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How to Think Like a Philosopher

Essential Principles for Clearer Thinking

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How to Think Like a Philosopher

By: Julian Baggini
Narrated by: Julian Baggini
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About this listen

Pay attention.

As politics slides toward impulsivity, and outrage bests rationality, how can philosophy help us critically engage with real world problems?

Question everything.

Drawing on decades of work in philosophy including a huge range of interviews with contemporary philosophers, Julian Baggini sets out how philosophical thought can promote incisive thinking. Introducing everyday examples and contemporary political concerns—from climate change to implicit bias—How to Think Like a Philosopher is a revelatory exploration of the techniques, methods and principles that guide philosophy, and how they can be applied to our own lives.

Seek clarity, not certainty.

Covering canonical philosophers and focal movements, as well as introducing new voices in contemporary philosophy, this is both a short history of philosophy and an accessible, practical guide to good thinking. Through twelve key principles, Julian Baggini outlines a pathway to a more humane, balanced and rational approach to thinking, to politics, and to life.

©2023 Julian Baggini (P)2023 W.F. Howes Ltd
Movements Society
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Loved it.

The book covers a lot in an accessible yet thorough way. The writing and the use if examples is clear and there is no showing off. The way Baggini takes you through the different aspects, even the more difficult ones, bringing in a wide range of other thinkers, is a joy. I cannot rate it highly enough.

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Excellent practical philosophy

If you want to improve your thinking, this is a great book. It is practical, substantive, and honest. Not always a page turner, but if you give it attention, it is very rewarding.

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Excellent

It's a very good book, and there is much to be learnt here. The summaries at the end of each chapter are very useful.

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Don’t jump to conclusions - crawl!

Julian Baggini ends his book by saying we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. It’s better to crawl. And we should think hard and slow. Paying attention is key to good reasoning - simple advice, but how many of us seriously follow it at all times? These are the key pillars of Baggini’s listenable and entertaining treatise on how to think like a philosopher. As a former student of the subject, I was looking for a bit of a refresher course. Using laymen’s terms, Baggini provides one. He’s very good calling out charges of ‘eco-hypocrisy’ in particular - and the claims made for organic food. He doesn’t swallow the received wisdom on any subject, preferring instead to dismantle arguments in forensic fashion. And he concluded that definitive answers can be hard to come by, meaning we must learn to live with loose ends - and enjoy them. I liked his description of Monty Python as ‘British existentialism’ - revelling in life’s absurdities. Baggini, a good narrator, is learned - but this work is designed for the enthusiastic amateur. A bit of a grounding in the subject before you tackle the book would be helpful - but it’s certainly not vital. Philosophy doesn’t haven’t all the answers - but it can at least help us to find the right questions…

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Uninspiring.

A meandering regurgitation of other peoples' work with little additional value. Not worth the time.

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