical ethics.

If you are adopting or adapting this book for a course, please let us know on our adoption form for the Introduction to Philosophy open textbook series.

Word Count: 46624

ISBN: 978-1-989014-08-0

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Short Description:
We often make judgments about good and bad, right and wrong. Philosophical ethics is the critical examination of these and other concepts central to how we evaluate our own and each others' behavior and choices. This text examines some of the main threads of discussion on these topics that have developed over the last couple of millenia, mostly within the Western cultural tradition. Cover art by Heather Salazar; cover design by Jonathan Lashley. Join the conversation about this and the other books in the Introduction to Philosophy textbook series.

Long Description:
We often make judgments about good and bad, right and wrong. Philosophical ethics is the critical examination of these and other concepts central to how we evaluate our own and each others’ behavior and choices.

This text examines some of the main threads of discussion on these topics that have developed over the last couple of millenia, mostly within the Western cultural tradition. It considers basic questions about moral and ethical judgment: Is there such a thing as something that is really right or really wrong independent of time, place and perspective? What is the relationship between religion and ethics? How can we reconcile self-interest and ethics? Is it ever acceptable to harm one person in order to help others? What do recent discussions in evolutionary biology or have to say about human moral systems? What is the relation between gender and ethics? The authors invite you to participate in their exploration of these and many other questions in philosophical ethics.

If you are adopting or adapting this book for a course, please let us know on our adoption form for the Introduction to Philosophy open textbook series.

Word Count: 46922

ISBN: 978-1-989014-08-0

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Short Description:
Introduction to Philosophy: Logic provides students with the concepts and skills necessary to identify and evaluate arguments effectively. The chapters, all written by experts in the field, provide an overview of what arguments are, the different types of arguments one can expect to encounter in both philosophy and everyday life, and how to recognise common argumentative mistakes. Cover art by Heather Salazar; cover design by Jonathan Lashley. Join the conversation about this and the other books in the Introduction to Philosophy textbook series.

Long Description:
Introduction to Philosophy: Logic provides students with the concepts and skills necessary to identify and evaluate arguments effectively. The chapters, all written by experts in the field, provide an overview of what arguments are, the different types of arguments one can expect to encounter in both philosophy and everyday life, and how to recognise common argumentative mistakes. The book aims to reach not only those who wish to learn logic to further their philosophical education, but also those who wish to gain the tools to better understand how to approach arguments in many aspects of their lives.

Word Count: 32481

ISBN: 978-1-989014-09-7

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Short Description:
Introduction to Philosophy: Logic provides students with the concepts and skills necessary to identify and evaluate arguments effectively. The chapters, all written by experts in the field, provide an overview of what arguments are, the different types of arguments one can expect to encounter in both philosophy and everyday life, and how to recognise common argumentative mistakes. Cover art by Heather Salazar; cover design by Jonathan Lashley.

Long Description:
Introduction to Philosophy: Logic provides students with the concepts and skills necessary to identify and evaluate arguments effectively. The chapters, all written by experts in the field, provide an overview of what arguments are, the different types of arguments one can expect to encounter in both philosophy and everyday life, and how to recognise common argumentative mistakes. The book aims to reach not only those who wish to learn logic to further their philosophical education, but also those who wish to gain the tools to better understand how to approach arguments in many aspects of their lives.

Word Count: 32437

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Short Description:
Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophy of Mind surveys the central themes in philosophy of mind and places them in a historical and contemporary context intended to engage first-time readers in the field. It focuses on debates about the status and character of the mind and its seemingly subjective nature in an apparently more objective world. Cover art by Heather Salazar; cover design by Jonathan Lashley. Join the conversation about this and the other books in the Introduction to Philosophy textbook series.

Long Description:
Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophy of Mind (edited by Heather Salazar) surveys the central themes in philosophy of mind and places them in a historical and contemporary context intended to engage first-time readers in the field. It focuses on debates about the status and character of the mind and its seemingly subjective nature in an apparently more objective world.

Written by experts and emerging researchers in their subject areas, each chapter brings clarity to complex material and involves the reader through a wealth of examples. Many chapters include applications of the concepts to film and literature that will stimulate readers to firmly grasp the significance of the philosophy of mind. Subjects covered are how the mind fits into the material world and how to analyze its properties. In that vein, substance dualism, materialism, behaviorism, functionalism, and property dualism are all explored.

In addition, it includes insightful contributions on how to explain seemingly subjective feelings, the mystery of consciousness, conceptual understanding of the world outside of the mind, and free will. The book is designed to be used alone or alongside a reader of historical and contemporary original sources.

If you are adopting or adapting this book for a course, please let us know on our adoption form for the Introduction to Philosophy open textbook series.

Cover art by Heather Salazer; cover design by Jonathan Lashley.

Word Count: 39159

ISBN: 978-1-989014-07-3

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Short Description:
Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophy of Religion introduces some of the major traditional arguments for and against the existence of God, as well as some less well-known, but thought-provoking arguments for the existence of God, and one of the most important new challenges to religious belief from the Cognitive Science of Religion. An introductory chapter traces the connection between philosophy and religion throughout Western history, and a final chapter addresses the place of non-Western and non-monotheistic religions within contemporary philosophy of religion. Cover art by Heather Salazar; cover design by Jonathan Lashley. Join the conversation about this and the other books in the Introduction to Philosophy textbook series.

Long Description:
Where did the universe come from? Is life a result of chance, or design? If God is loving and all-powerful, why does evil still exist? Is religious belief just a byproduct of undirected evolutionary processes? Or did God make sure humans would evolve in such a way as to believe? Are philosophers closed-minded about religion? And why is so much of philosophy of religion about God—but not about gods?

Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophy of Religion introduces students to some of the major traditional arguments for and against the existence of God. It also includes discussions of some less well-known, but thought-provoking arguments for the existence of God, and one of the most important new challenges to religious belief from the Cognitive Science of Religion. An introductory chapter traces the deep interconnections between philosophy and religion throughout Western history, and a final chapter considers what place there is for non-Western and non-monotheistic religions within contemporary philosophy of religion.

Whatever your religious beliefs—or lack of beliefs—we think you will find many of the arguments in this book fascinating to think about, and useful starting points for deeper philosophical discussions.

Word Count: 47039

ISBN: 978-1-989014-23-3

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