Classics of Philosophy is the most comprehensive anthology of writings in western philosophy in print. Spanning 2,500 years of thought, it is ideal for introduction to philosophy and history of philosophy courses. Over seventy-five works by forty-two philosophers as well as fragments from the Pre-Socratics are included, offering students and general readers alike an extensive and economical collection of the major works of the western tradition. This anthology contains the most important writings from Thales to Rawls; twenty-four of these are complete works, including such classics as Plato's Republic , Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy , Leibniz's The Monadology , Hume's An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding , Kant's Foundation for the Metaphysic of Morals , Mill's Utilitarianism , Russell's The Problems of Philosophy , Sartre's Existentialism and Humanism , and Rawls's "Justice as Fairness," while the others are judiciously abridged so that little of value to the student is lost. The book provides a broad view of the most significant stages of growth in western philosophy, including its birth with the Pre-Socratics as well as its contemporary developments. A lucid introduction, including a brief biographical sketch, accompanies each of the featured philosophers. Classics of Philosophy is available in this single-volume edition and in two split volumes. Volume I: Ancient and Medieval covers philosophers from the Pre-Socratics to William of Ockham; and Volume II: Modern and Contemporary begins with Descartes and ends with Rawls.