philosophy

An analysis of man's mental activity.

Examines the lives and thinking of one hundred of the most influential philosophers in the history of the world, from ancient Greece to the dawn of the twenty-first century.

"Presents a collection of questions for young readers to go on a dreamlike wander through the boundaries of possibility and reality"--OCLC.

Many people use religion to guide them and instill a set of principles that they can follow in life. However, not everyone chooses to go down this path. Those who don't believe in things like god or destiny might subscribe to humanism, or the philosophy that humans are independent and in control of their own lives without a higher power to help them along. Using this insightful guide, readers will be well-equipped to navigate the world on their own terms using critical thought and analysis.

"It's impossible to know exactly what other people are thinking, but if a person has perspective, it can be much easier to have an idea of those thoughts. This volume introduces students to the idea of perspective-taking, or seeing things from another person's point of view. Students will learn that perspective-taking can help them build better relationships with friends and family. They will be better able to resolve conflicts if they're thinking about the other person's thoughts and feelings. They'll develop more empathy for people who have different experiences. This book shows students that through perspective-taking, they'll begin to better understand and accept people who are different from themselves"--Provided by publisher.

"Before the discovery of quarks, we hadn't imagined anything smaller than protons and neutrons. Are quarks the end of the line, the smallest imaginable objects in nature? Can the universe be divided into infinitely smaller units in the same way the universe is ever-expanding? Alan Lightman explores these questions in his characteristic accessible and lyrical prose, considering the igniting element behind consciousness, the origin of life, the anatomy of a smile, our fickle memories. Probable Impossibilities brings together recently published and four original essays. Throughout, Lightman guides a discussion on what we know of the universe, life, the mind, and the conception of things vastly larger than ourselves in time and space"--Provided by the publisher.

Children are, in many ways, born philosophers. Without prompting, they ask some of the largest questions about time, mortality, happiness and the meaning of it all. Yet too often this inborn curiosity is not developed and, with age, the questions fall away. This is a book designed to harness children's spontaneous philosophical instinct and to develop it through introductions to some of the most vibrant and essential philosophical ideas of history. The book takes us to meet leading figures of philosophy from around the world and from all eras - and shows us how their ideas continue to matter. The book functions as an ideal introduction to philosophy, as well as a charming way to open up conversations between adults and children about the biggest questions we all face.

Records the philosophical conversations that take place between a man and a gorilla named Ishmael after the man answers an advertisement for a pupil with a desire to save the world.

Uses the life of a schoolgirl, Sophie, as a backdrop for a discussion of the meaning of life and the history of philosophy.

When thirteen-year-old Pierre Anthon leaves school to sit in a plum tree and train for becoming part of nothing, his seventh grade classmates set out on a desperate quest for the meaning of life.