内容简介

The questions of metaphysics are the deepest and most puzzling questions there are. What is time? Am I free in my actions? What makes me the same person I was as a child? What is it for one thing to cause another? Riddles of Existence is the first book ever to make metaphysics genuinely accessible and fun. Its lively, informal style brings the riddles to life and shows how stimulating it can be to think about them. No philosophical background is required to enjoy this book: anyone who has thought about life's most profound questions will find plenty to provoke and entertain them here.

作者简介

作者简介

厄尔·康尼（Earl　Conee）　美国罗切斯特大学哲学系教授。主要研究领域为伦理学、认识论、心灵哲学，教学课程包括伦理学、知识论等。著有《证据主义》（Evidentialism，与Richard Feldman合著，2004）等。

西奥多·赛德（Theodore　Sider）　美国罗格斯大学哲学系教授。主要研究领域为形而上学、哲学逻辑、语言哲学、物理哲学，教学课程包括逻辑、数学哲学等。著有《四维主义》（Four-Dimensionalism，2001）、《为哲学的逻辑》（Logic for Philosophy，2010）、《书写世界之书》（Writing the Book of the World，2011）、《形而上学工具与科学形而上学》（The Tools of Metaphysics and the Metaphysics of ...

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精彩摘录

Notsofast.Wehumanbeingsaremadeofmatter,tinyparticlesstudiedbythesciences.Andthesciences,especiallyphysics,discoverlawsofnaturethatspecifywheretheseparticlesmustmove.Giventheforcesthatwereactingontheparticles,yourbodyhadtomovethewayitdid,andsoyouhadtocontinuetoread.Howthenwasyourdecisionfree?

——引自第1页

Thisistheproblemoffreewill.Itisatoughproblem.Weallbelievethatwehavefreewill,andyetscientificlawsgovernthemattermakingupourbodies,determiningwhatwewilldonext.

——引自第2页