Wiley-Blackwell Reading Metaphysics: Selected Texts with Interactive Commentary (Reading Philosophy)

This collection brings together key contemporary texts in metaphysics and features an interactive commentary which helps readers engage the texts critically and to use them to develop their own views. Each text is followed by a detailed commentary, setting it in context Includes questions designed to help readers think hard about what the author is saying and why, to think of objections, and to formulate his or her own views Aims to improve the reader’s ability to engage critically with philosophical texts, and to use them as a springboard for philosophical thought and writing Introduces readers to the perennial problems of metaphysics and the ways that different analytic philosophers have approached them Review “A book that speaks directly to students. By combining accessible text selections with insightful commentary, clear graphic devices for navigating within each chapter, and thoughtful questions, this new collection provides an invaluable teaching tool for major areas of contemporary metaphysics.” Dale Jacquette, The Pennsylvania State University “Reading Metaphysics is the perfect hybrid of an attentively edited anthology and a lucidly instructive textbook. Instead of overwhelming us with dozens of selections, the editors have expertly chosen a small number of contemporary readings, thus giving readers the time to probe deeply into the selected topics and, more importantly, the time to learn how to take apart and interact with a philosophical text. While the readings are well-selected, the true strength of this book lies in the editors’ commentary. Students will leave this book ready, and eager, to take on more metaphysics and teachers will notice a marked improvement in their students’ philosophical ability.” Andrew P. Mills, Otterbein College From the Inside Flap This collection brings together key contemporary texts in metaphysics. Designed for students and general readers, it has a distinctive pedagogical aim: to enable readers to engage critically with challenging philosophical texts, and thereby use such texts as a springboard for their own philosophical thought and writing. Each text is followed by a detailed commentary, which puts the author’s views and arguments into context, explains key terms and argumentative moves, and – most importantly – asks a variety of questions. The questions are designed to prompt the reader to think critically about what the author is saying and why she is saying it, to think of objections, and to formulate and justify his or her own views on the topic. The book includes texts by Kripke, Lewis, Parfit, Armstrong, Nagel, and Dennett, amongst others, and discusses the following topics: free will, personal identity, realism and nominalism, modality, persistence, and realism and anti-realism. From the Back Cover This collection brings together key contemporary texts in metaphysics. Designed for students and general readers, it has a distinctive pedagogical aim: to enable readers to engage critically with challenging philosophical texts, and thereby use such texts as a springboard for their own philosophical thought and writing. Each text is followed by a detailed commentary, which puts the author’s views and arguments into context, explains key terms and argumentative moves, and – most importantly – asks a variety of questions. The questions are designed to prompt the reader to think critically about what the author is saying and why she is saying it, to think of objections, and to formulate and justify his or her own views on the topic. The book includes texts by Kripke, Lewis, Parfit, Armstrong, Nagel, and Dennett, amongst others, and discusses the following topics: free will, personal identity, realism and nominalism, modality, persistence, and realism and anti-realism. About the Author Helen Beebee is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Birmingham. She is the author of Hume on Causation (2006) and co-edit