Difficult philosophies made easy. The meaning of life, the universe and our place in it, the nature of justice and the good society, and the powers of reason explored, questioned, and explained. Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Stoicism, Skepticism, Cynicism, Continental philosophy, virtue, ethics, government and governing, love, death, life, Heidegger, Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, Bertrand Russell, Michel Foucault.... From famous figures in the history of philosophy to questions in religious theology to the relationship between knowledge and power, The Handy Western Philosophy Answer Book: The Ancient Greek Influence on Modern Understanding takes the sometimes esoteric ideas and the jumble of names and makes them easy to understand, enriching readers'' lives and answering the question, What does philosophy have to teach us about life and society? There''s the loss of trust in government and organized religion. Seeking an alternative, some have experimented with new forms of politics, social organization, and spirituality. All these developments have led to a great deal of confusion and puzzlement. Who and what can we believe, and how can we know it is correct? From its beginning, philosophy was conceived as a conversation or dialogue, and The Handy Western Philosophy Answer Book offers answers to questions like these ... What is philosophy? What is metaphysics? What is philosophy of science? What is logic? How is ethics different than morality? How did Pre-Socratic philosophy get started? What is the arrow paradox? Who was Pythagoras? Who were the sophists? Who was the founder of Western philosophy? What is a harmonic sequence in music? What are the four cardinal virtues? Was pederasty condoned in ancient Greece? How, according to Plato, is philosophy like making love? What are the three parts of the soul? How does democracy degenerate into tyranny? What is the history of Alexander the Great''s military campaigns? How did Alexander the Great change the course of the history of philosophy? What did Aristotle say about the social nature of human beings? What is Aristotle''s conception of the soul? What is the soul of a plant? What is virtue? What is an emotion? Why do we need friends? Why did Aristotle believe that the state has a responsibility to educate its citizens? What did Aristotle think about money? What is Hellenistic philosophy? What impact did the Epicureans have on the modern world? What was the museum of Alexandria? How did Stoicism inspire modern cognitive psychotherapy? What is the problem with the sentence "The present king of France is bald"? What is the postmodern condition? Philosophy is the pursuit of answers to big questions about the purpose of life, death, and existence. Philosophy is about how to reason and find the answers for yourself. Philosophy is a puzzle. You collect clues. You make connections. With more than 120 photos and graphics, The Handy Western Philosophy Answer Book is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography, glossary of terms, and extensive index add to its usefulness. A perfect companion for anyone seeking wider truths and happiness. It is an informative, accessible, easy-to-understand guide to the big questions about the purpose of life, death and existence.