An Innovative Introduction: Fictive Narrative, Primary Texts, and Responsive Writing
March 1, 2010
Boylan (philosophy, Marymount Univ.) and Johnson (English, Univ. of Washington in Seattle) have here indeed produced an innovative introduction to philosophy, having done so by designing and arranging a unique selection and presentation of the material. The book is divided into three parts. In the first, the studentor the reader, who may be so inclineddeals with writing direct and indirect responses to philosophical arguments. The second part pertains to key figures in ancient and medieval philosophyPlato, Aristotle, Buddha, and Aquinas. In the final partdevoted to modern and contemporary philosophythe thinking of Descartes, Kant, Marx, Heidegger, Hannah Arendt, Iris Murdoch, and Martin Luther King Jr. is considered. Throughout the book, the authors, primarily Boylan, include interesting and detailed fictive essays on each of the noted thinkers. This all reads like a collegiate study guide to philosophy, with "exercises," a "mid-term project," and a "final project," which encourages the studentand the readerto think more deeply about and understand the material. VERDICT This is a thoroughly inventive and demanding study that any student or reader should find insightful and rewarding.Leon H. Brody, Falls Church, VA
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