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|title=The Complete Philosophy Files
|sort=Complete Philosophy Files
|author=Stephen Law
|reviewer=Jill Murphy
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=256
|publisher=Orion
|date=September 2011
|isbn=1444003348
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|video=XZk6wq9Oau0
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Stephen Laws asks fifteen of the biggest philosophical questions in fifteen ''files''. They're all there - ''Should I eat meat? Is time travel possible? Does God exist? How do I know the world isn't virtual?'' - and together, they form an introduction to this most esoteric of academic disciplines. Arguments and rebuttals are dramatised by invented characters so it's easy to follow the debate and little cartoons both amplify the concepts and provide an antidote against brain meltdown.
The real star of the ''Philosophy Files'' show is the quality of Laws's writing which explains complex concepts with clarity and in a direct way, but which is full of sparkle and fizzle and enthusisasm enthusiasm and jokes and oh, everything you could want in a book that aims to stimulate independent and sophisticated thought.
I can't recommend this reissue highly enough. Honestly. Honestly, honestly, honestly. It's funny and energetic and creative. But it's also deadly serious and challenging. It's easy to read and it explains difficult concepts - Ockham's Razor, anyone? - in a way that makes perfect sense. It asks questions but doesn't dictate answers. And best of all, Law doesn't shy away from the difficult topics. Indeed, he both warns and inspires his readers about this in the introduction:
If you prefer fact to fiction, you'll also enjoy [[Science: Sorted! Evolution, Nature and Stuff by Glenn Murphy]] and [[Will Jellyfish Rule the World? by Leo Hickman]].
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[[Category:Teens|Complete Philosophy Files]]
