This is the best general book on philosophy for university students: not just an introduction, but a guide which will serve them throughout their studies. It is intended to orientate, assist, and stimulate the reader at every stage in the study of the subject. Eleven extended essays have been specially commissioned from leading philosophers; each surveys a major area of the subject and offers an accessible but sophisticated account of the main debates.

With clarity of thought and philosophical rigour, A.C. Grayling provides a valuable guide through mankind's ethical struggle to live decently. Focusing on two very different conceptions, he examines the different ways to live a good life, as proposed from classical antiquity to the recent present.