David E. Cooper is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Durham and Director of the Durham Institute of Comparative Ethics'. He is the author of a number of books, including Metaphor (1986) and Existentialism (1990, second edition 1999). He is also editor of A Companion to Aesthetics (1992), and four volumes in the series Philosophy: The Classic Readings – Aesthetics (1997), Ethics (1997), Epistemology (1999) and Metaphysics (2000). These titles are all published by Blackwell Publishing.

‘A multicultural feast of ideas and arguments! In language that is expressive, clear and often humorous, David Cooper has written a compelling history of philosophy, covering as it does not only the major figures in Western thought but also the main trends in non-Western philosophy.' Robert L. Arrington, Georgia State University ‘By opening the door to cross-cultural comparison, Cooper has let in a draught that may blow away the whole house of cards, and uncover the parts of philosophy that the histories never reached.' Jonathan Rée, Times Higher Education Supplement

• Preface to second edition vii1 Introduction 1Part I: Ancient Philosophies 92 India 133 China 584 Greece 92Part II: Middle Period and 'Modern' Philosophies:  1475 Medieval Philosophies 1516 Developments in Asian Philosophy 2037 From Renaissance to Enlightenment 241Part III: Recent Philosophies: 3078 Kant and the Nineteenth Century 3119 Recent Non-Western Philosophies 37710 Twentieth-Century Western Philosophies 426Bibliography 505Index 527

David E. Cooper is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Durham and Director of the Durham Institute of Comparative Ethics'. He is the author of a number of books, including Metaphor (1986) and Existentialism (1990, second edition 1999). He is also editor of A Companion to Aesthetics (1992), and four volumes in the series Philosophy: The Classic Readings – Aesthetics (1997), Ethics (1997), Epistemology (1999) and Metaphysics (2000). These titles are all published by Blackwell Publishing.

‘A multicultural feast of ideas and arguments! In language that is expressive, clear and often humorous, David Cooper has written a compelling history of philosophy, covering as it does not only the major figures in Western thought but also the main trends in non-Western philosophy.' Robert L. Arrington, Georgia State University ‘By opening the door to cross-cultural comparison, Cooper has let in a draught that may blow away the whole house of cards, and uncover the parts of philosophy that the histories never reached.' Jonathan Rée, Times Higher Education Supplement

• Preface to second edition vii1 Introduction 1Part I: Ancient Philosophies 92 India 133 China 584 Greece 92Part II: Middle Period and 'Modern' Philosophies:  1475 Medieval Philosophies 1516 Developments in Asian Philosophy 2037 From Renaissance to Enlightenment 241Part III: Recent Philosophies: 3078 Kant and the Nineteenth Century 3119 Recent Non-Western Philosophies 37710 Twentieth-Century Western Philosophies 426Bibliography 505Index 527

David E. Cooper is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Durham and Director of the Durham Institute of Comparative Ethics'. He is the author of a number of books, including Metaphor (1986) and Existentialism (1990, second edition 1999). He is also editor of A Companion to Aesthetics (1992), and four volumes in the series Philosophy: The Classic Readings – Aesthetics (1997), Ethics (1997), Epistemology (1999) and Metaphysics (2000). These titles are all published by Blackwell Publishing.

‘A multicultural feast of ideas and arguments! In language that is expressive, clear and often humorous, David Cooper has written a compelling history of philosophy, covering as it does not only the major figures in Western thought but also the main trends in non-Western philosophy.' Robert L. Arrington, Georgia State University ‘By opening the door to cross-cultural comparison, Cooper has let in a draught that may blow away the whole house of cards, and uncover the parts of philosophy that the histories never reached.' Jonathan Rée, Times Higher Education Supplement

• Preface to second edition vii1 Introduction 1Part I: Ancient Philosophies 92 India 133 China 584 Greece 92Part II: Middle Period and 'Modern' Philosophies:  1475 Medieval Philosophies 1516 Developments in Asian Philosophy 2037 From Renaissance to Enlightenment 241Part III: Recent Philosophies: 3078 Kant and the Nineteenth Century 3119 Recent Non-Western Philosophies 37710 Twentieth-Century Western Philosophies 426Bibliography 505Index 527