'The unexamined life is not worth living.' Plato (c.427-347BC) This book traces strands of thought in Western philosophy, from the Ancient Greeks to the present day. An accessible, fascinating account of the major preoccupations of the world's greatest thinkers, it explores the five branches of philosophy - metaphysics, epistemology, logic, ethics, and aesthetics. It includes biographies of significant figures, accounts of important texts, and definitions of key concepts such as scepticism, relativism, and empiricism. Topics include: - The nature of being and reality - The existence of God - Romanticism and existentialism - Free will and predestination - Ethics in daily life - How we might make a good society Beautifully illustrated throughout

Author Biography

Anne Rooney gained a degree and a PhD from Trinity College, Cambridge. After teaching at the universities of Cambridge and York, she became a full-time writer. She has written many books on the history and philosophy of science and other aspects of science and technology. She has been a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Newnham College, Cambridge.