The Study of Philosophy

A Text with Readings (7th Edition)


This seventh edition of The Study of Philosophy presents a comprehensive treatment of the major fields and figures of philosophy alongside primary readings by seminal thinkers to fuel debate and further study. Written in Pessin’s trademark accessible style, new features of this edition include.

• A substantive account of philosophical theology
• A reorganized treatment of early modern rationalism and empiricism
• Discussion of the major highlights of twentieth- and twenty-first-century philosophy
• A survey of major contemporary moral problems

The Study of Philosophy is ideally suited to serve as a textbook for introductory and intermediate level philosophy courses, or as a complete resource for the interested general reader. From Plato to Plantinga, from Aristotle to Ayer, and from Socrates to Singer, this book brings the power of both ancient and modern philosophy to students of the twenty-first century.

Maintaining superb readability, the seventh edition adds key ingredients: more contemporary philosophy, impressive selections of primary sources, and excellent choices of additions within the chapters. There is much to commend in this newest edition. –Dominic Prianti, Gannon University

The seventh edition of The Study of Philosophy is a great new version. In addition to offering a new chapter on contemporary moral problems, the authors have revised their work on logic, metaphysics, and the philosophy of religion. Lively and engaging, The Study of Philosophy should remain an important resource for every undergraduate. –William P. Haggerty, Gannon University

The new edition of The Study of Philosophy retains the impressive coverage of topics of earlier editions—along with the excellent chapters on logic (including a superb treatment of the informal fallacies), and the student-friendly narrative—and adds many new, well-chosen topical readings, and a whole chapter on contemporary moral problems. The best introductory philosophy textbook on the market just got better! –Michael Latzer, Gannon University