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Looking for a unique synthesis of the topical, historical and worldview/conceptual systems in philosophy? Look no further. Longtime student and teacher of philosophy Ronald Nash offers us Life's Ultimate Questions, an eminently readable and well-organized introduction to philosophy. Designed primarily for students, this book offers valuable insight to anyone seeking more information about philosophy and its relevance to life.
Nash begins by looking at worldviews, and how they shape all of philosophy. He describes what a worldview is and looks at several of the tests to determine is a worldview is viable. Then he offers an in-depth look at six conceptual systems (worldviews) that have shaped philosophy and its history: naturalism, the philosophy of Plato, the philosophy of Aristotle, the philosophy of Plotinus, the philosophy of Augustine, and the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas.
Nash also looks at several problems and issues in philosophy, including epistemology, God, metaphysics, ethics, and human nature. He also provides information on key ideas like the law of noncontradiction, and the study of possible worlds. Since Nash writes from a theistic (Reformed Christian) perspective, he looks at all issues through the lens of Christianity.
This book was designed as an introduction to philosophy and worldviews, but it also functions as an introduction to logic and conceptual analysis. Nash set out to help readers improve the logical consistency of their own worldviews by enabling them to see possible contradictions in logic existent in a worldview. He also wanted to affirm that philosophy can indeed solve some of the world's real problems. But most importantly, Nash wanted to help readers think more clearly about both the philosophers and philosophies that have already shaped their lives.
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