This is the first volume of a two-volume introduction to & guide through philosophy. It is intended to orientate assist & 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 & offers an accessible but sophisticated account of the main debates. An extended introduction maps out the philosophical terrain & explains how the different subjects relate to each other. The first part of the book deals with the foundations of philosophical enquiry: epistemology; philosophical logic; methodology; metaphysics; & the philosophy of mind. The second part offers four historical chapters two on ancient & two on modern philosophy introducing great thinkers from the past explaining & discussing their ideas & showing the value of studying them today. The third part comprises two chapters devoted to questions of value in ethics & aesthetics. Full annotated bibliographies are provided at the ends of chapters to serve as guides to further reading. This is real philosophy not simplified philosophy; it will be accessible for the beginner but equally valuable for the third-year student. Deep & challenging questions are not shirked; the reader will be given a sense of involvement in the practice of philosophy today.