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I Am, Therefore I Think:

A Historical Introduction to Philosophy

By

Although the word ‘philosophy’ etymologically means love of wisdom, this is not its

only meaning, though it may be its most important one. Philosophy also encompasses rational

inquiry and argumentation in general, and is not restricted to any particular subject matter. The

word “philosophy” may thus be defined, more broadly, as careful, sustained, critical thought

about anything you could possibly think of. It is our conviction that this book will vindicate this

definition. In what follows you will encounter a wide range of the ideas and arguments of some

of the world’s greatest philosophers. In keeping with the spirit of our definition of philosophy,

you will not only learn what these ideas and arguments are, but also develop the ability to

critically evaluate them based on the support given for their assumptions and the quality of their

internal logic. We write this book with the hope that when you finish it you will be both better

informed about philosophy and better equipped to practice it.

Part I: Ancient Philosophy

Many thanks to Mark Krey for his illustrations, Joshua Krey for the cover and to Scott Ryan for reading and editing the text!

We welcome any feedback you may have on this section, as well as suggestions about what you would like to see in future sections. You can send them to jlzarri@scholardarity.com





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