Book Summary
The Big Question: A Short Introduction to Philosophy by Solomon and Higgins is designed to discuss the most important philosophical questions. Many of the main themes of this subject are revealed in various sections of the book. Thus, thanks to an integrated approach, the authors fully reveal the basic meanings of all concepts affected by philosophy as a science. The main topics revealed in the work are the meaning of life, the essence of philosophical thinking, the challenges associated with knowledge, the existence of God, and ethical theories. At the same time, objectivity is ensured because the authors provide readers with data and opinions not only from one side of the issue.
Each topic can be explored in greater detail and with precision because Solomon and Higgins provide examples of different points of view with their arguments (68). Thus, the information read can be much better absorbed as people understand the specific arguments and reasons for certain theses. The book also emphasizes contemporary topics such as sex, identity, race, and culture (Solomon and Higgins 298). This allows one to get philosophical answers to many problems in society today.
A Quote I Agree With and Why
In the book, one can agree with many philosophical thoughts and explanations. However, I agree with the statement: “The quality of a philosophy depends upon the ingenuity with which its ideas are presented…” (Solomon and Higgins 13). This reflects the whole point of philosophy, which is to explain in detail in a resourceful way the ideas and principles of the organization of something.
A Quote I Disagree With and Why
However, in the book, I disagree with the statement: “To believe in God allows a person to have that confidence [things come out in some fair way]; not to believe takes it away” (Solomon and Higgins 66). This phrase indicates that people without faith cannot be sure everything will be fine. However, this is not the case because many atheists can remain optimistic and believe in fate.
A Connection to Sophie’s World
A quote from Sophie’s World that may be related to the chapter is, “I am in the world now, she thought, but one day I shall be gone” (Gaarder 6). This sentence raises a philosophical question about life and that everyone will someday die. The chapter The Meaning of Life can be related in meaning to this statement (Solomon and Higgins 43). Reading this book made me think about the deep philosophical themes that permeate our lives.
Works Cited
Gaarder, Jostein. Sophie’s world. Berkley Books. 1991.
Solomon, Robert and Kathleen Higgins. The big question: A short introduction to philosophy, 8th ed. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 2010.