Don't know Socrates from Sartre? Can't handle Kant? This lively introduction traces the history of Western philosophy, from the works of Plato and Aristotle to those of Simone de Beauvoir and Michel Foucault. Easy-to-understand explanations cover all branches of philosophy, illustrating changing interpretations of the meaning of life and outlining key ideas of famous thinkers.
Author Neil Turnbull offers memorable examples and analogies, injecting a playful modern tone into potentially obscure subjects. Loaded with sidebars, comic illustrations, and bulleted points, the book's reader-friendly format offers digestible portions from a banquet of philosophical traditions, including thought-provoking tastes of works by Aquinas, Descartes, Wittgenstein, Hume, Heidegger, Nietzsche, and many others.