“What is Philosophy?” is a textbook for introductory philosophy classes. It uses guided readings of primary philosophical texts to introduce students to multiple aspects and perspectives of global philosophical traditions.
This textbook is available online at Whatisphilosophy.pressbooks.sunycreate.cloud. From that homepage, readers can access the book on screen by scrolling down to the table of contents. You can also choose to read offline using the following options:
Download a PDF
Navigate to the book’s home page. Under the book cover image, click on “Download this Book” to drop down the option for “Digital PDF.” Download and read in your favorite PDF viewer, such as the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (downloadable here).
Download an EPUB (for e-Readers)
EPUBs are the files used to display books in e-readers on your phone, tablet, or computer. EPUBs allow readers to choose the size of the text they are reading on screen, and they work with screen readers.
How do I view an EPUB? Depending on the device and operating system you’re using, you may already have an app that can view EPUB, or you may need to download a free one. Here are some recommendations:
For Desktops/Laptops
For Smartphones/Tablets
Check out a printed copy from our library reserves
(coming soon for SUNY Oneonta students)
Most textbooks are written and published under full copyright, which reserves all rights (such as reuse and distribution) to the author or publisher. Dr. Koch’s decision to license this book with the Creative Commons license CC-BY-SA makes it an Open Educational Resource (OER), or “educational materials made freely and legally available on the Internet for anyone to reuse, revise, remix and redistribute” (Hewlett Foundation). The CC-BY-SA on this book means that you may read, copy, share, and even adapt What is Philosophy for your own uses–as long as you give appropriate credit, and if you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
Instructors who choose to adopt or adapt all or part of What is Philosophy? for use in their own classes are encouraged to inform the author or the SUNY Oneonta OER Initiative. Thank you for participating in open education!
