Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.
 The DEEP and MEANINGFUL way to learn PHILOSOPHYTrying to understand philosophy but feeling a bit skeptical? It's time to listen to reason! Philosophy Demystified helps you grasp both fundamental and complex topics with ease.
Written in a step-by-step format, this practical guide begins with an overview of Western philosophy and coverage of correct reasoning and critical thinking. The book goes on to discuss major branches of philosophy, including epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy. In-depth examples, detailed diagrams, and concise explanations make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce learning.
It's a no-brainer! You'll learn about:
<ul>
<li>Knowledge and the problem of skepticism</li>
<li>The problem of induction and the development of externalism</li>
<li>Personhood and personal identity over time</li>
<li>The question of God's existence</li>
<li>Moral decision-making</li>
<li>Justice, rights, and government</li>
</ul>
Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Philosophy Demystified helps you master this fascinating subject.

Philosophy DeMYSTiFied

Computers & Technology

Arp, Robert

Watson, Jamie Carlin

Networking & Cloud Computing

McGraw=Hill

An account of how humans evolved a conscious, vision-related ability unique to their species in order to solve nonroutine problems.In order to solve problems, humans are able to synthesize apparently unrelated concepts, take advantage of serendipitous opportunities, hypothesize, invent, and engage in other similarly abstract and creative activities, primarily through the use of their visual systems. In Scenario Visualization, Robert Arp offers an evolutionary account of the unique human ability to solve nonroutine vision-related problems. He argues that by the close of the Pleistocene epoch, humans evolved a conscious creative problem-solving capacity, which he terms scenario visualization, that enabled them to outlive other hominid species and populate the planet. Arp shows that the evidence for scenario visualization―by which images are selected, integrated, and then transformed and projected into visual scenarios―can be found in the kinds of complex tools our hominid ancestors invented in order to survive in the ever-changing environments of the Pleistocene world. Arp also argues that this conscious capacity shares an analogous affinity with neurobiological processes of selectivity and integration in the visual system, and that similar processes can be found in the activities of organisms in general. The evolution of these processes, he writes, helps account for the modern-day conscious ability of humans to use visual information to solve nonroutine problems creatively in their environments. Arp's account of scenario visualization and its emergence in evolutionary history suggests an answer to two basic questions asked by philosophers and biologists concerning human nature: why we are unique; and how we got that way.Robert Arp is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National Center for Biomedical Ontology. His areas of specialization include philosophy of biology and philosophy of mind. He is the author of numerous articles and the forthcoming An Integrated Approach to the Philosophy of Mind.

Scenario Visualization: An Evolutionary Account of Creative Problem Solving

Business & Money

Management & Leadership

Bradford Books

An introduction to the field of applied ontology with examples derived particularly from biomedicine, covering theoretical components, design practices, and practical applications.
In the era of “big data,” science is increasingly information driven, and the potential for computers to store, manage, and integrate massive amounts of data has given rise to such new disciplinary fields as biomedical informatics. Applied ontology offers a strategy for the organization of scientific information in computer-tractable form, drawing on concepts not only from computer and information science but also from linguistics, logic, and philosophy. This book provides an introduction to the field of applied ontology that is of particular relevance to biomedicine, covering theoretical components of ontologies, best practices for ontology design, and examples of biomedical ontologies in use.
After defining an ontology as a representation of the types of entities in a given domain, the book distinguishes between different kinds of ontologies and taxonomies, and shows how applied ontology draws on more traditional ideas from metaphysics. It presents the core features of the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO), now used by over one hundred ontology projects around the world, and offers examples of domain ontologies that utilize BFO. The book also describes Web Ontology Language (OWL), a common framework for Semantic Web technologies. Throughout, the book provides concrete recommendations for the design and construction of domain ontologies.

Building Ontologies with Basic Formal Ontology (Mit Press)

Smith, Barry

Spear, Andrew D.

The MIT Press

An invaluable tool for public speaking, writing, and anyone wishing to make a memorable impact with or be inspired by words, this handsomely illustrated volume is conveniently organized to facilitate finding the perfect words for any occasion. This is the perfect book for those looking for words from great thinkers and speakers in order to make a point, plead a case, or justify an opinion, to honor, glorify, or motivate others, or even for their own personal inspiration. Filled with multicultural aphorisms, adages, and axioms from numerous brilliant minds throughout the past 7,000 years and featuring more than 800 full-color illustrations, this latest addition to the best-selling 1001 series makes accessible a vast range of complex ideas from the ancient and classical era to the present. The book draws from varied fields including art, architecture, business, ecology, economics, education, law, literature, music, philosophy, politics, psychology, religion, science, and technology, and presents words of wisdom and inspiration from a wide array of cultural figures—from ancient sages such as Plato, Basho, Sun Tzu, and Ibn Battuta through the Renaissance and Enlightenment greats like Galileo, Copernicus, Goethe, and Newton to the icons of the present era, including Nelson Mandela, Gloria Steinem, Andy Warhol, Virginia Woolf, Oprah Winfrey, and Mark Zuckerberg. While many of the quotations have been published previously, 1001 Quotations To Enlighten, Entertain, &amp; Inspire is the first book to be fully illustrated (with images of the quotations’ originators), and draws on a truly global, multicultural range of thinkers from ancient times to the present.

1001 Quotations To Enlighten, Entertain, and Inspire

Biographies & Memoirs

Reference & Collections

Rizzoli Universe Promotional Books

Breaking Bad, hailed by Stephen King, Chuck Klosterman, and many others as the best of all TV dramas, tells the story of a man whose life changes because of the medical death sentence of an advanced cancer diagnosis. The show depicts his metamorphosis from inoffensive chemistry teacher to feared drug lord and remorseless killer. Driven at first by the desire to save his family from destitution, he risks losing his family altogether because of his new life of crime. In defiance of the tradition that viewers demand a TV character who never changes, Breaking Bad is all about the process of change, with each scene carrying forward the morphing of Walter White into the terrible Heisenberg. Can a person be transformed as the result of a few key life choices? Does everyone have the potential to be a ruthless criminal? How will we respond to the knowledge that we will be dead in six months? Is human life subject to laws as remorseless as chemical equations? When does injustice validate brutal retaliation? Why are drug addicts unsuitable for operating the illegal drug business? How can TV viewers remain loyal to a series where the hero becomes the villain? Does Heisenberg’s Principle of Uncertainty rule our destinies? In Breaking Bad and Philosophy, a hand-picked squad of professional thinkers investigate the crimes of Walter White, showing how this story relates to the major themes of philosophy and the major life decisions facing all of us.

Breaking Bad and Philosophy: Badder Living through Chemistry (Popular Culture and Philosophy)

Politics & Social Sciences

Koepsell, David R.

Philosophy

Open Court

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to Reasoning Well provides a concise and accessible introduction to logic and critical reasoning. Designed specifically to meet the needs of undergraduate students encountering philosophical logic and critical thinking for the first time, this comprehensive textbook covers all the themes and topics typically covered in an introductory course. Topics covered include: *the structure, formation, analysis and recognition of arguments *deductive validity and soundness *inductive strength and cogency *inference to the best explanation *truth tables *tools for argument assessment *informal and formal fallacies Designed for classroom use, the book features a host of student-friendly exercises, examples, study questions, diagrams, and suggestions for further reading. Ideal for undergraduate students in philosophy and beyond, it also includes full coverage of the reasoning problems typically found on graduate school entrance exams. Guiding students to all the skills and tools necessary for effective critical thinking, the text is supplemented throughout with real life examples that highlight the immense value of thinking critically.

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to Reasoning Well

Bloomsbury Academic

A timely and accessible guide to 100 of the most infamous logical fallacies in Western philosophy, helping readers avoid and detect false assumptions and faulty reasoning You’ll love this book or you’ll hate it. So, you’re either with us or against us. And if you’re against us then you hate books. No true intellectual would hate this book. Ever decide to avoid a restaurant because of one bad meal? Choose a product because a celebrity endorsed it? Or ignore what a politician says because she’s not a member of your party? For as long as people have been discussing, conversing, persuading, advocating, proselytizing, pontificating, or otherwise stating their case, their arguments have been vulnerable to false assumptions and faulty reasoning. Drawing upon a long history of logical falsehoods and philosophical flubs, Bad Arguments demonstrates how misguided arguments come to be, and what we can do to detect them in the rhetoric of others and avoid using them ourselves. Fallacies—or conclusions that don’t follow from their premise—are at the root of most bad arguments, but it can be easy to stumble into a fallacy without realizing it. In this clear and concise guide to good arguments gone bad, Robert Arp, Steven Barbone, and Michael Bruce take readers through 100 of the most infamous fallacies in Western philosophy, identifying the most common missteps, pitfalls, and dead-ends of arguments gone awry. Whether an instance of sunk costs, is ought, affirming the consequent, moving the goal post, begging the question, or the ever-popular slippery slope, each fallacy engages with examples drawn from contemporary politics, economics, media, and popular culture. Further diagrams and tables supplement entries and contextualize common errors in logical reasoning. At a time in our world when it is crucial to be able to identify and challenge rhetorical half-truths, this bookhelps readers to better understand flawed argumentation and develop logical literacy. Unrivaled in its breadth of coverage and a worthy companion to its sister volume Just the Arguments (2011), Bad Arguments is an essential tool for undergraduate students and general readers looking to hone their critical thinking and rhetorical skills.

Bad Arguments

Wiley/Blackwell

King, Skyler

What's Good on TV?: Understanding Ethics Through Television

What's Good on TV? Understanding Ethics Through Television presents an introduction to the basic theories and concepts of moral philosophy using concrete examples from classic and contemporary television shows. <ul>
<li>Utilizes clear examples from popular contemporary and classic television shows, such as The Office, Law and Order, Star Trek and Family Guy, to illustrate complex philosophical concepts</li> <li>Designed to be used as a stand-alone or supplementary introductory ethics text</li> <li>Features case studies, study questions, and suggested readings</li> <li>Episodes mentioned are from a wide variety of television shows, and are easily accessible</li> <li>Offers a balanced treatment of a number of controversial ethical issues including environmental ethics, animal welfare, abortion, homosexuality, capital punishment, assisted suicide, censorship and the erosion of values</li> <li>Includes a companion website at http://whatsgoodontv.webs.com</li> </ul>

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Arp, Robert. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Arp, Robert

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Arp, Robert. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Philosophy DeMYSTiFied

Scenario Visualization: An Evolutionary Account of Creative Problem Solving

Building Ontologies with Basic Formal Ontology (Mit Press)

1001 Quotations To Enlighten, Entertain, and Inspire

Breaking Bad and Philosophy: Badder Living through Chemistry (Popular Culture and Philosophy)

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to Reasoning Well

Bad Arguments

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to Reasoning Well

What's Good on TV?: Understanding Ethics Through Television

What's Good on TV?: Understanding Ethics Through Television