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Philosophy: A Text with Readings, 14th Edition

Manuel Velasquez

  • Copyright 2025
  • {{checkPublicationMessage('Published', '2024-07-12T00:00:00+0000')}}
Starting At $79.95 See pricing and ISBN options
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Philosophy: A Text with Readings 14th Edition by Manuel Velasquez
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Overview

Velasquez's PHILOSOPHY: A TEXT WITH READINGS, 14th Edition, has been extensively revised to make complex philosophical concepts and arguments highly accessible to today's students while still exposing them to college-level writing. This edition is a perfect choice for first-time philosophy students as it covers a wide range of topics, including human nature, reality, truth, ethics, the meaning of life, diversity and social/political philosophy, all supported by primary sources that have been chosen for their readability and use of nontechnical language. This edition emphasizes critical-thinking and argument analysis activities that are carefully woven into the book's narrative.

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Meet the Authors

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Manuel Velasquez

Having received his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, Manuel Velasquez now serves as the Charles Dirksen Professor of Business Ethics at Santa Clara University. He teaches courses in the Leavey School of Business in the Legal, Political and Social Environment of the Firm and in Business Ethics. Professor Velasquez's research interests lie primarily in the field of business ethics, and he has published numerous articles in journals such as the The Business Quarterly, The Journal of Business Ethics, Social Justice Research and The Business and Professional Ethics Journal.

What's New

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  • This text has been revised to include discussions of topics such as AI, climate change, COVID-19, the idea of a multiverse, a “post-truth society”, the Dobbs decision, etc.
  • Expanded discussions of non-western philosophies (such as Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.), social/political philosophy and women philosophers have been integrated into the text.
  • Expanded critical thinking materials offer clear definitions and guidance to help students learn reasoning and evaluate argument validity effectively.
  • This text has been revised to include discussions of up-to-date topics such as AI, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of a multiverse, the fine-tuning argument for God, the idea of a “post-truth society,” the 2022 Supreme Court decision of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, etc.

Features

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  • MindTap offers additional readings and media assets to enhance your course and engagement. Auto-graded homework, chapter quizzes and tests provide summative assessment.
  • “Philosophy and Life” boxes relate philosophy to current issues such as sociobiology, psychology and neuroscience, with thought-provoking questions to spark further thought.
  • Selected original texts by important philosophers provide students with an authentic "philosophy experience" without requiring the instructor to take time to design a reader.
  • “Analyzing the Reading Boxes” appear alongside each primary source excerpt and contain questions to help students understand the source text and the arguments it advances.
  • “Thinking Like a Philosopher Boxes” with each excerpt contain questions that apply the concepts in the excerpts to the student’s personal life.
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Table of Contents

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1. What Is Philosophy?
2. Who Am I?
3. Reality and Being.
4. Philosophy, Religion, and God.
5. What Is Knowledge?
6. What Is Truth?
7. Ethics.
8. Social and Political Philosophy.
9. Postscript: The Meaning of Life.

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MindTap Options

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MindTap
Each MindTap product offers the full, mobile-ready textbook combined with superior and proven learning tools at one affordable price. Students who purchase digital access can add a print option at any time when a print option is available for their course.

This Cengage solution can be seamlessly integrated into most Learning Management Systems (Blackboard, Brightspace by D2L, Canvas, Moodle, and more) but does require a different ISBN for access codes. Please work with your Cengage Learning Consultant to ensure the proper course set up and ordering information. For additional information, please visit the LMS Integration site.

Standalone Digital Access — Ultimate Value

Recommended and most popular

  • ISBN-10: 0357947363
  • ISBN-13: 9780357947364
  • RETAIL $84.95
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Textbook Only Options

Traditional eBook and Print Options

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  • ISBN-10: 0357947401
  • ISBN-13: 9780357947401
  • RETAIL $79.95

  • ISBN-10: 0357947320
  • ISBN-13: 9780357947326
  • RETAIL $189.95
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Supplements

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Cengage provides a range of supplements that are updated in coordination with the main title selection. For more information about these supplements, contact your Learning Consultant.

FOR STUDENTS

MindTap for Velasquez's Philosophy: A Text with Readings, 1 term Instant Access

ISBN: 9780357947364
MindTap for Velasquez's PHILOSOPHY: A TEXT WITH READINGS, 14th Edition, is the digital learning solution that powers students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete control of your course to provide engaging content, challenge every individual and build their confidence. Empower students to accelerate their progress with MindTap. MindTap: Powered by You. MindTap for Velasquez's PHILOSOPHY: A TEXT WITH READINGS, 14th Edition, provides the assessments, readings and media assets to enhance your course. Auto-graded homework covers key concept areas from the chapter. Chapter quizzes and chapter tests provide summative auto-graded assessment of students’ overall understanding. Primary source readings and The Examined Life Video Series enable instructors to go deeper into philosophical ideas presented in the textbook. MindTap gives you complete ownership of your content and learning experience. Customize the interactive syllabi, emphasize the most important topics and add your own material or notes in the eBook.