Philosophy Here and Now: Powerful Ideas in Everyday Life , Fifth Edition, is a topically organized hybrid text/reader that helps students understand, appreciate, and even do philosophy. It emphasizes philosophical writing, reinforced with step-by-step instruction in how to write argumentative essays and supported by multiple opportunities to hone critical thinking. It shows students how philosophy applies to their own lives and brings the subject to life with engaging chapter-ending literary selections, abundant illustrations, and a wealth of pedagogical features. "Above all, Vaughn's text does what few others are able to do, namely, to show that philosophy actually matters with respect to how we think and live in the world. For all its brevity the book manages to run the gamut of critical topics, and to offer real-world (and often humorous) examples of each. He does not offer the luxury of viewing difficult questions from a position of abstracted detachment and safety. Rather, he hurls readers straight into the teeth of the storm and allows them to feel the raw terror, wonder, and exhilaration that rightly belong to the study of philosophy.-- Daniel Bramer, Holy Family University "Vaughn has chosen the most important topics in philosophy. His menu cannot be improved upon. With a beautiful opening chapter on the nature of philosophical thinking and remarkably concise chapters on the most engaging issues in philosophy, and with a nice mix of classic and contemporary philosophers, this is a terrific text. It is visually appealing as well."--Paul Herrick, Shoreline Community College " Philosophy Here and Now is written in a clear, engaging, and lively style. The author does an excellent job of explaining abstract and conceptually intricate material to novices. The book introduces students to philosophy as a living enterprise, full of intellectual surprises and relevance to everyday human concerns."-- Philip Robbins, University of Missouri "I can't imagine not using Philosophy Here and Now . My experience with the textbook has been completely positive. When students let you know how much they like reading the text you know you made the right decision in adopting the book."--Teresa Cantrell, University of Louisville "This is the best text I have found for my introductory class. Questions and exercises engage the students' lives directly and ask them to explain their own understanding/beliefs about a matter. The appendix on writing philosophy papers can easily stand on its own as the most valuable tool I use in my class. I have yet to find anything at this price with a comparable content."--Stephen Orr, Solano Community College A unique resource that combines instruction with classic and contemporary readings from one of the leading philosophy writers and educators today Lewis Vaughn is the author or coauthor of several leading philosophy resources, including Bioethics , Sixth Edition (2025); The Power of Critical Thinking , Eighth Edition (2024); Writing Philosophy , Third Edition (2023); Philosophy: The Quest for Truth , Twelfth Edition; and Living Philosophy , Fourth Edition (2023).