Norman Melchert
Now in its fifth edition, this historically organized introductory text treats philosophy as a dramatic and continuous story--a conversation about humankind's deepest and most persistent concerns. Tracing the exchange of ideas between history's key philosophers, ,The Great Conversation: A, ,Historical Introduction to Philosophy,, Fifth Edition, demonstrates that while constructing an argument or making a claim, one philosopher almost always has others in mind. The book addresses the fundamental questions of human life: Who are we? What can we know? How should we live? and What sort of reality do we inhabit?, The fifth edition retains the distinctive feature of previous editions: author Norman Melchert provides a generous selection of excerpts from major philosophical works and makes them more easily understandable to students with his lucid and engaging explanations. Ranging from the Pre-Socratics to Derrida and Quine, the selections are organized historically and include four complete works: Plato's ,Euthyphro,, ,Apology,, and ,Crito,, and Descartes' ,Meditations on First Philosophy,. The author's commentary offers a rich intellectual and cultural context for the philosophical ideas conveyed in the excerpts. Extensive cross-referencing shows students how philosophers respond appreciatively or critically to the thoughts of other philosophers. The text is enhanced by two types of exercises--Basic Questions and For Further Thought--and more than sixty illustrations.,New to the Fifth Edition: ,* A new chapter (25) on Simone de Beauvoir and her contributions to philosophy, * New material on Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish thinkers, including profiles of the Buddha, Avicenna (Ibn Sina), Averroï¿½s (Ibn Rushd), and Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon), * A new profile of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, * Improved translations of several of Plato's works, including ,Protagoras,, ,Gorgias,, ,Phaedo,, ,Symposium,, ,Meno,, and the ,Republic, * Review questions that are now dispersed throughout the chapters (instead of at chapter ends) to follow relevant passages and facilitate classroom discussion, * Thirteen new images, including seven explanatory cartoons that help students understand key concepts, * A revised Instructor's Manual and Test Bank--available both on CD and in a printed version--containing essential points, teaching suggestions, and multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay exam questions,The Great Conversation,, Fifth Edition, is also available in two paperback volumes to suit your course needs. ,Volume I: Pre-Socratics through Descartes, includes chapters 1-13 of the combined volume, while ,Volume II: Descartes through Derrida and Quine, includes chapters 12-26.
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The Great Conversation: A Historical Introduction to Philosophy