Short description
As Socrates said, 'The unexamined life is not worth living.' How better to begin a life's examination than with the most influential philosophers from Ancient Greece and China to the present day.
Long description
As Socrates said, 'The unexamined life is not worth living.' How better to begin a life's examination than with the most influential philosophers from Ancient Greece and China to the present day. Philosophy continues to be as relevant today as it was in the time of Socrates and Plato, and is reflected in the great debates of our time. Doctors battle with the ethics of euthanasia and stem cell research; politicians have to establish on what basis a war can be justified; our children ask questions we find ourselves unable to answer. Philosophy does not teach you what to think; it teaches you how to think. This title contains entries that trace the development of a particular school or approach, and examines the lives and thoughts of 100 philosophers who have changed the way we view the world. Presented chronologically, the philosophers are profiled with sketches of their personal life, a summary of the development of their thought and some of the conclusions they reached. Read their arguments, draw your own conclusions and discuss with your friends.