Philosophy - The Essentials: Teach Yourself

Lloyd Strickland

Written by Lloyd Strickland, who is a current philosophy lecturer and a leading researcher, Philosophy - The Essentials is designed to give you everything you need to succeed, all in one place. It covers the key areas that students are expected to be confident in, outlining the basics in clear jargon-free English, and then providing added-value features like summaries of key books, and even lists of questions you might be asked in your seminar or exam.

The book uses a problem-based structure, which mirrors the teaching of most university courses. So you'll look at what philosophy is, whether you have free will, how (and if) you can know anything, what reality actually is, how philosophers say you should act towards others, and many other questions beside.

Teach Yourself titles employ the 'Breakthrough method', which is designed specifically to overcome problems that students face.
- Problem: "I find it difficult to remember what I've read."; Solution: this book includes end-of-chapter questions and summaries, and flashcards of key points available on-line and as apps
- Problem: "Most books mention important other sources, but I can never find them in time."; Solution: this book includes key texts and case studies are summarised, complete with fully referenced quotes ready to use in your essay or exam.
- Problem: "Lots of introductory books turn out to cover totally different topics than my course."; Solution: this book is written by a current university lecturer who understands what students are expected to know