Superb!
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Like 'Philosophy - the classics', this is an excellent book, reference and general reader. It gives a useful reading list at the end of each chapter.
The Basics takes a topic based approach, including Philosophy of : Science, Mind, Religion, the external world etc. and starts off by expounding the theory (say behaviourism) and then the arguments against it.
Warburton writes really clearly and this book is a useful resource for student and anyone interested in Philosophy.
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Every philosopher at every level should own this book
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I did a philosophy degree and I remember getting a bit dismayed by some of the books I had to read. Then I stumbled across this. In his introduction he writes that philosophy is often seen as harder than it actually is and this is because many philosophers aren't good writers.
This is 100% true and restored my faith in philosophy. Warburton is an extremely clear writer and covers the essential points is a lucid manner. If it's within the scope of this book then any essay you have to write, or topic you are interested in should begin with this book. Of course you will need others but this is a great starting point.
See also his 'philosophy: a-z' You might also find Bryan Magee's books useful and Bertrand Russell is a bit of a genius too.
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EXCELLENT BOOK FOR REVISION
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I have just completed an ethics and philosophy A Level for which I used this book. The book itself is clear and concise, making it excellent revision material. It covers all of the standard need to know topics and does so in an intelligent, factual manner! Definitly use this for A Level standards although I would not reccomend using it as a basis for research as it simply isn't detailed enough.
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Great for anyone!
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I have just embarked on a two year philosophy A-Level course and i am using Warburton's book as a stepping stone to discoving many aspects of philosophy. The clarity and use of language makes this book easy for anyone to understand, not just academics. It allows easy access to the world of philosophy unlike so many other books on this topic. Well done Nigel!
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Excellent summary, ideal for beginner
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Context: I always wanted to do a philosophy degree, but other subjects always seemed more practical. So at the age of 32, after a BA, MB, BChir, and MRCS, I started reading with the help of Warburton's book and a couple of philosophy PhD students at Cambridge. The book: Short, crisp, lays out philosophical positions well. A wonderful starting and jumping-off point and organiser when you don't have the structure of an academic course to follow. I would recommend it to people with similar requirements to me. However, remember that philosophy needs to be discussed, not merely read. My first mistake was to treat philosophy as a body of knowledge to be acquired, much as science and medicine was.
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