Discover a provocative, timeless overview of philosophy that you will find nowhere else with the tenth edition of this classic introductory text, PHILOSOPHY: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF WONDERING. Author James L. Christian takes a unique synoptic approach that is sure to both engage and visually captivate you as the book focuses on the big picture and the interdisciplinary origins of philosophical thinking. This edition's fascinating presentation is interwoven with cartoons, quotations, and related findings from the social and physical sciences that ensure central philosophical concepts are accessible. New learning objectives in this edition further strengthen the book's reader-friendly approach. An eclectic range of topics reinforces the author's presentation of philosophy as the individual's attempt to unify disparate world views. This edition enhances coverage of feminism. Interspersed biographies provide glimpses into the lives of great thinkers who have molded the Western philosophical tradition and largely influenced how society thinks today. With the help of Christian's PHILOSOPHY: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF WONDERING, Tenth Edition, you can refine the analytical skills you need to evaluate critically and contribute to the big picture of Western philosophy for yourself.

Whether it's cartoons, quotations, or interesting anecdotes from related fields, you've never seen a more interesting philosophy textbook than this one. PHILOSOPHY: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF WONDERING explains the central concepts of philosophy in ways you can understand by showing how it's all connected. And best of all, this philosophy textbook helps you develop the analytical skills you need to critically engage the "big picture" of Western philosophy for yourself.

This classic introductory text provides a unique set of teaching tools for instructors who prefer a synoptic approach. PHILOSOPHY is visually appealing and reader friendly. Christian accents his accessible writing with cartoons, quotations, and related findings from the social and physical sciences, reinforcing his conception of philosophy as the individual's attempt to unify disparate world views. The style of writing makes central philosophical concepts readily engaging to students. Interspersed biographies give the student a feeling for the lives of the great thinkers who have fashioned the Western philosophical tradition and have determined largely how we think today. Above all, this text nurtures the analytical skills students need to critically engage the "big picture" of Western philosophy for themselves.

James Christian received his Ph.D. from Boston University and is now Professor Emeritus at Santa Ana College. Long renowned for his engaging teaching and writing style, he is also author of THE WISDOM SEEKERS: GREAT PHILOSOPHERS OF THE WESTERN WORLD, Volumes I and II (published by Wadsworth).

Part I: THE FINE ART OF WONDERING. 1. The World-Riddle. 2. The Spirit of Inquiry. 3. Critical Analysis. Synoptic Synthesis. Part II: THE CONDITION AND THE ODYSSEY. 1. Predicament. 2. Self. 3. Growth. 4. Lifetime. Part III: THE REAL WORLD: KNOWING AND UNKNOWING. 1. Knowledge. 2. Sense. 3. Mind. 4. Truth. Part IV: THE INNER WORLD/THE FANTASTIC JOURNEY. 1. Psyche. 2. Time. 3. Freedom. 4. Symbols. Part V: DELICATE COEXISTENCE: THE HUMAN LOVE/HATE CONDITION. 1. History. 2. Laws/Conscience. 3. Lifestyles. 4. Politics. 5. Ethics. Part VI: THE PROTOPLASMIC VENTURE. 1. Life. 2. Humans. 3. Earth. 4. Future. Part VII: MICROCOSM/MACROCOSM/COSMOS. 1. Knowledge of Nature. 2. Space/Time/Motion. 3. Cosmos. 4. Biocosmos. Part VIII: OF ULTIMATE CONCERN. 1. Of Ultimate Concern. 2. Ultimate Reality. 3. Death/Immortality. 4. Meaning/Existence. Postlude. Glossary. Credits. Index to Marginal Quotations. Name/Subject Index.