Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy
About the Book Series
An innovative, well structured series, the Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy are designed for students who already have completed an introductory-level course in philosophy. Each book introduces a core general subject in contemporary philosophy and offers students an accessible but substantial transition from introductory to higher-level college work in that subject. The series is accessible to non-specialists and each book clearly motivates and expounds the problems and positions introduced. An orientating chapter briefly introduces its topic and reminds readers of any crucial material they need to have retained from a typical introductory course. Considerable attention is given to explaining central philosophical problems of a subject and the main competing solutions and arguments for those solutions. The primary aim is to educate students in the main problems, positions and arguments of contemporary philosophy rather than to convince students of a single position.
Philosophy of Language: A Contemporary Introduction
4th Edition
By William G. Lycan
July 16, 2026
Now in its Fourth Edition, Philosophy of Language: A Contemporary Introduction introduces students to the main issues and theories in twenty-first-century philosophy of language, focusing specifically on linguistic phenomena. Author William G. Lycan structures the book’s 13 chapters into four ...
Social and Political Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction
3rd Edition
By John Christman
July 16, 2026
This accessible book is invaluable to anyone coming to social and political philosophy for the first time. It provides a broad survey of key social and political questions in modern society, as well as clear discussions of the philosophical issues central to those questions and to political thought...
Metaethics: A Contemporary Introduction
2nd Edition
By Mark van Roojen
March 31, 2026
This book maps the terrain of the part of ethics that reflects on the nature of ethics itself, a field known as metaethics. It helps upper-level undergraduates and other interested readers understand the main theoretical innovations as reactions to puzzles about moral disagreement, reference, moral...
Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction
5th Edition
By John Heil
January 21, 2026
This popular coursebook offers an accessible introduction to issues in the philosophy of mind, including the mind–body problem, causal interactions between the mental and the physical, computational models of thought, and assorted -isms, including: behaviorism, dualism, eliminativism, emergentism, ...
Medieval Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction
1st Edition
By Andrew W Arlig
August 14, 2023
This book presents a new, contemporary introduction to medieval philosophy as it was practiced in all its variety in Western Europe and the Near East. It assumes only a minimal familiarity with philosophy, the sort that an undergraduate introduction to philosophy might provide, and it is arranged ...
Moral Psychology: A Contemporary Introduction
2nd Edition
By Valerie Tiberius
July 31, 2023
Released in 2014, this was the first philosophy textbook in moral psychology, introducing students to a range of philosophical topics and debates such as: what is moral motivation? Do reasons for action always depend on desires? Is emotion or reason at the heart of moral judgment? Under what ...
Ancient Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction
2nd Edition
By Christopher Shields
January 06, 2023
In Ancient Philosophy (2012), Christopher Shields expanded on the coverage of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in his earlier book, Classical Philosophy (2003), to include the philosophy of the Hellenistic era. In this new edition (2023), Shields reaches even further to include material on ...
Philosophy of Emotion: A Contemporary Introduction
1st Edition
By Christine Tappolet
November 28, 2022
In this book, Christine Tappolet offers readers a thorough, wide-ranging, and highly accessible introduction to the philosophy of emotions. It covers recent interdisciplinary debates on the nature of emotions as well as standard theories of emotions, such as feeling theories, motivational theories,...
Philosophy of Psychiatry: A Contemporary Introduction
1st Edition
By Sam Wilkinson
November 14, 2022
This is the first introductory textbook of its kind devoted to philosophy of psychiatry, offering a thorough and accessible investigation of the conceptual and philosophical problems at the heart of psychiatric practice and research. While it applies some of the long-standing concerns of philosophy...
Philosophy of Social Science: A Contemporary Introduction
2nd Edition
By Mark Risjord
July 25, 2022
Philosophy of Social Science: A Contemporary Introduction examines perennial questions of philosophy through engaging the empirical study of society. Questions of normativity concern the place of values in social scientific inquiry. Questions of naturalism concern the relationship between the ...
Business Ethics: A Contemporary Introduction
1st Edition
By Jeffrey Moriarty
September 30, 2021
Packed with examples, this book offers a clear and engaging overview of ethical issues in business. It begins with a discussion of foundational issues, including the objectivity of ethics, the content of ethical theories, and the debate between capitalism and socialism, making it suitable for the ...
Philosophy of Perception: A Contemporary Introduction
2nd Edition
By William Fish
June 30, 2021
The philosophy of perception investigates the nature of our sensory experiences and their relation to reality. In the second edition of this popular book, William Fish introduces the subject thematically, setting out the major theories of perception together with their motivations and attendant ...