Series: Key Concepts in Philosophy

Each of us, right now, is having a unique conscious experience. Nothing is more basic to our lives as thinking beings and nothing, it seems, is better known to us. But the ever-expanding reach of natural science suggests that everything in our world is ultimately physical. The challenge of fitting consciousness into our modern scientific worldview, of taking the subjective...

When a doctor tells you there’s a one percent chance that an operation will result in your death, or a scientist claims that his theory is probably true, what exactly does that mean? Understanding probability is clearly very important if we are to make good theoretical and practical choices. In this engaging and highly accessible introduction to the philosophy of...

Regardless of who you are or how you live your life, you disagree with millions of people on an enormous number of topics from politics, religion, and morality to sport, culture, and art. Unless you are delusional, you are aware that a great many of the people who disagree with you are just as smart and thoughtful as you are—in...