Author(s): Julian Baggini

Philosophy

The key principles for a more humane and balanced approach to thinking, to politics and to life, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of How the World Thinks.

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.

Review: "A witty primer on the art of thinking [and] an excellent guide to reasoning better as an ethical imperative."-- "Irish Times"
"In lively and engaging prose, the book distills some of history's most important philosophical ideas. . . . This is an important book. Much more than a guide to critiquing other people's arguments, it explains how we can each sharpen up our own act by becoming more attentive and--crucially--more generous in our thinking. It should be required reading for commentators, politicians and anyone who risks becoming too enamored with their own rectitude."-- "The Herald (UK)"
"On at least some level, [Baggini offers] the remedy to what the likes of Peterson or Malcolm Gladwell do: soberly appreciating 'the sheer difficulty of thinking well' - never reducing his counsel to hot takes or simple life hacks."-- "Art Review (UK)"
"An essential, inspiring guide to the challenges of our time, drawing on interviews with contemporary philosophers, and filled with the author's insights and reflections. It is exactly the book that we need."--Sarah Bakewell, author of 'At the Existentialist Cafe: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails'
"If more philosophers wrote with the power and elegance Baggini achieves in this book, more of us would learn to think like them. Well, now we can!"--Richard Holloway, former bishop of Edinburgh, primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, and author of 'Leaving Alexandria: A Memoir of Faith and Doubt'
"Nobody thinks about thinking like Baggini. His latest book gives us an urgently needed guide to clear thinking, brought to life by a cast of our finest philosophers and illuminated by his gentle, humane, and accessible writing. Essential reading, both for making sense of a confusing world, and for living your everyday life. I'll be returning to this brilliant book again and again."--Anil Seth, author of 'Being You: A New Science of Consciousness'
"A British philosopher who specializes in translating academic theories for a popular audience."--Wall Street Journal "on 'Freedom Regained: The Possibility of Free Will'"
"Bright, engaging, and reliable."--Los Angeles Review of Books "on 'The Great Guide: What David Hume Can Teach Us about Being Human and Living Well'"
"Hugely entertaining."--Publishers Weekly "on 'The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten'"

Author Biography: JULIAN BAGGINI's many books include the Sunday Times bestselling How the World Thinks, Freedom Regained, The Virtues of the Table, The Godless Gospel and the bestselling The Pig that Wants to be Eaten. He has written for, among others, the Guardian, the TLS, the Financial Times and Prospect, and for magazines, academic journals and think tanks.