Plato's sun : an introduction to philosophy / Andrew Lawless.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In Plato's Sun , Andrew Lawless takes on the challenge of creating an introductory text for philosophy, arguing that such a work has to take into account of the strangeness of the field and divulge it, rather than suppress it beneath traditional certainties and authoritative pronouncements.

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CHOICE Review

The point of departure for Plato's Sun is that philosophy is animated by two divergent though competing impulses going all the way back to Plato: dogmatism and skepticism. Dogmatism maintains that the mysteries of philosophy can be solved via an objective knowledge of the world, whereas skepticism holds the opposite belief. This conflict is well represented in Plato's Republic, in which Plato's quest for objective knowledge compels him to use literary devices such as the allegory of the cave while, paradoxically, expelling poets from the education system he proposes for the guardians. Lawless proposes a solution to this conflict that is a synthesis of both approaches to the study of philosophy. Following this exploration of the problem in philosophy, he examines some issues in the "traditional" areas of philosophy: metaphysics, modern reaction to metaphysics, logic and its place in the universe, ethics, and philosophy of language. This book is quite engaging and very lucidly written. Suitable for undergraduates, it is also a vital tool for faculty who wish to refresh their insights into some of the main issues in philosophy. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. C. S. Johnson Middle Tennessee State University