Neebies - be cautious! | Riddles of Existence: A Guided Tour of Metaphysics

Loads of fun | Riddles of Existence: A Guided Tour of Metaphysics | Earl Conee, Theodore Sider

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	• Riddles of Existence: A Guided Tour of Metaphysics Earl Conee, Theodore Sider Oxford University Press, USA, 2007 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
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Excellent Introduction

"Riddles of Existence" covers central problems in general metaphysics and in special metaphysics. These include the nature of personal identity, free will, fatalism, the existence of God, material constitution, universals and modality.
The problems and their proposed solutions are explained clearly and carefully, and the style is friendly and engaging. Conee and Feldman defend their own positions, and I often disagree with them, but I do not think that they are didactic; they usually treat alternative positions sympathetically and recommend further reading for each chapter.
The book is supposed to be accessible to those without any previous exposure to metaphysics or to philosophy more generally, and I think that it is the most accessible introduction available. To be sure, beginners may find some of the discussion, for example, of the ontological argument and of universals, quite difficult and demanding.
There is also what to my mind is an original formulation and treatment of the ontological argument, and the book may be of interest to more advanced readers. It also includes a chapter on the problem of why there exists anything at all, why there is something rather than nothing, which is typically neglected in introductions.
I think that this book is a fascinating and entertaining introduction for the general interested readers, and that it should also prove quite helpful to undergraduate philosophy students.

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Neebies - be cautious!

I was somewhat disappointed in this book because it came across more as the author's opinions on the very complex subjects of Metaphysics rather than a theological treatment of the subject...In the end they "proved" nothing really - and left most questions open. I suspect - but certainly will not conclude - that they do not believe in a Supreem Being (i.e., God) (authors - if I am incorect in this suspicion my appologies) - and when you think about it - without this faith in God - indeed nothing can really be proven in the metaphysical world.

I found the chapter (as an example) on Free Will and Determination - especially laughable...The premise is that we live in a quantom mechanical world and if you could characterize all the atoms that exist in a person today - say 100 years ago - by causality you can determin what the person will do in their life...This to me is nonscencical and assums we are nothing more than purly mechanical beings - a bag of chemicals that learned to talk so to speak...Most reasonable people refruit this notion (as do I) - and rather believe that we are spiritual beings with free choice.

This is an OK book to read if you are already familiar with Metaphsics - but if you are new to this field I think it would be best to skip it until you establish other foundations and beliefs.....I would recommend: A course in Miricles, Oneness, and The One and the Many...And of course St. Thomas' original works.

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Loads of fun

From personal identity to time to "why not nothing?", Conee and Sider have cooked up an introduction to metaphysical questions that are a lot of fun. The chapters can be read (and re-read) in any order and thought about for a lifetime. The book is designed for a general audience - at least a general audience that likes to think philosophically. At the end of each chapter you will a helpful list of suggestions for further reading (mostly by contemporary philosophers).

Don't be fooled by other reviews! The book is neither difficult nor hard to follow. The prose is clear, engaging, and any steps in its arguments are logical, sensible, and clearly labelled (labels aren't always used and aren't rocket science, but help with recall; if you have trouble figuring out that "P2" can stand for "phase 2" then you might end up a little befuddled here and there). This book is suitable for any in high school or above, though it might be found attractive by a precocious middle-schooler. But while accessible to a wide audience, it isn't a "dumbed-down" approach to philosophy.

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The riddles of metaphysics are the deepest and most puzzling questions we can ponder. Riddles of Existence is the first book ever to make metaphysics genuinely accessible and fun. Its lively, informal style brings these questions to life and shows how stimulating it can be to think about them.
Earl Conee and Theodore Sider offer a lucid discussion of the major topics in metaphysics. What makes me the same person I was as a child? Is everything fated to be exactly as it is? Does time flow? How fast does it flow, and can one travel back in time, against the current? Does God exist? Why is there anything at all rather than nothing? If our actions are caused by things science can predict and control, how can we have free will? The authors approach these topics in an open-minded and undogmatic manner, giving readers a full sense of the issues involved. They don't try to convince us of their point of view. Instead, they hope that, by reading this book, we will come to appreciate the importance of such problems and develop reasoned opinions of our own.
Riddles of Existence shows that philosophy can be exciting and important, and understandable by anyone.

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