Being Philosophical - by Stephen Hetherington

Book Synopsis

Being Philosophical guides readers through the perplexing initial moments of meeting philosophy by taking them inside philosophical thinking as an activity.

In a beginner-friendly voice, Stephen Hetherington elucidates how intellectual 'tools' from a diversity of traditions, East and West, can enable us to start doing philosophy - that is, to think 'from scratch' in a philosophical way. He explores many classical topics and issues that have preoccupied philosophers from Plato, early Buddhists and Confucius to Karl Marx and beyond - selves, souls, identity, will, knowing and reasoning, acting morally, and more - and presents possible methods for responding to different theories.

Inviting and conversational, Being Philosophical is the book needed by every new philosophy student - or anyone wondering whether they might want to explore the world of philosophy.

Review Quotes

"Stephen Hetherington has drawn on his broad excellence as philosopher and editor to compose a distinctive introduction to the vast, variegated world of philosophy. He guides us around that world with snippet visits to his more than 80 ports of call. It is his evident intention to glory in the vast geographical breadth and historical length of the discipline. And he succeeds delightfully in that attempt."
Ernest Sosa, Rutgers University

"Being Philosophical is a banquet for the critical mind! Hetherington offers a commendable spread of fascinating philosophical ideas from different traditions. And he doesn't just tell us what philosophy is; in clear, simple language, he shows us how and why it is so enjoyable."
Karyn Lai, University of New South Wales

"An excellent exemplar of expounding being philosophical as a journey whose goal is to take care of the journey itself (without physically traveling anywhere)"
Teaching Philosophy

About the Author