Philosophy in Seven Sentences - (Introductions in Seven Sentences) by Douglas Groothuis (Paperback)

About the Book

Philosophy is not a closed club or a secret society. It's for anyone who thinks big questions are worth talking about. In this lively introduction, Douglas Groothuis upacks seven short yet pivotal sentences from the history of Western philosophy, including key ideas from Protagoras, Socrates, Aristotle, Augustine, Descartes, Pascal and Kierkegaard.

Book Synopsis

Philosophy is not a closed club or a secret society. It's for anyone who thinks big questions are worth talking about. To get us started, Douglas Groothuis unpacks seven pivotal sentences from the history of western philosophy--a few famous, all short, none trivial. Included are:

• "The unexamined life is not worth living."--Socrates
• "You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."--Augustine
• "I think, therefore I am."--Decartes
• "The heart has reasons, that reason knows nothing of."--Pascal

Sentences from Protagoras, Aristotle and Kierkegaard round out this quick tour.Since every philosopher has a story, not just a series of ideas, Groothuis also offers a bit of each one's life to set the stage. The seven sterling sentences themselves, while they can't tell us all there is to know, offer bridges into other lands of thought which can spark new ideas and adventures. And who knows where they might lead?

The accessible primers in the Introductions in Seven Sentences collection act as brief introductions to an academic field, with simple organization: seven key sentences that give readers a birds-eye view of an entire discipline.

Review Quotes

"An inherently fascinating, thoughtful and thought-provoking read, Philosophy in Seven Sentences: A Small Introduction to a Vast Topic is very highly recommended for high school, college, university, and community library Philosophy collections."

--The Midwest Book Review, May 2016

"Anyone desiring a refresher in philosophy would also benefit from it, and it would be a great little book to overcome the objections of friends who have little use for philosophy."

--Theodore G. Van Raalte, Calvin Theological Journal, November 2016

"As a tour guide to the intellectual landscape, who will coach future travelers to be able to explore it profitably with an eye open to its implications for the Christian life, Groothuis would be hard to beat. He is just the companion beginning philosophers should want for their journey. I highly recommend Philosophy in Seven Sentences."

--Donald T. Williams, Touchstone, March/April 2017

"In an age in which being a 'Professional Philosopher' has eclipsed the actual practice of philosophy--pursuing the good, the true and the beautiful so that one may live well--Doug Groothuis's Philosophy in Seven Sentences is a breath of fresh air. Too often those of us who identify as philosophers think of our craft as an exercise in intellectual gamesmanship with its own toolkit and narrow list of 'problems' with which we are supposed to deal. In this small though powerful book, Groothuis reminds us that when Socrates said that 'the unexamined life is not worth living, ' he was doing something much more important than just publishing a career-making breakthrough in metaethics. He was actually doing philosophy."

--Francis J. Beckwith, professor of philosophy and church-state studies, Baylor University

"It will make readers think, and sometimes laugh, as they are introduced to (or fondly recall) the thought of Protagoras, Socrates, Aristotle, Descartes, Pascal, and Kierkegaard. . . . Discerning what Groothuis gets right and what he gets wrong is precisely the kind of philosophical task this book hopes to inspire."

--The Christian Century, February 26, 2016

"This work is an excellent example of how to write on a tough subject engagingly and efficiently. Philosophy does not have to be dry, unlike the puns that emanate from many of its professional adherents. If you're looking for tinder for generating philosophical discussions (or fires) that could lead to quality gospel conversations, look no further than Philosophy in Seven Sentences."

--Jeff Robinson, Christian Research Journal, Vol. 39(5), 2016

About the Author

Douglas R. Groothuis (Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Oregon) is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary in Denver, Colorado. He has written several books, including Truth Decay, In Defense of Natural Theology (coeditor), Jesus in an Age of Controversy, The Soul in Cyberspace, and Christian Apologetics.