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Now in its fifth edition, this historically organized introductory texttreats philosophy as a dramatic and continuous story--a conversation abouthumankind's deepest and most persistent concerns. Tracing the exchange of ideasbetween history's key philosophers, The Great Conversation: A HistoricalIntroduction to Philosophy, Fifth Edition, demonstrates that while constructingan 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 canwe 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 majorphilosophical works and makes them more easily understandable to students withhis lucid and engaging explanations. Ranging from the Pre-Socratics to Derridaand Quine, the selections are organized historically and include four completeworks: Plato's Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito, and Descartes' Meditations onFirst Philosophy. The author's commentary offers a rich intellectual andcultural context for the philosophical ideas conveyed in the excerpts. Extensivecross-referencing shows students how philosophers respond appreciatively orcritically to the thoughts of other philosophers. The text is enhanced by twotypes of exercises--"Basic Questions" and "For Further Thought"--and more thansixty 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 ofthe Buddha, Avicenna (Ibn Sina), Averroes (Ibn Rushd), and Maimonides (Moses benMaimon)* 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 ofat chapter ends) to follow relevant passages and facilitate classroom discussion* Thirteen new images, including seven explanatory cartoons that help studentsunderstand key concepts* A revised Instructor's Manual and Test Bank containing essential points,teaching suggestions, and multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay examquestionsThe Great Conversation, Fifth Edition, is also available in two paperbackvolumes to suit your course needs. Volume I: Pre-Socratics through Descartesincludes chapters 1-13 of the combined volume, while Volume II: Descartesthrough Derrida and Quine includes chapters 12-26.