Is there an easier intro philosophy read than Horrigan?

[Rocks_91]

I’ve been reading on my Kindle, the intro texts by Dr Paul Gerard Horrigan, but after going through a few chapters, it seems it’s not going to be very interesting. I know it’s probably important in forming a good philosopphical knowledge, what he writes. But I was actually hoping for something that reads more like a pop science book and has a lot of intriguing otherworldly stuff. I don’t want anything like a dummies guide, to be sure, but I do want an intro text that doesn’t read all like a economics textbook, with only definitions and droning on and on. Any suggestions? I read a sample of Wil Durant but I’m not sure I’ll like that either,.

 

[Rhubarb]

I know you said you wanted to avoid them, but the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Philosophy is a good way to get your feet wet. The problem I find most people I study with have when approaching philosophy is that it is so broad in its scope that people can get lost, and the writings of philosophers are notoriously dry and convoluted. The Guide does a pretty good job of introducing basic ideas, problems, and thoughts in philosophy which can then be used as a spring-board into academic readings to follow up. Unfortunately, when it comes to philosophy it’s very dense readings.

Nils Rauhut’s Ultimate Questions: Thinking About Philosophy was an excellent anthology that addresses many topics and problems in philosophy, but being that it’s an anthology he uses the philosopher’s writings which can, as you’ve seen, drone on and on.

There are philosophy blogs that are helpful too. I can’t stress enough how good philosophybro.com is, if you don’t mind a little salty language. They distill down the difficult writings into conversational language, with a silly frat-bro twist for laughs.