Nathaniel, I read your post with great interest
because I think Palmer is far and away the best
introductory philosophy text I've come across
(which means it's the best of about 20). It's
interesting how people see things in different
ways. Here's my take.

btw, isn't this against labor laws? You could
complain. "work drops mandatory overtime just as
your classes get into full swing."

"My biggest complaint is that everything I read is
already pre-digested."
This is one of the things I like most about Palmer.
The primary material is TOUGH to read! I think he
does the best job I've seen of saying "This is what
he meant." I like that he includes suggestions for
further reading. I've tried some of them ("What It's
Like to Be a Bat" by Thomas Nagel [ontology]
caught my eye -- and it was HARD to read and
understand)

"I've had to resort to taking a hilighter to each
section, digging up the one or two phrases that
exemplify the idea"
I need to do this with just about every textbook I've
read. I was always taught that this is a good way
to read critically.

"I strongly feel that the study of philosophy is
about reading the material and developing my
own interpretation or understanding of it."
You're much more with it than me, then!!

"If one single philosophy was more "right" than all
the rest, everyone would believe that view of
reality over all others, discarding any other
viewpoint."
I disagree. Humans are notoriously good at
finding good reasons to believe what they want,
not necessarily what might be "right." (see Russell
on pp 159-160)

As Russell also says, altho we may not know
which ideas are right, we can certainly discern
which ideas are better / more likely right than
some others.


Kimberly fruitbat@cookiemonster.com
"What is truth? I don't know and I'm sorry I brought
it up." -- Edward Abbey