101 Philosophy Problems
Encyclopedia
101 Philosophy Problems is a book by Martin Cohen published by Routledge in 1999. It has had three English
editions and been translated into German, Dutch, Greek, Estonian, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and other languages. The German translation has alone run to three editions, one by Campus and two by Piper, including a massmarket hardback edition . There also an edition in Persian
.
In a review for the Times Higher Education Supplement (London) , Harry Gensler, Professor of philosophy, at John Carroll University, Cleveland, describes the book:
Other stories deal with paradoxes, ethics, aesthetics, perception, time, God, physics, and knowledge and include problems from Zeno, Descartes, Russell, Nelson Goodman, Edmund Gettier and others. The problems are followed by a discussion section and a glossary.
Gensler continues: 'Cohen continually delights or infuriates us with his irreverent opinions. He tells us, for example, that Kant reduced philosophy "to esoteric monologues of professionals" and that Aristotle "suffered from a particularly severe taxonomical disorder". Logic is irrelevant, a point he reinforces by not using it to clarify philosophical problems. ' He adds that while some teachers may be pleased to have so much with which to disagree, others may be confused about how to use this unusual book.
In a review for The Philosopher
, Dr Zenon Stavrinides says that:
101 Philosophy Problems has also been reviewed by 'The Philosophers Magazine' by Julian Baggini (Summer 1999); the 'Ilkley Gazette' (May 29, 1999 ); 'The Guardian' (5.11.1999) and 'Der Spiegel' (2001) yet, some would say, its success seems to have be more attributable to what publishers refer to as 'word of mouth'.
'Reasons to be Cheerless', THES September 17, 1993, article in which Cohen outlines the 'implacable march of logic'
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
editions and been translated into German, Dutch, Greek, Estonian, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and other languages. The German translation has alone run to three editions, one by Campus and two by Piper, including a massmarket hardback edition . There also an edition in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
.
In a review for the Times Higher Education Supplement (London) , Harry Gensler, Professor of philosophy, at John Carroll University, Cleveland, describes the book:
- "The book has 101 humorous little stories, each with a philosophical problem (not however, necessarily, the usual Unsolved problems in philosophyUnsolved problems in philosophyThis is a list of some of the major unsolved problems in philosophy. Clearly, unsolved philosophical problems exist in the lay sense . However, philosophers generally accord serious philosophical problems specific names or questions, which indicate a particular method of attack or line of reasoning...
). For example, problem 54 is about Mr Megasoft, who dies leaving his fortune to his favourite computer. Megasoft's children take the matter to court, contending that the computer cannot think and so cannot inherit money. Mr Megasoft's lawyers claim that the computer can think. But on what grounds can we say that computers can or cannot think?"
Other stories deal with paradoxes, ethics, aesthetics, perception, time, God, physics, and knowledge and include problems from Zeno, Descartes, Russell, Nelson Goodman, Edmund Gettier and others. The problems are followed by a discussion section and a glossary.
Gensler continues: 'Cohen continually delights or infuriates us with his irreverent opinions. He tells us, for example, that Kant reduced philosophy "to esoteric monologues of professionals" and that Aristotle "suffered from a particularly severe taxonomical disorder". Logic is irrelevant, a point he reinforces by not using it to clarify philosophical problems. ' He adds that while some teachers may be pleased to have so much with which to disagree, others may be confused about how to use this unusual book.
In a review for The Philosopher
The Philosopher
The Philosopher is a peer-reviewed academic journal that was established in 1923 and is one of the oldest general philosophy journals in the world. It publishes short, original, and accessible articles...
, Dr Zenon Stavrinides says that:
- "Both in regard to its structure and the style in which it is written, it is very unconventional. The first part of the book consists of a series of very short stories or narrative texts, grouped by subject-matter, setting out problems or puzzles of philosophical interest. Some of these problems are well-known in philosophical literature, e.g. the paradox of Epimenides the Cretan, who said: 'All Cretans are liars'. In the second part of the book, entitled 'Discussions', Cohen provides explanations and analyses of the issues raised by each of the problems, with some references to the treatment offered by particular historical philosophers. These discussions are intelligent and balanced, if (in most cases at least) inevitably inconclusive."
101 Philosophy Problems has also been reviewed by 'The Philosophers Magazine' by Julian Baggini (Summer 1999); the 'Ilkley Gazette' (May 29, 1999 ); 'The Guardian' (5.11.1999) and 'Der Spiegel' (2001) yet, some would say, its success seems to have be more attributable to what publishers refer to as 'word of mouth'.
External links
'Reasons to be Cheerless', THES September 17, 1993, article in which Cohen outlines the 'implacable march of logic'