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The seventh edition of Steven Cahn's "Classics of Western Philosophy" features several major additions, including selections from Plotinus' "Enneads", Schopenhauer's "The World as Will and Representation", Husserl's "Paris Lectures", Wittgenstein's "Philosophical Investigations", and a new selection from Hegel's "Phenomenology of Spirit". Selections from Aristotle's "Metaphysics" and "On the Soul" have been expanded, while Aristotle's "Physics and Nicomachean Ethics", Hume's "Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding", Mill's "On Liberty", and Russell's "The Problem of Philosophy" have been further abridged. In all, the new edition presents complete texts or substantial selections from fifty-six philosophical masterpieces, in pre-eminent and thoughtfully annotated translations and editions, with introductions by a team of distinguished scholars including Sara Ahbel-Rappe, Richard Bett, Steven Cahn, Charles Guignon, Kathleen Higgins, Patricia Kitcher, Philip W. Kitcher, William Mann, Derek Pereboom, Ruth Anna Putnam, Israel Scheffler, David Shatz, George Sher, David Sherman, Jonathan Vogel, Meredith Williams, and Michael Williams.

Classics of Western Philosophy
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Customer Reviews
Cahn is a Leviathan, and a Steal   Review Date: August 20, 1997 Reviewer: Dr. Vern Lindquist, NY USA I have been teaching philosophy in college for six years and have yet to find an anthology more broad, pliable, or reasonably priced than Cahn's "Classics." The selections are generally entire works, not short snippets; when the entire work is not included, the selection is ample, judicious, and representative. Of course, most anthologists feel it necessary to include short biographical sketches of the contributors and a short synopsis of the works included; generally, they cannot refrain from interpreting the works for you. Cahn refrains, and also keeps his comments mercifully brief and readable. Inclusive of minorities and women it is not. One might even wish for something more current than "Twilight of the Idols"--or indeed for "Twilight" not to be among the abridged works. Still, adding anything else to this work, especially something under copyright, would make it even longer than its current 1,270 pages and threaten its very reasonable price. "Classics" is itself becoming a classic. Now in its fourth edition, it seems to defy anyone to match its range, breadth, and price. simply the best   Review Date: November 25, 2006 Reviewer: fenwickclassof81, usa This anthology is by far the best anthology of its kind. If you love ancient and medieval philosophy the way I do, it is possible to teach an entire semester "intro. to phil." course out of Plato, Aristotle, Sextus, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Maimon, Ockham, Gerson, and the Stoa. This book could also support a whole early moderns course, as it features full texts of MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY, ETHICS, MONADOLOGY, AN ENQUIRY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING, and DIALOGUES CONCERNING NATURAL RELIGION. This great text also contains a well-selected excerpt from Kant's KrV. If you are a philosophy instructor who loves great texts, and if you teach an historical approach to intro., this text is your choice. This servicable anthology is priced reasonably enough that it can also serve as a primary-source reference for thematic courses. Thanks to Hackett for this gem. This text is also ideal as the core text for a one-trimester course. I have even used this book once for a one-semester ethics course! Intro To Philosophy   Review Date: September 14, 2009 Reviewer: Veg, I'm a college student and was required to buy this book (among several) for my Intro to Philosophy class. As soon as the semester was over I did what I always do: sell the text books back to the campus book store. As I went on to other classes I began to regret selling back this book. I'm a few weeks into "Humanities in Western Tradition I, and I'm currently reading just fragments of what can be found in this book. After I get done with an assignment, I want to read further and if I had kept this book I could do that. So I'm buying it again...for the last time. The Great Philosophical Minds   Review Date: July 27, 2000 Reviewer: Rick Sprouse, Pensacola, FL USA An omnibus of great philosophical writings of the Western world, Cahn's "Classics" is required reading for the one who wants to discover the representative ideas of Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Kant, Nietszche, and others. The writings have been chosen for their ability to present the essence of each great philosopher's thought. For the reader who wishes to bypass the interpreters and read the philosophers themselves, this volume is a must. With this collection, why should a philosophy student bother with another? All the philosophical greats under one roof.   Review Date: October 7, 1996 Reviewer: , Is life fair? Possibly. Is this all one elaborate dream? There is a pretty good chance it is. Is there a god? Maybe; Maybe not. This book covers these as well as many other subjects for an interesting view of the world from Plato to Nietzsche. Great!   Review Date: September 4, 2000 Reviewer: , Chicago IL USA This book is definately worth the price and the weight. Cahn selects some of the greatest philosophers of all time! A must for any philosophy student or anyone interested in the subject.