This book is fourth in a series of books devoted to helping students understand some of the great works in ethics, social and political philosophy. It has been said that Kant's Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals "is the single most important work in modern moral philosophy" (Henry Allison). It is also one of the most difficult books to comprehend, especially for beginning philosophy students. Understanding Immanuel Kant makes Kant accessible to students while at the same time showing why his writings have had such a powerful influence on philosophical ethics. Professor Houlgate's book ...

In the eighteenth century, the words “natural religion” referred to religious beliefs based on reason and evidence instead of revelation. In Understanding David Hume, Professor Laurence Houlgate guides serious students through the labyrinth of arguments for and against the existence and infinite nature of God, focusing mainly on the famous Design Argument. Lengthy dialogues are broken down into discrete and understandable short chapters, allowing students to easily navigate through the book. Professor Houlgate uses the same approach to help students understand Hume’s essays concerning...

This philosophy study guide for Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy is the seventh book in the Smart Student's Guides to Philosophical Classics series. Like the other books in the series, it is much more than an outline or a set of notes and flash cards. It is a book for students who are serious about understanding and thinking critically about one of the most consequential books ever written in the history of philosophy. Part I of the book is a chapter-by-chapter explanation of Descartes/ ideas and theories. It is presented in a way that makes it much easier for a beginning ...

This seminal text in the history of moral philosophy elaborates the basic themes of Kant's moral theory, gives the most complete statement of his highly original theory of freedom of the will, and develops his practical metaphysics. This new edition, prepared by an acclaimed translator and scholar of Kant's practical philosophy, presents the first new translation of the work to appear for many years, together with a substantial and lucid introduction.

There are only a few books that have made a significant change in political society. There are even fewer books that inspired a revolution. But in 1789, 11 years after his death, Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Social Contract did just that. The Social Contract became the Bible of the French Revolution. From Rousseau’s opening words “Man is born free but is everywhere in chains” to his call for a government “by the people,” he risked his life and reputation by challenging the existing political order to return to the terms of the social contract and restore civil liberty. ...