Philosophy and the Good Life: A Text for Beginners
Edition: 3
Copyright: 2016
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Whereas most textbooks consist either of 1) anthologies consisting almost entirely of primary source material without commentary or explanation or 2) a series of summaries of classic texts containing little of what the philosophers themselves actually wrote, Philosophy and the Good Life steers a middle course between these two extremes by presenting the ideas of some of the greatest minds of the Philosophic Tradition in as close to their original form as possible, while at the same time providing commentaries that guide students toward a clearer understanding of the rather complex and difficult primary source material they will encounter therein.
In addition, the web component to Philosophy and the Good Life contains valuable student resources, including practice quizzes, PPT slides, and video lectures for each chapter.
Instructor resources include test banks with T/F, multiple-choice, and essay questions, as well as discussion board questions.
Chapter 1: Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
Chapter 2: Plato’s Euthyphro
Chapter 3: Plato’s Apology of Socrates
Chapter 4: Epicurus and Hedonism
Chapter 5: St. Thomas Aquinas on Natural Law
Chapter 6: Thomas Hobbes: Psychological Egoism and the Social Contract
Chapter 7: Friedrich Nietzsche: “The Mad Man and the Death of God”; Beyond Good and Evil
Chapter 8: Jose Ortega y Gasset: The Crowd Phenomenon
Chapter 9: Jean-Paul Sartre: Existentialism
Chapter 10: Theodore Dalrymple: Critique of Modernity
A little bit about me: I took my first Philosophy course as a college freshman many years ago, and quickly fell in love with the discipline. There is something incredibly beautiful about being able to construct, analyze, evaluate and articulate a complex argument. After college I realized my dream of studying in Paris, France for a year on a Fulbright scholarship, after which I returned to Dallas and began working on my Ph.D, which I completed in 2008 at the Institute of Philosophic Studies, University of Dallas. I have been teaching Philosophy full time at North Lake College (in the Dallas, TX area) since the fall of 2005. Perhaps I am just a little biased, but I happen to believe that teaching is one of the greatest professions there is, as it allows one to satisfy two of humankind's deepest and most fulfilling desires: the desire for intellectual and creative stimulation, on the one hand, and the desire to help others succeed, on the other.
My hobbies include reading and traveling. I mostly read philosophy and fiction books but am branching out into historical and political works as well. I also travel whenever I can (usually during the summers). So far, I have been to 36 countries! My favorite foreign countries are France and Italy (mainly for the food, the art, and architecture), through which I have traveled extensively (I love visiting Aix-en-Provence and Florence). I love to spend hours in the cafés, reading, thinking, sipping good coffee, and daydreaming. That’s pretty much it for me in the “good times” department!
It has been a fantastic journey so far, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds. I hope you enjoy the book!
--Dr. A