Philosophy: An Innovative Introduction: Fictive Narrative, Primary Texts, and Responsive Writing

An innovative introductory philosophy text that combines traditional readings and writing exercises with fictive narratives about central figures in the history of philosophy.

Library Journal

Boylan (philosophy, Marymount Univ.) and Johnson (English, Univ. of Washington in Seattle) have here indeed produced an innovative introduction to philosophy, having done so by designing and arranging a unique selection and presentation of the material. The book is divided into three parts. In the first, the student—or the reader, who may be so inclined—deals with writing direct and indirect responses to philosophical arguments. The second part pertains to key figures in ancient and medieval philosophy—Plato, Aristotle, Buddha, and Aquinas. In the final part—devoted to modern and contemporary philosophy—the thinking of Descartes, Kant, Marx, Heidegger, Hannah Arendt, Iris Murdoch, and Martin Luther King Jr. is considered. Throughout the book, the authors, primarily Boylan, include interesting and detailed fictive essays on each of the noted thinkers. This all reads like a collegiate study guide to philosophy, with "exercises," a "mid-term project," and a "final project," which encourages the student—and the reader—to think more deeply about and understand the material. VERDICT This is a thoroughly inventive and demanding study that any student or reader should find insightful and rewarding.—Leon H. Brody, Falls Church, VA

Michael Boylan received a Masters in English and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and is professor of philosophy at Marymount University. He is the author of numerous articles and books on philosophy and literature, including The Extinction of Desire; The Good, the True, and the Beautiful; and Critical Inquiry (Westview Press).

Charles Johnson earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy and is the S. Wilson and Grace M. Pollock Professor of English at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is a 1998 MacArthur Fellow and the 2002 recipient of an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Literature. He received the 1990 National Book Award for his novel Middle Passage.