Abstract

Philosophy for Us is a collection of accessible and engaging philosophical papers on topics that matter to all of us. The text features select papers written by contemporary, professional philosophers specifically for beginning students. These papers are organized into five sections, each dealing with a philosophical issue or problem: Is there a God?; Do we have free will?; Are there objective moral truths?; What sort of thing is a person?; Is it moral to eat animals? Each section includes a brief introduction to the topic. Key terms and concepts are defined as they occur naturally within the text. Philosophy for Us bridges the gap between philosophers and introductory philosophy students, making it ideal for introductory philosophy courses. Leonard Clapp has been teaching introductory philosophy classes for over twenty-five years. He earned his Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Clapp specializes in the philosophy of language at Northern Illinois University. In addition to teaching courses on this aspect of the discipline he also teaches classes on the history of analytic philosophy and the philosophy of mind. His writing has been featured in journals such as The Journal of Philosophy, Mind and Language, Philosophical Studies, the Journal of Pragmatics, and Linguistics and Philosophy.