An Introduction to Philosophy

Everyday beliefs about the world become subjects for careful examination in George Stuart Fullerton's introduction to philosophy. Written for students and people studying independently, the book explains how reflective thought differs from ordinary thinking and scientific inquiry. Its chapters consider material things, sensations, space, time, the mind and the grounds for believing that other minds exist.

Fullerton also introduces competing philosophical positions, including realism, idealism, materialism and dualism, before examining philosophy's connections with logic, psychology, ethics and religion. His discussion of free will uses familiar decisions, such as eating when hungry, to test what freedom can mean. Throughout, he links abstract arguments to common experience and asks that philosophical conclusions meet ordinary standards of evidence. Readers looking for a structured introduction can use the book both to learn the vocabulary of these debates and to practise examining the assumptions behind their own judgments.