Philosophical conversations

This brief and engaging introductory text treats philosophy as a dramatic and continuous story--a conversation about humankind's deepest and most persistent concerns, in which students are encouraged to participate. Tracing the exchange of ideas between history's key philosophers, author Norman Melchert provides a generous selection of excerpts from major philosophical works and makes them more easily understandable with his lucid explanations and extensive cross-references. A more concise edition of the author's The Great Conversation, Fifth Edition, Philosophical Conversations: A Concise Historical Introduction to Philosophy is designed to be especially accessible and visually attractive to first- and second-year college students in introduction to philosophy courses. It is enhanced by numerous pedagogical features, including an expanded art program; numerous brief quotations from poets, politicians, and thinkers; explanatory footnotes and basic study questions throughout; key terms, boldfaced at their first appearance and collected at the end of each chapter and in a detailed glossary at the back of the book; and more.