Knowledge, Reality, and Value: A Mostly Common Sense Guide to Philosophy

For me, Michael Huemer’s Knowledge, Reality, and Value was a perfect introduction to serious philosophy. It gave me a clear overview of the big questions about knowledge, reality, and ethics without assuming I already knew the field. Topics like skepticism, free will, and morality were explained in a way that was clear but not dumbed down. I especially liked how fair and balanced the book is. It presents different viewpoints without pushing an agenda, so I could think through the arguments for myself. The writing is calm, logical, and easy to follow. Overall, it felt like a bridge from casual interest to real philosophical understanding. For self-study or preparation for more advanced reading, I found it both accessible and very rewarding.

"Knowledge, Reality, and Value: A Mostly Common Sense Guide to Philosophy" by Michael Huemer is an excellent book that offers a comprehensive and engaging introduction to philosophy. The book covers a wide range of topics, including epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy. One of the strengths of the book is its accessibility. Huemer uses clear and straightforward language, which makes the material easy to understand for readers who may not be familiar with the technical terminology of philosophy. Additionally, he uses numerous examples and thought experiments to illustrate key concepts and encourage readers to think critically about the material. Another strength of the book is its organization. Huemer breaks the material down into manageable chapters that cover specific topics, such as skepticism, free will, and the meaning of life. This makes it easy for readers to navigate the material and review specific concepts as needed. One potential criticism of the book is that it may be too basic for readers who already have a strong background in philosophy. While the material is informative and well-presented, it may not offer enough depth for more advanced readers. Another criticism is that the book reflects Huemer's own philosophical views, which may not align with those of all readers. While this is a common limitation of many introductory texts, it is worth noting for readers who are looking for a more neutral or balanced perspective on philosophy. Overall, "Knowledge, Reality, and Value" is an excellent introduction to philosophy. Its clear and accessible writing style, combined with its well-organized structure and numerous examples, make it an ideal resource for students or anyone interested in exploring the major themes and debates in philosophy. However, readers who are already familiar with the material may find it too basic, and those looking for a more neutral perspective may need to supplement the book with additional resources. Dr. Tesfaye Robele

This book is lucid, engaging, and funny without sacrificing quality and technical scope. A very good introduction into the subject matter.

I usually wait until I have completed a book before writing a review, but I am making an exception. I am an older adult who now wants to get serious a study of philosophy. Huemer’s style of writing and the organization of the book just work. It is also worth noting that the printing and production are excellent. (It is self published.) I have returned two books recently because of their poor quality. Buy this book. You will not be disappointed.

This is one of those books I wish I could send back in time to my 18-year-old self. I found it extremely valuable as an older adult too, and anyone with an interest in philosophy can benefit from reading it (although professional philosophers might find it too introductory). In the preface, Huemer pitches the book as "an introduction for students who would like a basic grasp of a wide variety of issues in the field of philosophy." In our age of conspiracism, "fake news," and hyper-partisanship, Huemer's discussions of rationality and objectivity (Chapter 3: Critical Thinking, 1: Intellectual Virtue) are especially important. This chapter is worth widely promoting. I'd already read several of Huemer's other books, so I basically knew where he was coming from in terms of epistemology and ethics. Still, he surprised me on a few issues, especially with his discussions about God and about souls (in Part III: Metaphysics). Regardless, Huemer is one of those people who is very interesting and helpful even where I end up disagreeing with him—and I end up agreeing with him most of the time. (He's changed my mind pretty dramatically on a few issues.) In Part IV: Ethics, Huemer reviews his case for ethical intuitionism and discusses various topics in ethics. For example, he has a creative take on Peter Singer's "drowning child" illustration that takes charity seriously while avoiding the implication that a person should give to the point of self-impoverishment. Huemer ends with an appendix, "A Guide to Writing," that will be especially helpful to philosophy students. Disclaimer: I proofread Huemer's book prior to its publication, and Huemer has indicated that he'll probably give me a hardback copy of it. That did not bias my review!

The peripatetic philosopher Mike Huemer of UC, Boulder, having already written books on ethics, epistemology, political philosophy, the concept of infinity, solutions to philosophical paradoxes, and issues of criminal justice, has now also written an introduction to philosophy. His other works, while written to meet the rigors of the profession, could also be enjoyed by intelligent laymen interested in philosophy (because Mike writes well, and clearly.) This book was specifically designed to be read by college undergraduates. It includes sections on how to write well, how to think like a philosopher, and what constitutes a good vs bad argument. Unlike (I assume; it’s been decades since I took undergrad philosophy) other textbooks of this sort, Huemer doesn’t merely tell you, the reader, the various positions philosophers have held in ethics, the theory of knowledge, metaphysics, etc., but also shares with you why and where he thinks various arguments fall short and, often, what he thinks the best argument is. As he teaches, objectivity does not require neutrality. Huemer clearly indicates, as appropriate, when his view of the correct answer is not shared by most of his philosophy colleagues. This seems to happen frequently. I, for one, do not see that as a negative. The writing is not stuffy. It reads easily and Huemer is often humorous. The occasional expletive and profanity is found, not something often seen in textbooks, though perhaps heard sporadically in classroom lectures in the Boulder community. Although Huemer’s earlier publications have been via prestigious university presses, attached to amazingly high prices for hardback, shockingly expensive prices for paperback, and often decisions to withhold ebook versions, Huemer decided to self-publish this introduction text via Kindle Publishing, which provides inexpensive ebook and paperback versions ideal for undergraduates and casual readers of philosophy alike. If you’re a fan of Huemer’s earlier works, this may interest you (especially to learn of his unusual yet well-argued-for positions, such as the existence of the soul being perhaps the best answer for theories of personal identity and his argument for free will developed when he was an undergraduate.) If you’re a college student taking a philosophy course using a different textbook, this is a cheap additional source well worth your time. If you’re a philosophy professor, you should consider using Huemer’s text in your intro course. Your students will likely appreciate the choice.

I'm very decently versed in epistemology and ethics (metaphysics...no), yet I learned a lot from this crispy paced, well organized, and comprehensive book. The examples are sharp and accessible, the author's judgments sensible if at times provocative. There were places where I wished for more real-world applications (finely honed thought experiments get you only so far) and historical context (where these ideas came from and why they matter). And the book omits political philosophy, so you'll have to go elsewhere for that (too bad!). Within its scope, though, the book is an impressive survey of _what_ philosophers think while also demonstrating _how_ they think. It's a perfect point of entry for a curious student, and a critical aid for experienced scholars, too. Pretty good trick for the price of a salad!

Disclaimer: I have not read the whole book yet, but I'm struggling to care about it already and would probably return it if I could. The book is quite annoying so far. Everything about it makes the author seem so full of himself, though I guess he thinks it's humorous (or should I say, Huemerous?). The back cover, for instance, has the audacity to say that it's "better than the Bible." Then, Huemer makes it seem as if the "great" philosophers (so to speak) all look up to HIM by jokingly having these dead philosophers review his book and say they all look up to him! The condescending vibe continues into the first pages, too. The author actually says "I'm smart" in the introduction as a reason you should listen to him...and he appears to bluntly mean it. Despite saying that he isn't going to be annoying and talk about himself, he does it anyway. Old boy leads-off with the appeal to authority fallacy, citing his academic credentials as the reason you should care to follow what he has to say, even though he is about to write about fallacies! This doesn't stop him; you should read Huemer because he has been teaching in a university for a long time. Pfft. If anything, this is a reason to be SUSPICIOUS of a writer! No one cares that you have a degree, dude! As Bastiat would say, "down with your universities!" I've already detected some potential lies and sneaky tactics. For instance, he calls people who believe in creationism over evolution (even though Darwin was a statist commie) to be "extreme religious fundamentalists." This is nothing but name-calling, in the vein of the "leftists" Huemer pretends to oppose (indeed, it seems like he's trying to appeal to mainstream socialist brain by mocking God, disproving Him, calling religious folks names, etc). The lie part of this name-calling is that he says the "only" people who believe in creationism are these extremist ones. That seems patently false: everyone who believes in God believes that God created the world. It's not really a timeless philosophy for the ages type of book, but one that is full of a modern author's cutsey way of writing and, again, the feeling that he is actually full of himself. If you were looking for a book pertinent to our present political world, this isn't really it. He covers boring philosophical issues like animal rights and God, which aren't really pressing issues in our world. He seems to miss what is important, too. On lab-grown meats, he doesn't see the writing on the wall that the elites are trying to attack traditional food sources, private property, private farms, self-sustainability, etc. Instead, he just says that lab-grown meats will probably soon help us get away from having to eat animals.

This book is a page-turner! It's so well written, you can just fly through the pages while learning about profound philosophical arguments. It's great as an introduction to philosophy students, or anyone who wants to learn philosophy on their own. But even trained philosophers will take great pleasure out of it!

Regret the purchase. I don't mind relaxed writing but it is outright chummy with so much effort that it feels fake. The author introduces his points of view (which is entirely acceptable) but he's rabidly political, squeezing into everything his hatred for whatever isn't radical progressivism. Overall, it is an insufferable book. The only positive is that... no, wait, there are no positives.