Why write philosophy?
See the interview I gave to Nigel Warburton on his Virtual Philosopher blog by clicking here.
This page has comments and links to articles and books on a range of philosophical topics. Dip in, or - if you're looking for something specific - use the Index.
'He is a thinker: that means he knows how to make things simpler than they are.'
Nietzsche The Gay Science, book 3, aphorism 189
I think Nietzsche was absolutely right. Philosophy is an impossible task, because whatever you try to understand is always beyond your grasp! But it's also an compulsion, a form of therapy, and (possibly) a form of intellectual health - so I'll continue to think and write.
Naked Philosophy?
Is it best to remove your clothes before asking yourself existential questions?
I came out as a (warm weather!) naturist long ago. To see why, take a look at these extracts from Home and The Philosopher's Beach Book.
Understand Existentialism
Want to know more about Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Sartre and the other existentialists? This book, co-authored by Nigel Rodgers, gives an accessible introduction to Existentialism.
Are these suitable images for existentialism?
Click on them to see my views.
Thinking about language?
For my notes on Wittgenstein - from Tractatus to Language Games - Logical Positivism, religious language and much more... click here.
Your basic introduction to Philosophy...
Click the cover for further information, a detailed list of contents and some sample material.
Copies of the older edition Understand Philosophy are still available, both new, used and as an ebook. Click the cover for more information. (This is actually the more popular of the two books - so you are not going to be missing out if you go for this one!)
'The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.'
Plutarch's advice is an excellent starting point for exploring the philosophy of mind, or even the philosophy of education!
Getting personal in philosophy....
'Every great philosophy is a confession of its founder, a kind of secret and involuntary set of personal memoirs.' - Nietzsche
Does your philosophy reflect your personal quest and values? See more...
And for something that's easy to read but with plenty of ideas to get you thinking!
35 questions to ponder as you twiddle your toes in the sand - or in the snow for that matter! Just settle in a chair, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy a little light philosophy!
Nietzsche features on the cover of Philosophers Behaving Badly; not that he actually behaved particularly badly - sadly, more like - but his controversial ideas are certainly capable of being misused by those who intend to behave badly.
By exploring the lives and thought of six philosophers, this book shows that the life of reason does not necessarily lead to a reasonable life!
Nigel Warburton's podcasts
These podcasts give extremely useful bite-size introductions to many aspects of philosophy and a chance to hear some of the greatest living philosophers enthuse about what most interests them. The podcasts have now been organised by theme, so you can scroll down his list and find what interests you. Just click here for the link.
Thought experiments? How useful are they?
Fed up with diverting trolleys, pushing fat men off bridges, or getting hooked up for nine months to a famous violinist? To download a talk by Richard Baron reviewing the way Thought Experiments are used in philosophy, along with my own notes and links to other books, click here.
New to Philosophy? Here are some quick thoughts to get you started....
Why philosophise? / Of what are you certain? / Will nothing work better? / What's the point of knowledge? / Science and objectivity / The advantage of being awake / Is religious outdated? / Becoming yourself / What were you like before you were born? / Whereof we cannot speak...
Just click my image to take a look.
If you need to look up anything from 'Anselm, Saint' and 'Animals, moral status of' to 'Zeno's paradoxes and 'Zombies': just click here. This really is an amazing resource for anyone interested in philosophy.
If you're into Bertrand Russell, you really should take a look at his Facebook page...
There are plenty of quotes and topics on which you can comment - and, being controversial and outspoken on so many issues, Russell invites just that - along with biographical information. You can scroll down through the page and explore topics. See it here.
