First Philosophy: Values and Society brings together classic and ground-breaking readings on ethics and social and political philosophy. Mindful of the intrinsic difficulty of much of the material, the editor has provided comprehensive introductions both to the central topics and to each individual selection. By providing a detailed discussion of the historical and intellectual background to each piece, he aims to enable readers to approach the material without unnecessary barriers to understanding. In an introductory chapter, the editor provides a brief introduction to the nature of philosophical enquiry, to the nature of argument, and to the process of reading and writing within the academic discipline of philosophy.

Andrew Bailey is an award winning comedian, writer and monologist. His shows include The Adversary, Scrupulosity, Limbo and Putz. He is also one of the primary writers and actors of the Atomic Vaudeville cabaret, having appeared in more than fifty episodes since 2004. He lives in Vancouver

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"First Philosophy has a good selection of articles for my purposes, and the accompanying introductory background material is absolutely brilliant."

Jillian Scott McIntosh

"I would recommend First Philosophy to anyone teaching an introductory philosophy course."

Paul Churchland

"The introductions are fabulous; students find them very helpful. Overall, First Philosophy is an excellent anthology for first-year students; the text has made my job significantly easier."

Jennifer M. Phillips

"This is an extremely well-done philosophy text.... [It] should become a standard in introductory philosophy classes."

Patricia Blanchette

"The main difference between other anthologies and First Philosophy is Bailey's supplementary material, which is excellent. The explicative material is likewise excellent: clear, highly relevant, useful, easily understood. The wonderful supplementary material makes this a very good text indeed."

Jeff Foss