101 Philosophy Problems (Third Edition)

Does Farmer Field really know his prize cow, Daisy, is in the field? When is an unexpected exam not wholly unexpected? Are all bachelors (really) unmarried? Martin Cohen's bestselling 101 Philosophy Problems is a witty and engaging introduction to philosophy, covering classical as well as contemporary problems from the fields of medical ethics, modern physics and artificial intelligence. For the third edition, many of the problems have been revised and there are several brand new ones, including Lewis Carroll's problem of people who don't eat lentils and Poincare's problem of the gaseous people whose measurements keep changing. With an updated glossary of helpful terms and possible solutions to the problems at the end of the book, 101 Philosophy Problems is essential reading for anyone coming to philosophy for the first time. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Contents......Page 10 Forward......Page 14 How to use this book......Page 17 Note on the philosophical pictures......Page 19 Eleven logical loops and paradoxical problems to get started with......Page 20 Problem 1: The hanging judge......Page 21 Problem 2: The cow in the field......Page 22 Problem 3: Protagoras’ problem......Page 23 Problem 4: The hairdresser of Hindu Kush......Page 24 Problem 5: The raven......Page 25 Problem 6: The tuck-shop dilemma......Page 26 Problem 7: The unexpected exam......Page 27 Problem 8: Sorites......Page 29 Problem 9: The Society for Useless Information’s problem......Page 31 Problem 10: A problem with lentils......Page 32 Problem 11: The sentence......Page 33 Six ethical stories......Page 35 Problem 12: Diktatia......Page 36 Problem 13: A relative problem......Page 37 Problem 14: The dog and the professor......Page 39 Problem 15: The dog and the professor II......Page 40 Problem 16: Problems in the Lost Kingdom of Marjon......Page 41 Problem 17: Problems in the Lost Kingdom of Marjon II......Page 42 Problem 18: The Lost Kingdom and the peskyfly problem......Page 43 Problem 19: The Lost Kingdom and the peskyfly problem II......Page 44 Problem 20: The Lost Kingdom and the peskyfly problem III......Page 45 Problem 21: New Diktatia......Page 46 Problem 22: New Diktatia II......Page 47 Problem 23: New Diktatia III......Page 48 Half a half dozen of your numbers problems......Page 49 Problem 24: The bent coin problem......Page 50 Problem 25: Life on Sirius......Page 51 Problem 26: The infinite hotel......Page 53 Zeno’s paradoxes......Page 54 Problem 27: Achilles and the tortoise......Page 55 Problem 28: Lost in Space......Page 56 Problem 29: Dancing in the stadium......Page 57 Problem 30: That’s enough paradoxes (ed.)......Page 58 Some value judgements......Page 59 Problem 31: Fakes and forgeries......Page 60 Problem 32: Flash Bagman......Page 61 Problem 33: The value of stamps and potatoes......Page 63 Problem 34: The value of stamps and potatoes II......Page 64 Paradoxical picture puzzles......Page 65 Problem 35: The cube and the triangle......Page 66 Problem 36: Figure/ground reversal......Page 67 Problem 37: The false leg......Page 68 Problem 38: The chair......Page 69 Problem 39: Band with a twist in it......Page 70 Problem 40: ‘The blobs’ and ‘The colour disk illusion’......Page 71 Problems with time......Page 72 Problem 41: The time machine......Page 73 Problem 42: The time-stopper......Page 74 Problem 43: The microworld time forgot......Page 76 Problem 44: The unreliable watches......Page 78 Personal problems......Page 79 Problem 45: The mind’s eye......Page 80 Problem 46: A more corporeal problem......Page 82 Problem 47: The book......Page 83 Problem 48: The book II......Page 84 Problem 49: Sleeping problems......Page 85 Problem 50: Indispositional problems......Page 86 Problem 51: Still indisposed......Page 87 Problem 52: The sleeping man......Page 88 Problem 53: A problem arranging ship battles......Page 89 Problem 54: Deep Thought speaks for itself......Page 91 Problem 55: Deeper thought......Page 92 Paradoxical pictures......Page 94 Problem 56: Daytime – or night-time?......Page 95 Problem 57: But will the waterfall?......Page 96 Problem 58: The architect’s secret......Page 97 Problem 59: The three hares illusion......Page 98 Twelve traditional philosophy problems no one really cares about anyway......Page 99 Some nasty medical problems......Page 102 Problem 72: The three embryos problem......Page 103 Problem 73: Kidnapped by doctors!......Page 104 Problem 74: Kidnapped by doctors! Episode II......Page 106 Problem 75: Potentially a problem......Page 107 Problem 76: Whose baby?......Page 108 Problem 77: A sinister transplant problem......Page 110 Problem 78: More sinister transplant problems......Page 111 Two Chinese problems......Page 112 Problem 79: The turtle......Page 113 Problem 80: The nightingale’s song......Page 114 Fundamentally religious problems......Page 115 Problems 81–88: (raised by an annoying parishioner on a wet Sunday afternoon, with the Vicar)......Page 116 Problem 89: The evangelist......Page 118 Elementary problems of natural philosophy......Page 119 Problem 90: Poincaré’s problem......Page 120 Problem 91: Problems with the speed of light......Page 121 Problem 92: Further problems of natural philosophy......Page 122 Problem 93: Advanced further problems of natural philosophy......Page 124 Problem 94: Schrödinger’s cat’s problem......Page 125 Problem 95: The space yacht’s black hole......Page 126 Pretty final problems......Page 127 Problem 96: Schopenhauer’s problem......Page 128 Problem 97: Schopenhauer’s problem too......Page 129 Problem 98: A fairly terminal problem for dull philosophers......Page 130 Problem 99: Descartes’ big problem......Page 131 Problem 100: The problem of how to get to 101 (unsolved)......Page 132 Problem 101: The problem of existence......Page 133 Discussions......Page 134 Glossary......Page 212 Reading guide......Page 244 Acknowledgements......Page 250 Index......Page 252 Humanities Book Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 10 Forward 14 How to use this book 17 Note on the philosophical pictures 19 Eleven logical loops and paradoxical problems to get started with 20 Problem 1: The hanging judge 21 Problem 2: The cow in the field 22 Problem 3: Protagoras’ problem 23 Problem 4: The hairdresser of Hindu Kush 24 Problem 5: The raven 25 Problem 6: The tuck-shop dilemma 26 Problem 7: The unexpected exam 27 Problem 8: Sorites 29 Problem 9: The Society for Useless Information’s problem 31 Problem 10: A problem with lentils 32 Problem 11: The sentence 33 Six ethical stories 35 Problem 12: Diktatia 36 Problem 13: A relative problem 37 Problem 14: The dog and the professor 39 Problem 15: The dog and the professor II 40 Problem 16: Problems in the Lost Kingdom of Marjon 41 Problem 17: Problems in the Lost Kingdom of Marjon II 42 Problem 18: The Lost Kingdom and the peskyfly problem 43 Problem 19: The Lost Kingdom and the peskyfly problem II 44 Problem 20: The Lost Kingdom and the peskyfly problem III 45 Problem 21: New Diktatia 46 Problem 22: New Diktatia II 47 Problem 23: New Diktatia III 48 Half a half dozen of your numbers problems 49 Problem 24: The bent coin problem 50 Problem 25: Life on Sirius 51 Problem 26: The infinite hotel 53 Zeno’s paradoxes 54 Problem 27: Achilles and the tortoise 55 Problem 28: Lost in Space 56 Problem 29: Dancing in the stadium 57 Problem 30: That’s enough paradoxes (ed.) 58 Some value judgements 59 Problem 31: Fakes and forgeries 60 Problem 32: Flash Bagman 61 Problem 33: The value of stamps and potatoes 63 Problem 34: The value of stamps and potatoes II 64 Paradoxical picture puzzles 65 Problem 35: The cube and the triangle 66 Problem 36: Figure/ground reversal 67 Problem 37: The false leg 68 Problem 38: The chair 69 Problem 39: Band with a twist in it 70 Problem 40: ‘The blobs’ and ‘The colour disk illusion’ 71 Problems with time 72 Problem 41: The time machine 73 Problem 42: The time-stopper 74 Problem 43: The microworld time forgot 76 Problem 44: The unreliable watches 78 Personal problems 79 Problem 45: The mind’s eye 80 Problem 46: A more corporeal problem 82 Problem 47: The book 83 Problem 48: The book II 84 Problem 49: Sleeping problems 85 Problem 50: Indispositional problems 86 Problem 51: Still indisposed 87 Problem 52: The sleeping man 88 Problem 53: A problem arranging ship battles 89 Problem 54: Deep Thought speaks for itself 91 Problem 55: Deeper thought 92 Paradoxical pictures 94 Problem 56: Daytime – or night-time? 95 Problem 57: But will the waterfall? 96 Problem 58: The architect’s secret 97 Problem 59: The three hares illusion 98 Twelve traditional philosophy problems no one really cares about anyway 99 Some nasty medical problems 102 Problem 72: The three embryos problem 103 Problem 73: Kidnapped by doctors! 104 Problem 74: Kidnapped by doctors! Episode II 106 Problem 75: Potentially a problem 107 Problem 76: Whose baby? 108 Problem 77: A sinister transplant problem 110 Problem 78: More sinister transplant problems 111 Two Chinese problems 112 Problem 79: The turtle 113 Problem 80: The nightingale’s song 114 Fundamentally religious problems 115 Problems 81–88: (raised by an annoying parishioner on a wet Sunday afternoon, with the Vicar) 116 Problem 89: The evangelist 118 Elementary problems of natural philosophy 119 Problem 90: Poincaré’s problem 120 Problem 91: Problems with the speed of light 121 Problem 92: Further problems of natural philosophy 122 Problem 93: Advanced further problems of natural philosophy 124 Problem 94: Schrödinger’s cat’s problem 125 Problem 95: The space yacht’s black hole 126 Pretty final problems 127 Problem 96: Schopenhauer’s problem 128 Problem 97: Schopenhauer’s problem too 129 Problem 98: A fairly terminal problem for dull philosophers 130 Problem 99: Descartes’ big problem 131 Problem 100: The problem of how to get to 101 (unsolved) 132 Problem 101: The problem of existence 133 Discussions 134 Glossary 212 Reading guide 244 Acknowledgements 250 Index 252 Does Farmer Field really know his prize heifer, Daisy, is in the field? When is an unexpected exam not a surprise? Are all bachelors (really) unmarried men? Martin Cohen's bestselling 101 Philosophy Problems is a fresh and fun introduction to philosophy, covering classical as well as contemporary problems from the fields of medical ethics, modern physics and artificial intelligence. For the third edition, many of the problems have been revised and there are several brand new ones, including Lewis Carroll's problem of people who don't eat lentils and Poincare's problem of the gaseous people whose measurements keep changing. With an updated glossary of helpful terms and possible solutions to the problems at the end of the book, 101 Philosophy Problems is essential reading for anyone coming to philosophy for the first time 'This book is a fresh and original introduction to philosophy. Intended for those with little or no prior knowledge of philosophy, such as A-level students or readers in Further Education courses, the first part of the book presents philosophical problems as thought experiments which stimulate and promote thought and debate. The second part contains solutions and further discussions, complete with a glossary of unfamiliar terms. The problems offer the reader a thorough grounding in the history of philosophical ideas and are discussed in a clear, concise and often humorous manner. Containing one problem per page, Martin Cohen's fresh and original introduction to philosophy combines scholarship with humour and is aimed at those coming to philosophy for the first time. Now Judge Dread had had many disagreeable people before him, but this one, who styled himself 'the Philosopher', despite never having studied the subject, had really annoyed him.