The Philosophy Gym: 25 Short Adventures in Thinking Review

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The Philosophy Gym: 25 Short Adventures in Thinking Review+++++
This easy-to-read book by philosophy lecturer, editor, and author Dr. Stephen Law presents to the reader "25 short adventures in thinking." In other words, this book is a short course in "thinking philosophically." Each of the twenty-five chapters or essays addresses a different philosophical question, "explaining key positions and arguments along the way."
What are the philosophical questions and topics discussed? Below, I will divide the essays into categories and give the question or topic addressed. (Note the order of the essays presented here is different from that in the book):
(1) Logic
(i) Eight everyday reasoning errors. (An error in reasoning is called a fallacy.)
(ii) Seven paradoxes in reasoning. (Presented are plausible arguments leading to seemingly implausible conclusions.)
(2) Morality
(i) Is gay sex morally permissible?
(ii) Can we have morality without God and religion?
(iii) Is it morally acceptable to design children genetically?
(iv) Is it right to sacrifice the life of one conjoined twin to save the other?
(v) Is it morally acceptable to eat meat?
(vi) Is the rightness or wrongness of an act based on our emotional reactions to the act?
(3) God
(i) Does God exist?
(ii) Is creationism scientific?
(iii) Miracles and the supernatural.
(iv) Where did the universe come from?
(4) Consciousness
(i) Could a machine think?
(ii) Are you just a brain in a vat?
(iii) Is consciousness something impossible for science to explain?
(iv) What's essential as far as being you is concerned?
(v) How do you know that there are other minds?
(5) Expectations
(i) Why expect the sun to rise tomorrow?
(ii) Should we ever expect to be punished?
(6) Truth
(i) Is there such a thing as the absolute truth to any question?
(ii) Are mathematics and its truths ultimately made by us?
(7) Puzzles
(i) What is meaning, exactly?
(ii) What is knowledge?
(iii) Is time travel possible?
(iv) What is art, exactly?
These essays can be read in any order desired. In other words, you don't have to read the essays in the order indicated in the table of contents. Their level of difficulty is indicated at the beginning of each essay. Suggestions for further reading (including internet sites) can be found at the end of each essay.
This book also incorporates a variety of styles. There are dialogues, philosophical stories and thought experiments, illustrations (many of which I felt were not necessary), and sections called "thinking tools" to explain key philosophical ideas. (These thinking tool sections, are, in my opinion, a major highlight of this book.)
Be aware that these essays are not the definitive answers to the questions posed above but only reflect Law's views. If you find yourself disagreeing with the author's views in any essay (as I did), then that's good and is a "healthy sign." It means that Law has done his job of stimulating your thinking. Remember this is not an "answer" book but is a "thinking" book.
I also felt that the brief introduction that has the sections "What is Philosophy," "Applying Philosophy to Life," and "Other Reasons to Think Philosophically" was excellent. Be sure to read these sections first.
I felt an absolute beginner to philosophy might have trouble with this book. This is because major argumentative terms like premise, conclusion, counterargument, etc. are not defined at the beginning but are defined as you get further into the book. A brief glossary would have alleviated this problem.
As well, the logic essay on "Eight everyday reasoning errors" should, I feel, be the first essay in this book. (Instead it is essay number 24). In this way, the reader can get practice in trying to determine whether any of the essays presented have these errors. My recommendation is to read this essay first after reading the above introductory sections.
In one essay, Law's conclusion is that "what creationists practise isn't good science-it's bunk." I felt this conclusion as stated was too harsh and may offend some.
Law uses some knowledge gained from science in some of his essays. Yet he does not reference his sources. I thought this was a major oversight.
Finally, this book is not just an introductory text. It can be effectively read by those who have some prior philosophy background (like myself).
In conclusion, for a good and stimulating intellectual workout, this is the book to read!!
(first published 2003; acknowledgements; introduction; how to use this book; 25 chapters; main narrative 285 pages; index)
+++++
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