Reviews from Amazon

Think

Philosophy can sometimes appear to be a terribly abstract subject, with little relation to the rest of the world. In Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy Simon Blackburn shows that the questions pondered by philosophers are the same ones which the rest of us want answered. The book starts with topics related to the philosophy of mind, such as Descartes' 'I think therefore I am', free will and the nature of the self. There is then a chapter on God and religion, followed by a look at how we make sense of the world, including a gentle introduction to logic.

The final chapter 'What to Do', examines how the ideas of philosophy apply in our everyday lives, including the question of whether, if you are worrying about a problem, you should deal with the problem or simply try to stop worrying.

In a textbook the author might be expected to give an unbiased view of the material presented. This is not such a book - Blackburn is clearly arguing for his own views, and you may well find yourself disagreeing with them, in particular the parts on the mind and on religion. But that's good because it gives you something to help you in forming your own ideas. If you want to try to clarify your thoughts on some of the important philosophical questions then you're likely to find this book very useful.

Amazon.com info

Paperback 320 pages
ISBN: 0192854259
Salesrank: 414515
Weight:0.66 lbs

Published: 2001 Oxford Paperbacks

Marketplace:New from $9.19:Used from $8.50

Buy from Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk info

Paperback 320 pages
ISBN: 0192854259
Salesrank: 937
Weight:0.66 lbs

Published: 2001 Oxford Paperbacks

Amazon price £6.15

Marketplace:New from £4.13:Used from £4.16

Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.ca info

Paperback 320 pages
ISBN: 0192854259
Salesrank: 55315
Weight:0.66 lbs

Published: 2001 Oxford Paperbacks

Amazon price CDN$ 16.43

Marketplace:New from CDN$ 8.44:Used from CDN$ 4.32

Buy from Amazon.ca

Product Description
This is a book about the big questions in life: knowledge, consciousness, fate, God, truth, goodness, justice. It is for anyone who believes there are big questions out there, but does not know how to approach them. Think sets out to explain what they are and why they are important. Simon Blackburn begins by putting forward a convincing case for the study of philosophy and goes on to give the reader a sense of how the great historical figures such as Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein have approached its central themes. Each chapter explains a major issue, and gives the reader a self-contained guide through the problems that philosophers have studied. The large scope of topics covered range from scepticism, the self, mind and body, and freedom to ethics and the arguments surrounding the existence of God. Lively and approachable, this book is ideal for all those who want to learn how the basic techniques of thinking shape our existence.

Product Description

This is a book about the big questions in life: knowledge, consciousness, fate, God, truth, goodness, justice. It is for anyone who believes there are big questions out there, but does not know how to approach them. Think sets out to explain what they are and why they are important. Simon Blackburn begins by putting forward a convincing case for the study of philosophy and goes on to give the reader a sense of how the great historical figures such as Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein have approached its central themes. Each chapter explains a major issue, and gives the reader a self-contained guide through the problems that philosophers have studied. The large scope of topics covered range from scepticism, the self, mind and body, and freedom to ethics and the arguments surrounding the existence of God. Lively and approachable, this book is ideal for all those who want to learn how the basic techniques of thinking shape our existence.

Think! *****
Blackburn thoroughly and succinctly provides an overview of the major problems of modern (Western) philosophy in a clear and evenhanded manner. He challenges the reader to consider these problems without overwhelming or patronizing him. The reader is given solid ground from which he or she can further investigate issues of particular interest. Notes and bibliography are particularly helpful. I intend to use this volume as a springboard for a college-level introductory philosophy course.

Think! *****

Blackburn thoroughly and succinctly provides an overview of the major problems of modern (Western) philosophy in a clear and evenhanded manner. He challenges the reader to consider these problems without overwhelming or patronizing him. The reader is given solid ground from which he or she can further investigate issues of particular interest. Notes and bibliography are particularly helpful. I intend to use this volume as a springboard for a college-level introductory philosophy course.

Well Worth A Read *****
A clear, concise and interesting introduction for anyone who likes to think, discuss and wonder about all the things we don't know.

Well Worth A Read *****

A clear, concise and interesting introduction for anyone who likes to think, discuss and wonder about all the things we don't know.

I Thought As Much ****
Simon Blackburn describes philosophy as "concept engineering", defining its role as studying "the structure of thought." Those thoughts are about the the "big themes" of life such as" knowledge, reason, truth, mind, freedom, destiny, identity, God, goodness, justice" all of which demonstrate humans' practice of "reflecting on themselves". This is done by thinking but what is meant by thought? Philosophy is good exercise for the mind and necessary in a changing world. Categorising thought - and the assumptions which often underlie thought - are essential if we are to understand the world. Darcartes' dualism distinguished between body and soul (the existence of physical and mental substances) arguing "Cogito, ergo sum" - I think, therefore I am. Blackburn believes a better translation would be "I am thinking, therefore I am" inasmuch thinking per se is evidence of oneself. Evidence of oneself is more secure than evidence of the rest of the world which is perceived rather than known. Descartes used reason to deny scepticism but did not solve the problem of knowledge because reason cannot be taken in isolation from its environment. Similarly our physical senses may deceive us. For example, dreaming may convince us we are experiencing reality when we are experiencing the subconscious representation of things which may exist only in one's mind. Reason does not act in a vacuum. A ship can never be rebuilt from the bottom while it is actually sailing and once the toothpaste is out of the tube it cannot be returned to it in its original form. For Descartes, dualism provided a doorway to non physical existence. For Gilbert Ryle mind is the ghost in the machine. The question of the relationship between mind and matter has not yet been solved and, according to the new mysterians, never will be. Logical behaviourism argues that if mental ascriptions can be analysed in physical terms this supports Leibniz's contention that there is an a priori way of seeing how the physical gives rise to the mental. Behaviourism has its limitations as Blackburn shows by repeating the joke about two behaviourists in bed - "that was great for you, how was it for me?" According to Wittgenstein "there could be no significant thought about the nature of one's past (or future) mental life if that mental life is divorced from from the physical world in the way that Cartesian dualism proposes." However, the precise nature of the relationship of the physical to the mental, remains a mystery. The concept of free will arises naturally from thinking about the nature of being. Free will can be considered from one's own position when making a choice or from the third person perspective. "The problem lies in reconciling the two stances". While the first includes causation, the latter does not. "Theorists and gurus like to make a pattern" but, on many occasions, no pattern emerges or, if there is a pattern, it is unknown, unknowable, or simply a stereotype which becomes self-fulfilling. Hence it is important to follow the evidence rather than imposing an interpretation on it. Blackburn claims "flexibility rules" which allows concept engineering to provide a variety of thought structures for explanatory purposes. So too with the idea of self. Blackburn believes questions of identity are essential to an understanding of the human condition. Others consider identity is the adjustment of the self to the real world. The extent to which this adjustment is based on an evaluation of the self and an interpretation of the external world can only be asserted by assessing the evidence from clearly stated assumptions. The chapter on God provides a broad survey of the subject and questions arising from it, in particular the problem of evil. While it appears to be the one chapter where Blackburn's own views interrupt the narrative he makes the important point that in the conflict between reason and faith, reason often depends on faith in humanity. Human history suggests that people coming "down the mountain carrying their own practical certainties" are a continuing phenomenon but provides no insight into human nature itself, the condition of which lies at the heart, for example, of the Christian worldview. It remains a perpetual problem created by the boundaries of thought within the paradigms to which we adhere. Similarly with formal logic where ultimately we are reliant on "brute faith in the uniformity of nature." Approaches to an understanding of whatever constitutes reality are all subject to objection. Hume's unmitigated scepticism is not confined to the philosophy of religion but applies to all thought. If it did not then thought would never change and we would all be trapped in a time warp. The book works as summer reading for prospective undergraduates. It explains the importance of thinking i.e. looking at philosophical problems, asking the right questions and coming up with answers which may result in different theoretical constructs. Its thematic approach provides a link between the various branches of philosophy although studying philosophers individually still has its attractions. Blackburn only calls on a handful of philosophers to illustrate his points and shows a lack of interest in contemporary continental philosophy but who can blame him for that?. Interesting but not compelling. Four stars.

I Thought As Much ****

Simon Blackburn describes philosophy as "concept engineering", defining its role as studying "the structure of thought." Those thoughts are about the the "big themes" of life such as" knowledge, reason, truth, mind, freedom, destiny, identity, God, goodness, justice" all of which demonstrate humans' practice of "reflecting on themselves". This is done by thinking but what is meant by thought? Philosophy is good exercise for the mind and necessary in a changing world. Categorising thought - and the assumptions which often underlie thought - are essential if we are to understand the world.

Darcartes' dualism distinguished between body and soul (the existence of physical and mental substances) arguing "Cogito, ergo sum" - I think, therefore I am. Blackburn believes a better translation would be "I am thinking, therefore I am" inasmuch thinking per se is evidence of oneself. Evidence of oneself is more secure than evidence of the rest of the world which is perceived rather than known. Descartes used reason to deny scepticism but did not solve the problem of knowledge because reason cannot be taken in isolation from its environment. Similarly our physical senses may deceive us. For example, dreaming may convince us we are experiencing reality when we are experiencing the subconscious representation of things which may exist only in one's mind. Reason does not act in a vacuum. A ship can never be rebuilt from the bottom while it is actually sailing and once the toothpaste is out of the tube it cannot be returned to it in its original form.

For Descartes, dualism provided a doorway to non physical existence. For Gilbert Ryle mind is the ghost in the machine. The question of the relationship between mind and matter has not yet been solved and, according to the new mysterians, never will be. Logical behaviourism argues that if mental ascriptions can be analysed in physical terms this supports Leibniz's contention that there is an a priori way of seeing how the physical gives rise to the mental. Behaviourism has its limitations as Blackburn shows by repeating the joke about two behaviourists in bed - "that was great for you, how was it for me?" According to Wittgenstein "there could be no significant thought about the nature of one's past (or future) mental life if that mental life is divorced from from the physical world in the way that Cartesian dualism proposes." However, the precise nature of the relationship of the physical to the mental, remains a mystery.

The concept of free will arises naturally from thinking about the nature of being. Free will can be considered from one's own position when making a choice or from the third person perspective. "The problem lies in reconciling the two stances". While the first includes causation, the latter does not. "Theorists and gurus like to make a pattern" but, on many occasions, no pattern emerges or, if there is a pattern, it is unknown, unknowable, or simply a stereotype which becomes self-fulfilling. Hence it is important to follow the evidence rather than imposing an interpretation on it. Blackburn claims "flexibility rules" which allows concept engineering to provide a variety of thought structures for explanatory purposes. So too with the idea of self. Blackburn believes questions of identity are essential to an understanding of the human condition. Others consider identity is the adjustment of the self to the real world. The extent to which this adjustment is based on an evaluation of the self and an interpretation of the external world can only be asserted by assessing the evidence from clearly stated assumptions.

The chapter on God provides a broad survey of the subject and questions arising from it, in particular the problem of evil. While it appears to be the one chapter where Blackburn's own views interrupt the narrative he makes the important point that in the conflict between reason and faith, reason often depends on faith in humanity. Human history suggests that people coming "down the mountain carrying their own practical certainties" are a continuing phenomenon but provides no insight into human nature itself, the condition of which lies at the heart, for example, of the Christian worldview. It remains a perpetual problem created by the boundaries of thought within the paradigms to which we adhere. Similarly with formal logic where ultimately we are reliant on "brute faith in the uniformity of nature." Approaches to an understanding of whatever constitutes reality are all subject to objection. Hume's unmitigated scepticism is not confined to the philosophy of religion but applies to all thought. If it did not then thought would never change and we would all be trapped in a time warp.

The book works as summer reading for prospective undergraduates. It explains the importance of thinking i.e. looking at philosophical problems, asking the right questions and coming up with answers which may result in different theoretical constructs. Its thematic approach provides a link between the various branches of philosophy although studying philosophers individually still has its attractions. Blackburn only calls on a handful of philosophers to illustrate his points and shows a lack of interest in contemporary continental philosophy but who can blame him for that?. Interesting but not compelling. Four stars.

Think. A spendid introduction to philosophy *****
THINK. Simon Blackburn. A review by Colin Russell Smith. Whether you are a serious beginner to the study of philosophy or are simply looking for a fascinating read this book is a well thought out introduction to the world of philosophy. Dr.Simon Blackburn is a master of his subject, a first rate communicator with the ability to get to the heart of the matter in a challenging but coherent way. The book covers the basics of philosophy; areas such as Knowledge,The Mind, Free Will, The Self, God plus others. He introduces the views of many influential philosophers; Descarte, Hume, Wittgensein, Leibnitz and Russell etc.and demonstrates how to analyse and question philosophical statements. He explains what are Empirisists,Realists Cohesionists etc. and how their views add to our understanding of the universe and the traps that we can all fall into with our own reasoning. Yes, the book is a challenge;it is,after all,a serious academic work designed, as it says, to make you think. This is fair enough. Dr.Blackburns aim is to educate by challenging your accepted beliefs, understandings and conceptions.But he never leaves you standing.He is aware of the difficulties of the subject,and comes to your rescue with clear analogies and explanations making the seemingly impenetrable perfectly clear. The book itself is clearly and logically laid out. Each chapter is divided into titled,bite size chunks,complete in themselves,but each leading logically and sequentially to the next. This same approach applies to each chapter:Knowledge,the opening chapter leading to the Mind which leads to Free Will and so on.But if you are the type of person who likes to dip in here and there you will still find each chapter or section informative and understandable. If you are interested in philosophy and looking for a place to start,or simply want an informative and stimulating read,then you will do no better than this facinating and challening book. It does exactly what it says on the cover.

Think. A spendid introduction to philosophy *****

THINK. Simon Blackburn.

A review by Colin Russell Smith.

Whether you are a serious beginner to the study of philosophy or are simply looking for a fascinating read this book is a well thought out introduction to the world of philosophy. Dr.Simon Blackburn is a master of his subject, a first rate communicator with the ability to get to the heart of the matter in a challenging but coherent way.

The book covers the basics of philosophy; areas such as Knowledge,The Mind, Free Will, The Self, God plus others. He introduces the views of many influential philosophers; Descarte, Hume, Wittgensein, Leibnitz and Russell etc.and demonstrates how to analyse and question philosophical statements. He explains what are Empirisists,Realists Cohesionists etc. and how their views add to our understanding of the universe and the traps that we can all fall into with our own reasoning.

Yes, the book is a challenge;it is,after all,a serious academic work designed, as it says, to make you think. This is fair enough. Dr.Blackburns aim is to educate by challenging your accepted beliefs, understandings and conceptions.But he never leaves you standing.He is aware of the difficulties of the subject,and comes to your rescue with clear analogies and explanations making the seemingly impenetrable perfectly clear.

The book itself is clearly and logically laid out. Each chapter is divided into titled,bite size chunks,complete in themselves,but each leading logically and sequentially to the next. This same approach applies to each chapter:Knowledge,the opening chapter leading to the Mind which leads to Free Will and so on.But if you are the type of person who likes to dip in here and there you will still find each chapter or section informative and understandable.

If you are interested in philosophy and looking for a place to start,or simply want an informative and stimulating read,then you will do no better than this facinating and challening book.

It does exactly what it says on the cover.

Compelling? Not really... ****
I read Think a year or two after completing a degree in philosophy at Durham, and, sadly, I did not find it compelling. It struck me as the work of a sophisticated expert who enjoys dazzling us with the grip he has on his subject. Blackburn surely wrote it for the A level student who is thinking of reading philosophy at university, but I fear it may put more readers off philosophy than it will inspire to study it. The book is conventional, Cartesian, middle-of-the-road, politically correct and safe in its approach. No applecarts are upset and the sceptical questions and challenges are the old, old ones we've heard so often before. European philosophy hardly gets a look in. Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Foucault, Derrida -- none of them are mentioned. I had the feeling I was tramping over well-trampled ground. The chapters read like university lectures: I did wonder if the whole book had been compiled by cobbling together of the author's well-thumbed lecture notes. This was probably an easy book to write but in spite of its self-congratulatory title, it is not by any stretch of the imagination compelling.

Compelling? Not really... ****

I read Think a year or two after completing a degree in philosophy at Durham, and, sadly, I did not find it compelling. It struck me as the work of a sophisticated expert who enjoys dazzling us with the grip he has on his subject.

Blackburn surely wrote it for the A level student who is thinking of reading philosophy at university, but I fear it may put more readers off philosophy than it will inspire to study it.

The book is conventional, Cartesian, middle-of-the-road, politically correct and safe in its approach. No applecarts are upset and the sceptical questions and challenges are the old, old ones we've heard so often before. European philosophy hardly gets a look in. Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Foucault, Derrida -- none of them are mentioned.

I had the feeling I was tramping over well-trampled ground. The chapters read like university lectures: I did wonder if the whole book had been compiled by cobbling together of the author's well-thumbed lecture notes.

This was probably an easy book to write but in spite of its self-congratulatory title, it is not by any stretch of the imagination compelling.

Fulfills its purpose - that of a juncture ****
I read this book some time ago now, whilst flirting with the idea of studying philosophy; I wanted to know what I might be getting in to. Reviews on this site have often slated the book for its lack of depth, but this loses sight of the books objective. After reading this book, you will not come away with an in-depth knowledge of the workings of philosophical branches, their history, or some such. You will, however, know what these philosophical branches are, who has been of particular importance within them, and which branches interest you enough for further reading. This is an introduction to philosophy, nothing more. Of all the introductions I have read, and there were a few during the afore-mentioned period, this has been the most useful to me. It provided me with a stand point from which to progress from. If you have only a vague idea of what philosophy is, or if you wish to briefly sweep across its main branches, this book is for you. Recommended.

Fulfills its purpose - that of a juncture ****

I read this book some time ago now, whilst flirting with the idea of studying philosophy; I wanted to know what I might be getting in to.

Reviews on this site have often slated the book for its lack of depth, but this loses sight of the books objective. After reading this book, you will not come away with an in-depth knowledge of the workings of philosophical branches, their history, or some such. You will, however, know what these philosophical branches are, who has been of particular importance within them, and which branches interest you enough for further reading. This is an introduction to philosophy, nothing more.

Of all the introductions I have read, and there were a few during the afore-mentioned period, this has been the most useful to me. It provided me with a stand point from which to progress from. If you have only a vague idea of what philosophy is, or if you wish to briefly sweep across its main branches, this book is for you.

Recommended.