In a lively, easy-to-follow approach, The Everything Guide to Understanding Philosophy introduces you to the major thinkers and the problems they've pondered during the past 2,600 years. Is there life after death?Are euthanasia, suicide, or stem-cell research ethical acts?Does the use of performance enhancers in sports constitute cheating?These are the types of philosophical questions people face today. Philosophy is not a dead set of doctrines-it's a living body of knowledge that you can use to guide behavior and problem-solving. In a lively, easy-to-follow approach, The Everything Guide to Understanding Philosophy introduces you to the major thinkers and the problems they've pondered during the past 2,600 years.In plain English, author Kenneth Shouler, Ph.D., explains all of the great philosophies-and provides contemporary examples to put them in perspective. He delves into the minds of such philosophers as:Socrates, Plato, and AristotleAugustine and AquinasSpinoza and DescartesLocke and HumeMill and NietzscheRussell and SartreIf you're ready to broaden your outlook on life, this is the book for you. Endlessly fascinating-and always clear and concise-it's the perfect introduction for budding philosophersKenneth Shouler earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from the City University of New York. He has taught philosophy since 1981 and is currently an associate professor at St. John's University. After being a senior editor at Total Sports Publishing from 1996 to 2002, he founded Wordsworth Writing and Editing. He has written dozens of newspapers and magazines articles since 1986 and is the author of several books. He lives in Harrison, NY.