An Introduction to Philosophy (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from An Introduction to Philosophy<br><br>As there cannot be said to be a beaten path in philosophy, and as "Introductions" to the subject differ widely from one another, it is proper that I should give an indication of the scope of the present volume.<br><br>It undertakes:-<br><br>1. To point out what the word "philosophy" is made to cover in our universities and colleges at the present day, and to show why it is given this meaning.<br><br>2. To explain the nature of reflective or philosophical thinking, and to show how it differs from common thought and from science.<br><br>3. To give a general view of the main problems with which philosophers have felt called upon to deal.<br><br>4. To give an account of some of the more important types of philosophical doctrine which have arisen out of the consideration of such problems.<br><br>5. To indicate the relation of philosophy to the so-called philosophical sciences, and to the other sciences.<br><br>6. To show, finally, that the study of philosophy is of value to us all, and to give some practical admonitions on spirit and method. Had these admonitions been impressed upon me at a time when I was in especial need of guidance, I feel that they would have spared me no little anxiety and confusion of mind. For this reason, I recommend them to the attention of the reader.<br><br>Such is the scope of my book. It aims to tell what philosophy is. It is not its chief object to advocate a particular type of doctrine.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.