Philosophers beyond borders : An illustrated guide to a selection of 30 thinkers from the world

This book covers 30 philosophers, some known and some not so known, from different parts of the world. They were chosen to show how persons from diverse cultures and different times are driven by the same desire to question well-established truths, and to find answers to the questions humans encounter in life. Over time the questions might have changed but the answers continue to provide us with values, principles, and ideas that are a guide for living. As the world is getting smaller and smaller, we are confronted with people from different cultures, religions, and values. We need to learn to live in peace and harmony with these ‘others’. Philosophy can provide the bridge to cover the gap between different worldviews. It will show that our differences and our similarities stem from the same desire to understand our world and the place of the human within. To promote an international culture of dialogue between the different schools of philosophical thought, UNESCO introduced ‘World Philosophy Day’, in 2002, celebrated every third Thursday of November. We hope that this book will contribute to that dialogue and that we learn to realize that no ethnic group, nor gender, has a monopoly on ‘doing philosophy’.