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Average Customer Rating:

Good introduction

Customer Rating:

I read through this book quickly and although I was already familiar with most of the material, I found that it it jogged my memory in a few areas. I have already read quite a lot of philosophy but there were one or two things that I learned from this book. Nigel Warburton is a senior lecturer in philosophy at the Open University and he has divided this book into seven chapters. Particularly on the section on meta-ethics in his second chapter entitled "Right and Wrong" and the section on falsification in his fifth chapter "Science", I gained some insights into things that I hadn't picked up from reading much larger books. One of the best introductions on the market to a very important but sometimes abstract and obscure subject.

Superb!

Customer Rating:

Like 'Philosophy - the classics', this is an excellent book, reference and general reader. It gives a useful reading list at the end of each chapter. The Basics takes a topic based approach, including Philosophy of : Science, Mind, Religion, the external world etc. and starts off by expounding the theory (say behaviourism) and then the arguments against it. Warburton writes really clearly and this book is a useful resource for student and anyone interested in Philosophy.

Every philosopher at every level should own this book

Customer Rating:

I did a philosophy degree and I remember getting a bit dismayed by some of the books I had to read. Then I stumbled across this. In his introduction he writes that philosophy is often seen as harder than it actually is and this is because many philosophers aren't good writers. This is 100% true and restored my faith in philosophy. Warburton is an extremely clear writer and covers the essential points is a lucid manner. If it's within the scope of this book then any essay you have to write, or topic you are interested in should begin with this book. Of course you will need others but this is a great starting point. See also his 'philosophy: a-z' You might also find Bryan Magee's books useful and Bertrand Russell is a bit of a genius too.

EXCELLENT BOOK FOR REVISION	Customer Rating:
I have just completed an ethics and philosophy A Level for which I used this book. The book itself is clear and concise, making it excellent revision material. It covers all of the standard need to know topics and does so in an intelligent, factual manner! Definitly use this for A Level standards although I would not reccomend using it as a basis for research as it simply isn't detailed enough.

Great for anyone!	Customer Rating:
I have just embarked on a two year philosophy A-Level course and i am using Warburton's book as a stepping stone to discoving many aspects of philosophy. The clarity and use of language makes this book easy for anyone to understand, not just academics. It allows easy access to the world of philosophy unlike so many other books on this topic. Well done Nigel!