50 Philosophy Ideas You Really Need to Know

[50 Philosophy Ideas You Really Need to Know]
Year: 
2016
Type: 
Public: 
Tags: 
Moral assessment: 
Type: Literature
Nothing inappropriate.
Some morally inappropriate content.
Contains significant sections contrary to faith or morals.
Contains some lurid passages, or presents a general ideological framework that could confuse those without much Christian formation.
Contains several lurid passages, or presents an ideological framework that is contrary or foreign to Christian values.
Explicitly contradicts Catholic faith or morals, or is directed against the Church and its institutions.

The book is part of a series where the author, seemingly, tries to point out the main ideas or topics dealt with by different subjects (biology, mathematics, and philosophy in this case). In the case of philosophy the text is intended for a wide audience (informative), it is direct and clear, with many examples. What especially calls the attention is the design of the pages, very visual and with squares highlighting the key sentences of what the author wants to synthesize. Each chapter (between two and four pages) is dedicated to one of these 50 ideas you really need to know (topics such as “punishment theories”, ecology, just war, solipsism, etc.).

Unfortunately, the book is just an immense play of style at the service of clichés and politically correct ideas, not really thinking about issues, nor explaining what has been said about them. The author’s perspective moves around a “pleasant” relativism, so fashionable these days, but inconsistent. Human freedom appears disconnected from any objective end.

J.V. (Spain, 2016)