The Stone Reader: Modern Philosophy in 133 Arguments - Hardcover

"Philosophy made relevant by writers grappling with thorny issues. [An] eclectic, lively gathering of essays...on the discipline of philosophy; the contribution of science to "the riddle of the human species"; vexing questions about religion, morality, and God; and society, which includes reflections on economics, politics, family, race (including the killing of Trayvon Martin), violence (including the Sandy Hook school shootings, and America's fierce attachment to what Firmin DeBrabander calls "robust individualism and self-determination." Serious pieces that serve as counterweights to the frothy blogosphere." -- Kirkus Reviews "This stimulating collection of 133 essays fully validates the New York Times' decision to launch 'The Stone,' a column devoted to twenty-first-century philosophy in all its perplexing diversity... The Stone writers remind readers that long after Socrates challenged his students in Athens' agora, philosophy still speaks to our deepest human concerns." -- Booklist

Once solely the province of ivory tower professors and university classrooms, contemporary philosophy was emancipated from its academic closet in 2010, when The Stone was launched in The New York Times. First appearing online, the column has attracted millions of readers through its accessible examination of topics like the nature of science, consciousness and morality, while also probing more contemporary issues such as the morality of drones, gun control and the gender divide. Collected for the first time, The Stone Reader presents 133 influential pieces, placing nearly the entirety of modern philosophical discourse at a reader's grasp. With an introduction that details the column's founding and editorial process, this collection is an intellectual landmark.