Philosophy for Beginners

Rachel Firth (Author) Rachel spent 11 years studying and teaching philosophy at the universities of London and Oxford before joining Usborne. Since then she has written books on subjects ranging from knights, to food, to philosophy, as well as retelling folk stories, and writing children's versions of numerous novels. Minna Lacey (Author) Since joining Usborne, Minna has written books on everything from pirates and gladiators to jungles and oceans. She studied Maths and Philosophy at university and previously worked as a journalist and illustrator in London, Bogota and New York. In her spare time, she loves writing stories, drawing and playing the guitar. Jordan Akpojaro (Author) After he completed childhood, Jordan spent time at Glasgow University studying philosophy, getting rained on and dreaming about eating freshly picked fruit. He has worked on books about philosophy, coding, maps and art.

What is philosophy?
A world of philosophy?
Doing philosophy
How to argue
Thought experiments
Why do philosophy?

Chapter 1: Knowledge
How do we know anything about the world around us - can we be sure that we know anything at all?

Chapter 2: The mind
Is your mind somehow different from your body, and are you even in control of it?

Chapter 3: Beauty and art
What is beauty, and what is art?
And why is it so hard to answer these questions?

Chapter 4: God
If there is a God, is it possible to prove that he or she exists?

Chapter 5: Politics
Are there any rules that everyone can agree on that would make a society a fair and happy place for everyone to live in?

Chapter 6: How to be good
If you're not sure of the right thing to do, can the tools of philosophy help you find an answer?

Chapter 7: Time and Identity
Everything changes with time - but how much can something change and still count as the same thing? What is time, anyway?

Chapter 8: Logic and language
What are the rules of philosophy, and how can you follow them if people don't agree on what words themselves actually mean?

Chapter 9: The meaning of life
Is philosophy merely a way asking questions about the world - or can it also be a way of life itself? Can it answer the ultimate question: what is the meaning of life?

What next?
Multiple mysteries
Glossary
Famous Philosophers
Index
Acknowledgements