>Bertrand Russell's enduring masterpiece, invites readers on an intellectual odyssey through the fundamental inquiries that have intrigued humanity for centuries. Russell skillfully introduces important theories of Plato, Aristotle, René Descartes, David Hume, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and others to lay the foundation for philosophical inquiry by general readers and scholars alike. He frames philosophy as an ongoing pursuit marked by successive attempts to address fundamental questions: Can we prove the existence of an external world? Can we establish causality? Can we validate our generalizations? Can morality be objectively justified? Russell contends that philosophy, despite its endeavors, cannot definitively answer these questions, positing that its true value lies in the process of inquiry and the critical thinking it fosters. This classic primer serves as an accessible introduction to major philosophical achievements from ancient Greece to the twentieth century. This Warbler Classics edition includes an extensively researched, detailed biographical timeline.