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Mind Your Ps and Qs: Philosophy Goes to High School

by Edward R.W. Makhene

117 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-1208; ISBN 1-4120-0840-9; US$15.50, C$17.99, EUR13.00, £9.00

This is a philosophical dialogue between High School students who set out to explore the logical foundations of our commonly held opinions and beliefs, and their degree of certainty.

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About the Book Very often we are forced to retract our staunchly held positions after confidently vouching for the truth of what are really opinions and beliefs masquerading as facts. In this book Nellie and Jacob begin by exploring how our interpretations of what we individually perceive and conceive must coincide if we are to speak meaningfully about what is in our world: tables, minds, colours, processes, etc. They consider basic ways of knowing and their relationship to what is out there and what is in our minds. They examine the validity of our inferences and predictions: why q does not follow from p as the newspaper editorial alleges, and why we can anticipate tomorrow's sunrise. They ponder the gap between the language of time and the logic of time and why now cannot be a split instant during which nothing can happen, but must be a certain period during which some things do happen. They inquire into how our moral choices relate to their perceived causes and effects, and how our lives are built around our predictions and our knowledge of apparent causes and effects. They also discuss the bodily and mental natures of their own identities, what meanings to attach to the different stages of their lives, and the possibility of life after death.

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About the Author

Edward Makhene is a practicing Pediatrician with a BA, BSc, and MA from the University of South Africa. He pursued post-graduate research at Edinburgh University, Scotland for his MA dissertation: Objects and Things- A Philosophical Analysis. He recieved his medical training from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and his Pediatric training from Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. His other book is What's That, Mummy? A child's adventure with Philosopy.